Commissioners Address Road Safety Concerns, Approve Routine Business at March 31 Meeting
March 31, 2026
The Thomas County Commissioners met March 31 at the Historic Thomas County Courthouse, covering a mix of routine approvals, infrastructure concerns, and landfill operations.
Chairman Mike Baughn opened the meeting with announcements, including sales tax receipts of $110,520.48 from the county’s half-cent sales tax and $55,260.23 from the quarter-cent tax.
Commissioners approved accounts payable totaling $5,991.95 for Road and Bridge, and $24,510.48 from the 2025 ambulance fund, which officials noted should be the final expense tied to the 2025 budget.
A significant portion of the meeting focused on concerns brought forward by local resident Bill Miller regarding traffic speeds along County Road CC near his farmstead. According to the agenda request included in the board packet, Miller sought signage to reduce speeds or alert drivers to potential hazards in the area.
Miller told commissioners that vehicles frequently exceed the unposted 55 mph speed limit, particularly during harvest season, creating safety concerns for farm equipment and activity near the roadway. The county rarely post speed limit signs on county roads, but the general rule is 55 mph maximum speed.
Discussion centered on several options, including formally reducing the speed limit, allowing private signage, or installing additional county signage. Commissioners expressed concern about setting precedent if speed limits were reduced for individual locations without broader policy consideration.
Ultimately, the board approved a motion directing Road and Bridge to install standard 55 mph speed limit signs along County Road CC between County Road 11 and County Road 2. The speed limit itself will not change, but the signage is intended to improve awareness and encourage compliance.
A secondary concern raised by Miller involved grading practices along the roadway and the removal of native grasses. Road and Bridge Supervisor Clair Schrock explained that shoulder maintenance is necessary to maintain road integrity and prevent material from spreading, noting that past exceptions were tied to landowner-installed grass repairs.
Commissioners also approved the annual fair board racetrack agreement, which outlines terms for use of the county fairgrounds racetrack facility. The agreement requires the lessee to maintain at least $1 million in liability insurance and establishes a flexible schedule to accommodate both racing events and Colby Community College rodeo activities.
In landfill business, commissioners approved a probationary raise of $0.74 per hour for an employee who had now met previously unmet requirements.
The board also approved a request to close the landfill on Easter Sunday, creating a one-time exception to the county’s policy of Sunday operations between April and October.
Following a brief recess, commissioners entered multiple executive sessions to discuss landfill personnel and operations. No action was taken after the sessions, though Commissioner Brad Flipse later made a motion affirming that the landfill is fully staffed and that no additional hiring will take place at this time.
Commissioners approved minutes from the March 16 and March 26 meetings and authorized March payroll totaling $513,199.03.
The board also received routine reports, including economic development minutes and Road and Bridge and noxious weed updates. Reports highlighted ongoing maintenance work, roadside spraying, and equipment operations throughout the county.
Looking ahead, commissioners discussed an upcoming webinar regarding data centers in Kansas, noting both economic potential and concerns about water usage and land impacts.
With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 11:08 a.m.