Joan Strickler, observer
The meeting was convened by Chairman Kearns, McCulloh present.
Concerns were expressed about the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s decision to discontinue funding restaurant and hotel inspections by local health departments. KDA would assume the responsibility at the state level. County Counselor Clancy Holeman presented a proposed letter to be sent to Governor Parkinson requesting that funds be restored to continue funding inspections at the local level. Commissioner Kearns will contact City Commission Chair Strawn about joining in that response.
Holeman also presented suggested amendments to two bills regarding prisoners in the custody of the Secretary of Corrections but sent to the county level. The amendments would specify that any medical costs prisoners incur during their time in the county correctional facility be considered the responsibility of the Secretary of Corrections rather than that of the county.
Questions arose about the phone and IT system operated by the Riley County Health Department. The system is outdated and Commissioners asked Dawn Shoffner, assistant information technology director, to have IT staff prepare a memo on what her department sees as the deficiencies in the health department system. Concern was raised that two employees continue to use their own personal home email addresses rather than the county address. The Commissioners asked Shoffner to check into the advisability of taking over IT operations at the Law Enforcement Center as well.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Riley County Commission 1/25/10
Joan Strickler observer
Commissioner Kearns presiding, McCulloh present.
A hearing was held to discuss a public use permit requested by the county’s public works department. Rod Meredith described plans involving a partnership with K-State to obtain grant funds to build up to seven types of wind towers on the shop site grounds. The wind towers would be of various sizes and made by competing companies. The project can provide research data as well as offer the opportunity for students, land owners and all interested persons to view options in wind energy development. The towers will fulfill the energy needs of the buildings at the shop site. Any additional energy might be sold back to the electrical grid. The planning board had voted unanimous approval of the project. The Commission voted to approve the project subject to the availability of funds through the U.S. Department of Energy grant.
The Riley County Historical Museum and K-State Volunteer Center of Manhattan are holding a reception on Kansas Day, January 29, at 3:00 p.m. at Riley County’s Historical Museum. Oral histories will be gathered from individuals who have received the Spirit of Martin Luther King Community Service Award and who have contributed to the “diversity of the community and the greater good”. K-State students, faculty and community members are being recruited to help implement the project which will create video highlights for a recognition event on Monday, April 26. Digitally recorded histories will be archived at the Historical Museum with copies available at the Manhattan Public Library.
Commissioner Kearns presiding, McCulloh present.
A hearing was held to discuss a public use permit requested by the county’s public works department. Rod Meredith described plans involving a partnership with K-State to obtain grant funds to build up to seven types of wind towers on the shop site grounds. The wind towers would be of various sizes and made by competing companies. The project can provide research data as well as offer the opportunity for students, land owners and all interested persons to view options in wind energy development. The towers will fulfill the energy needs of the buildings at the shop site. Any additional energy might be sold back to the electrical grid. The planning board had voted unanimous approval of the project. The Commission voted to approve the project subject to the availability of funds through the U.S. Department of Energy grant.
The Riley County Historical Museum and K-State Volunteer Center of Manhattan are holding a reception on Kansas Day, January 29, at 3:00 p.m. at Riley County’s Historical Museum. Oral histories will be gathered from individuals who have received the Spirit of Martin Luther King Community Service Award and who have contributed to the “diversity of the community and the greater good”. K-State students, faculty and community members are being recruited to help implement the project which will create video highlights for a recognition event on Monday, April 26. Digitally recorded histories will be archived at the Historical Museum with copies available at the Manhattan Public Library.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
January 21, BOCC Kearns presided, McCulloh present Johnson absent
Kearns reported on the Law Board meeting. One of the suggestions for cost savings was buying items in bulk with the other involved entities. He also said that there will be a need for more employees when the LEC expansion is finished and operating. Riley County law enforcement costs are the second lowest in the state, he said.
Pat Collins, Emergency Management Director, reported on the rural fire stations. May Day, Swede Creek and Blue River Hills are getting close to completion. The lot has been cleared for the new station at the end of Tuttle Cove Road - the debris will be burned when the weather is right. There is to be a training room at the Randolph site and the Advisory Committee will be asked to set priorities for its design.
Debbie Regester, Register of Deeds, reported on 2009 year end revenue.
Total revenues budgeted , $ 1,022,921 , actual $ 1,023,447
Revenue in 2008 was $1,057,133
Regester also said there would a new hire on Jan 25, and one employee will be going to Land Title School in early February.
The new County website design was decided upon.
Brad Schoen, RCPD Director, said that as part of the 2010 goals, the RCPD and municipal court are working toward coordinating software to make the issuing of citations efficient. They will go to electronic ticketing which will save time, especially in data entry. Right now there is one employee that enters citation data all day.
Schoen said that organizational planning for the opening of the new jail expansion is in progress. One goal in reorganization is to reduce overtime.
Johnette Shepek, Budget and finance Officer, reported on the proposed consolidated emergency dispatch which would need 5 additional dispatchers. The total annual cost would be $221,555. There are a number of alternative ways to divide these costs among the City of Manhattan - MFD, Riley County Rural fire, and Riley county EMS - Ambulance. The BOCC is looking at these alternatives considering the impact on the county Budget.
Johnette Shepek presented alternatives to funding some of the prioritized, imperative, non-funded CIP projects.
The cash available is $360,551
The items are two Motor Graders, a 12 yard Tandem Axle Dump Truck, Household Hazardous Waste Collection Triler, Roadside Mower, Standby Power for the IT Department with a total of 387,000. The shortage is $36,449.
It was decided to not transfer $250,000 to the General fund freeing up funds in the CIP budget and to activate these items.
Julie Merklin, observer
Kearns reported on the Law Board meeting. One of the suggestions for cost savings was buying items in bulk with the other involved entities. He also said that there will be a need for more employees when the LEC expansion is finished and operating. Riley County law enforcement costs are the second lowest in the state, he said.
Pat Collins, Emergency Management Director, reported on the rural fire stations. May Day, Swede Creek and Blue River Hills are getting close to completion. The lot has been cleared for the new station at the end of Tuttle Cove Road - the debris will be burned when the weather is right. There is to be a training room at the Randolph site and the Advisory Committee will be asked to set priorities for its design.
Debbie Regester, Register of Deeds, reported on 2009 year end revenue.
Total revenues budgeted , $ 1,022,921 , actual $ 1,023,447
Revenue in 2008 was $1,057,133
Regester also said there would a new hire on Jan 25, and one employee will be going to Land Title School in early February.
The new County website design was decided upon.
Brad Schoen, RCPD Director, said that as part of the 2010 goals, the RCPD and municipal court are working toward coordinating software to make the issuing of citations efficient. They will go to electronic ticketing which will save time, especially in data entry. Right now there is one employee that enters citation data all day.
Schoen said that organizational planning for the opening of the new jail expansion is in progress. One goal in reorganization is to reduce overtime.
Johnette Shepek, Budget and finance Officer, reported on the proposed consolidated emergency dispatch which would need 5 additional dispatchers. The total annual cost would be $221,555. There are a number of alternative ways to divide these costs among the City of Manhattan - MFD, Riley County Rural fire, and Riley county EMS - Ambulance. The BOCC is looking at these alternatives considering the impact on the county Budget.
Johnette Shepek presented alternatives to funding some of the prioritized, imperative, non-funded CIP projects.
The cash available is $360,551
The items are two Motor Graders, a 12 yard Tandem Axle Dump Truck, Household Hazardous Waste Collection Triler, Roadside Mower, Standby Power for the IT Department with a total of 387,000. The shortage is $36,449.
It was decided to not transfer $250,000 to the General fund freeing up funds in the CIP budget and to activate these items.
Julie Merklin, observer
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
USD 383 Board of Education
Jan. 20, 2010
Kathy Dzewaltowski, observer
Work session:
The architects for the construction project for MHS presented the programming design plans to the board. The information included the amount of space that will be added and what classes will be using the spaces.
Regular meeting:
The board received an extensive report about the Career and Technical Education Program at MHS. The program is intended to provide students with the knowledge and skills to prepare them for a career in a profession or for further education.
The board approved 7-0 the MHS programming design previously discussed during the work session.
The program and project managers for the construction projects reported to the board that local code officials have been in communication with the state architect and have said that Bluemont, Roosevelt, and Wilson Elementary Schools will have to improve their accessibility either with stair lifts or elevators, and it was the opinion of the program manager that elevators would make more sense.
The board discussed how to make up days missed due to inclement weather. Administration's recommendation was to add 12 minutes onto the school day beginning Feb. 1. The advantages of adding on minutes rather than full days included savings on custodial, transportation, and maintenance costs and allowing summer construction projects to begin as soon as possible. The school calendar lists June 1 and 2 as possible make-up days for inclement weather, so Susan Marshall questioned the reasoning behind designating those make-up days and establishing the expectation with families and employees that adding extra days will be the means for making up time, and then doing something else. Members of the public who addressed the issue expressed concerns about how adding minutes will affect schedules for childcare, lessons, and practices. Some board members were concerned that days added at the end of the year might not be used for instruction. The board approved 5-2 adding 12 minutes to the school day, with Marshall and Pete Paukstelis dissenting.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
USD 383 Board of Education
January 6, 2010
Kathy Dzewaltowski, observer
Work session:
The board was presented with the design development for Northview Elementary.
Regular meeting:
The board approved 7-0 the design development for Northview.
Board members were presented with a request from Gould-Evans, the architecture firm working on the MHS construction project, for additional compensation in the amount of $15,740 for time spent on an additional "programming cycle" which was in addition to the 3 "programming cycles" specified in the contract. Gould-Evans also requested additional compensation for architectural work, but district administration felt it needed more information about the fee before being able to make a recommendation to the board. Board members Curt Herrman, Walt Pesaresi, and Doug Messer shared the view that Gould-Evans should have notified the board earlier in the process that the firm was expecting additional compensation for work it was being asked to do that was beyond the scope of the contract. Susan Marshall said that she didn't want to establish a precedent that Gould-Evans can do extra work and keep coming to the board to ask for additional money. Board members Pete Paukstelis, Nancy Knopp, and Dave Colburn felt that Gould-Evans should be compensated because the contract had specified 3 "programming cycles," and the firm had been asked to participate in an additional cycle. The board approved 6-1 to provide Gould-Evans with the additional compensation, with Pesaresi dissenting.
The board also discussed the HVAC system for the MHS project. Updating the HVAC system had been scheduled for a later phase, but the board had discussed at a previous meeting that it would make more sense to update the system at the same time that the rest of the building is undergoing the major renovation work. The design and engineering work for updating the HVAC system had not been part of the scope of work for Gould-Evans. Gould-Evans provided the board with a letter estimating the cost of additional HVAC design as $16,700 and additional engineering as $325,000. The board approved 7-0 to move the HVAC updates for MHS to phase one, and approved 7-0 to form a negotiating team to negotiate a contract addendum with Gould-Evans.
The board approved 7-0 a budget planning process for dealing with expected budget reductions in state aid. A finance committee has been meeting to develop a list of possible reductions as well as ways to increase revenue. The list of reductions will be grouped into tiers to allow for best and worst case scenarios in state funding. In January, a Budget Advisory Committee, comprised of representatives from all areas of the district and the public, will begin meeting and examining the proposed reductions, with the plan to make a recommendation to the superintendent by March 2010.
Kathy Dzewaltowski, observer
Work session:
The board was presented with the design development for Northview Elementary.
Regular meeting:
The board approved 7-0 the design development for Northview.
Board members were presented with a request from Gould-Evans, the architecture firm working on the MHS construction project, for additional compensation in the amount of $15,740 for time spent on an additional "programming cycle" which was in addition to the 3 "programming cycles" specified in the contract. Gould-Evans also requested additional compensation for architectural work, but district administration felt it needed more information about the fee before being able to make a recommendation to the board. Board members Curt Herrman, Walt Pesaresi, and Doug Messer shared the view that Gould-Evans should have notified the board earlier in the process that the firm was expecting additional compensation for work it was being asked to do that was beyond the scope of the contract. Susan Marshall said that she didn't want to establish a precedent that Gould-Evans can do extra work and keep coming to the board to ask for additional money. Board members Pete Paukstelis, Nancy Knopp, and Dave Colburn felt that Gould-Evans should be compensated because the contract had specified 3 "programming cycles," and the firm had been asked to participate in an additional cycle. The board approved 6-1 to provide Gould-Evans with the additional compensation, with Pesaresi dissenting.
The board also discussed the HVAC system for the MHS project. Updating the HVAC system had been scheduled for a later phase, but the board had discussed at a previous meeting that it would make more sense to update the system at the same time that the rest of the building is undergoing the major renovation work. The design and engineering work for updating the HVAC system had not been part of the scope of work for Gould-Evans. Gould-Evans provided the board with a letter estimating the cost of additional HVAC design as $16,700 and additional engineering as $325,000. The board approved 7-0 to move the HVAC updates for MHS to phase one, and approved 7-0 to form a negotiating team to negotiate a contract addendum with Gould-Evans.
The board approved 7-0 a budget planning process for dealing with expected budget reductions in state aid. A finance committee has been meeting to develop a list of possible reductions as well as ways to increase revenue. The list of reductions will be grouped into tiers to allow for best and worst case scenarios in state funding. In January, a Budget Advisory Committee, comprised of representatives from all areas of the district and the public, will begin meeting and examining the proposed reductions, with the plan to make a recommendation to the superintendent by March 2010.
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