County Discusses How to Budget Fuel Prices

The Grant County Commissioners met on Tuesday, June 7, 2022 in the courthouse. The meeting began at 9:00 a.m.  Commissioner Kevin Shapland led the Pledge of Allegiance and Commissioner Janet Stewart offered the prayer. Chairman Mark McGaughey was absent. Also in attendance were County Clerk Sheila Brown and Tammie Hensley from the Ulysses News. Department heads were on hand to give their monthly reports.

Public Works Supervisor Randy McCauley reported that they have begun mowing and spraying. He also had a crew change all the filters in the courthouse. The landfill continues to be busy.

Sheriff James Biddle currently has 24 in jail and his department had made 20 arrests in May. He said that they have begun to repair the damage in the bullpen made by a prisoner. A juvenile tore up the phones in the visitation booth and a female prisoner tore the phone off the wall in the booking room. Both have been charged for those acts. Biddle also said that his department is still short one jailer.

Fire Chief John Crosby said that his department had been fairly slow considering the conditions. They provided mutual aid to the Stanton County Fire Department at the dairy, had a backyard fire which destroyed a shed, fence and a pine tree, and a structure fire at low income housing. Four of the five persons in the Fire I class passed their certification. 

EMS Director/EM Coordinator Jeff Baier reported that they had 40 calls during May. The EMT class is about two-thirds complete and the test is scheduled for July 18th. He continues to work with FEMA regularly on the December 15th dirt storm.

County Treasurer Terri Trotman said that her office did a distribution in May. Between March and May, the treasurer collected 4.6 million dollars. In the distribution, $42,000 was sent to Neighborhood Revitalization. They have also mailed out delinquent personal property and real estate tax letters.

Mari Honstead said that the Civic Center has been busy with events. June will include the Wild Horse Ministries program and Youth Ag Day on the 28th. They are getting ready for the Grant County Fair which is scheduled July 16th through 23rd. Fair books should be available in a few days.

County Clerk Sheila Brown reported that due to redistricting the deadline for filing for federal and state offices or precinct committee seats is June 10th. The deadline has passed for the county commissioner filings. Estimated valuation is in and is up 33.93 percent from last year. There are three projects starting at the airport. Brown also said that she was pleased to announce that the Kansas County Clerk’s scholarship of $500 has gone to a Ulysses student for the fourth year in a row. Mickey Mason reapplied and was given the scholarship for a second year. 

Register of Deeds Dana McDaniel reported that she finally has a full staff in her office and that both of her employees are learning the job and doing well. The demand for passports has slowed down, but her office has been busy with other documents and recordings. McDaniel will be attending a seminar in Salina next week.

Denise James, Health Department Administrator, said that they had 422 clients in the month of May. There are currently two positive COVID cases in Grant County, so they are only going to post a report weekly on Monday. If the numbers spike, they will change the posting schedule. The health department is giving kindergarten physicals on June 9th and again on August 11th. They will also welcome the Lion’s Club who will do vision tests on those days. James will be attending the Kansas Association of Local Health Department’s conference in Salina on June 26 through 29.

Commissioner Stewart said that she had been working with the county clerk on payroll and they had recommended some changes to the pay plan rates. She urged the department heads to use the pay plan and give their employees raises if they are deserved. Stewart also thanked everyone for their hard work and reminded them that they (the commissioners) would begin working on the budget on June 21st. McCauley commented that he was struggling to come up with a fuel rate for his budget. Shapland said that they would probably have to use the current rate and work with it.

The department head meeting concluded at 9:30 a.m.

The regular meeting continued with McCauley who had an easement and road crossing for signatures. He also said he had two of his regular summer workers back and would like to hire two more part-time employees to help with mowing and spraying. He said that the unleaded pump at the road department needed to be replaced. The cost is $10,586.97 installed. The commissioners approved the purchase to be paid from special equipment fund. He also requested to purchase tires for the landfill backhoe at a cost of $4,940. The purchase is in his budget. The purchase was approved. McCauley also asked if he could get bids for the big rolltop door at the transfer station and was told to go ahead.

Darin Smith of Quality Hay came in to finalize his purchase of land from Grant County. The county attorney had a couple of things to change in the contract. She then will complete the deed and close the deal. The county agreed to split the closing costs with Smith, if a closing is needed. Smith left his check of $31,000 for the land cost with the commissioners.

Holly Mathes and members of the Library Board of Trustees were next on the agenda. Those members were Mary Neatherlin, Shirley Wilson, Tammie Hensley and Steve Swann. They presented their 2023 appropriation request. Stewart asked Mathes the condition of the AC/heat units and if there are any that need replacement soon. Stewart asked Brown if any of the possible capital outlay items would qualify for ARPA funds and Brown said that any of it should qualify. They asked Mathes to get three bids to see what the units would cost to replace. The request for 2023 was $406,298.07 for library operating expenses and $130,696.13 for employee benefits. 

In other business, the commissioners approved wage increases in the Road and Bridge Department and the new hire at the civic center. The Work Force Agreement was approved. The minutes of the previous meeting and the claims against the county were approved.

Local farmer Bruce Howard came in to ask the county to build up the intersection of Road O and Road 7 for a distance of two miles. He will provide the dirt, culvert and manure needed if the county furnishes the labor and equipment. He has talked with his neighbors who are in agreement that the work needs to be done. Randy McCauley sat in on the discussion and told the commissioners that road and bridge could do that. There are a couple of other intersections in the area that they could do at the same time. The commissioners approved the work.

Ginger Anthony presented her 2023 appropriation request for the museum. Stewart asked her if there were any expenditures coming up and Anthony said the balcony on the hotel is getting treacherous and will need to be replaced. The commissioners told her to get some bids. The request for 2023 is $132,449.63.

Margaret Obholz, Shayla Jaquez and Kristi Anderson with IMPACT Ulysses brought in the Letter of Support for the commissioners to sign on the outdoor fitness facility. Shapland told them that they support the project but want to wait until they discuss funding with Commissioner Mark McGaughey.

Jeff Baier, EMS/EM Coordinator, had an agreement with NexTech that is expiring. Commissioners approved the 60 month contract at a cost of $1,431.30.

The meeting was adjourned at 11:30 a.m. The next meeting of the Grant County Commissioners will be Tuesday, June 21, 2022 at 9:00 AM in the Commissioner’s Room.