Board lowers speed limit on Hayes Avenue; residents press for guardrails and other safety work

The Webster County Board of Supervisors approved Resolution 2025-33 on July 29 to reduce the speed limit on Hayes Avenue (north of Highway 7) from 55 mph to 35 mph along a half-mile stretch between 100 and 170 Fifth Street. County Engineer Jamie Joel told the board the road is a winding gravel route with a ravine on the east side and recommended lowering the limit to 35 mph. During the public comment period and the agenda discussion, multiple residents and property owners — including Daniel Myers, who identified himself as a resident at 170 Fifth Street — told the board the road features steep drop-offs and limited shoulder space that create safety hazards. Myers and another resident said past attempts to provide cable guardrail had been undone by maintenance operations and that the drop-offs are substantial. The board focused the vote on the speed change but acknowledged the residents’ separate safety concerns. The chair asked Joel to investigate the feasibility and costs of installing guardrails or other barriers; Joel agreed to obtain quotes and return to the board. Supervisors cautioned that barrier installation could be expensive and require ongoing maintenance. One resident said speed limits alone “aren’t gonna do nothing,” and the board acknowledged the speed reduction is only one mitigation step. The resolution passed on a roll-call vote recorded as unanimous. County staff will follow up with a site review, cost estimates for barriers or other mitigations, and a report back to the board; no immediate funding commitment was made at the meeting.