July 7, 2025, Camden County Commission meeting at 10:00 a.m.

I attended the July 7, 2025, Camden County Commission meeting at 10:00 a.m.

Another Monday meeting? Isn’t that unusual?

Well, Dear Reader, this meeting is for road vacations and road vacation meetings are generally on Mondays.

A road vacation isn’t as fun as it might sound. It is a petition by a county property owner to request that the county stop maintaining a county road. If approved, the county will stop treating it as a road and the property owner can gate it off, grow trees on it, blow it up with Tannerite, etc. There are usually several hearings for each road vacation petition and a bunch of statutory rules defining the process because you can imagine your distress if one of your neighbors decided to vacate your county road without notifying you.

All commissioners were present.

The first agenda item was “Budget Amendment – Recorders Office.”

This amendment was needed to reflect a $603.38 refund from an overcharge for a printer repair.

The amendment was approved unanimously.

The next agenda item was “Budget Amendment – EMA.”

The amendment was for a $90 refund on a credit card charge.

It was approved unanimously.

The third agenda item was “Second Hearing – Indian Park Ln. – Dave Merwin.”

The commissioners observed that the surveyor’s seal had been added to the paperwork for this petition. Everything seemed to be in order. Nobody was present for or against the road vacation.

It was approved unanimously.

The fourth agenda item was “Second Hearing – Lot 1 of Moran Estates – Vanessa Moran.”

Nobody was present to speak for or against this petition.

It was approved unanimously.

The fifth agenda item was “Initial Hearing – Shawnee Bend #4 – Williams Law Firm.”

Presiding Commissioner Skelton commented that since this petition was for a road in a subdivision that had never been built, a different statute would apply to this request.

Zane Williams, the attorney representing Broken Arrow Development, spoke to the Commission on behalf of his clients.

The developers purchased an old marina and re-developed it. The first phase of the project is completed and sold out. The old platted roadway is in the middle of the location planned for more townhouses. The road was never built and it never served the old marina. They intend to move the legal roadway to where the actual road should be located.

The Commission approved this petition unanimously.

The final agenda item was “Initial Hearing – Vacation of a part of Duckhead Road – Kevin Kahrig. “

This petition was to give up the right of way on a section of Duckhead Road and Circle Drive.

Presiding Commissioner Skelton pointed out that the procedures for this road vacation were different if the property was in the Village of Four Seasons. After reviewing the paperwork, Commissioners Gohagan and Skelton weren’t clear if the public notifications had been made in the newspaper or posted in five public places. An attempt to call the Horseshoe Bend Special Road District was unsuccessful so the Commission voted to table the matter until they could confirm the notifications.

In Public Comment, Bill Parker spoke to the Commission regarding Highway 54 by Old Kinderhook. He was concerned about the quantity and severity of the traffic collisions that have been occurring on that stretch of road. He felt that the downhill speed limit was too high for a roadway that had so many roads merging onto it.

Parker explained that he understood the Commission had no control over a MODOT highway and he has spoken to State Representative Jeff Vernetti about it. Vernetti told him that he too was concerned with the dangers it presented to motorists.

The commissioners agreed with Parker that the highway was particularly hazardous west of Camdenton , but they had no authority over it. Commissioner Skelton said that it was unlikely MODOT would ever put a traffic light over there. He felt a traffic study and a letter from the Commission might give them something tangible to present to MODOT.

And that was that.