August 26, 2005 Friday 9:00 am
The Bourbon
County Commission met in open session with all commissioners and the county
clerk present. Minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved.
Accounts
Payable for the period were reviewed and approved.
Hazel Swarts
was present for part of the meeting.
Clyde Killion
gave a road report. The continuing rain has gotten the road crews about two
weeks behind schedule. Bourbon County is also under flood warnings until
noon. Gary Houston asked that an arm mower be used at 265th and
Quail Road to clear brush. Commissioners also discussed maintenance at Elm
Creek and Cedar Creek Lakes.
Bill Brittain
mentioned that he is to receive the minimum nutritional guidelines from the
Department of Corrections for meals for prisoners. Medicalodge and Fort
Scott Manor, as well as Mercy Hospital have expressed interest in bidding
for prisoner meals. This way we might be able to cut costs in the jail. Mr.
Brittain also stated that he has spoken with Senator Brownback’s office
about legislation to help with prisoner medical costs.
Joanne Long
presented a contract renewal with Cintas for rug cleaning. There is also a
price from a competing company, Western. David Neville would like to renew
the Cintas contract. Commissioners asked if they would continue the service
in lieu of a contract. Joanne will ask David to find out. No action at
this time.
Commissioners
briefly discussed the repairs to the burned shelter house at Elm Creek
Lake. The plan is to replace the wooden roof with a metal roof to prevent
future fire hazards but we don’t know if the insurance will pay for that
upgrade or make us put a wooden roof back on. Clyde has been speaking with
KCAMP, the County’s insurance company.
Bill Brittain
asked about the former caretaker’s house at Elm Creek Lake. Could it be
rented out? Commissioners feel it is in too much disrepair to rent. It
would be more sensible to put a trailer out there than to try to improve the
caretaker’s house. There was discussion of possible grant opportunities to
improve the lake and camping areas. Commissioners would like to hear some
suggestions from the new committee for the lake.
Joanne Long
reported on the insurance information that was asked of her this week. The
difference in premiums from Coventry to the proposed insurance would save
$35,511.96 for a year, but the number of employees who have paid all or part
of their co-insurance is impossible to know and would undoubtedly cost more
for the county to reimburse to the employees than the savings would be.
Commissioners would like to ask for insurance quotes for a January 1, 2006,
start date. This way, all companies can compete and we can find the best
deal for the County.
Frank Shelton
spoke with commissioners about Indian Road. He put together an evaluation
for improvements to the surface of the road. He thinks that the road should
be milled and sealed as soon as possible until the full repairs can be
made. Commissioners will consider the information.
Terry Graham
notified Hazel Swarts that Laura Hyer just called and said the problem has
been worked out so she will not ask for an executive session today. Ms.
Swarts thanked the commissioners for the information and left.
John Skubal,
Kaw Valley Engineering, spoke briefly with commissioners about the services
his company provides and asked to be remembered for any upcoming projects.
Terry Graham
made a motion to go into executive session, for a period of five minutes,
under the security exception to the Open Meetings Act, for communications
discussion. Bill Brittain seconded and all voted in favor. Those present
for the session were the commissioners and the county clerk. The session
began at 10:16 am and ended at 10:21 am with no action.
Hazel Swarts
returned to the meeting and gave the commissioners an update on the Ad-hoc
committee for 911 which she chairs. The committee hopes to meet again on
September 7, 2005. She also said that the committee is working to present
several options for the future. She clarified for commissioners that people
who attend the meeting who are not members have been asked there to provide
information to the committee.
Joanne Long and
Harold Coleman spoke with commissioners about a timesheet for a Sheriff’s
employee. As deputies, they are on 171 hours in a 28 day period for
calculation of overtime. There is a question as to whether they have to
have 40 hours each week or if time can overlap to make up any shorts. The
situation is that the employee reported that he worked 38 hours one week and
44 hours the next week. The clerk’s office feels that 2 hours of either
vacation or sick leave should be used to bring the 38 hours to 40 but the
sheriff feels that the 44 hours in the next week makes up for the
difference. Ms. Long feels that it would be impossible to calculate the use
of vacation and sick time if all calculations are made that way. What if
someone works double-shifts one week and takes a week’s vacation the next.
How would that be reported? Commissioners will consider the request, but
the sheriff took the timesheet in question back to the employee for
reevaluation because of some work done on a weekend. The clerk feels that a
solution needs to come from the commissioners to set a policy.
Dennis Meech
spoke with commissioners about the proposed chip and seal to the Hammond
Road. He feels that the current conditions of the road are not good at this
time and that the base should be corrected before the work is finished.
Gary Houston will look at the road this afternoon.
Laura Hyer
reported that she has issued a press release of a flood warning for low
lying areas, namely Belltown. She also asked commissioners how the
emergency spillways on the watershed dams work. Commissioners explained
that, like your sink, there is a drainage point which will allow water to a
certain level and will drain it off if it. Cedar Creek also has a manual
release which can lower the level further. Commissioners agreed that this
should be a good test for the watersheds to see if they reduce flooding.
Hugh Bogle,
P.E., with the Kansas Department of Transportation, spoke with the
commissioners about our request to change the dead end at Locust Road to a
curve onto 265th Street. He will check with his peers to see if
it will interfere with the 4-lane expansion plans.
Commissioners
also asked Mr. Bogle about the extension for the Horton Street Project. A
lot of people are not happy because there have been many days that no one is
on the site working. Mr. Bogle isn’t sure that the extension was approved
but he agreed that extensions should only be given if needed. The
commissioners relayed that any extension is delaying the county’s chip and
sealing of 205th Street. The County would also like the State to
be tougher on extensions or penalize projects that are past their time as
incentive to work faster. Mr. Bogle said that he is reviewing the work and
the number of people who are on the site each day and will look into it
further.
Mr. Bogle also
clarified a request by the County to have trees cleared at 69 Hwy to the
Marmaton River for flooding. The trees would hamper the water flow and any
broken limbs would dam up to cause more flooding. Mr. Bogle will also look
into that request.
Bill Brittain
made a motion to go into executive session, for a period of ten minutes,
under the non-elected personnel exception to the Open Meetings Act. Terry
Graham seconded the motion and all voted in favor. Those present for the
session were the commissioners, Harold Coleman and Joanne Long. The session
began at 11:35 am and ended at 11:45 am. Commissioners authorized FMLA
leave for Lee Norris and to pay her for the hours she has worked at her
hourly rate. Ms. Norris will have to obtain a doctor’s note to give to the
clerk’s office. She can also ask for Community Pool Leave to supplement her
pay.
Doylene Kennedy
notified commissioners of a letter from the Department of Agriculture about
the denial of a County bridge project over the Marmaton River because of
threatened/endangered animals in the habitat, namely the Broadhead Skink,
the Common Map Turtle and the Hornyhead Chub. An action permit would have
to be acquired from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks before any
work could be started.
After routine
business, the meeting adjourned at noon.
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THE BOARD OF
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
-
OF BOURBON
COUNTY, KANSAS
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-
(ss) Gary
Houston, Chairman
-
(ss) Terry Graham, Commissioner
-
(ss) Bill
Brittain, Commissioner
ATTEST:
(ss) Joanne
Long, County Clerk