FEBRUARY - 2009

Public Works to post new warning signs at low-water crossings

New signs are being posted at low-water crossing sites in rural areas of Johnson County with a simple warning to motorists: “Turn Around – Don’t Drown.”

The first signs will be installed by the Johnson County Department of Public Works and Infrastructure on 175th Street at the low-water crossings west of Mission Road as well as at another low-water crossing on 183rd Street east of Sunflower Road.

“A low-water crossing is a bridge-like structure that is built slightly above stream. This type of structure is much cheaper than a bridge and many times is the county’s only option to keep a road open, but it has its drawbacks,” Brian Pietig, assistant county engineer, said. “It works well when the water flow is low; however, under high flow the structure is designed to allow the stream to run over the top. When water is flowing on top of the low water crossing, vehicles should not attempt to cross.”

Posting of the new signs is aimed at trying to keep motorists from driving through low-water crossings under high-flow conditions, such as flooding from severe weather. According to Pietig, it takes little flow to move a vehicle and create a dangerous situation. The National Weather Service says it only takes about 6 inches of water for a vehicle to lose contact with the road. Most vehicles can be swept away by 18 to 24 inches of moving water.

The problem remains that some motorists still try to drive through low-water crossings when water is flowing over them. Pietig thinks the “Turn Around – Don’t Drown” signs will tell motorists to basically use common sense.

“We want people make the correct decision the next time they encounter a low-water crossing that is underwater,” he said. “These signs will be a reminder of what can happen when you attempt to use a low-water crossing that is underwater. Hopefully, the next time the crossing is underwater people will make the right decision, turn around, and pick another route.”

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Applications sought for 2009 Johnson County Heritage Trust Fund Grant Program

The application process for the 2009 Johnson County Heritage Trust Fund Grant Program is under way. The program is making available $250,000 for eligible organizations to apply for local history and heritage grants.

Completed applications must be delivered to the Johnson County Manager’s Office by 5 p.m. Monday, April 13, for consideration by the Johnson County Heritage Trust Fund Grant Review Board.

The trust fund was established by the Johnson County Board of Commissioners in 1991 to preserve the heritage and history of Johnson County. Projects that promote historical activity in the county are invited to apply for funding grants.

Governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations in Johnson County are eligible to apply for grants. Applicants must meet the requirements set forth in the policies and procedures. The seven-member grant review panel reviews and recommends projects for funding to the Board of County Commissioners.

Trust fund revenue is derived from a one-cent increase in mortgage registration fees that is in surplus of the amount Johnson County is required to contribute to the Kansas Heritage Trust Fund, established by the Kansas Legislature in 1990. That legislation created the state fund to support the preservation of historic properties in Kansas. It also provided that no county would contribute more than $100,000 to the state fund annually.

Review of the applications by the grant board will occur in June. Recommendations for recipients of 2009 Heritage Trust Fund Grants will be made to the Board of County Commissioners by either late July or early August for final approval.

Applications and additional information is available at http://www.jocogov.org/heritagefund/heritage.htm or by contacting Megan Laha in the County Manager’s Office at (913) 715-0737.

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Schools receive county grants for stormwater education projects

When it comes to funding the continuation of the “Water Education through Middle School Eyes” program by Gardner students, the ayes have it.

That was the case on Thursday when the Johnson County Board of Commissioners authorized $131,452 in grants from the county’s Stormwater Management Program to four participants in an ongoing project to initiate and fund local education/outreach programs involving public participation and involvement in water quality and stormwater management issues. The Board’s vote to support the grant recommendations was unanimous.

Thursday’s authorization includes $6,722 for Gardner’s Wheatridge Middle School for its water education program and $25,030 for Olathe North High School for a program involving creation of community awareness about the use of rain gardens and rain barrels.

The annual grant program by the county is entering its fifth year. Wheatridge Middle School has been a participant from the beginning; Olathe North began participating in the program in 2008.

Two other participants – the Hillsdale Water Quality Project and Blue River Watershed Association – have been a part of the grant program which was established in 2004. On Thursday, the Board authorized $50,000 for the Hillsdale project and $49,700 for the watershed association. Both have participated in the grant program since its inception.

According to Heather Schmidt, water quality specialist for the Stormwater Management Program at the Johnson County Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, the grants were recommended by the Stormwater Management Advisory Council after review of the applicants and their proposals.

“The purpose of the grant program is to promote and support grassroots efforts to involve, educate, and inform Johnson County residents regarding the need to limit pollutants in stormwater runoff, the importance of protecting our streams and rivers, and most importantly what Johnson County residents can do to help,” Schmidt explained in a briefing sheet to the Board.

The grant program requires a 10 percent match for participants and is open to local public schools and non-profit groups serving Johnson County residents.

The “Water Education Development through Middle School Eyes” project at Wheatridge Middle School now is in its fifth year. The program includes setting up a school stream-monitoring team and organizing a summer camp experience aimed at students from all grades.

The stream team will perform water quality monitoring along Big Bull Creek, assist with storm drain stenciling in the Hillsdale Lake Watershed, and participate in field trips to water and wastewater treatment facilities and other water-released facilities during the school term.

Olathe North’s project to educate students and high school patrons about the best management practices for stormwater is entering its second year. The program involves a demonstration and workshops to students and residents within Olathe North boundaries about rain barrels and rain gardens along with conducting workshops on homeowner best management practices for controlling stormwater runoff.

The Hillsdale Water Quality Project plans to use its 2009 grant for multiple educational and outreach projects that focus on adult and school-aged residents. It will include a newsletter, watershed education classes, storm drain stenciling, steam cleanup events, rain barrel workshops, a monofilament recycling program at Hillsdale Lake, and support for the annual Hillsdale Water and Shawnee Mission Park Water festivals.

The Blue Valley Watershed Association proposes to extend the “Teaching Rivers in an Urban Environment (T.R.U.E. Blue) project to new Johnson County teachers with its grant, along with making efforts to expand water quality monitoring and watershed awareness programs to educators in the Blue Valley, Olathe, and Shawnee Mission School Districts. The organization also plans work with five homeowners associations to provide materials and help install rain gardens in their neighborhoods and encouraging homeowners to install rain gardens on their own property.

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