Doniphan Special Road Issues Dominate Commission Meeting

The good news for people who live in the Doniphan Special Road District is that county crews are working to make repairs on the worst of the roads.

The bad news is that the district encompasses 85 miles; therefore, the list of issues is daunting, with almost that many complaints.

The weather has become the county’s worst enemy, in regard to roads. When temperatures drop, roads freeze. And when it warms up the rains come, turning most county roads into mush. Under those conditions, there is no opportunity for much needed grading to be done.

Ripley County Road Crew Foreman Dale Beston said what work his crews have managed to get done in the Doniphan Special Road District, since last week when he was made interim supervisor, has been successful.

“The crew loved all of the compliments they got. They especially love us on 21S-5,” said Beston.

Commissioner Keith Whiteside commented that he’d gotten two phone calls and one person approached him to let him know they appreciated the county’s efforts.

Although the crews are concentrating on dealing with potholes, the first line of defense for the Doniphan Special District will have to be to get culverts cleaned out. Most are clogged or so damaged they are going to have to be replaced, said Beston.

“Just from 160E-8 up K-1 to K-1C, alone, we’ve already had to spend more than $5,000 just for culverts,” he said.

Clogged and damaged culverts is largely responsible for why many of the district’s roads have gotten in such bad shape.

If the pipes are jammed and water can’t get through ditches and culverts, it cuts across the roads and through driveways, said Beston.

For now, he said he has put the two Doniphan Special District crew members on cleaning out pipes, beginning at K-1.

Beston told the commission he has not yet had a chance to drive over all 85 miles of the Doniphan Special Road District to do a full assessment but the roads he has seen “are in really bad shape.”

Presiding Commissioner Jesse Roy advised Beston to watch spending, because until the public hearing on March 12, the district’s financials are unknown.

If the commission decides to take over the district, the county will inherit its 85 miles, along with all debts, assets and whatever funds are available.

As no decision has been yet made, commissioners cautioned Beston not to let the needs of Doniphan Special keep him so preoccupied that the other districts suffer.

Roy questioned an $8,400 bill for 35 loads of clean 1-inch gravel spread on P3, stating that 35 loads seems too thick for the length of the road.

Among other discussions regarding roads, the commission approved leaving CART allocations the same as last year.

Ripley County Sheriff Rad Talburt told commissioners that Naylor R-II had, during Tuesday’s board meeting, approved paying half the salary for a deputy to be the school‘s resource officer (SRO).

He noted that Deputy Earl Wheetley resides in the Naylor area and has children who attend school at Naylor R-II.

“The kids know Earl and like him, so I will likely assign him those hours,” said Talburt.

Commissioner Roy said he will bill the school using the same quarterly schedule as Gatewood R-III, which also has installed an SRO on campus.

Talburt told the commission that the city of Naylor is supposed to let him know next month whether they will accept his proposal to contribute half pay for a full-time deputy marshal there.

Commissioner Roy stated that if Naylor decides in favor of the proposal Attorney Chris Miller, council for the city of Naylor, will likely draw up that contract. The commission authorized the sheriff to sign it.

The commission approved the purchase of 12 body cams, 10 for deputies and two for jail employees that do transports, at an annual cost of $9,119.84.

Talburt presented an update of vehicles, stating that other than the Tahoe which he traded to the city of Naylor, he has three that have been decommissioned.

He said he has been informed that the department has a side-by-side and possibly two seized four-wheelers at the tow yard, but that is unconfirmed.

He said he has plans to relocate the department’s fuel tank to the Ripley County Detention Center lot.

Sara Davis, the department’s office manager, said she almost has everything in place to charge fees for ATV permits.

Ripley County Clerk Michael Williams told the commission that employees need to be made aware that after May there will be a change in the county’s life insurance, dental and vision insurance, and they will no longer have coverage through Beam Benefits.

Commissioners agreed that employees should be informed so that they can cash in on any unclaimed benefits before May.