By DALE HOGG
Barton County Media Consultant
The Barton County Commission on Tuesday approved a five-year extension for a property lease used by the county’s Road and Bridge Department, securing a localized storage spot critical for road maintenance in the northwestern part of the county.
The renewal, which covers a five-acre tract of land, was unanimously approved following a presentation by County Works Director Chris Schartz. The land is leased from Kirby and Linda Linsner and is primarily used for storing materials like sand and rock, as well as for parking road construction equipment.
The updated lease agreement will run through Oct. 1, 2030. The county will pay an annual fee of $850 for the lease, with funds coming from the Road and Bridge Fund.
Schartz explained that the annual cost is justified by the operational savings.
"It works out well for us because it's kind of centrally located in the northwest quadrant," Schartz said. He noted the expense is "offset by corresponding reductions in overall hauling, maintenance and staffing costs, making the localized storage a budget-effective solution."
The director described the property’s location as being on Northwest 150 Road, a mile and a quarter west of Highway 281. The land's use for storage is mutually beneficial, Schartz said, noting that its position on a hill makes it difficult for the Linsners to farm due to water runoff.
Commissioners also pointed out the long-standing arrangement, with one commissioner estimating the county has used the land for 50 years or more.
The approval of this lease, along with other sites, allows the Road and Bridge Department to cover all four quadrants of the county efficiently.
"We have our pit in Ellinwood, which we will use for the southeast quadrant. We have a pit in Odin, which the county owns, which will do the northeast quadrant," Schartz said. "The northwest quadrant would be this lease.” And then the southwest quadrant, they utilize the lot leased from James Murphy west of Heizer and the county’s location in Great Bend."
Schartz emphasized that having these localized storage locations saves the county significant time and money by avoiding long hauls back to Great Bend for materials, citing that the hourly cost for an unfueled dump truck alone is about $80.