Bunker Hill resident questions winter road maintenance

     This year’s winter weather certainly has been unprecedented. There have been multiple snowfalls during the weeks, and it seems Mother Nature can’t decide if it’s spring or winter between thawing and freezing temperatures.

     That said, the weather is wreaking havoc on the county roads.

     While the Jones County Board of Supervisors have addressed the matter with County Engineer Derek Snead in the recent past, the issue came up yet again during the Feb. 19 board meeting.

     Scott Gent, who lives on Bunker Hill Road between Wyoming and Monmouth, was present at the board meeting, saying he was elected by his neighbors to address the situation.

     Assistant County Engineer Todd Postel and Road Maintenance Superintendent Mark Stoneking were also present.

     “We’re concerned about the way the roads are taken care of,” said Gent. He said at the forefront is the time it takes to remove snow from the county roads.

     “Three to four days is not uncommon,” Gent said. “Why the wait? Can anything be done to improve things?

     “It takes longer than it needs to get a path through the snow,” he continued.

     Snead said every road operator maintains 70 to 75 miles per district. He said they do not operate on Saturdays, especially on gravel roads. While Gent questioned the hours worked or length of the routes, Snead said they have not changed at all.

     “It never seemed to take this long in the past,” recalled Gent.

     Snead said their policy is get one lane open on every county road first within normal working hours.

     “The only time we work after hours is in am emergency situation,” Snead said.

     He said the maintainers have been going above and beyond recently to get the roads cleared.

     “We hit the higher traffic areas first,” explained Snead.

     Gent said perhaps the Secondary Roads policy needs to be revised. He said three school vehicles belonging to the Midland School District travel on Bunker Hill Road. Gent said that should be reason alone to better maintain the road.

     “We do take bus routes into consideration,” said Snead.

     Stoneking said the county plows do hit every road so those who utilize the road can at least get in and out one way.

     “You need to spend more time out,” Gent suggested.

     Both Stoneking and Snead said that overtime is not a consideration when pulling guys off the road. In fact, they don’t even pay attention to how much overtime is incurred.

     “I’ve been here for 32 years and our hours never changed,” shared Stoneking. “They’re pretty consistent, and I think it works well.”

     They said it comes down to a safety measure not having their crews out after dark.

     Gent said he spoke to Jackson County road officials regarding their snow-removal policy. He said Jackson County clears every road within the first day following a snowfall.

     Stoneking said he, too, visits with neighboring counties about their practices.

     “We’re all doing virtually the same,” he said. The only time the Jones County plows were pulled was due to the -50 degree windchills. “We’re out and we’re out early,” added Stoneking.

     Gent said he understands the pressure the road operators are under, especially this winter. “I understand the pressure to get the job done, but it needs to be done.”

     “To put things into perspective,” said Postel, “we’ve had some phenomenal snow events. We’ve had an unprecedented amount of snow. Hats off to our guys.”

     Gent said while he’s said his piece, he’s leaving it in the county’s hands.

In other county business:

     • Supervisor Wayne Manternach informed the board that the City of Wyoming rescinded its motion to accept county property located at 311 W. Main St. in Wyoming (former Dirks oil station).

     • The board appointed Kris Doll as the District 3 representative on the Planning and Zoning Commission. This appointment was to fill a vacancy.

     • The board heard from Mareda Pierce of Monticello concerning the Farmers First Act. Pierce addressed the board as a caregiver of someone who battled substance abuse.

     She asked the board to consider funding her program when putting the budget together for FY 2020. “I want your budget to go toward the positive to empower and not instill the doom and gloom,” she said, versus funding similar program offered by ASAC. “There’s a huge gap in the knowledge base, and I can tell you a lot that will bridge the gap.”

     Pierce said it’s not about focusing on mental illness, but rather the medical and scientific approach.

     • The board approved the filing of a civil citation against the property owner at 13461 Ramset Rd. in Amber. The board gave the owner an additional two weeks to clean up the property. Michele Lubben, Land Use administrator, reported that the condition of the property has not changed since she last met with the board. Lubben said the owner has also failed to respond to her correspondence.

     “I think we’ve been more than generous and offered plenty of time,” voiced Supervisor Ned Rohwedder.