By JACKIE TAYLOR | June 9, 2022

Linn County News

jackielcn@ckt.net

The commissioners met for their regularly scheduled commissioners meeting and paid bills in the amount of $438,935.73. They approved the sheriff’s monthly fee income report of $2,644.

Also approved was the Linn County Park report that showed $36,973.91 income and $13,877.95 expenses for the month of May.

The sheriff reported 27 prisoners with 20 in-house and seven farmed out.

River City Construction Project Administrator Bill Matlock reported the smoke purge panel came in and is almost completely installed. He said once done, the State Fire Marshal will be contacted to inspect the facility.

A walk-through of the new Justice Center is scheduled for June 13 at 11 a.m. by the commissioners.

AMR Operations Manager Galen Anderson reported eight transports last week with 58 month-to-date.

Fire and Emergency Management Director Randy Hegland reported seven incidents last week with 243 year-to-date.

He was approved to begin truck and equipment safety inspections that will cost $13,000; money that is already in the budget.

County Health Nurse Missy Lancaster reported low numbers of Covid and said the Health Department can now take blood draws for full blood chemistry reports for $35 cash. Lancaster said it is a nice service for the county.

Acting for injured Public Works Administrator Shaun West, Economic Development Director Jessica Hightower reported that dust control will happen next week due to rain this week.

She said the county’s insurance will cover the damaged tarp at the airport and cover the $6,575 replacement purchase from Big Top tents.

She was also approved to go out for Request for Proposals (RFP) for a business plan and operational procedures at the airport for future development. Kansas Department of Transportation has airport improvement grants that are a 90/10 matching grant. The commissioners approved the estimated cost of the RFP of $50,000.

Hightower also was approved to submit an RFP for an environmental study at the Pleasanton and La Cygne Industrial Parks for soil and underground utilities finding. She said she was having trouble marketing the industrial parks as companies needed to know compaction information of the farm for industrial purposes and if electrical, etc. utilities are under the park.

Five minutes of legal executive session and five minutes for personnel was held with no action taken.

The commissioners approved Resolution 2022-21 that allows Sheriff Kevin Friend to enter into agreements with federal agencies and others to house prisoners. Friend will negotiate rates and agreements.

Commissioner Rick James asked about medical issues with federal prisoners and Friend said normal procedures like TB tests are covered under the per diem rate. If other procedures are needed, the agency paying for the prisoner will cover those medical needs.

Friend will also handle negotiations to transport prisoners from federal facilities to the Linn County Justice Center. No prisoner from another jurisdiction will be released from the Justice Center in Linn County; Friend said all prisoners will be taken back to their own county.

Register of Deeds Kristy Schmitz submitted her budget that was tentatively approved at $136,145.36. Last year’s budget was $155,000.

The commissioners approved Bryanne Radford for a part-time Linn County Park clerk position at $10.13/hour.

County Counselor Gary Thompson presented change order number 17 for $2,195.81 that included valves for the dishwasher, heat and air grill work and a refund on water leaving $92,000 in the contingency fund.

The commissioners approved option one that would relocate a road on Radcliff Road near Ragains Road that will be paved and moved away from the river for landowner Getter Farms. Getter will provide dirt for the buildup of the road that is continually washed away when the Marais des Cygnes River floods. The estimated cost to pave the road is $128,000 plus $20,000 for machinery and labor for the 1,350 ft. of road.

They next approved making Evergy move power poles near Blue Mound out of the county’s right-of-way in a ditch. They discussed the fact that a new homeowner built a steel fence in the right-of-way but did not want to make the landowner move the fence. Commissioner Danny McCullough said he felt the fence should be moved but Commissioner Jim Johnson and James did not want to go in that direction.

Discussion on what to do with the current court building and having Linn County Mapping and the Appraiser’s office move from the top floor of the courthouse into the District Court building occurred. The commissioners did not feel there would be too much cost involved in renovating the building for the two offices.

Several budgets were tentatively approved including EMS for training at $12,000, Juvenile Intake at $58,409, the ambulance fund at $914,500, 4H Building at $29,000, Fair building and premiums at $3,000 and $20,000, Historical Society at $40,000, Special building fund at $155,000, 911 Telephone Tax at $215,000, Debt service on the Justice Center at $618,000 with interest in January of $295,000 totaling $913,156.26.

County Clerk David Lamb said the county has collected $1,451,000 from sales tax that pays the Justice Center payment. The county is well ahead of what needs to be paid on the payment.