County holds Public Hearing for amended budgets
The Rooks County Economic Development and Rooks County Golf Course’s 2019 budgets were amended at the Public Hearing held during the Rooks County Commission meeting on Tuesday, December 17th. The money for the increase to each department was in the original budgets, so the Hearing was closed, and the budgets will be amended as presented and published. The economic development budget was increased from $95,425.00 to $175,000.00, and the golf course budget was increased from $30,000.00 to $37,000.00.
At the start of the meeting commissioner Corky Hagan stated that he had received a few phone calls during the week about road conditions. It was also reported that a blade operator had pulled up a three-wire fence while a road was being worked. Hagan said he thought the fence had been moved off the road, but will report it to road and bridge supervisor Rich Bouchey so he can check it out. Hagan noted that several county road signs are in need of repair and replacement. He had also received calls about the Zurich Road being slick after the weekend snowfall.
Commissioner Greg Balthazor said he had calls asking if the road department was out working the roads after the snow. Balthazor explained that some employees are off work at this time of year to use some of their comp time. Balthazor had attended the economic development meeting and updated the other two commissioners on programs the department is involved in.
Commissioner John Ruder had attended the Redbud Village Board meeting. At this time the census is down at the facility and the assisted living has one apartment open. A water leak was repaired at Redbud Village. Ruder had attended the E-Commerce meeting in Stockton stating that they went over various programs the organization will be implementing in the coming year.
After a short discussion, the commissioners voted to donate $1,000.00 to the Kansas National Resource Coalition (KNRC) instead of being a full-fledged member. They want to show their support of the organization, so they felt a donation would accomplish that.
Jordan Dettmer with Penco Engineering, Inc. was at the meeting to talk with the commissioners and road and bridge supervisor Rich Bouchey about the County’s bridge program for the coming year. Then Bouchey presented the commissioners with the monthly low fuel bid from Midland Marketing, Inc. in the amount of $16,594.00.The commissioners then signed the landfill check in the amount of $12,663.70 for deposit.
Bouchey noted during his equipment update that one of the department’s dump trucks is in Concordia for repair. One of the bridge crew’s dump trucks has possible computer problems. The distributor is still in Topeka for repairs.
Rock is being hauled out of the Williams pit at this time on 12 Road. Rock is also being made for X Road between 26 and 28 Roads. The cleanup by Woodston is completed, and KDHE has been out to sign off on the project. The department has started working on road sign repairs. Hagan informed Bouchey about the three-wire fence that had been pulled up on to the road. Bouchey will check it out to make sure the fence has been removed from the road.
Bouchey then updated the commissioners on the condition of the dump trucks and other equipment, and talked about purchasing dump trucks in the coming year to replace some of the older models. After the fee reports for the sanitation department and the road and bridge department were accepted by the commissioners, Bouchey left the meeting.
County GIS director Betty Hrabe was in to inform the commissioners that the GIS data is being transitioned from AT&T to the State. She received a note from the State informing her that all of Rooks County’s GIS data was in line and was transferred without any problems. Hrabe stated that was because of the good working relationships between the County departments when it comes to collecting data, and wanted to let the commissioners know that she had received a personal letter about the smooth transaction.
Sheriff Gary Knight was at the meeting to inform the commissioners that the heating and air conditioning project at the jail was to begin before the end of the week. The department has started cleaning out the Stockton Police Department Office before the transition takes place at the first of the year.
County health nurse Lori Eichman was at the meeting to have the commissioners sign the policy and procedures book for the health department, as well as the Home Health and Emergency Preparedness policy books.
The commissioners signed a right-of-way and road easement between Rooks County and Fred and Velma Landis as prepared by county attorney Danielle Muir before they spent the remainder of the morning meeting reviewing and signing vouchers as presented by clerk Ruthmary Muir.
