The Board of County Commissioners met in regular session at 9:00 a.m. with all members and the County Clerk present.

 

            The monthly department head meeting was held with the following in attendance: Rita Gee, Treasurer; Jerry Jo Deckert, EMS Director; and Tom Kramer, Road Department Administrator.

 

            Carl Higgs made the motion to approve the minutes of the June 20, 23 & 27, 2006 meetings and the claims against the various funds of the county. Marty Long seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

 

            Carl Higgs made the motion to pay Kim Swafford, Interim Civic Center Building and Grounds Manager, a per diem of $12.00 to help with her expenses while helping the county through the fair. Marty Long seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

 

            Frances Roberts, Librarian, and Board of Trustee Members, Galen Pelton, Gary Boldt, Archie DeBruce; and Gloria Battin, presented their 2007 budget request. The general operating budget remains the same at $464,133.00. The employee benefits request of $102,557.45 is an increase of $15,004.26 due to increased health insurance costs and more employees qualifying for health insurance and KPERS. The commissioners will consider their request.

 

            Tom Kramer, Road Department Administrator, met with the commissioners. Discussion was held on purchasing the land necessary for the road project. Mr. Kramer will talk to the land owner and offer the appraised value to him. Road crossing permits for Oxy were reviewed and approved. Mr. Kramer presented the 2007 budget request for noxious weed. The request is for $133,397, which is $50,000 less than the current year. Noxious weed equipment needs were discussed. Mr. Kramer said he would like to have another spray rig that works with GPS so an exact chemical spraying record can be made. The 2007 road and bridge budget request was discussed. The total request is for $3,323,534 which is $267,796 lower than the current budget. Mr. Kramer said the request includes 7 miles of overlay.

 

            David Wagner, Transfer Station Manager, and Cecil Wright, Ulysses Gun Club, met with the commissioners. Mr. Wright requested approval to pipe water from the county’s water well at the landfill to the Gun Club site for cleanup, drinking and possibly to water a few trees. The commissioners gave their approval for this to be done. Mr. Wagner presented bids for testing water samples at the Transfer Station. Marty Long made the motion to accept the low bid from Terracon in the amount of $4,200.00 for the testing. Carl Higgs seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

 

            The commissioners reviewed and approved the FY 2007 budget summary and narrative for Cimarron Basin Community Corrections.

 

            Jerry Jo Deckert, Emergency Medical Services Director, presented her 2007 budget request. The request is for $539,250 which is an increase of $16,650 over the current budget. Commissioner Long asked if there is a need for 3 ambulances since there is another ambulance service in town. Ms. Deckert explained that when an ambulance is out of town on a transfer and there are a couple of local emergencies, there is a need for 3 ambulances. She explained that 3 is a reasonable number but 4 would be too many. Ms. Deckert also stated that the current ambulances should be adequate for 5 – 7 years. In other business, Ms. Deckert reported the EMS radio repeater is not working very well. She had Snyder Radio check it and it is a mid 80’s radio and needs to be replaced. The estimated replacement cost is $10,000. The commissioners authorized Ms. Deckert to get bids for a new repeater. Ms. Deckert explained that there is a state funded regional council that includes 18 counties and she needs a letter of appointment to represent Grant County on this council. The commissioners approved Ms. Deckert’s appointment to the council.

 

            Kim Swafford, Interim Civic Center Building and Grounds Manager, presented a quote for the shelter that was damaged by high wind. Ms. Swafford will talk to the county’s insurance carrier to determine what should be done. Ms. Swafford reported the big floor scrubber is not working correctly and might have to be sent in to be fixed. If it can be fixed while the repairman is here he will repair it. If not, he will take it with him. The scrubber is still working so Ms. Swafford will wait until after the fair to have it repaired. Ms. Swafford will work on the 2007 budget request.

 

            Robin Hathaway, County Attorney, and Bob Medina, KDHE, Bureau of Waste Management had a conference call with the commissioners. It was reported that a substance was dumped on property owned by United Prairie Ag and some of the material may have drained on to farm ground. The substance appears to be animal fat, grease and milk product. It does not appear to be hazardous but tests will determine if there is a biohazard condition. It was reported that there is money available through KDHE to clean up the area. Mr. Medina said KDHE can pay 75% of clean up costs up to a maximum of $10,000.00. He stated that once a sample of the material is analyzed and it is determined that it is not hazardous, it can be scooped up and taken to the landfill as a special waste. Mr. Medina estimates the cleanup cost to be between $500 and $1500. It was explained that the property owner cannot apply for clean up funds from KDHE, the county has to make the application. It was the consensus of the commissioners that the county would take no part in this issue.

 

            Marty Long made the motion to recess into executive session for 40 minutes for the purpose of discussing non-elected personnel. Carl Higgs seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. After 40 minutes the meeting continued in open session.

 

            Lance Babcock, Sheriff, reported there is an electrical problem at the LEC. The building was wired for 220. Now there is a 208 generator that does not work well with the current air conditioners and other electrical equipment. He is working on the problem.

 

            David Wagner, Transfer Station Manager, and Cindy Heaton, Transfer Station Weigh Master/Secretary met with the commissioners. Marty Long made the motion to recess into executive session for 30 minutes to discuss non-elected personnel matters. Carl Higgs seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Robin Hathaway, County Attorney, Rita Gee, Treasurer, and County Clerk, Linda McHenry, attended this portion of the meeting. After 30 minutes the meeting continued in open session.

 

            Carl Higgs made the motion to recess into executive session for 10 minutes for the purpose of discussing non-elected personnel. After 10 minutes the meeting continued in open session.

 

            Carl Higgs made the motion to adjourn at 5:50 p.m. to meet again in regular session on July 18, 2006.

 

Linda McHenry, County Clerk                          Madison Traster, Chairman