COMMISSIONERS’ PROCEEDINGS
JULY 24, 2023
Agenda: 8:30 – Bills
8:45 – Cammie Heaton – Grants/Community Health
9:15 – Angela Eichman – McCully & Associates Contract
9:30 – Tony Martin – Public Works
The Board of Stevens County Commissioners met in a regular session. Paul Kitzke, County Attorney and Amy Tharp, County Clerk were also present. Pat called the meeting to order. Tron moved to approve the minutes from the June 26th and July 10th commissioner meeting and July 11th budget workshop meeting. Joe seconded. Motion carried. Tron 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 | $ 91,248.94 |
| ARPA | $ 9,094.90 |
| Judicial District | $ – |
| Road & Bridge | $ 152,827.07 |
| Airport | $ 1,969.25 |
| County Building | $ 217.50 |
| Noxious Weed | $ 3,903.07 |
| EMS | $ 8,192.26 |
| Fire | $ 3,542.97 |
| Community Health | $ 14,413.58 |
| 911 Wireless | $ 116.37 |
| Fire Equipment | $ 485.00 |
| EMS Equipment | $ 485.00 |
| Non-Specific Equipment | $ 4,000.00 |
| Sheriff | $ 42,739.41 |
| Reg of Deeds Tech Fund | $ 96.20 |
| TOTAL: | $ 333,331.52 |
Rodney Kelling came in and said Darroll Munson contacted him and wanted to know if the county would be willing to donate the old 1965 water truck to Meade Lake. Rodney said his only concern was it shouldn’t be driven without getting it inspected and wanted to know what the liability would be for the county if it was donated instead of bidding it out. Joe stated he would hate to give something away when it could be used for something good. Paul stated the county should not be giving items away and should bid out anything they choose to get rid of. He said to state in the newspaper the tanker will be sold “as is.” The commissioners noticed the remotes for the automatic garage doors at the Hugoton and Moscow fire and EMS buildings were not included on the original bid and we are being billed for them. Rodney said he noticed the same and wished he would have known because he could have purchased the remotes at a fraction of the cost instead of $100.00 each.
Cammie Heaton told the commissioners she is working on grants for the community health department but must wait for the fiscal year to be sure what she will be eligible to receive. She stated the IAP4 still has $65,000.00 in grant funds and is supposed to be the final grant for salary support through COVID relief. Cammie said most of the grants will be for salary support, such as WIC, which has $68,000.00 eligibility for salary support. She explained some of the WIC grant can be used for utilities and communications, which she plans on doing. The community health department will be at the fair tonight and the theatre throughout the week. Cammie said the health department is going to be at the school on Thursday next week from 10am – 4pm to offer vaccines during enrollment for children who need a vaccine. Cammie told the commissioners she spoke with Linda Stalcup and was told the pharmacy will only be doing flu and shingle vaccines at this time. Cammie also informed the commissioners she is looking into a rural health grant for $20,000.00 as she feels Stevens County is rural.
Angela Eichman came in and presented the commissioners with the McCulley and Associates annual contract to be signed. The commissioners reviewed the contract and noticed there were no changes from the previous year.
Tron made a motion to approve the McCulley and Associates contract for one (1) year.
Joe seconded. Motion carried.
Angela told the commissioners the Sunrise Hospitality should have been a tiered exemption and should have been paying some taxes since 2016 or 2017 working up to 100% tax payments by 2026. No one has completed what should have been done so she is looking into the process to see if they can charge taxes retroactively or just begin paying taxes this next year. Pat expressed his concern with KDI paying taxes and Angela said they should be paying taxes until an order is received that they do not pay taxes. Angela said she just received an annexation on Friday.
Tony Martin came in and presented the commissioners with the specs for a new road grader and would like to get the process of bidding started and hopefully get a new grader in by the end of the year. Tony stated he has enough in the equipment fund for a new grader with the trade in of one (1) of the old ones. The commissioners approved an open bid process for a road grader and told Tony to get sealed bids and have them ready to be opened on August 14, 2023, at 10:00 AM in the commissioner meeting room. There was discussion of the county asphalt plant and Tony said it would be too costly at this time to shut down the plant and purchase the equipment needed to do the roads and have asphalt brought in. Currently, the road and bridge department do three (3) miles of overlay and three (3) miles of patching. Tony said the roads are about two (2) months behind maintenance due to all the rains the county has had.
Sheriff Ted Heaton, Undersheriff TJ Steers and Deputy Cuylor Miller were in attendance. Ted asked the commissioners if the county was going to bring him some gravel for his road in Feterita he purchased around 2006. He said there was a contract with the county to receive gravel when needed. He stated he didn’t need anyone to smooth it, but that he just needed the gravel dumped and he would take care of it. The commissioners stated it would be difficult to bring gravel out to a private entity and other citizens question why they aren’t receiving the same services. Ted informed the commissioners back in 2006 the State of Kansas gave him a check for roughly $18,000.00, and he gave that check to the Stevens County Treasurer to put into a fund to pay for his road to be graveled by the county. Tony said he did find the purchase order and the county did around $13,000.00 to $15,000.00 worth of work, and asked if the county could give the difference of the check and the work done in gravel to Ted. Nothing has been decided yet.
By motion, the Board adjourned.
Attest: Amy Jo Tharp, County Clerk
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Pat Hall, Chairman