Residents press Chase County commissioners over washed-out roads, delayed bridge repairs and Symphony closures

At the June 30, 2025 meeting, Chase County commissioners heard multiple residents press for faster repairs on washed-out roads and a torn-out low-water crossing, and to clarify why access to private cabins was limited during a recent Symphony event.

A resident who identified herself during public comment urged the county to prioritize repairs and a long-term plan to use revenue generated from the lake to maintain the access roads. “I think that the road should be a priority,” she said, adding that cabin owners reported encountering road-closed signs on the route to the Symphony and that the route had been closed “for traffic” during the event.

The county’s road staff explained the signs were placed to limit through traffic and avoid large numbers of vehicles turning around in private driveways rather than to completely shut off local access. A staff member said the signs were removed the next morning. “We ordered that sign to be put up,” the staff member told the meeting, explaining the action aimed to prevent heavy through traffic from approaching the washout area.

The meeting also included extended discussion of a low-water crossing on 170 Road between B and C roads that residents said has been out roughly 15 months. Residents said temporary measures — including privately purchased culverts placed to maintain winter access — were washed downstream during recent high water. One resident asked whether calling FEMA directly to press for action would help. Road staff said the county has turned the site over to FEMA for hazard-mitigation review and is waiting for the federal agency’s response. The staff member said federal review is slower than in previous years because of staffing shortfalls and that the county must complete permits and engineered drawings before construction can proceed.

County staff said they hired EBH Engineering Consultants of Marion to prepare engineered site plans for a low-water crossing that would be designed to overtop in high flows and to secure the necessary permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Kansas Division of Water Resources. The county’s in-house estimate sent to FEMA for a practical low-water crossing was about $85,000; staff told residents a county-maintained, in-house solution could be roughly $100,000. One staff comment referenced an alternative, full bridge option that would carry a much higher cost and a separate engineering process: “If we put a bridge in there, we’ll be $300,000,” the staff member said when discussing larger structural alternatives.

Road and bridge staff also presented a summary of recent flood response expenses. The packet the department made available lists about $92,000 in equipment-and-labor costs attributed to flood-related road and bridge repairs this month; that total includes roughly $17,000 in repairs on “G Road.” The same staff noted that the county has 2,000 identified roadside locations to maintain in addition to 144 bridges countywide, which constrains how many larger projects can be funded in a single year.

Several residents sought reimbursement or expedited action after reporting repeated damage and reported economic hardship due to longer travel routes for farm and household supplies. Road staff said they will follow up with EBH for final drawings and with the county’s FEMA contact to confirm whether public appeals would change FEMA’s timetable. “I’ll ask the guy I’m dealing with at FEMA if public comment would help,” a staff member said. “I don’t think it will, but I’ll ask.”

County road staff also described work done to accommodate heavy traffic for a recent Symphony event, noting material and machine time used to prepare minimum-maintenance sections and shoulders. Staff said some work on the minimum-maintenance route included rock and shoulder hardening donated or dropped by event organizers; the county indicated it could prepare a bill for the event organizers for several thousand dollars of materials, but no formal cost-recovery action was recorded at the meeting.

The county will continue engineering, permitting and FEMA coordination for the 170 Road crossing. Road staff asked residents to allow county engineers to finish site drawings before the county pursues construction or alternate mitigation steps. Residents signaled willingness to assist with calls or paperwork if staff advises this would aid FEMA or the permitting process.

For now, commissioners gave staff direction to continue engineering and FEMA coordination and to report back when the EBH drawings and permit requests are complete. Commissioners did not take a final vote on funding construction at the meeting.