County Commission Sept 15, 2011

BOCC Sept. 15, 2011
Commissioners McCulloh and Lewis present.

Doug Messer, Assistant Fire Chief, updated the commission on activities, including recruitment efforts. He has twenty new recruits, bringing the number of volunteers up to 165. He said that he still could use more, especially in outlying areas. Ads on the radio at the times of sports broadcasts have been effective in attracting recruits. He said that they usually buy 10-20 new sets of “turnout gear” for the firefighters per year. They have purchased a new (2006) fire truck. The average age of the fleet of vehicles is 19.3 years. They try to replace trucks every year as necessary to maintain that level. Riley County has a big county fire department. In many other counties, the fire protection is handled at the township level.

Amy Manges, Deeds Supervisor/Deputy Register of Deeds, reported on activity in her office. Year-To-Date (2011) revenue is $710,418, compared to 2010 revenue of $705,713. She said that the remote back-up service (which will allow immediate access to records in the event of a disaster) is up and running.

Jennifer Wilson, County Extension Director, reported on “Park Quest” and other activities. This was the first year of the Park Quest program, and they are still collecting final evaluations, but most feedback has been positive. Several families said they discovered new parks in the county and planned to go back and visit them. At the final celebration event, the teams had a chance to learn more about GPS technology by participating in a short GPS scavenger hunt.

Brad Schoen, Riley County Police Dept. Director, discussed the problems of “Fake Patty’s Day” and steps to improve the situation in the coming years. The difficulty is that nobody is responsible for this event, and so there is nobody with liability. Such things as snow fencing around Aggieville, bans on glass containers, enforcement of occupancy regulations and general prevention of overcrowding of the area are necessary. Discussions of this will continue with both city and county.

One of the three candidates for head of the Health Department, Roger Clossen, current Executive Director of the Emporia Presbyterian Manor, visited the Commission for an interview. He was to continue to meet with officials during the rest of the day.

Julie Merklin, Observer