Months of discussion and debate came to a head Tuesday morning when the Allen County commission followed its planning boards recommendation and denied Mid-States Materials and landowner David Gant a permit to install a rock quarry on the south side of Humboldt Hill.
More than 20 interested citizens, including a handful of representatives from the Lecompton-based aggregate company, gathered in the courthouse assembly room in anticipation of the commissions decision.
Ive agonized over this, said commissioner Bill King. And I know were not going to make everyone happy here but I make a motion that we follow the recommendation of the zoning board and deny this request.
The vote to deny Gant the conditional use permit for the land was unanimous. I have my own opinion on this, said commission chairman Jerry Daniels. I grew up in this county, where its quarries and combines its a part of our county. … [However,] we also have a process in Allen County that is very civil and orderly, and that includes going through our zoning board. And, regardless of emotion or opinion, I agree that we do have to follow our zoning boards decision.
Daniels reminded the representatives from Mid-States of their right to an appeal.
AT THE URGING of County Attorney Jerry Hathaway, commissioners agreed to go half in on a paperless prosecution system provided by St. Louis-based Karpel Solutions. The total cost to convert the county attorneys office from a paper factory into a streamlined, user-friendly, cloud-based electronic office, capable of interfacing with the court system throughout the state, is $45,475. Commissioners voted to pay half that amount out of their general fund.
GAS MAYOR Kenny Baker asked the commission for $19,194 to install a new heating and air system in Gass community/senior center. The center currently gets by on a less-than-dependable, cost-prohibitive boiler system. Allen County uses the Gas Community Center as a polling place during elections. Commissioners agreed to fund the project in full.
