Should you constructed a house in rural Franklin County within the final 20 years, likelihood is you labored with Larry Walrod. And judging by what his former coworkers need to say about him, it was most probably a optimistic interplay. Walrod served as Franklin County’s zoning and planning director from 2000 to 2021 and helped create the division, which oversees land improvement throughout the county, particularly in rural agricultural areas. Walrod handed away on February 21, simply eight months after retiring from his place with the county on the age of 83. Although he spent over 20 years with Franklin County, his profession in planning and zoning lasted over 50 years.
Walrod and his former assistant, DeAnn Farrell, first met 18 years in the past. “My first impression was he was a bit intimidating to me, however inside a brief time period he was so laid again and tremendous simple to speak to” Farrell recalled. “Close to the top he was extra like a grandfather sort to me. He was tremendous humorous, tremendous tremendous humorous. In all probability my favourite factor was his outdated nation sayings that your great-great grandfather used to say – he would provide you with new ones on a regular basis, and I might simply snigger so laborious as a result of there was at all times a brand new one popping out of his mouth.”
Walrod definitely had a means with phrases, County Administrator Derek Brown agreed. “Larry was such a pleasant man, and he cherished telling tales, he stated. “Larry would love stopping you, and he would speak your ear off about all types of issues. How he was once a Golden Gloves boxer, or he used to race grime bikes within the mountains of California, or he’d discuss his backyard, he had an enormous backyard. He simply preferred to inform tales; I believe that’s most likely what I’ll keep in mind most about him.”
Other than his fondness for inventing new sayings and telling tales, Walrod was keen about public service. He labored in California and Montana earlier than coming to Kansas to work for Miami County and finally making his was to Franklin County. With out Walrod, it’s laborious to say what zoning and planning would appear to be in Franklin County: earlier than he arrived, the county had no zoning laws for rural areas. Walrod developed a plan for zoning that the county nonetheless makes use of to today.
Though zoning and planning requires a whole lot of guidelines and laws, Walrod by no means needed to come back throughout as autocratic. “The factor that stood out most about Larry is he actually cared about making an attempt to make issues work, making an attempt to assist landowners accomplish their goals.” Brown stated.
“There are issues that we will’t say sure to. Generally we’ve got to say no. However Larry would do all the pieces he probably may to attempt to accommodate the request of the landowner and to me, that’s what I’ll keep in mind most – it was by no means about Larry, it was by no means about his ego. He didn’t wish to inform individuals no; he didn’t crave that authority. He needed to inform them sure, he needed to make it work, and simply labored actually laborious to try this.”
Walrod’s successor, Kenny Cook dinner, took over in August of 2021. In keeping with Brown, Walrod performed a giant position in serving to select his alternative and was “happy” with the way in which issues have been going on the time of his retirement. After 20 years serving a division he primarily created, he felt he had achieved what he got down to do.
Walrod is survived by his spouse, Laura, their three youngsters, and a number of other grandchildren and great-grandchildren.