COMMISSIONERS’ PROCEEDINGS
AUGUST 12, 2024
Agenda: 8:30 – Budget Hearing
8:45 –
9:00 – Bid Opening – EM Generator
9:15 – Walter Beesley – 1st Right of Refusal
9:30 – Glenn Kerbs – Executive Session
9:45 –
10:00 – Denise Spence – House
10:30 – Steve Lewis – Museum
The Board of Stevens County Commissioners met in a regular session. Paul Kitzke, County Attorney and Amy Tharp, County Clerk were also present. Tron called the meeting to order. Pat moved to approve minutes from the last meeting. Joe seconded. Motion carried. Pat moved to approve the county vouchers. Joe seconded. Motion carried. The County Clerk was instructed to draw warrants on the Treasurer chargeable to the various funds of the county for the following amounts:
| General | $ 95,620.02 |
| Judicial District | $ 2,814.08 |
| Road & Bridge | $ 59,676.30 |
| Airport | $ 15,243.68 |
| Election Equipment | $ 770.00 |
| Treas Spec Auto | $ 1,495.00 |
| County Building | $ 10,002.50 |
| Noxious Weed | $ 14,622.85 |
| EMS | $ 10,470.73 |
| Fire | $ 5,848.97 |
| Community Health | $ 21,510.55 |
| Comm Hlth Grants | $ 787.00 |
| Sheriff | $ 100,138.29 |
| Insurance Agency Damages | $ 8,225.69 |
| Alcoholic Treatment Fund | $ 497.76 |
| Reg of Deed Tech | $ 270.20 |
| TOTAL: | $ 347,993.62 |
Paul Henderson, Shannon Crawford, and Rodney Kelling were present.
Commissioner Tron Stegman opened the budget hearing at 8:30 AM and asked if there were any public comments. No one had any comments.
Joe made a motion to approve the 2025 Stevens County Budget as reported. Pat seconded. Motion carried.
Tron closed the budget hearing. Tron opened the meeting to be held as usual.
Amy told the commissioners Nex-Tech informed Cammie at the community health department there was a data breach via email on August 6, 2024. Amy stated the incident was contained to community health and the Kansas Secretary of State was informed as well as KCamp. Nex-Tech and KCamp are currently working together to make sure there was nothing in the emails to violate HIPPA. Last Amy heard was Friday, August 9th and there was no HIPPA breach. Amy said she has several different quotes for IT and servers she will present to the commissioners at the next meeting. Tron asked what a township officer’s responsibilities are. Amy stated functioning townships take care of maintenance of roads, ditches, cemeteries, etc., within their township. Currently, Moscow is the only active township in Stevens County. It has been the only active one for the last ten (10) years according to elections and even longer as far as maintenance.
Tony Martin and Stacey Wood were in attendance.
Rodney inquired with the commissioners about needing to get bids on the new compressor and SCBA’s since there is a grant for the compressor. Joe asked Rodney what the approximate costs were, and Rodney replied at this time the cost for the compressor is around $95,000.00 and the SCBA’s are around $235,000.00 for sixteen (16) of them. The commissioners told Rodney there should be a bid on the new equipment and they do not have to accept the lowest bid. Amy asked when Rodney plans to open bids and Rodney said sometime in November.
Tron opened the meeting up for sealed bids on the generator the emergency services department is bidding out.
- Carlos Rojo $600.00
- Kelly Kirkham $955.00
Joe made a motion to accept the highest bid at $955.00 from Kelly Kirkham. Tron seconded. Motion carried.
Walter Beesley was present to discuss the lot west of town which he purchased from the commissioners as Mid America Cattle Co, a corporation, on April 20, 1999. Walter stated the commissioners have first right of refusal on the lot located at:
Lot Six (6) Block Three (3) of the duly filed corrected Plat of the Stevens County Industrial Addition Plat filed in Book Four (4) of Plats Page Seventeen (17) on March 23, 1999, Stevens County Register of Deeds.
Joe made a motion to decline the purchase of the above-mentioned lot in the Industrial Addition and will keep the first right of refusal as a stipulation. Pat seconded. Motion carried.
Glenn Kerbs was present. He requested an executive session for twenty (20) minutes for attorney/client discussion over negotiations.
Joe made a motion to go into executive session for thirty (30) minutes to discuss client/attorney negotiations. Pat seconded. Glenn Kerbs, Tony Martin, and Stacey Wood were present for executive session. Executive session began at 9:15 AM concluded at 9:45 AM. No action taken.
The planning and zoning board will have a public hearing on August 20th at 4:00 PM in the Memorial Hall to discuss wind energy.
Tony Martin was telling the commissioners the road and bridge department will be working on the water dock as soon as weather permits. Tony also told the commissioners that Jeff and he will be attending a landfill meeting at the end of October.
Tony requested an executive session for ten (10) minutes to discuss pending current litigation.
Pat made a motion to go into an executive session to discuss a pending litigation. Joe seconded. Tony Martin and Stacey Wood were present for executive session The executive session began at 9:50 AM and concluded at 10:00 AM. No action taken.
Joe asked Tony about the lot east of town where Steve Morris was farming, and Tony said it has been getting sprayed and mowed and will continue until they can get it mowed low enough to see what can be done. The commissioners discussed planting grass out there and having the county continue mowing. Pat asked Tony about the landfill and when the new pit project will begin. Tony said they are waiting on KDHE to approve the final request and is hoping the permits will be approved before the new KDHE permit agent replacement comes in. Tony discussed an issue with the Black Hills Pipeline south of town stating there are different session laws from 1876 giving different measurements in rights-of-way.
Tony told the commissioners a representative from Pioneer Communications is beginning a new project and will need to run about fifteen (15) lines. The county requests a permit to be filed which costs $100.00 per permit. The Pioneer representative asked if there was a way to work with the county to get a discount of sorts for the permit fees. The commissioners stated they will not because they are staying consistent with permits, so it stays fair across the board.
Tony told the commissioners there is a leak on the roof at the road and bridge department and asked if Ross handles those issues. Amy said Ross will look at it and contact companies if needed to make the correct repairs.
Steve Lewis came in and asked the commissioners about the audit they are requesting from the museum. Steve stated Janie Gaskill sent an email to Amy on the museum’s profit and loss. Amy reported she has not reviewed her recent emails. Joe asked Steve if the museum has an audit and stated all the other county funded entities turn in an annual audit report to the county clerk. Steve said he will talk with Hay & Rice, LLC and see if they can send something to the county clerk. Steve also discussed the buildings at the museum and that some had to have stucco applied. He said the train station will probably have to have new footers to keep the building from falling.
Joe asked if anyone had heard what will be happening to KDI. He was told there is an EcoDevo meeting tomorrow, and they will hopefully have heard something.
Attest: Amy Jo Tharp, County Clerk
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Tron Stegman, Chairman