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	Franklin County, Kansas, USA

2009-07-03

2009-07-01

2009-06-30

Agriculture

Lifestyles

Mental health center’s $1.9M expansion now complete

By CLEON RICKEL, Herald Senior Writer

The $1.9 million expansion at the Elizabeth Layton Center for Hope and Guidance’s clinic at 2537 Eisenhower Road is done.

That was the official pronouncement of the Franklin County Commission Wednesday.

The county had to issue a formal statement declaring the project completed so the mental health center could submit its final paper to federal and state regulators, Donna Crawford, the center’s grant consultant, said.

The center received a $400,000 Community Development Block Grant for the project.

Kansas Department of Commerce inspectors looked at the expansion and were pleased with the results, Crawford said.

In other matters, the commissioners:

• Were scolded for slow action by Gene Hirt, Williamsburg, for improving a minimum-maintenance section along Pawnee Road.

After the county changed its policy on improving such roads, officials approved an agreement more than a month ago with Tim Sullivan, an Iraq War veteran who has sought to build a new house along the road, Hirt said.

The county hasn’t lived up to its side of the agreement so far, Hirt said.

Jim Haag, county public works director, said work would begin when the road has dried enough.

• Accepted the only bid it received, from Scottswood Inc., for dust control chemicals.

The bid was higher than last year, Haag said.

The costs of applying the chemical to gravel roads will be charged to those rural residents who request the dust control.

• Decided to solicit bids for building a new bridge on Missouri Road.

The road will be upgraded as part of the U.S. 59 expressway project.

• Agreed to allow the public works department take part in a well-plugging demonstration at 3240 Marshall Road.

The well is in the county’s right of way, Haag said.

• Approved an agreement with the Kansas Department of Transportation to have the county’s Noxious Weed Department treat weeds along highway right of ways.

The rate would increase from $40 per hour to $45 per house to deal with increased energy costs, Rick Sawin, weed supervisor, said.

• Approved three zoning-related matters: a final plat for Rudy Manes dividing a large tract at Cloud and Oregon roads into two five-acre rural residential lots and 120- and 160-acre agricultural lots, rezoning five acres owned by Weldon Hirt on Colorado Road between Stafford and Shawnee roads to a rural residential classification, and a 15-acre tract owned by Clayton Watts II at Labette Road and Indiana Terrace to a rural residential category.

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