By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Board of Reno County Commissioners heard during public comment Tuesday from South Hutchinson City Administrator Joseph Turner, but a majority believed it was inappropriate to discuss the conflict between that city and the county over the bridge on Scott Boulevard near the county public works building in Tuesday's meeting.
"I believe that first, before we bring it to the commission and so forth, that Mr. Turner contact Randy, our administrator and set up a meeting ahead of time with Don at the Public Works and Randy and Joe, our county counselor and review all of this," said chairman Ron Hirst. "We'll be hearing from you today, but my feeling is that we need to get this with the proper people to fully explain everything and get all the information together and to cover it, because we are limited by state statutes, unfortunately, versus the city, who has some home rule."
Turner is trying to understand what happened that makes that bridge the city's responsibility.
"Between 1986 and 2012, the county was maintaining the road and bridge and then in 2012, there was some sort of discussion amongst this body and not these members and that agreement was terminated," Turner said. "I do not know what the genesis for that exactly was, but the agreement was terminated and we were told that the road was in good condition in a letter dated 2012. Essentially, the county wiped its hands and said it's yours, you guys take it over. The long and the short of it is that the bridge is a $700,000 project. That is outside of our budget. We're spending literally $700,000 at this moment to get the water line replaced under Avenue F."
Turner contends that the heavy county traffic that has to take an alternate route from public works on Avenue F at the very least contributed to the water issues. The commission did not add the item to the agenda to dispense of it and Commissioner Daniel Friesen disagreed with that decision.
"I think Mr. Turner erred in his approach, but I think we need to give him some latitude," Friesen said. "Number one, he's new. Number two, he's on a time constraint and I've been in his position. City of Buhler, we don't have an administrator, so that's the Mayor's job. I've been exactly where he's been before. It's almost embarassing for a city elected official or a city official to come up here and look at everybody, explain something that's really important to them and get the stone cold faces from the commission and the staff and then them walk away. I know, and I think you guys know that the staff is fully aware of this issue."
There was no resolution at the meeting Tuesday. Turner needs to know what to do so they can get the process started on getting the bridge replaced. If the county won't help the city, they will likely have to use special assessments to pay for the project.
The relevant statute is 68-506f. According to the Kansas Legislature's website, it reads as follows:
"City connecting links in county highway system; agreements for maintenance; compensation or maintenance by county. The board of county commissioners of any county and the governing body of any city having a population of less than 5,000 which is located within such county are hereby authorized to enter into agreements for the maintenance of streets within such cities which form connecting links in the system of county roads and highways included in the major collector road system pursuant to article 17 of chapter 68 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, and amendments thereto, or in the system of county minor collector roads and highways. Such agreements may provide for the maintenance of such connecting links by such cities and the reimbursement or payment of compensation to such cities by the county therefor. In the absence of agreement between the county and such cities regarding the maintenance of such connecting links it shall be the duty of the county to maintain all such connecting links in the county road and highway system. Payments to such cities for the maintenance of connecting links in county road and highway systems shall be made from the road and bridge fund of the county."