Speed limit change on hold

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March 16, 2011 - 12:00 AM

Allen County commissioners Tuesday morning declined to approve an ordinance that would have reduced speed limits on a mile and a half of State Street south of Iola.
The speed limit is now 55 mph past Iola city limits.
At last week’s meeting Sheriff Tom Williams had recommended to extend the 35 mph limit to Bassett Street and then up to 45 mph to the turnoff to Humboldt just past Missouri Road.
Williams noted that 80 accidents had occurred in that stretch over the past five years, including three fatalities and 30 that required reports to the Kansas Department of Transportation because of the nature of their injuries or substantial damage to property.
The commissioners weren’t completely contrary, favoring a 45 mph limit for the entire stretch.
“I think that would be better based on the feedback I’ve received” since the proposed change was reported in the Register, said Commission Gary McIntosh. “Let’s talk to the sheriff and see what he thinks.”
Commissioners Rob Francis and Dick Works agreed.
“I think 45 would be a good compromise,” Works said.

NEARLY SIX miles of hard-surfaced roads in the Humboldt area, much rutted by heavy traffic, will be resurfaced this summer.
Bill King, director of Public Works, told commissioners five miles of old U.S. 169 running south from the Humboldt city limit would be overlaid. Also three-quarters of a mile of Delaware Road — referred to locally as Tank Farm Road — east of the U.S. 169 overpass will be overlaid.
King said trucks hauling rock en route to Monarch Cement Company’s plant had damaged Delaware where they turn onto it from a quarry. He said three to four inches of asphalt will be required for the road to stand up to the heavy traffic.
King said the figures were estimates and that he would be able to give commissioners firmer numbers, as well as likely cost, after meeting with Bob or Larry Macha of SE-KAN Asphalt Services.
Work won’t be done until warm weather arrives.

JASON NELSON’s request to buy a ventilator for the county ambulance service, for $3,911.70, was approved.
Nelson told commissioners earlier that a ventilator was a necessity on some transfers of patients to metropolitan medical centers and the county’s recourse had been to borrow the only portable model Allen County Hospital had.
“They’re prefer we had our own,” he said then.
Originally, Nelson thought cost would be about $5,000, but negotiations led to saving of about $1,000.

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