By BARBARA PROFFITT | October 25, 2023

The Linn County Commissioners met in regular session on Monday, Oct. 23, and began their weekly meeting with the approval of the minutes of the last meeting followed by the approval of claims in the amount of $272,818.97.

Linn County Rural Fire Chief Randy Hegwald presented reports for the last two weeks for his departments’ activities.

Hegwald then asked commissioners to approve the hiring of Ivory Blue as a probationary firefighter for the Station 940 in Centerville. Commissioners approved that hire.

Linn County Public Works Administrator Shaun West asked commissioners to approve Resolution 2023-42 for cattle crossing signage at 500 Road between Kansas Highway 31 and Lee Road. West stated he had the sign department review the site and they found no issues with placement. Commissioners approved the resolution on a 3-0 vote.

West reported he had completed a walk-through at the new senior site in Pleasanton and is checking on the moving date and items will be removed from the old site this week and stored.

West requested approval of a burial permit 2023-07 for telecommunications on W. 1800 Road in Parker. The shop foreman has checked the location and signed off on it. Commissioners approved the permit on a 3-0 vote.

West then requested approval for a re-engineering on burial permit 2022-22 for Kwikom on the ARPA grant. Kwikom has run into an issue on Devlin Road in two locations where the side of the east ditch is angled to greatly to be able to trench. They have come up with a solution of moving 30-inches into the roadway at a 40-inch depth so roadwork would not impair. They will provide as-built maps showing line placement once it’s done. Following a brief discussion with West the commissioners approved the request with a notation that any future roadwork due to the line it will be at their expense.

West stated he had located a damaged culvert, 20 foot by 60 inches, at 2050 and Valley Roads. He added that they had half the material at the shop so he opted to purchase the remainder of the materials at a cost of $3,257.60.

Commissioners then opened the meeting for public comment and Stephanie Walker asked if commissioners had reached out to the attorney on the moratorium. Hightower noted that he spoke with her and she had stated the companies are already on notice that changes might be coming so it was not necessary.

Commissioners then recessed for 30 minutes.

After the recess commissioners moved to enter into executive session for 50 minutes for personnel matters to interview candidates for the road foreman position.

At 11 a.m. Commissioners heard from Wade Booth, pastor at the First Baptist Church in Pleasanton who spoke on the homelessness issue Linn County is facing in the future and plans to help create a shelter with a 2-year program modeled after Union Mission in Kansas City and Chicago. (See related article in this edition.)

Commissioners then authorized Commissioner Danny McCullough, as chair, to sign the closing papers on the sale of the former senior meals site in Pleasanton with the buyer taking possession this Friday.

Commissioners then entered into executive session again until 12 p.m. for personnel matters to interview road foreman candidates with the meeting adjourning immediately following that session.