By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
Ellis County Public Works crews are working overtime to fix roads damaged by the heavy rains over the weekend.
Director of Public Works Bill Ring told the county commission Tuesday night some areas in the northeast corner of the county received more than 7 inches of rain Saturday night and into Sunday.
He said crews are working quickly to fix the many bridges and roads that sustained damaged and said it is “all hands on deck.” Ring said they have all of their employees and equipment working to fix the roads.
But he said it is going to take a while because there are a number of roads that are heavily damaged. There were several culvert tubes washed out by the water.
Even the new bridge on Yocemento was affected, according to Ring. He said the approached was washed out by the floodwaters.
Currently crews are working to get all roads back to passable two lanes.
“We have a lot of one-lane roads open right now, which is not a good situation,” said Ring. “If we can get the roads in that condition to start, the really bad ones, then we will slowly go back and then rebuild the shoulders and the ditches.”
Ring said his office is still asking the public to avoid traveling on county roads if at all possible and, if people must travel in the county, drivers need to “take their time and use caution.”
The commission also gave Ring the go-ahead to send out requests for bids for the bi-annual bridge inspections and annual road striping project.
In other business Tuesday, the commission tabled a discussion on a resolution accepting the final plat of the Blue Sky Acres Addition. The Hays City Commission has already approved the rezone and the final plat. Because the property falls in the 3-mile extraterritorial jurisdiction area, the county will also have to approve the zone change and the flat.
The commission tabled the resolution because a group of residents submitted a petition to vacate Randal Road in the area of the purposed housing subdivision. The proposed road is in the Vonfeldt Addition and is one of the roads that would connect the Blue Sky Acres Addition to 250th Avenue.
In order to move forward with the vacation process, the commission must appoint members of the community to examine the road, public the proposal in the county paper of record, have a surveyor look at the area and submit the results. A public hearing will then be held. The hearing is expected to be held in October.
Commissioner Barb Wasinger recused herself from the discussion because of financial involvement in the Blue Sky Addition. Counselor Bill Jeter also recused himself because his administrative assistant has a connection to the Vonfeldt Addition.
The commission also voted to once again appoint Sheriff Ed Harbin to the KCAMP Board of Trustees. He currently serves as the vice president of the board.