The Board
of County Commissioners met in regular session at 9:30 a.m. with all members
and the County Clerk present.
Carl Higgs
made the motion to approve the minutes of the January 8, 2002 minutes. Gene Schwein seconded the motion and it
passed unanimously.
Carl Higgs
made the motion to appoint Madison Traster as chairman of the commissioners for
2002. Gene Schwein seconded the motion
and it passed unanimously.
Gene
Schwein made the motion to approve items 2 through 15 on the organizational
agenda. Carl Higgs seconded the motion
and it passed unanimously. Those items
include: the meeting dates and times for the year will be the first Tuesday of
the month starting at 9:00 a.m. and the third Tuesday of the month starting at
9:30 a.m.; to designate the Grant County Bank, the Southwest National Bank and
the Bank of Ulysses as official depositories for county funds; to designate the
Ulysses News as the official newspaper; to give the Treasurer the authority to
invest county funds to the best interest of the county; to appoint the county
clerk as chief purchasing agent, federal and state withholding tax agent,
social security agent, Kansas Public Employees Retirement System Agent, and
insurance agent for the county; to appoint Frank Goldsby as Public Works
Administrator; to appoint Ramon Clinesmith as Noxious Weed Director; to appoint
Ronald Lofland as Transfer Station Manager; to appoint Tom Martinez as Building
and Grounds Manager; to appoint Sherill Thompson as Health Department
Administrator; to appoint Dr. Johnson as County Health Officer; to appoint Don
Button as Emergency Management Coordinator; to appoint David Ediger as EMS
Director; and to appoint John Crosby as Fire Chief.
Gene
Schwein made the motion to set mileage at $0.31 per mile when using personal
vehicle for county business. Carl Higgs
seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
Gene
Schwein made the motion to approve item 17 on the organizational agenda. Carl Higgs seconded the motion and it passed
unanimously. Item 17 consists of: to
appoint the following administrative heads for approving claims against the
various funds of the county: Lance
Babcock for Sheriff and Juvenile Justice; David Ediger for Ambulance; John
Crosby, for Fire Department; Frank Goldsby for Road Department; Ramon
Clinesmith for Noxious Weed Department; Ronald Lofland for Transfer Station;
Brad Welch for Appraiser and Reappraisal; Mary K. Sullivan for Register of
Deeds; Rita Gee for Treasurer; Douglas Campbell for County Attorney; Don Button
for Emergency Management; Sherill Thompson for Health Department; Tom Martinez
for Park Maintenance and 4-H Building; Chairman of the Airport Board for
Airport; President of the Fair Board for Fair; and Linda McHenry, County Clerk
for all other funds.
Carl Higgs
made the motion to appoint Gene Schwein as Grant County’s representative to
weather modification for 2002. Madison
Traster seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
Carl Higgs
made the motion to approve Item 19 of the organizational agenda which includes the
following: to reappoint Steve Alford to the Bob Wilson Memorial Hospital Board
of Trustees; to reappoint Richard Pickler and Pam Gindlesberger to the Western
Prairie Care Home Board; to reappoint Raymond Fort and Jimmie Main to the Board
on Aging; to reappoint Ron Smith, Gail Jorgensen, Susan Alexander, and Dennis
Deyoe to the Fair Board; and to appoint Daron Cowan and Kevin Shapland to the
Fair Board replacing Loy Anthony and Don Phelps. Gene Schwein seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
David
Ediger, EMS Director, said his department needs a new medical director since
Dr. Ramchandani has retired. He
reported that Dr. Johnson has agreed to fill that position but he would like to
be compensated. Gene Schwein made the
motion to compensate Dr. Johnson $1800 per year to serve as Medical Director
for the Emergency Medical Service. Carl
Higgs seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Mr. Ediger reported that there is a need for a new computer and a
new copier for his department. He is
also getting bids for a new ambulance.
Commissioner Traster asked about the status of the
building. Mr. Ediger reported that they
would like to get the south wall sheet rocked and finish up some other
things. Discussion was held on the
building. Mr. Ediger invited the
commissioners to look at the building again to insure that everybody knows what
needs to be done.
Frank
Goldsby, Public Works Administrator, Tom Kramer, Road Foreman, and Ron Lofland,
Transfer Station Manager, met with the commissioners. Mr. Goldsby presented road- crossing permits for Pioneer
Communications and Greeley Gas that were reviewed and approved by the
commissioners. Mr. Kramer presented
quotes for placing a radio antenna on the Pioneer Communications tower. Gene Schwein made the motion to approve the
low base bid of $3890 from Triple M Communications. Carl Higgs seconded the
motion and it passed unanimously. The
commissioners authorized Mr. Kramer to negotiate the possibility of using cable
and equipment that is already on the tower.
Mr. Lofland presented tonnage figures for the years 2000 and 2001.
Approval
was given for Teresa Ochoa to utilize the Family Medical Leave Act for the
birth of her child.
Gene
Schwein made the motion to approve the claims against the various funds of the
county. Carl Higgs seconded the motion
and it passed unanimously.
Gene
Schwein made the motion to approve a 2.75% cost of living increase to full time
and part time county employees. The
cost of living increase will be applied to the rates of employees who started
working for the county in 2001 at their anniversary date. Consideration is being given to bonus pay
based on evaluations at the end of the year providing there are adequate funds
in the various budgets for this. Carl
Higgs seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. The commissioners made the decision to exempt themselves from a
pay increase this year. A copy of the
approved pay increases is attached as a part of this record.
The
commissioners adjourned to meet again in regular session on February 5, 2002.
Linda McHenry, County Clerk Madison
Traster, Chairman