Humboldt street work on tap

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July 19, 2017 - 12:00 AM

Resurfacing of Ninth and Bridge streets in Humboldt will begin on Aug. 7, Allen County commissioners learned Tuesday morning.
Bettis Asphalt and Construction, Ottawa, anticipates the project will take about a week and a half, Mitch Garner, director of Public Works, said.
The surfaces will be milled before a new layer of asphalt is applied. Center lines will be marked, but parking stalls will be painted on Humboldt’s nickel.
Ninth Street, which formerly carried U.S. 169 through Humboldt, is a county road, as is Bridge, by virtue of them being considered connecting links in and out of Humboldt. Bridge Street is the only access to west of Humboldt, by way of the Marsh Arch bridge over the Neosho River.
Garner also discussed the pile of debris and brush wedged against the upstream side of the bridge, and noted its removal is not within the purview of the Corps of Engineers. The county owns the bridge and the Neosho River is not a navigable stream.
Cole Herder, Humboldt administrator, said his fear was the buildup would choke the channel on the west side the bridge and eventually lead to unmanageable erosion of the west bank.
Garner said a conversation with Bill King, retired Public Works director, was not supportive of removing the debris. “He said it’s not hurting anything and will just build up again” with the next siege of high water.
A similar mess was removed several years ago, and, true to King’s word, another replaced it.
Nevertheless, commissioners asked Garner to “get prices” from companies or individuals who could clear the area around the bridge.
Garner said Kurt Whitaker, whose company hauls raw materials from several quarries to Monarch Cement’s plant, suggested a rock pier be built on the west side of the river to support heavy equipment. Once the project was completed, Whitaker reportedly said that rock could be the foundation for riprap along the west bank.

IN OTHER NEWS, commissioners:
— Gave Kenneth Wright, 505 Park, 60 days to clean up his property. County Counselor Alan Weber sent Wright a notice, pointing out neighbors, as well as the county were distressed by a number of apparently inoperable vehicles and large volumes “of trash” that had accumulated on Wright’s property, just outside Iola’s city limit.
Wright said he had made some inroads and would do more. Weber will monitor his efforts.
— Were told by Joe Hess, president of Iola Senior Citizens, Inc., Iolan Larry Walden had been too aggressive in his efforts to help at the group’s sales station, 223 N. State.
Hess said Walden had been instructed, by written notice, to report to him at 10 a.m. on any Wednesday “… at which time I will discuss any proposals you may have, and will give you written authorization to complete any agreed upon projects.”
The senior citizens sell clothing, household items and other things donated at bargain-basement prices and then distribute proceeds to Hope Unlimited, local schools and several other nonprofits.

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