District transportation committee seeks county help on Osage bus stops; county says improvement district responsible

The Weston County School District transportation committee reported ongoing work to identify and secure appropriate bus stops in Osage and said county commissioners indicated the county is not responsible for maintaining the roads in that area.

At the meeting, the transportation committee said it has been coordinating with property owners, a local church and county officials. The committee reported it missed an opportunity to be placed on a prior county agenda on time but that commissioners expressed willingness to meet with the district to discuss possible assistance on the bus-stop issue. Commissioners told the district that road maintenance in Osage is the responsibility of the Osage improvement district and that funds the improvement district collects should be directed toward roads there.

Committee members said they are awaiting documentation related to releases of liability and a legal description of lease terms. The committee reported that church officials have indicated permission is permissible for a turnaround and that a local resident has offered to work with the district to provide an additional stop higher up the road. The transportation committee planned to contact the county clerk to seek placement on the county’s next agenda for further discussion.

No formal county decision occurred at the district meeting; the transcript records the board’s direction to pursue a meeting with county officials and to continue working with local property owners and the church to identify workable stop locations and liability language.