County will use KDOT mixture to treat icy roads
Commissioners review contract extension for comprehensive plan
When snow and ice roll around again next winter, drivers traveling Marion County roads should find them a little less treacherous.
County Road and Bridge Superintendent Gerald Kelsey told county commissioners Monday the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) would be providing the county with a brine mixture that will be applied to county roads prior to winter storms. KDOT currently provides brine to McPherson County, and the cities of Marion and McPherson.
KDOT has used the mixture now for several years to pre-treat roadways, making them less hazardous during periods of snow and ice.
During a meeting earlier this month, Commission Chairman Howard Collett said he worried the county may be liable if an accident were to occur on an untreated county road. Especially, he noted, since today's drivers expect roadways to be treated.
Kelsey told commissioners the county would use a gravity flow system to apply the brine mixture and would need to purchase two tanks which could be placed on the back of trucks.
"We'll just go down the middle of the road. We don't need to go down both lanes like KDOT does," Kelsey said. "It'll spread out to the sides."
KDOT suggests the mixture be applied two days prior to a storm. The mixture will dry, but will reactivate with moisture.
"It'll last a week or so," he said, noting the brine "makes a big difference, even here on the city (Marion) streets."
And after a storm, the county can still apply sand or salt on top of the roadway, Kelsey said.
Collett wondered whether the brine mixture adversely affects the pavement and bridges.
"It will get on the base of the blacktop, will freeze, thaw and re-freeze later," Collett said.
Kelsey said KDOT didn't mention that as being a particular problem.
Comprehensive plan revisions
David Brazil, planning and zoning administrator, told commissioners it would cost $12,700 for an extension to the county's contract with Bucher, Willis, and Ratzlaff to readdress the county's comprehensive plan along with zoning regulations.
Two weeks ago, commissioners said they would like to meet with Bucher and Willis representatives concerning the reasoning behind certain components of the comprehensive plan.
Brazil said the county had already set aside $10,000 in the current budget year to work with Bucher and Willis on zoning regulations. An extension with the company for further work on the comprehensive plan will cost $2,700.
"That $2,000 includes coming up to meet with you, going over the plan and changes with the planning commission, and making final changes," Brazil said.
"I don't think you're going to get by with just changes," Commissioner Leroy Wetta replied. "It's going to need to be re-written."
Wetta said he wanted to make the comprehensive plan separate from the zoning regulations. Collett said he felt the comprehensive plan as written contained a lot of unnecessary verbage.
"We're not interested in the rhetoric, we're interested in the bottom line," Collett said.
Brazil said the wording within the plan is used to "paint a picture," establishing the foundation for the comprehensive plan.
"It's not zoning regulations," Brazil said, but agreed, "There's some verbage."
Brazil said he would take the contract to County Attorney Susan Robson to review and would bring it back during the next meeting.
