There’s not much of a problem this year.
There’s not much rain to cause a problem.
But a rural Hoisington woman met with the Barton County Commission this week about an issue that well could be a problem, if we ever do get rain.
It has certainly been a problem in that past and she’d like to see it addressed.
Marleeta Anspaugh told the commissioners that where she lives, in Eureka Township, the ditches have become so filled with sand that has been washed off the township roads that they simply cannot carry off serious raid water. Instead, it runs off onto her property and into a nearby field.
She said she ends up with water standing under her house and out buildings and then she is left with trying to deal with the problem. “It’s very expensive, when I have to call someone to do it,” she said about working to get the water drained off her property.
“My relatives can’t always come out to help,” she added.
Anspaugh said she is paying to have a berm built up behind her house to help deflect the run off away from her house but that still won’t make up for the ditches being too shallow and the culverts not being big enough to carry away the run off from the road.
Commissioner Kenny Schremmer said he had looked at the conditions and he spoke with township officials. He was told “they would look into it.”
Schremmer added that the commissioners need to work with County Administrator Richard Boeckman, who was not at the meeting. Boeckman is also the county counselor, so his input is important to this type of issue.
It was noted that the township board is responsible for the road.
While the commission can request that work is done, it cannot take on the project unless the township is unwilling or unable to.