Commission Chairman Virgil Claussen opened the meeting of the Mitchell County Commissioners Monday morning be calling a 15-minute Executive Session to include himself along with Commissioner Mike Cooper and Virgil Palen; Brian Streit, Maintenance Supervisor; County Clerk Chris Treaster and Commissioner-Elect Jim Marshall.
Chairman Claussen specified this would be a discussion only meeting and no decisions would be made on the window replacement contract. When the meeting resumed Commissioner Cooper announced that in light of the discussion during the meeting he would like to make a motion that the courthouse window replacement contract be awarded to Glass Services Incorporated (GSI) out of Salina.
This bid had been rejected initially due to the much higher estimate that was presented in the amount of $120,205 installed. Since that time it has been determined that the wooden frames around the windows are deteriorating and would only get worse as the years go by. The other company's presented options that would work on a one-story building where the windows were easily accessible to receive regular maintenance but not on windows in a three or four story building that would be harder to maintain.
The reason for the price difference was that GSI's bid was to remove all wood frames out to the stonework and included building all custom built metal frames
to go around the windows. None of the other bids included this feature. The commissioners agreed they would like to award as much business to local vendors as possible but this situation had to be taken into consideration.
Commissioner Palen stated there had been a lot of discussion both pro and con on this issue but he voted to award the contract to GSI. Chairman Claussen asked it be noted that he voted against his option. He thanked all those who presented bids on this project. It was noted that GSI would be sealing off each office as they work so as not to interrupt any more daily courthouse business than necessary.
Sheriff Doug Daugherty asked to be added to this morning's agenda to discuss the purchase of a secure vehicle to transport prisoners. He is looking at a 12-passenger van with vinyl interior since they are called on to transport patients to a mental hospital from time to time and need to clean up messes that occur.
Daugherty explained they would be trading off a 2005 eight-passenger van that is causing them maintenance problems. They often have to transport as many as twelve prisoners at a time causing more time and manpower to do the job.
Beloit Truck and Auto has located a twelve-seat 2012 E-350 series Ford Econoline van that is located in Kentucky. It would cost $37,100 with a trade-in value of $5,522 on the older vehicle making it cost $31,678. Daugherty hasn't purchased any vehicles for his department this year and has funds in his capitol outlay to pay for this. Beloit Truck and Auto would fly to Kentucky and drive the vehicle back as part of the deal. They could have it here before the end of the year. They would not be putting signage on the outside because it cannot be marked if they transport mental patients so it will be an unmarked vehicle. It would have inside lights they could turn on if someone gets violent and also a camera and back up signals on it.
The van has removable seats so it could be used to transport a body to the pathology lab if the need arises. It has 40 x 60 inches doors and extra heavy frame. They would put in a security screen between the driver and the passengers and also a spit shield since prisoners sometimes spit on them. He would hire Winkle Mfg. to make the screen. The commissioners voted unanimously to allow Daugherty to purchase the new security vehicle.
Sheriff Daugherty has two sales coming up to be conducted on the courthouse steps including the Schroeder Estate Sale and another sale for the Central National Bank.
The Sheriff's tax sale will take place in December.
Larry Emerson, Public Works, brought in Schwab-Eaton Engineering's bid on doing the bridge inspections on the 227 bridges in the county for 2013. Commissioners discussed the fact the price has gone up. The bid is $78 a bridge or a total of $17,706. They said they had to go up to cover their costs. Since this is a local company and probably know more about any changes that have occurred since the last inspections the commissioners voted to approve this action. Fisherman's Bridge will not be included in these inspections since the State Inspectors will be doing it this year. The cost for the inspections would be taken out of the Special Bridge account, Emerson said.
Chairman Claussen said it has been two weeks since he talked to Tyler Lund in Senator Moran's office so he will get in touch with him about the cost of inspections on the three new bridges that were just completed this year. Claussen will also check to see if they have any information on getting Mitchell County matching funds to help pay for the repair of the causeway on the dam at Cawker City.
Emerson said he received a letter from the Federal Exchange Program for this year. He plans to bank the money until the county decides on a specific project to use it on. This pays up until October 2012 and then they will receive more funds. He thinks they should be about $40,000 in funds left in the bank at the present time. Everything is settled up on the Jasmine Trail Bridge.
For the benefit of Commissioner Cooper who was absent during his report last week Emerson repeated that Baleau Construction in Salina, the company they got a cost comparison from to reconstitute the old asphalt on some of the roads in the county, has closed out the recycling part of their business. He contacted Koss Construction of Topeka, and they are coming out to give him an estimate before the first to the year. He said this is a very respectable company and they do a lot of this type of work.
Emerson reported they are finished graveling the Green Mound Road and pulled the edges out on the Hopewell Road. They are still trying to uncover more gravel.
They are going to gravel the Hopewell Road and from the Tipton school house on west. In the Blue Hill Township there is a bridge by Corpstein's. They plan to take the deck off the bridge so farmers can get through with equipment and have the bridge back open in a couple of days.
Emerson questioned if commissioners would allow his department to stay on nine-hours a day schedule or go back to an eight hour day. Commissioners said if the weather stays good and they have work they could do, to go ahead as they are but if it turns bad and they can't work to go back to eight-hour days.
David Thornton, County Appraiser and Jeff Roberg, County IT Advisor, found a laptop computer for the Appraiser's Office at a cost of $869. Commissioners approved this purchase. With Commissioner Cooper in attendance the commission approved the letter of support for Solomon Valley Transportation. A Cereal Malt Beverage License was approved for the Beloit Pizza Hut for 2013.
Following a Department Head Meeting the Commissioners and Clerk Traster attended a Multi-County meeting in Esbon, Kansas.