Douglas County Commissioners approved a five-year capital improvement plan and asked staff to reach out to City of Lawrence officials about a proposed extension of Wakarusa Drive.

The CIP, although it was called a five-year plan, presented commissioners a schedule of projects through 2023 with their cost estimates. Assistant County Administrator Sarah Plinsky said the list was not set in stone and could be amended to accommodate changing needs.

The addition this year of a Wakarusa Drive extension from a future Kansas Highway 10/Wakarusa Drive separated-grade interchange south to County Road 458 accounted for the added years on the CIP. Its inclusion pushed previously identified projects further down the list.

That extension is tentatively slated for 2021 at a total cost of $8.9 million. Douglas County Public Works Director Keith Browning said it was assumed the city of Lawrence would contribute to the project, and the CIP shows a $4 million contribution to the project from “outside funding.”

The Kansas Department of Transportation has shared plans with the county for the new K-10/Wakarusa Drive intersection, which would be built to the east of the current Wakarusa Drive alignment. It shows the state would extend Wakarusa Drive “significantly” to the south with the interchange’s construction, Browning said. The project on the CIP would extend Wakarusa Drive 1.6 miles south of the KDOT upgrade to CR 458 and construct a bridge over the Wakarusa River.

Browning said he estimates the extension would cost $8 million to build, although a KDOT consulting firm placed that cost at $6 million.

With the project on the county’s CIP, Commissioner Nancy Thellman said it was time for the county to share its plan with the Lawrence City Commission and request that the city share in the cost.

“My impression is there’s not really an understanding of why this might be a city project and not a county project,” she said.

Browning said he would follow up on that request. He said Lawrence Public Works Director Charles Soules did acknowledge the importance of the project to the city in an earlier conversation. Browning has said in the past that a Wakarusa Drive extension would better connect the city and the southwest portion of the county and would improve access to the city’s Youth Sports Complex, Eagle Bend Golf Course, the adult softball complex, the dog park and other recreation facilities either on or planned for the 1,515 acres the city leases east of Clinton Dam.

The big project slated for 2017 is the $5.95 million upgrade to County Road 458 between East 800 and East 1000 roads. Browning said the county was “still shooting” to complete that work next year. Work will include addition of paved shoulders on the section, installation of longer culverts and the realignment of three sharp curves to the 55 mph standards.

To stay on the 2017 schedule, the county would have to relocate utilities and acquire right-of-way, Browning said. The county would hire an appraiser for the latter process, which Browning said would start this fall.

The county has applied for $2.2 million to help with the project, which would reduce the county’s cost to $3.75 million, Browning said.

Other significant road projects in the CIP are:

• $2 million in improvements in 2018 to County Road 1055 from the Wakarusa River bridge south to CR 458. The project would reconstruct the roadway with paved shoulders.

• $900,000 in improvements in 2019 to County Road 1029 west of Lone Star Lake from County Road 10 and CR 458.

• $1.2 million of improvements to CR 458 between East 1500 and East 1600 roads, projected for 2019. The project would reconstruct the roadway with paved shoulders and reduce the grade of steep hills in the section.

• The $1.35 million realignment of a curve on CR 1055 a mile west of Vinland to 55 mph standards. The work projected for 2020 would replace two box culverts and add paved shoulders near the curve.

• $2 million in roadway improvements to CR 1055 from Vinland to CR 458, projected for 2021.

• A $1.5 million improvement to County Road 1061 at its intersection with County Road 460, projected for 2022.

• $2.1 million in roadway improvements to CR 1061 from East 400 to East 600 roads, projected for 2023.

In other business, the County Commission:

• Received an audit report from Shelly Hammond of Allen, Gibbs & Houlik L.C. The audit required the county to note $23.5 million in unfunded liability from the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System and Kansas Police and Firefighters Retirement System. Hammond said that was the county’s share of the $8 billion unfunded liability of the two funds in the state.

The unfunded liability shouldn’t affect the county’s credit rating because financial institutions were already aware of the status of the KPERS funding, Hammond said.

County Administrator Craig Weinaug said staff had discussed the issue with the county’s bond counsel. What made the matter frustrating was that although the county was paying 100 percent of the required amount to the KPERS fund, the County Commission had no authority to effect policy that would address the state’s unfunded liability, he said.

• Approved an extension of a conditional use permit for Burning Barrel, a proposed specialty butcher shop at 292 North 2100 Road. The action extends the permit granted to Brian Strecker in August 2015 despite the objections of Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and other neighbors.

Commission Chairman Jim Flory said Wednesday’s extension was a routine administrative action as Strecker worked with Douglas County Zoning and Planning Department staff to complete the conditions of the permit.

Speaking out against the extension were neighbors Sheri and Paul Hamersky. Sheri Hamersky said she had a medical condition that made her health susceptible to environmental conditions, and said she was affected twice when meat was smoked on the property.