The Board
of County Commissioners met in regular session at 9:30 a.m. with Chairman Carl
Higgs and Members Madison Traster and Marty Long present. Linda McHenry, County
Clerk, was also in attendance.
Madison
Traster made the motion to approve the minutes of the January 4, 2005 meeting
and the claims against the various funds of the county. Marty Long seconded the
motion and it passed unanimously.
Gene
Pflughoft, Economic Development Director, and Rod Kreie, Economic Development
Board Member, met with the commissioners. Madison Traster made the motion to
recess into executive session for 10 minutes for the purpose of discussing
contractual matters. Marty Long seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
After 10 minutes the meeting continued in open session.
Carl Higgs
made the motion to appoint Madison Traster as chairman of the commissioners for
2005. Marty Long seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
Carl Higgs
made the motion to approve Items 2-19 on the organizational agenda as amended. Marty
Long seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. The organizational agenda
follows:
1. Elect
Chairman
2. Select
Meeting Dates and Times for the Year
a.
1st Tuesday of month – 9:00 a.m.
b.
3rd Tuesday of month – 9:30 a.m.
3. Designate
Official Depositories
a.
Grant County Bank
b.
Western State Bank
c.
Bank of Ulysses
4. Designate
Official Newspaper – Ulysses News
5. Give Rita Gee, Treasurer, the Authority
to Invest County Funds to the Best Interest of the County
6. Appoint Linda McHenry, Clerk, Chief
Purchasing Agent, Federal & State Withholding Tax Agent, Social Security
Agent, Kansas Public Employees Retirement System Agent and Insurance Agent for
the County, Public Information Officer, Freedom of Information Officer, and the
Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator.
7. Appoint
Frank Goldsby as Public Works Administrator
8. Appoint Tom
Kramer as Road Foreman
9. Appoint
Ramon Clinesmith as Noxious Weed Director
10. Appoint
Ronald Lofland as Transfer Station Manager
11. Appoint Nancy
Ramski as Building and Grounds Manager
12. Appoint
Sherill Thompson as Health Department Administrator
13. Appoint Dr.
Johnson as County Health Officer
14. Appoint Don
Button as Emergency Management Coordinator
15. Appoint Sean
Gooding as Emergency Medical Services Director
16. Appoint John
Crosby as Fire Chief
17. Resolve that mileage be paid at $0.35 per
mile when using personal vehicle for county business.
18. Appoint the Following Administrative
Heads for Approving Claims Against the Various Funds of the County:
a.
Lance Babcock for Sheriff’s Department and Juvenile Justice
b.
Sean Gooding for Ambulance Funds
c.
John Crosby for Fire Department Funds
d.
Frank Goldsby, Public Works Administrator, for Road Department
Funds
e.
Ramon Clinesmith for Noxious Weed Department Funds
f.
Ronald Lofland for Transfer Station Funds
g.
Tom Fuhrmann, Appraiser, for Appraiser
h.
Mary K. Sullivan, Register of Deeds Funds
i.
Rita Gee for Treasurer and Treasurer’s Special Funds
j.
Robin Hathaway for Attorney Funds
k.
Don Button for Emergency Management Funds
l.
Sherill Thompson for Health Department Funds
m.
Nancy Ramski for Park Maintenance
n.
Chairman of the Airport Board for Airport Funds
o.
Linda McHenry for all Other Funds
18. Appoint Carl Higgs to serve as Grant
County’s representative to weather modification.
19. Make Board
Appointments.
a.
Reappoint Mike Brewer and Keric Sullivan to the Bob Wilson
Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees.
b.
Reappoint Richard Pickler and Pam Gindlesberger to the Western
Prairie Care Home Board of Trustees.
c.
Reappoint Jimmie Limper and Dewey Middleton to the Board on
Aging
d.
Reappoint Daron Cowan, Kevin Shapland, Dennis Deyoe, Tony
Cavasos, Katrina Benyshek and Christa Moyer to the Fair Board.
e.
Reappoint Larry Rumburg as a representative to Area Mental
Health.
20. Establish
raises or cost of living increase for employees. A decision on this was tabled.
Carl Higgs
made the motion to pay dues in the amount of $4,172.02 to the Kansas
Association of Counties for 2005. Marty Long seconded the motion and it passed
unanimously.
Tom Kramer,
Road Foreman, and Frank Goldsby, Public Works Administrator, met with the
commissioners.
·
Quotes for electrical work for the courthouse parking
lot were opened. Dave’s Electric bid $2,845.00; Central States Mechanical bid
$6,256.36; and Cott Electric bid $7,900.00. Carl Higgs made the motion to
accept the low bid from Dave’s Electric of $2,845.00. Marty Long seconded the
motion and it passed unanimously.
- Mr.
Goldsby requested permission to do interviews for the Transfer Station
Manager position. Approval was given to proceed with this.
- Discussion
was held on purchasing a semi-tractor truck that would be used to pull a
water tanker for the fire department and also be used by the road
department when needed. A decision on this was tabled.
- Road projects for 2005 were discussed.
- Mr.
Goldsby reported that additional work will have to be done by the
engineers for closure of the pit at the Transfer Station. Due to
deviations from the original design to the actual trenches, a “Major”
Permit Modification will have to be done and submitted to KDHE. Carl Higgs
made the motion to approve the supplemental proposal from Terracon for an
additional $2500 for design, application forms, and other necessary cost
estimates and documentation that have to be done in order to proceed with
the project. Marty Long seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
- A
road-crossing permit for Pioneer Communications was reviewed and approved
by the commissioners.
Jack
Fancher, local property owner, requested that the commissioners forgive the
penalties and interest on delinquent taxes on property he had sold on contract.
He explained that the person who purchased the property has not paid the taxes
on the property since 1999. Robin Hathaway, County Attorney, attended this
portion of the meeting. She reported that as far as she could determine there
is no authority for the commissioners to abate the penalty and interest on
taxes so the request was denied.
Robin
Hathaway, County Attorney, met with the commissioners to discuss her
compensation. Carl Higgs made the motion that the county attorney be paid
$46,481 base pay for 44 hours worked per month. Hours worked in excess of 44
hours in a month will be paid at the rate of $67.50 per hour and will be paid
to the Hathaway Law Firm. Marty Long seconded the motion and it passed
unanimously.
Anita
Mason, RRISK, presented Grant County’s 2004 report card as compiled by Kansas
Action for Children, Inc. Ms. Mason asked if a pamphlet advertising the Kansas
Tobacco Quitline can be sent out with county pay checks. The commissioners gave
their approval for this to be done. Ms. Mason reported that RRISK would be
coming to an end as of June 1. She explained that the school is going to
continue some of the programs involved with RRISK. She also said she is
contacting other organizations within the community to see what other programs
might be done by the other organizations. She explained that their board wanted
to make sure the commissioners were aware that the program is ending but they
still need the budgeted county funds to finish out the year. The commissioners
said the committed funds would be appropriated to RRISK.
Lance
Babcock, Sheriff, gave an update on his department.
- He
requested that the commissioners consider allowing him to hire another
deputy.
- Sheriff
Babcock presented quotes for a new vehicle. No decision was made. He will
talk to local dealers regarding the state’s partner program regarding
equipment and vehicle purchases.
Chairman Traster instructed the
Clerk to pay ¾ of the Park Maintenance/Fair Board
secretary wages from the Park Maintenance Fund and ¼ from
the Fair Fund this year. In the past the salary was paid half from one fund and
half from the other, which is not equitable.
Marty Long
made the motion to appoint Pam Menzie to the Board on Aging replacing Isidro
Alcala who resigned. Carl Higgs seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
Marty Long
made the motion to hire Pro Control of Lakin to trim the courthouse trees at a
cost not to exceed $5,300.00. Carl Higgs seconded the motion and it passed
unanimously.
Carl Higgs
made the motion to adopt Resolution 05-01, which approves the Bylaws and
Interlocal Agreement for the Kansas County Association Multiline Pool agreeing
to cooperate with other municipalities to form a self-insurance pool. Marty
Long seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
The
commissioners made the decision that Madison Traster would be Grant County’s
delegate for the Kansas Legislative Policy Group (KLPG) and Carl Higgs would be
alternate delegate. The commissioners made the unanimous decision to vote “yes”
on the proposed amendment to the bylaws of KLPG, which would allow officers to
serve two years in the same position instead of only one year.
Carl Higgs
made the motion to approve the request from the Register of Deeds for a Fujitsu
Flatbed Scanner, software, installation and warranty at a cost of $4,253.59.
Marty Long seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Approval was also
given to proceed with microfilming and scanning plat maps to security roll film
at an estimated cost of $5,040.00. The Register of Deeds technology fund will
be used to pay for the scanner and microfilming.
Carl Higgs
made the motion to adjourn. The motion was seconded by Marty Long and passed
unanimously.
Linda McHenry, County Clerk Madison
Traster, Chairman