photo by: Journal-World

The west side of the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St.

Douglas County commissioners at their Wednesday meeting will consider two conditional use permits tied to the ongoing Kansas Highway 10 expansion.

The expansion involves K-10 being widened from two to four lanes west of Lawrence. The conditional use permits, or CUPs, are for a landfill to dispose of concrete, concrete products, reinforcing steel, asphalt pavement, rock and uncontaminated soil, as well as for “borrow pits” to supply materials required for the expansion.

These areas would be close to the highway to minimize the travel distance for the haul trucks. The memo in the meeting agenda indicates that the proposed borrow pits and landfill are situated near a drainage swale that flows into Clinton Lake. Several agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Division of Water Resources, and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, have been consulted on the project, particularly its potential impact on Clinton Lake. None of the agencies expressed concern with the potential for contaminants to leach into the groundwater and affect the water quality of Clinton Lake.

The memo states that the property has been used for agriculture and is mostly suitable for it, with slopes under 5%. However, the drainage and steeper slopes as a result of the landfill and borrow pits are projected to make the land unusable for agricultural uses. Excavation and soil removal may level this area for future agricultural use. The memo notes that in future use, the land is not intended for agriculture but is recommended for urban residential development after annexation.

The landfill would occupy about 5.2 acres, with excavation depths varying between 4 and 12 feet. The borrow pits would span approximately 12.4 acres, with excavation depths ranging from 3.6 feet to 10.1 feet. Once the landfill is no longer in use and materials have been removed, the sites will be regraded to match the original topography and seeded with grass, according to a memo in the agenda.

Construction on the K-10 expansion is underway and set for completion by spring 2028. As the Journal-World reported, the Kansas Department of Transportation awarded a $170 million contract to Missouri’s Emery Sapp & Sons to widen the South Lawrence Trafficway, or K-10 Highway, to four lanes with a median. A key part of the project is replacing the Wakarusa Drive crossing with an interchange to separate traffic from Wakarusa Drive and the SLT.

In other business, commissioners will:

* Consider adopting a revision to the Douglas County Code on emergency management and emergency medical services, which has not been revised for many years. The most significant change is acknowledging the existence of the Douglas County Emergency Management Department, which was established as an independent department since the last revisions to the code.

* Consider approving an emergency management joint cities-county resolution – which establishes a single body for emergency management within Douglas County to include the cities of Lawrence, Eudora, Baldwin City and Lecompton – and the proposed Douglas County Emergency Management board bylaws.

The board seeks to promote close cooperation between the county, cities, first responders and residents of Douglas County on matters related to preventing, preparing for, responding to and recovering from emergencies or disasters.

According to a memo in the agenda, the resolution and the bylaws were revised to be compliant with Douglas County code on emergency management and emergency medical services and to reflect current laws, standards, policies, procedures and best practices.

As the Journal-World reported, in February, the county signed an agreement with Lawrence, Baldwin City and Eudora to operate and fund the Emergency Communications Center. This followed a 10-month effort to update a 1994 agreement, during which stakeholders worked with Wichita State University’s Public Policy and Management Center to assess the county’s emergency communications. One recommendation was to formalize the 911 Board into an Emergency Communications Center Board with clear bylaws defining its functions.

* Review a report by government relations and advocacy firm Little Government Relations regarding legislative activities to date and areas that may be of interest for Douglas County to monitor in the coming weeks.

* Hear a presentation on the Kansas Open Meetings Act and the Kansas Open Records Act during a work session. These are laws that guarantee the public’s right to access government records and observe government meetings.

* Hold an executive session for the purpose of consulting with the county counselor.

The County Commission’s work session will begin at 4 p.m. Wednesday in the Douglas County Commission meeting room at 1100 Massachusetts St., The business meeting will follow at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will also be available via Zoom.