Minutes, March 26, 2012

ELLSWORTH COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING

                                                                                 

MINUTES

 

MARCH 26, 2012

 

The Board of Ellsworth County Commissioners convened this 26^th day of March 2012 at the Ellsworth County Courthouse. 

 

                                                            Members Present:

                                                            Albert W. Oller, 1^st District Commissioner

                                                            Kermit Rush, 2^nd District Commissioner

                                                            Terry L. Kueser, 3^rd District Commissioner                

                                                                                                           

OPENING BUSINESS:

 

Chairman Oller called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.

 

Commissioner Rush moved to approve the Agenda as printed.  Commissioner Kueser seconded the motion.  Motion carried 3-0.

 

Commissioner Rush moved to approve the Minutes of March 19, 2012. Commissioner Kueser seconded the motion.  Motion carried 3-0.

 

Billy Kryger, Pastor of the Smoky Hill Baptist Church in Ellsworth, was in attendance but did not wish to address the Commissioners.

 

APPOINTMENTS:

 

Roger Masse, ECMC Administrator, presented the financial report in a new format to more adequately reflect the finances of the facilities.  They had a profit for the month of February and a $137,419 year-to-date loss.  He and Joe Shepack, County Attorney discussed the sale of the Administration Building (Century Bldg.) to the Healthcare Foundation.  They have agreed to purchase the building but will need to know the price that is being offered by the county.  Mr. Shepack had discussed this with the Commissioners and presented Resolution 2012R06, a resolution stating the intent of the County to sell the property to the Health Care Foundation for a sum of $350,000.  Commissioner Rush moved to approve Resolution 2012R06, A Resolution Regarding the Offer For Sale Of County Owned Real Estate To the Ellsworth County Healthcare Foundation.  Commissioner Oller seconded the motion.  Motion carried 3-0.  After the sale of the building, ECMC will lease that portion of the building needed for administrative services.  Also, ECMC will call the revenue bonds used to the purchase the building.

 

Sheriff Tracy Ploutz reported that one of his patrol vehicles had been total by a citizen with a crowbar.  The citizen was arrested and he is working with the insurance company on the damaged vehicle.  The electrical work in the jail is going well; however, a change order is needed to correct something that was unforeseen at the time of bidding the construction.  The Commissioners approved the change order.  The Commissioners also agreed that Sheriff Ploutz should contact the electrical engineers about the second phase of the project being done in connection with phase one with Hedlund Electric.  Phase one came in so much lower than budgeted, that this might be the best time to finish the work.  Two new policies were presented for approval, Ellsworth County Sheriff's Office Racial and Other Biased-Based Policing Policy and Ellsworth County Sheriff's Office Domestic Violence Law Enforcement Response Policy #2.  Commissioner Kueser moved to approve the two policies as presented.  Commissioner Oller seconded the motion.  Motion carried 3-0.  Upon the request of Sheriff Ploutz, Commissioner Rush moved to go into executive session from 10:10 a.m. to 10:20 a.m. to discuss with them and the County Attorney matters that would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship.  Commissioner Kueser seconded the motion.  Motion carried 3-0.  County Attorney, Joe Shepack, was included in the executive session.  The Commissioners returned to open session at 10:20 a.m. and no action was taken.

 

Keith Haberer, Emergency Management Director, updated the Commissioners on his activities in the county.  He will be attending the Holyrood City Council meeting to address some of their concerns.  He thanked the Commissioners for allowing him to go to Washington, DC where he met with our congressionalrepresentatives advocating for funding for the EMPG grant as well as the National Weather Service budget.  He completed teaching the ISC 400 class last week and will be teaching the ISC 300 class in May.  Although his schedule was busy, he was able to attend one of the watershed meetings that affect a small portion of our county.  The Commissioners complimented Mr. Haberer on his response to a "letter to the editor" in the local newspaper.

 

Pat Kinnaird, Central Kansas Mental Health, accompanied by Board Ellsworth member, Clara McCoy, reported on the services being offered in Ellsworth County.  She discussed in length the Mental Health First Aid classes being offered to groups.  There is a class being taught in Lincoln County April 19 & 20 and is nearly full.  She will be working with some groups in Ellsworth County to see if a class could be offered.

 

Geneva Schneider, County Treasurer, gave the Commissioner an update on the new motor vehicle system and informed them that her office would be closed to the public on two occasions to activate the new system.  They will be closed April 5^th from 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. and then they will be closed for the whole week, May 1^st through May 6^th.  They will do mail-in business on those days and be open for over-the-counter business on May 8^th.

 

OLD BUSINESS:

 

There were no old business items.

 

NEW BUSINESS:

 

Commissioner Kueser moved to approve Abatement #101 for $16.84.  Commissioner Oller seconded the motion.  Motion carried 3-0.

 

Commissioner Kueser moved to approve a cereal malt beverage license to Kanopolis Tower Harbor Marina.  Commissioner Rush seconded the motion.  Motion carried 3-0.

 

ADJOURNMENT:

 

Chairman Oller adjourned the meeting at 11:30 a.m.

 

 

____________________________________

Janet L. Andrews, Ellsworth County Clerk