Resident bothered by mud run

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN MELISSA FUNK
Florence resident Suzanne Robinson met with the Florence City Council Sept. 18 to discuss her concerns about a “mud run” planned adjacent to her property Oct. 21.



Robinson asked if the event could be held someplace else. She said several people walked on her property to reach the event and that vehicles were parked on her property.



She also said the noise was a problem both early in the morning and late at night. She said a four-wheeler was driving up and down the road at all hours.



Travis Parmley, who is in charge of the mud run, said the early-morning noise was equipment and water pumps preparing the pit. He said the four-wheeler in question was not involved in the mud run and had been reported to the local police.



Scott Zogelman, chairman of the Labor Day Committee, said no parking signs were erected along the road, but traffic can still park along the side of the road because it is still in the city limits and the city has an easement there.



Zogelman also stated the gate at the mud run took in $1,600 with more than 57 entries. He said he had not been approached about problems during the mud run. The committee already has more than $900 in sponsorship for the October event.



Parmley said that by the time the October mud run occurs, a permanent fence will run along the property line and should reduce the number of people on Robinson’s property.



Councilman Mark Slater said, “I would hate to see the mud run not go on. It brings a lot of revenue into town.”



Barbara O’Dell asked Zogelman and Parmley if their organization could do anything to help with the problem of people parking in the Robinson’s yard



Zogelman and Parmley said they could rope the area off and post some people there to direct people to designated parking areas.



Asked what could be done about the late-night noise, Parmley said, “The drivers will be given a time limit to get their vehicles loaded and removed after the last truck runs through. Then the gates will be locked and they can get their vehicles in the morning.”



The mud run will be held Oct 21 and the council asked Robinson to report if parking improved.



Councilman Dan Ludwig reported that Chris Cox from Schwab-Eaton is working with the Chamber of Commerce to get more light poles in town. They would like to have 14 poles installed on Fifth Street and along North Main. The cost would be $7.04 per month, including lines and all. The council approved the purchase of the light poles.



Stuart Funk, city superintendent, said the Kansas Department of Health and Environment had applied dye to two sinkholes. One of the holes had water in it; the other had 1,500 gallons of water pumped into it. The dye test was done to find out where the recharge of the cold springs is coming from.



Resident Carey Edens met with the council to discuss an unusually high water bill. He said a water hose had been left running and the backyard was flooded. The council agreed to take the amount of the bill, minus the charges for sewer, trash and normal water usage, and split the expense.



Resident Lucille Wyss said she would like to change her driveway to the east side of her house, but didn’t know if there were water lines there.



Funk said water lines were located there. Ludwig will look into the situation and get back with the council.



Larry Brusda, Hays Fire Equipment, talked to the council about pricing fire equipment.



“We build our equipment with the towns needs in mind,” he said.



He left some brochures and said, “We look forward to the opportunity to work with you in the future.”



Paul Loewen asked the council asking if it had been approached about selling the property north of the Fifth Street bridge. He said the property has had several problems with severe flooding.



The council said they had voted against selling the property.

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