MITCHELL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING MONDAY DECEMBER 1ST

Mitchell County Commissioners

Monday, December 1, 2014

By Terry Bailey

The Mitchell County Commissioners conducted their regular business meeting yesterday morning, Monday, December first, two thousand fourteen. All three County Commissioners as well as the County Clerk were present.

The Commissioners named Tom Maxwell to replace Bob Severance as the Mitchell County representative on the Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging. Severance has served the maximum two consecutive four-year terms and could not serve again.

The Commissioners made adjustments to the Plum Creek Township governing body. Jerry Wessling has previously won a coin toss for the office of Township treasurer. Wessling resigned that office so that he could serve as the Plum Creek Township Clerk. The Commissioners named Carl Eilert to fill the vacancy of Township Treasurer.

Wanda Backstrom was named by the Commissioners to serve as the Twelfth Judicial District Director of Community Corrections. Backstrom will replace the current Director, Ellen Anderson.

The Commissioners then adjourned to a fifteen minute Executive Session to discuss non-elected personnel. Lowell Hawk was invited to sit in on the executive session with the commissioners. At the end of the fifteen minutes, the executive session was extended for another ten minutes. When the regular meeting was resumed it was announced that no actions had been taken.

Larry Emerson, Public Works Superintendent, reported to the Commissioners regarding his search for information concerning a replacement machine for the track loader used at the County Landfill. It appears that only a limited number of manufacturers produce such a machine because it is not a widely used type of machine. Emerson told the Commissioners that a new machine would cost in the neighborhood of two hundred sixty thousand dollars. Emerson was directed to continue his search and report back his findings. It is anticipated that such a machine that is needed will be hard to find and that few bargains will exist.

Emerson further reported that his crews had completed all the spot graveling work on Township roads. Some roads have required long stretches of re-graveling.

The Commissioners and Emerson discussed the future use of the current gravel pit located on the Heller property. Emerson indicated that the vein of gravel will soon be exhausted and a new pit will need to be opened. He said that the County had taken slightly over twenty thousand dollars worth of gravel out of the Heller pit during this current year. When the current pit is abandoned the area will be leveled and reseeded.

Mitchell County Health Nurse, Courtney Murrow, met with the Commissioners to discuss replacement of one of the Department’s vehicles that was totaled by the hail storm. The Pontiac Vibe was well liked for many reasons and will be difficult to replace. She was directed to shop around to see if a similar vehicle might be located or one that suitably fit the needs of the County Health Department.

Eric Hamel, Interim Director of the Mitchell County EMS, provided a letter to the Commissioners requiring their signatures. The letter was the official notification that he was serving as the Interim Director. The Commissioners and Hamel then entered into a fifteen minute executive session to discuss non-elected personnel. At the end of the fifteen minute period the meeting was extended for another five minutes. It was announced that no action was taken as a result of the executive session.

Hamel told the Commissioners that one of the ambulances had developed a serious vacuum leak. This needs correction immediately. The Commissioner directed him to contact Womack-Sunshine Motors in Concordia. They had worked on another such problem in the past with success.

Having completed all the business before them, the meeting was adjourned.

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Beloit, KS 67420, USA