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Recent dog attacks on cattle off Hampton Road was brought up at the November 6, Grant County Commission meeting, and cattle owner Linda Leggette asked commissioners if there was anything the county could do to prevent dogs from running wild and attacking other animals. Leggette’s property is in the county, but the home where the dog’s are kept is technically in the Ulysses city limits.
“We’ve never had any trouble with dogs, with pit bulls, other than we had a couple goats killed a few years back,” said Leggette, who owns the property with the big U east of Ulysses. “But we’ve started having some issues with dogs.”
Three of Leggette’s 700-800 pound steers were attacked and mauled October 26.
“I didn’t realize what a dog could do to a big steer, but it’s obvious that it’s pretty serious,” Leggette said, adding she plans to file charges against the dog owners for veterinarian bills.
Leggette called the sheriff’s department and they were aware of the animals, who have been picked up by Ulysses Animal Control officer Anne Langston multiple times, who has fined the owners.
“They’re pretty aware of what these dogs are,” Leggette said., adding the dog owners have previously been in trouble for the animals.
Leggette is concerned for her and her husband’s safety, as well as the safety of individuals who walk along Hampton Road. She said she has photos of the dogs on her property.
“We have no countywide leash law or anything on dogs,” said commissioner Mark McGaughey.
Leggette asked what a solution would be.
“Well I don’t think the county has much hope for you there because we don’t have any leash laws,” said commissioner John Martin, who added he’s been asked about zoning regulations within a three-mile area surrounding the city limits, and this would be similar. “But because of statutes, we can’t do that. It has to be either countywide or that has to be changed on the legislative side, but not at the county level.”
McGaughey said there would be a lot of people upset if the commissioners made a countywide leash law.
“You guys need to know there’s an issue,” Leggette said. “My opinion, something needs to be done about it.”
In other business:
νCommissioners conducted a public hearing on a request by Rocking H Feeders to vacate a portion of County Road 4 for use by feedlot traffic. Rocking H has been maintaining the road coming in from the east off Road K, and the county wants to close a half-mile stretch of Road K into the feedyard. It will be used strictly for feedlot-related truck traffic and maintained by the feed yard.
Nobody spoke against the item.
νJulie Yarmer presented to the commissioners regarding employee health insurance, County Treasurer Terri Trotman reported her office has changed their credit card vendor, and Bob Moore from the Moore Insurance Agency discussed the county employees’ dental and vision insurance rates.
Kasey Kreuger and Bravane Phelps from Pioneer Communications discussed Broadband Equity Access and Development (BEAD) program from the Kansas Office of Broadband Development. The program includes $42 billion for high-speed Internet access. This federal grant program, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act goal is to provide universal internet by funding partnerships between states or territories, communities, and stakeholders to build infrastructure where needed to and increase adoption of high-speed internet. BEAD prioritizes unserved locations that have no internet access or that only have access under 25/3 Mbps and underserved locations only have access under 100/20 Mbps.
The two asked the commissioners for a letter of support because they are going to make an application for the grant.
“$452 million was allocated to Kansas,” Kreuger said. “It’s the local industry’s opinion that that’s not going to be enough money. We estimate it will be over $1 billion in Kansas to connect to the unserved locations.”
There’s four project planning areas in Grant County with 400 locations considered underserved.
The commissioners agreed to draft a letter of support.
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