Minutes, September 8, 2005

ELLSWORTH COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING

MINUTES

SEPTEMBER 8, 2005

The Board of Ellsworth County Commissioners convened in recessed session this 8^th day of September 2005 at the Ellsworth County Courthouse.

Members Present:

Lavel Heitschmidt, 1^st District Commissioners

Kermit Rush, 2^nd District Commissioner

Terry L. Kueser, 3^rd District Commissioners

1. OPENING BUSINESS:

Commissioner Rush called the meeting to order.

2. OTHER BUSINESS:

Roger Pearson, ECMC Administrator, reported his Board of Directors had approved the revised payment schedule for the revenue bonds. Therefore, Commissioner Kueser moved to approve Resolution 05R10, A Resolution Authorizing The Offering For Sale Of Hospital Revenue Bonds, Series 2005, Of Ellsworth County, Kansas. Commissioner Heitschmidt seconded the motion. Motion carried 3-0.

Chairman Rush had an inquiry from Anita Hoffhines in regards to the Welcome Home Program. She is out of funding for her work on the program and asked if the county would consider funding more until the end of the year. The Commissioners agreed that additional funding was not available and that inquiries of the program would have to be told the money for this year had been expended and they could call or reapply after the first of the year.

3. ADJOURNMENT:

Chairman Rush adjourned the meeting at 8:30 a.m.

 

 

____________________________________

Janet L. Andrews, Ellsworth County Clerk

Minutes, September 6, 2005

ELLSWORTH COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING

MINUTES

SEPTEMBER 6, 2005

The Board of Ellsworth County Commissioners convened this 6^th day of September 2005 at the Ellsworth County Courthouse.

Members Present:

Lavel Heitschmidt, 1^st District Commissioner

Kermit Rush, 2^nd District Commissioner

Terry L. Kueser, 3^rd District Commissioner

1. OPENING BUSINESS:

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

Commissioner Kueser moved to approve the Agenda as printed.

Commissioner Heitschmidt seconded the motion. Motion carried 3-0.

Commissioner Kueser moved to approve the Minutes of August 29, 2005.

Commissioner Heitschmidt seconded the motion. Motion carried 3-0.

No one was present for the Public Forum.

2. APPOINTMENTS:

Roger Pearson, ECMC Administrator, and David Brownback, President of Citizens State Bank, met with the Commissioners on the proposed hospital revenue bond. Bond counsel, Kevin Cowan, was unable to attend. Mr. Brownback explained that he had been contacted by Gold Capital Management, Inc. of Wichita wanting to underwrite the issue. Rather than going for a public offering, competitive private placement proposals were sent out to four financial institutions. Two responded and Gold Capital had the best offer and Mr. Cowan and Mr. Brownback recommended using Gold Capital as the underwriter. However, due the fact that Mr. Pearson had to have confirmation from his board on the amended payment plan, the Commissioners felt they could not pass the resolution for issuance of the bonds until that approval was forthcoming. Mr. Pearson will schedule a meeting with his board and the Commissioner’s will recess until September 8^th and reconsider the resolution at that time. Mr. Pearson presented the financial report for July showing a loss of $125,291.

Patti Booher, Ellsworth City Clerk, introduced the new Ellsworth City Administrator, Jonathan Mitchell, to the Commissioners.

Dave Smith, Ellsworth Police Chief, invited the Commissioner toa meeting September 13^th at 7:00 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center to set up a committee to help a family from the disaster area of Louisana relocate to Ellsworth County. He will be working with Alan Byerley and the meeting will be exploratory one to see when and how this can come about.

Ronda Kasiska, Health Supervisor, and John Bowden, Morton Buildings, presented plans for a building to be erected on the north side of the Health building to serve as a garage and storage area. The building will be 30 x 38 and the cost of the building alone would be $19,440. There would need to be subs for the concrete flooring, electrical and dirt work. With all of that added in, the cost of the building would be approximately $28,000. Commissioner Kueser questioned the expenditure of that amount for storage when space would be available at the building the hospital is purchasing and if the car needed to be housed in a garage. After much discussion, Commissioner Heitschmidt moved to enter into a contract with Morton Buildings, Inc. for a 30 x 38 building with a partitioned storage area for the Health Department. Commissioner Rush seconded the motion. Motion carried 2-1.

3. OLD BUSINESS:

There were no old business items.

4. NEW BUSINESS:

Commissioner Kueser moved to approve accounts payable for August in the amount of $328,955.70. Commissioner Heitschmidt seconded the motion. Motion carried 3-0.

5. ADJOURNMENT:

Chairman Rush recessed the meeting to Thursday, September 8^th at 8:00 a.m.

 

_______________________________________

Janet L. Andrews, Ellsworth County Clerk

 

Minutes, August 29, 2005

ELLSWORTH COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING

MINUTES

AUGUST 29, 2005

The Board of Ellsworth County Commissioners convened this 29^th day of August 2005 at the Ellsworth County Courthouse.

Members Present:

Lavel Heitschmidt, 1^st District Commissioner

Kermit Rush, 2^nd District Commissioner

Terry L. Kueser, 3^rd District Commissioner

1. OPENING BUSINESS:

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

Commissioner Kueser moved to approve the Agenda as printed.

Commissioner Heitschmidt seconded the motion. Motion carried 3-0.

Commissioner Kueser moved to approve the Minutes of August 22, 2005 as presented.

Commissioner Heitschmidt seconded the motion. Motion carried 3-0.

No one was present for the Public Forum.

2. APPOINTMENTS:

Sheriff Tracy Ploutz had little to report. The Commissioners discussed the LEPC (Local Emergency Planning Committee) and when we would be having a meeting. Sheriff Ploutz replied that he only opened and closed the meetings and in the past ECF and the Emergency Management Director had arranged them. Since Kenny Bernard, EMD, has an appointment this morning, they will take it up with him.

Kevin Ludlum, EMS Director, presented a list of write-off for approval. Commissioner Kueser moved to approve ambulance write-offs in the amount of $8,730.17. Commissioner Heitschmidt seconded the motion. Motion carried 3-0. Mr. Ludlum had received a cost estimate from the Road & Bridge Dept. to resurface the parking in the amount of $1,500. The Commissioners agreed it should be done. The FCC license for the 155 frequency, according to Mr. Ludlum, was in error due to the fact that pagers have been added to the system by the EMD, Kenny Bernard. Mr. Ludlum explained that the EMS paid for the paging system and felt they should have some control over the frequency. He presented a copy of the license showing the frequency being licensed to the Emergency Medical Service. Upon checking, it was found that the licensee had been Ellsworth County until EMS personnel changed it on 04-28-05. During this discussion, the Sheriff remained and Mr. Bernard entered the meeting. Mr. Bernard explained that the paging systems he ordered would not interfere with the EMS capability of using the system as intended. The firemen have their own frequency that they use once the page is answered. The Commissioners instructed Mr. Ludlum to change the licensee for the 155 frequency back to the way it was before, with the licensee being Ellsworth County and the Courthouse address and contact point. Mr. Ludlum presented the advantages of having an education classroom built in the EMS building. Money had been allotted in this year’s budget and the 2006 budget for a total of $6,000. Commissioners explained they had put considerable money into the building already and other sites in county facilities were available for classes. Therefore, at this time, they would not approve the classroom addition.

While Mr. Bernard and Sheriff Ploutz were still in the meeting, the Commissioners discussed the LEPC meetings and Mr. Bernard will set one up. Also, a situation with the Wilson pagers being order through the emergency management grant was discussed. As it stands now, more pagers will be ordered in next year’s grant and the Sheriff will continue paying for the paging telephone line until that time.

Kenny Bernard, EMD Director, returned the information on the E-911 project and said due to the conflicts that had erupted over the past week, he felt he could not do the project. Most of the work that has to be done has to be done through the dispatch or communication system and he has no authority over that department or personnel. The Commissioners will see that the Sheriff gets the information for implementation.

Rick Nondorf, Road & Bridge Supervisor, asked the Commissioners to sign papers giving the state authority to award the contract and funding for the Wagner Bridge. The Commissions did so.

3. OLD BUSINESS:

There were no old business items.

4. NEW BUSINESS:

Commissioner Kueser moved to approve August payroll for $145,958.64.

Commissioner Heitschmidt seconded the motion. Motion carried.

5. OTHER BUSINESS:

Commissioner Heitschmidt moved to approve purchase order 00055 for $11,450 for a 2002 Crown Victoria for the Sheriff’s Department.

Commissioner Kueser seconded the motion. Motion carried 3-0.

The Commissioners discussed the credit card proposition from First Bank for the EMS Department. No action was taken.

Commissioner Kueser moved to increase the mileage reimbursement rate to $.38 effective September 1, 2005. Commissioner Heitschmidt seconded the motion. Motion carried 3-0.

Bob Malir, Wilson, complemented the persons responsible for the landscaping the front of the Courthouse. He felt it was a nice improvement. He also complemented the Road Department on the conditions of the roads.

6. ADJOURNMENT:

Chairman Rush adjourned the meeting at 12:25 p.m.

 

____________________________________________

Janet L. Andrews, Ellsworth County Clerk