[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6609314,"mediaKeyId","2929649-0b90be6910856b2ef5810b9d7c35a35b","parentId",2929649,"title","Franklin County Commission approves routine items, grants and road work funding; appoints advisory members","audioSeconds",1886,"startMs",5034000,"endMs",6920000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2929649-0b90be6910856b2ef5810b9d7c35a35b&start=5034&end=6920","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2929649-0b90be6910856b2ef5810b9d7c35a35b/thumbnail_5034000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6609314/Franklin-County/Kansas/Franklin-County-Commission-approves-routine-items-grants-and-road-work-funding-appoints-advisory-members","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6609314-bc8ca3c1cd6122660b55859708242039/orig.mp4?Expires=1770488934&Signature=oz0yMftgiAsG-rrRg3ji5qg1foxNw134VZYTP7yFRbwMBoDxd1RVPah762T8870e-yv5ljPI-F5RUeLV31-7E8R1nR~NvB-rDFQahYfn5S4X89Y~Dleu6n4DTnOMQKoKlQldAI4HoUiLxtb06BLkgabE0HjmWtjGyVzgk6wXNNG56Vf21wTmIVMnLDsa2sfrNy5W-KPzH5FNyOwzvZWZFlmn89MeFDJ4NlsJO7b0XRnWGPeLY-YnRFSnEcqLdTtFuPc1xF9dBDBxjEvM8q9kMl9kXX4m0tXf0KpopIV2yq7RJboHTTdGfWM-BtBr9EEYxOEflIENjoeIEqyY4QAONg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Franklin County, KS","date","2025-04-09T17:03:04.65Z","article","Franklin County commissioners on April 9 handled a package of routine and programmatic decisions, approving grant plans, land-use technical corrections and equipment purchases, and authorizing additional road material to complete a multi-site asphalt project.

Key approvals

- Resolution amending rezoning application: Commissioners approved an amendment to a prior rezoning resolution to correct which 3 acres were to be rezoned at a parcel commonly known as 3853 Iowa, northwest of Ottawa. Planning staff described the change as procedural and the commission approved the amended resolution by recorded roll call (unanimous).

- Funk Estate 3 final plat: The commission accepted dedication of rights-of-way and easements and authorized the chair to sign the final plat for Funk Estate 3 (final plat for property near Homewood). Planning staff said there was proof of water availability and that the Planning Commission recommended approval; the county commission approved the plat unanimously.

- Juvenile and adult comprehensive plan grant submissions (Kansas Department of Corrections): The commission approved the FY2026 Juvenile Comprehensive Plan grant application (to fund juvenile community corrections services) and approved the FY2026 Adult Comprehensive Plan grant application in the amount of $740,506.75 to fund adult community corrections. Both plans had been approved earlier by the advisory board and the commission voted to submit them.

- Vehicle purchase for community corrections: The commission authorized Community Corrections to purchase two 2023 Ford Escapes at a combined net cost of $49,432 after trade-ins and service agreements; the purchase was approved by roll call.

- Advisory board appointments: The commission appointed George Ogle and Albert Harris to the Fourth Judicial District Community Corrections Advisory Board to fill vacancies and meet statutory representation requirements; both appointments were approved unanimously.

- Tire bid: Commissioners approved the county’s annual tire bid from Pumps Tire for $21,389.10.

- Additional asphalt tonnage for ongoing patching contract: After staff and Kilo Construction reported that several base failures required more material than estimated and that a clerical error affected the original estimate, the commission authorized an additional 553 tons of asphalt at an additional cost of $84,056 so the county could finish 15 locations as originally described. Staff said stopping immediately would leave an outstanding purchase of 150 tons (approximately $22,000) if the work were not completed; commissioners approved the additional amount by roll call.

Votes and procedure

Most consent and routine items passed on unanimous roll-call votes recorded in the meeting minutes. For items requiring discussion, staff presented background, the county finance officer reviewed fund balances, and commissioners asked clarifying budget and project-duration questions before voting.

Other staff updates and reports

- Sheriff’s Office hiring and jail population: Sheriff’s staff reported a competitive hiring process for deputy vacancies and that one vacancy had been filled; the office continues to advertise for a clerk to replace a departing employee. The sheriff also reported a higher-than-usual inmate count requiring 16 inmates to be temporarily housed in other counties.

- Road and Bridge: Staff reported progress on a multi-location asphalt repairs project and justified the additional tonnage request with field discoveries of base failure and the need to install drains at some sites. Finance staff provided detail on fund balances and said road-and-bridge reserves remain above target after the requested transfers and purchases.

Next steps

Staff will proceed with equipment purchases, grant submissions and the extra asphalt purchase. Commissioners and staff discussed additional follow-up for the asphalt contract and monitoring of the Road and Bridge reserve levels. Several commissioners thanked crews and contractors for work completed on county roads.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","04 09 2025 Franklin County Board of County Commissioners Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","At its April 9 meeting the Franklin County Commission approved multiple consent and action items including grant plan submissions, land-division plats, vehicle purchases, advisory board appointments, a tire bid and additional asphalt tonnage to complete road patching.","taxTitle","Franklin County, Kansas","taxId",70736,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6609318,"Franklin County commissioners deny special-use permit for commercial solar project at 3800 Montana Road",5050,367000,5417000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2929649-0b90be6910856b2ef5810b9d7c35a35b&start=367&end=5417","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2929649-0b90be6910856b2ef5810b9d7c35a35b/thumbnail_367000.jpg","/articles/6609318/Franklin-County/Kansas/Franklin-County-commissioners-deny-special-use-permit-for-commercial-solar-project-at-3800-Montana-Road","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6609318-1e2bc6dcd5b6949d83e8f62c5b38efec/orig.mp4?Expires=1770488934&Signature=MdgvaGYG9CpJxZ~ANtivcJQ0MbNswZYruU4tiNVrEElI4FAuhDMoUmebMVlOwGCYuyPI51c~qcObGuETSsNc6q1DMs9UZmmIwDkccGTspY223D-JMcxfFWVATBu~~By8ZQosbPXP3YcNglNp2r1N-JxBUBIT-Swf6VgTfXI~lzbjbvAUJstCdTc6gz8ftETTzpZTpNLKpu9oe-pj6sQp~jGD7qfoE1QVRrKX5MaFfTni7wp5FJNBlDoChfroRGHqW5WL19z3o8jmj-lukiz2j4N4iQQ79kzL1twL11qQ8lm02BuTUe05VAcE0vOetM71ltI8sZxQt7MEQHKJguyyEQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Franklin County commissioners on April 9 upheld the Planning Commission’s recommendation and denied a special-use permit that would have allowed a commercial solar energy conversion system at 3800 Montana Road, about one mile north of Ottawa.

The application proposed panels on a reclaimed quarry pond and adjacent land: the applicant said the project would include roughly 1,180 floating panels on the pond and about 7,500 ground-mounted panels on the surrounding land, plus two-axis trackers. Pat Toth, Franklin County planning and building director, summarized the Planning Commission record, saying the Planning Commission held two public hearings and a study session and unanimously recommended denial, citing “insufficient information required in articles 3 section 3-3.01(v)(3)(f) and 3-3.01(v)(3)(b) of the county zoning regulations.”

Applicant Jason Edwards and several technical witnesses described the project in detail and answered commissioners’ questions. Edwards said he had prepared a tabbed binder of materials aligning application responses to county code and that he has worked on the proposal for roughly two years. He described using reclaimed quarry land and said he planned to connect to a nearby Evergy distribution line rather than a transmission substation. Carl Privateer of Mark 1 Electric, an electrical contractor Edwards brought forward, described his firm’s experience building utility-scale projects around Kansas City and urged the commission to approve the project.

Opponents at the hearing raised water-quality, environmental and precedent concerns. Public commenters said they feared potential contamination of groundwater and nearby streams, the effects of damaged panels in storms, and long-term land-use impacts. Several speakers asked the commission to wait until the county updates its comprehensive plan or enact a moratorium on commercial-scale renewable projects. Barb Wunderly said residents were “here today to plead for the commission to protect our quality of life.” Jessica Christopher asked the commission to “take time to fully integrate your vision for Franklin County into the comprehensive plan prior to making any allowances for any energy projects in this county.”

Edwards and supporters responded that he had included toxicity and leaching reports in his submission, that the panels and floats he selected met laboratory test limits for heavy metals, and that he was willing to do baseline and ongoing water testing and to aerate the pond. Edwards said the floating and tracker technologies were intended to use previously disturbed quarry land rather than prime farmland and that he had engaged utility and energy-market contacts about the project’s role in supplying local industrial loads.

After public comment and a final round of commissioner discussion, a motion was made to uphold the Planning Commission’s recommendation of denial for Special Use Permit Application 2410-003 for construction and operation of a commercial solar energy conversion system in the A-1 Agricultural Zoning District. The motion passed unanimously: Commissioner Wehmeyer — yes; Commissioner Meador — yes; Commissioner Dickinson — yes; Commissioner Saldemeyer — yes; Chair Harris — yes.

The commission’s vote denies the specific permit application brought by Edwards; commissioners and staff said action does not establish a binding legal precedent for future applications. Pat Toth told the commission that, under Kansas law, an override of a unanimous Planning Commission denial would require a supermajority of four votes to pass if the commission were to instead approve an application that the Planning Commission recommended denying.

Commissioners and staff identified outstanding items that figured in the Planning Commission’s recommendation and public comments: the level of detail needed for stormwater and sediment controls, documentation of reclamation and site ownership and leases, water-rights and water-structure approvals from the Kansas Department of Agriculture for any dam or diversion work, baseline and follow-up water-quality testing plans, and evidence regarding potential disturbance during installation (core samples, piling and fence-post plans). Edwards said many of those items would be addressed at building-permit stage but critics and some commissioners said required environmental and hydrology information should be provided before special-use approval.

The denial leaves open administrative and legislative paths: the applicant can revise and reapply; commissioners can pursue comprehensive-plan language or a moratorium on large-scale renewable projects; and county staff can seek further guidance about what pre-application studies the county should require for water-adjacent solar projects. Edwards said he would consider his options and that he had additional documentation he had already provided to Planning and Zoning.","After hours of testimony and a divided planning commission recommendation, the Franklin County Commission voted unanimously to uphold the planning commission’s recommendation and deny a special-use permit for a proposed commercial solar energy conversion system at 3800 Montana Road.","actionData","errors"]

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Franklin County Commission approves routine items, grants and road work funding; appoints advisory members

Franklin County commissioners deny special-use permit for commercial solar project at 3800 Montana Road