The Geary USD 475 Board of Education has approved the maintenance agreement that will allow Munson Road to be used as a haul route for the contractors working on the new Junction City High School project. The vote by the Board was 7-0 Wednesday afternoon at the Devin Center.

Now the agreement will go before the Geary County Commission for final consideration at 10 a.m. Thursday at the County Office Building.

The Chief Operations Officer for USD 475, David Wild, explained the school district and county will work collaboratively to determine when Munson Road might need some repair work. “Of course the district will be responsible for purchasing of supplies to make those repairs, and then the county will then effect the repairs and bill the district for those repairs.”

If approval is given by the county commission, Bergkamp Construction could begin using the road. The county blocked that action on March 24th after the road had been utilized for a short time because the agreement had not been signed. In the meantime the contractor has been able to access the school site via K-18.

Wild also reported as a good will gesture the general contractor for the project, Hutton Construction, had also put up barricades blocking off Munson Road and the county in turn as a good will gesture had spread gravel on Munson Road on Tuesday. He stated that road will be ready for use the minute it is opened back up.

Wild also touched Wednesday on the subject of having the road closed, saying it was certaining an inconvenience but had not stopped construction. Later he explained to the Board that this has been “a little awkward – a little bit of a public embarrassment.” Speaking after the Board meeting he stated, “I think it’s the awkwardness of that, was an embarrassment. Again when I spoke to Mr. Stimatze ( Geary County Commission Chairman Charles Stimatze ) if we separate ourselves from our district and our county responsibilities this is really about the community needing to see us work together, and I think we’re there now.” Wild said he felt the county and school district were on the same page.

One still unanswered question that was noted during the Board meeting dealt with signs prohibiting tracked vehicles that have recently been put up on Munson Road.  School officials will check with the county on that subject.