KVSV

County Commissioners Meeting April 14, 2014

The County Commissioners had a busy agenda at their meeting on Monday, April 14, 2014. Mid-way through the their meeting they conducted a ten-minute executive session with County Health Nurse, Sondra Hone. When the regular meeting resumed, Ms. Hone announced she was tendering her resignation from her position to return to her first love, hospital nursing. Her resignation is effective May 2, 2014. Hone was named to the County Health nurse position about three and a half years ago when she took over for the long standing Patricia Dowlin. The commissioners accepted her resignation with regrets.

Last week, courthouse maintenance supervisor Brian Streit submitted a wide range of bids received for air conditioning units for the courtroom and appraiser's offices. The commissioner directed him to review the various bids and return with his recommendations. Streit reported in as directed and told the commissioners he believed the bid received from Watts and Son was his recommended bid. He noted while the dollar amount was slightly higher he felt the quality of the product was superior to the other bids. The commissioners agreed with his suggestions and noted that Watts was a local business and it was good to buy locally when the prices are somewhat similar. A three to zero vote was recorded to award the contract to Watts and Son for $24,945 for new air-conditioning units for the courtroom and the appraiser's office.

Ed Debisis, EMS supervisor gave the commissioners his monthly report regarding the ambulance service. There were forty ambulance runs for the month of March and a total of one hundred twenty-four for the year. Of these forty runs, thirty were in Beloit, five in Cawker City, three in Glen Elder, and two to Tipton. Monday was the weekday with the most calls with the busiest time period being nine p.m. to midnight.

Debesis reminded the Commissioners that in his departmental budget for this year approved funding was in present to replace some of the furnaces in the ambulance building. They have been in service since initially installed and are quite worn and not very energy efficient. Debesis also reported that new DEA guidelines may require the building to maintain a temperature below eighty degrees and above fifty degrees throughout the office and ambulance bay area due to the heat and cold affecting the medicines they carry.

Larry Emerson reported to the commissioners several items concerning the new bridge project near Micah Tice's residence. A phone line runs along the deck of the current bridge and will needed to be moved when construction begins and replaced when the bridge work is completed. He has had a very difficult time finding the responsible person at AT&T with whom he can make arrangements. Numerous phone calls made by Emerson were either not answered or when answered, promises of returns calls have went unfulfilled.

Emerson also had troubling news to report about the bids for drilling of holes for the bridge piers. The bid came in much higher than expected. The pier footings require a width of eighteen inches and must be drilled to bedrock. Twenty-six holes will need to be drilled. The cost of the drilling is seventy-five dollars per foot. The drilling company requires a ten thousand dollar mobilization charge to move to the bridge site. All told this puts the cost of the bridge currently in excess of thirty thousand dollars.

The commissioners discussed the idea of renting a drilling rig or buying a used one. It would appear that few, if any, are available to rent. Used rigs also are not easily found.

Melinda Latham and Clint Offutt met in a twenty minute executive session with the Commissioners. At the end of the twenty minute session, an additional ten minutes session was added. At the end of both executive session no decisions were made.

Ellen Anderson representing Community Corrections addressed the Commissioners regarding a grant application for the 2015 operating year. The Twelfth Judicial District operates totally on grant money. The Commissioners signed the Grant Applications for Mitchell County.

A Neighborhood Revitalization grant application from Blake and Lydia Housh in the amount of $118,700 was unanimously approved.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:26 a.m.

 

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Beloit, KS 67420, USA