Citizens ask Supervisors about road conditions

CUSTER COUNTY The Custer County Board of Supervisors met Tuesday, Sept. 14 for their regular meeting and also for the Public Hearing for the 2021-2022 budget.

Present at the hearing were nine individuals living along Ryno Road to address the supervisors on the condition of Ryno Road and to find out what was planned for the road in the budget.

Kirk Hansel spoke of the condition of Ryno going from a paved road to gravel. Hansel asked for the dollar amount the county applied for FEMA and NEMA funds after the bomb cyclone in 2019. The figure was unsure. Hansel

also gave the board a petition signed by individuals living on Ryno Road or who use Ryno Road to ask what the supervisors propose for the road.

Hansel also cited what he called a “dangerous“area on Pressey West where the surface goes from pavement to gravel then back to pavement after repairs were done on a culvert washed out in March, 2019.

It was requested to understand how the data was analyzed and how the decisions were made.

Matt Eggleston, former Dist. 6 Custer County Supervisor, addressed the board regarding the budget and additional funding was not asked for in machinery or time to keep gravel roads graded while noting the lack of maintenance that has led to dangerous conditions on the road.

Other individuals who spoke about road conditions were Sandy Eggleston and Shirley Trout.

The supervisors suggested the group be present when the one and six planning is done. The public hearing was then closed.

The budget will be voted on at the next regular scheduled Supervisors meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 28.

Present for the Sept. 14 meeting were Bobby Myers, Dist. #1; Tammy Kleeb, Dist. #2; Barry Fox, Dist. #3; Dwain Bryner, Dist. #4; Don Olson, Dist. #5; Doug Stunkel, Dist. #7. Not present was Lynn Longmore Dist. #6.

General Manager’s note and full disclosure: I also live along the road. The road had has little to no maintenance this summer. On Thursday and Friday of last week, after the supervisor meeting, extensive maintenance was completed on the road.

Pictured at right is stretch of Pressey West Road where a culvert was replaced after the flooding of March, 2019. The rough surface and deep gravel was referred to as “dangerous” at the Sept. 14 Custer County Supervisors meeting.