ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
Roads and fairground fees have been on the minds of many Seward County constituents recently, and all three will be part of the county commission’s next regular meeting Monday night.
The commission will discuss the possible usage of the Base One stabilizer brought up as an alternative to the Perma-Zyme stabilizer being used on the Road O project.
According to agenda information, Base One is a liquid concentrate stabilizer designed to improve the strength and stability of aggregate and reclaimed asphalt pavement base materials.
“Base One is used during the construction process and provides a better platform for the surface, whether it is aggregate, thin surface overlays or bituminous,” the information said.
The information added Base One is currently used by 20 Kansas counties, including Smith, Morton and Pawnee.
Another agenda item concerns the non-refundable booking fee introduced recently for facilities at the county fairgrounds, including the Seward County Activity Center. Some constituents have stated the fee is too high, and it is causing many to seek a place for their events elsewhere.
One of those constituents, Irma Anguiano, hosts between nine and 12 events annually at the fairgrounds, bringing in people from surrounding areas who contribute to the local economy by dining, staying in hotels, purchasing gas and buying clothes in Liberal.
“I have also organized events at the Activity Center and rented the rodeo arena for rodeos,” she said in the agenda packet information. “Through these efforts, I bring many out-of-town visitors to our community.”
Anguiano has also owned businesses for more than 20 years, including Vargas Restaurant Bar & Grill and La Hacienda. Now she is asking the commission to either waive or reduce the booking fee for the Activity Center to a single fee that can be rolled over to her next event.
Anguiano submitted a petition with more than 40 signatures in the agenda packet. The petition requests the removal or reconsideration of the non-refundable booking fee imposed by the Activity Center.
“This excessive fee burdens local businesses that already contribute to the growth,” the petition said. “A fairer fee structure would encourage participation rather than limit it. By signing this petition, we call for a reasonable solution that allows businesses to grow, events to thrive and community events to prosper.”
Monday’s meeting is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. in the commission in the Seward County Administration Building.
