Lake roads, part 3

To the editor:

Some of you continue to claim that the county has never done any work on the lake roads or that the roads never have been accepted.

I have given you evidence that the county has done both.

Today I offer a history lesson from past county commission minutes and newspaper articles.

Once plats have been recorded and approved in the register of deeds office, the county has accepted the roads.

Lakeside Subdivision was surveyed and signed off by county surveyor James Meisner on Oct. 1, 1945.

On July 2, 1962, the county attorney was asked by commissioners to publish a notice approving the roads.

On Sept, 2, 1959, Meisner certified that Zeller First Subdivision, also known as Lake View, was a true and correct plat surveyed by Lysle Russell, licensed professional engineer.

Russell and Meisner also agreed that reports and plats for Zeller 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Subdivisions were true and correct and signed off in 1961, 1966, and 1967.

On Aug. 30, 1976, the county attorney asked commissioners to accept a plat for Echo Lane Subdivision, which they unanimously did.

Marion County’s registered surveyor, Norman Bowers, approved this subdivision. He also agreed that the plat met all requirements of KSA 58-2001 to 58-2005

On Sept. 20, 1976, commissioners asked the president of the county planning commission to submit a plan for zoning inside the improvement district around the lake.

By submitting a plan, the commission was recognizing and accepting that the area around the lake was platted and that roads that went through the lake area.

Bowers also agreed that North Lake Subdivision was a true and correct plat and signed off in June, 1979.

On Sept. 9, 1985, commissioners approved Grandview Village Subdivision, which had been surveyed and approved by Russell.

On Aug. 12, 2001, lake superintendent Dale Snelling discussed with commissioners hauling and spreading rock on the lake roads.

On Nov. 13, 2001, they asked road and bridge superintendent Gerald Kelsey to work with Snelling in hauling and spreading the rock

On March 1, 2002, residents met with commissioners to discuss road maintenance using some form of recycled material.

Commissioner Howard Collett emphasized that everyone recognized that the county lake was a vital area of the community and contributed to the tax base of the county.

On May 1, 2002, Ed Davies suggested that millings would work better than rock, and on May 20, 2002, commissioners unanimously voted to lay and roll millings approximately three inches thick.

These are just a few of the examples of how commissioners have accepted plats and roads around the county lake.

On Sept. 30 and Oct. 7, 2009, newspaper articles indicated that commissioners directed the road and bridges department to fill in and patch roads at the lake. They also unanimously voted to fill washouts and gullies on Hill Rd., Rock Rd., and Back Bay Ct. with gravel.

Commissioners have recognized and accepted county lake roads as being county roads. Maintenance done by the county with taxpayer money proves this.

Kansas courts have not dealt gently with recalcitrant officials who appear to be stonewalling, offering trifling excuses, or purposefully postponing their clear duty to an open road.

Greg Wyatt
Marion County Lake