Alderman Chastises Board, City Admin About North Henke Road

The condition of North Henke Road in Lake Saint Louis brought several residents out to Monday night's board of alderman meeting to seek help, but one alderman isn't happy about the response those homeowners got from the city. 

Ward 3 Alderman Richard Morris sent an email Wednesday to his fellow board members and City Administrator Paul Markworth expressing his frustration, even suggesting that the city lower the tax rates of the 11 residents of North Henke.

Morris' note read: 

"Paul Markworth, Alderman Richard Morris here. I would like for you to place on the docket, lowering the tax of the eleven folks that live on N. Henky Road. Karen Varnard claims they don't rate  the same status as anyone else, when it comes to fixing their road. Also we need to hire someone under the name of finding good help and see if he can't fix our decaying roads. You have my permission to pay him anything you want, after all, good help is almost impossible to find nowadays. according to you."
On Monday night, North Henke resident Bruce Montgomery told the board during the public comment session that the road was breaking off on the sides, with one lane degrading to a point where it was only 5 1/2 feet wide. 

The traffic on the road includes dump trucks, dually trucks with horse trailers and feed trucks traveling to and from Lake Saint Louis Stables. 

Montgomery said that many times, cars have to stop and back up in order to let those larger oncoming vehicles pass. He also mentioned that the road had no shoulders and that he considered it extremely unsafe.

Morris questioned why the road was not included in the 2013-2014 capital projects list. Public Works Director Derek Koestel said that the road was scheduled for a restorative seal procedure this summer. 

Koestel said that crews would fix potholes and other defects in the pavement before the roadway was sealed. That procedure should last three or four years.

Patch contacted Koestel, and he said that the city has looked at a major rebuild for North Henke. The reconstruction would fix the alignment of the roadway and add 7 1/5 feet of width at the curves. 

The project, however, would required property acquisition, relocation of utilities and grading and would cost about $300,000. 

"It's in pretty poor condition," Koestel said. "But traffic is low and the cost to repair is pretty substantial. It's difficult for the board to commit those kinds of funds when the budget is so tight."