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County signs tower‑site lease, approves land purchase for emergency radio tower and updates airport frontage road plans
Summary
The commission authorized a land lease with the City of Lebo for a 75x75-foot tract to site a radio tower, approved purchase of a one‑acre parcel for $3,000 for a second tower site, and heard an update on the airport frontage‑road project and potential traffic study related to a new developer.
The Coffey County Board of Commissioners on March 3 authorized two Emergency Management items tied to the county radio communications project and heard an update about the airport frontage road and utility work.
Lebo lease for tower site: Commissioners authorized and directed the chairman to sign a land lease agreement with the City of Lebo for a 75‑by‑75‑foot tract at 556 Old Highway 50, Lebo, Kansas, for a lease price of $100 per year. Emergency Management Director Martin Ernst reported the lease language had been updated to remove an expectation that the city would pass a parallel ordinance; the shorter lease memorializes the parties' plan to site one of three planned county radio towers. The board approved using the emergency management radio maintenance line item to fund any related costs.
Gridley property purchase: The board also approved acquisition of an approximately one‑acre parcel located at I‑72 Hemmer Road, Gridley (transcript: “Ridley”/Gridley), for $3,000 plus $473 in closing costs, to be used as a site for another county radio tower; funds to come from the county’s Capital Improvement Reserve Fund. The chair was authorized to sign closing documents and county staff planned to appear at a 2:30 p.m. closing the same day.
Airport frontage‑road update and traffic study: County staff provided a construction update on the airport project: the frontage road will follow existing temporary alignment, extend north past Handseal and be widened in places to accommodate truck movements; utility work is underway. Staff said KDOT has requested projected traffic information tied to the SSM development to evaluate whether a traffic study will be required and whether a turn lane on U.S. 75 might be necessary. County staff said a pre‑construction meeting with the low bidder (Kilo) for a frontage‑road package was anticipated in mid‑March.
Ending: Commissioners approved the leases and purchase; staff will file the signed documents, and next steps include coordinating construction scheduling, a potential KDOT‑required traffic study and work on tower permitting and zoning as needed.
