Monday, July 30, 2012

Riley County Comission July 30, 2012


 Joan Strickler, observer



All Commissioners present, Johnson presiding.



The Commissioners signed a letter of support for a transportation grant for Big Lakes Developmental Center.  They questioned how the BLDC grant tied into the newly established regional transportation system funded also by the Department of Transportation .  It was explained  there are several different grant sources currently available to targeted populations through DOT but that these are likely to be consolidated in the future.

County Counselor Clancy Holeman reported that a law passed in the final days of the Kansas Legislature this year is creating confusion and conflicts in the State.  The law presumably would require the removal of names and home ownership identification from public records.  Apparently there is no possible way this can be done administratively or legally.  Commissioner McCulloh said this should be an issue placed on the legislative agenda of the Kansas Association of Counties and that would need to be done so prior to the KAC’s August 30 deadline.

It was mentioned that a person attending the County Fair slipped and fell and sustained an injury.  More information will be available later.

Mr. Holeman said he was running into problems in negotiating a new agreement with the Indigent Defense Panel.  Commissioners made the decision to offer a new contract on the same terms as the existing to cover the coming year.

The Riley County Fair will wrap things down tonight.  Attendance figures are not yet available but appeared to be positive.

Tom Fryer described plans for the Kansas Honor Flight to fly four Manhattan WW II soldiers  to Washington, D.C. this week.  Those honored are Rix Shanline, John Roberts, Dr. Norbert Stigge, and Charles Niernberger.  The men will spend two nights and three days in the Capitol.

County Treasurer Eileen King said the vehicle renewal and registration system has become much more stable over the past three weeks.  She cautions that lines still may continue to be longer than people are accustomed to and it is wise to arrive early and be patient.

County Clerk Rich Vargo reported 482 persons have participated in advance in person voting but that opportunity ends at noon on August 6.  Mail ballots are available on the Riley County website as well as by mail or stopping at his office.  He cautioned that voter ID is required.  In response to a question about checking voter ID’s with mail ballots, Vargo responded certain information is required but that issue does present a loophole in voter ID requirements.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Riley County Commission July 26, 2012


Joan Strickler, observer

All Commissioners present, Johnson presiding.

Two 4-H members distributed cookies to the Commissioners to express appreciation for their support and to call attention to the upcoming Riley County Fair.
The auditing firm of Sink and Gilmore presented the findings of their recent audit of the County Health Department.  There were no deficiencies cited and no evidence of non-compliance was reported.  They provided their highest level of approval.
County Attorney Barry Wilkerson gave his general update to the Commission.  A murder trial that started in 2009 looks like it will be finalized early in August.  Wilkerson noted more serious offences often take a long time to get through the court system.  He expects the newly appointed 3rd District Court Judge to be located in Riley County early in September.
Assistant County Counselor Craig Cox discussed difficulties in resolving issues involving a house located in Fairmont Park.  The property is not habitable.  Apparently it was foreclosed on years ago and the title bought and sold numerous times by various debt bundling entities.  He has been trying to find the owner for 4 years.  Commissioners discussed the advisability of initiating a condemnation proceeding to solve the problem. 
County Counselor Clancy Holeman presented Commissioners with proposed language regarding the ballot question to allow a ¼ cent sales tax to be issued on behalf of the County.  A question was raised about the length of the wording. Holeman explained that such ballot issues generally should be phrased in one sentence that is a question that can be answered yes or no.  Approval was given also to a draft of a proposed interlocal agreement with the cities of Randolph, Leonardville, Ogden and Riley to distribute ¼ of any sales tax amount received. The proposal will be provided to the cities for input prior to being submitted to the Attorney General’s Office for approval.

Mary Jo Harbour, Chair of the Riley County Council on Aging, discussed concerns her board has about a funding request from the Randolph Blue Valley Senior Center.  The concerns relate to requests to improve property used by the Center but not owned by the Center.  Commissioners were not pleased with a letter sent to the Center director that implied it was the County Commissioners who were raising questions when the questions actually were those raised by the Council and Ms. Harbour..  It was agreed that any decisions for the distribution of funds should be made by the Riley County Council on Aging since the board was appointed by the County Commission for that purpose.

Friday, July 20, 2012


County Commission July 19, 2012

All commissioners present.

The Commission agreed with Pat Collins’ proposal to let Jackson County, per their request, use our Mobile Command Center  while their dispatch center is being renovated.  This would be from July 30 to Aug 14 or earlier.  The agreement with Jackson County specifies that the Center will be returned if there is an emergency here and it is needed.

Rod Meredith showed the Commission a series of slides of information on the proposed 1/4cent sales tax. (The current city/county ½ cent sales tax will expire at the end of this year).
   The presentation stressed the extent that non-residents will be contributing, including people coming to sports events, graduations, conventions, etc. as well as people from our larger trade area..  The money will be used for reconstruction, repair, and upkeep of our roads, bridges and culverts.  The Commission made some suggestions for editorial changes.  This material will be used in presentations to the public to gain their support and votes this Fall.

The Commission looked at the proposed 2013 budget numbers presented by Johnette Shepek as part of the ongoing discussion of the budget.  They made a number of adjustments resulting in a proposed 34.902 mil levy, up only .119 mils. One goal,  particularly important to Commissioner McCulloh,  was not having to reduce  personnel. 

Julie Merklin, observer

Thursday, July 19, 2012

USD 383 Board of Education

July 18, 2012
Kathy Dzewaltowski, observer

The board discussed the budget for the 2012-13 school year.  Board members were presented with information regarding projected operating needs resulting from increased student enrollment and larger facilities (e.g. more teachers, bus routes, fuel costs, custodians, maintenance workers, software licenses, etc.).  Assessed valuation was projected to increase by 2.6%, which will mean an increase of available revenue for the district.  Options for financing operating costs included using approximately $620,000 from the contingency reserve fund, reducing the special education fund transfer to $100,000, and increasing the Local Option Budget (LOB) from 25% to 26%.

Board members were presented with two options for the mill levy.  Option 1 would keep the mill levy at its current levels, with the LOB set at 25% and the capital outlay mill levy set at 6.0 mills.  Option 2 would maintain the capital outlay mill levy at 6.0 mills and increase the LOB to 26%.  Increasing the LOB to 26% would increase the property tax on a $180,000 home by $15.  The board's consensus was to use Option 2, and the board directed staff to develop the budget using Option 2.

The board approved the design for the south parking lot at MHS West Campus, the purchase of weight racks for West Campus, replacement of floor tile for Marlatt Elementary, and to do field grading at Northview Elementary to address drainage issues.  

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

County Commission July 16, 2012


County commission July 16, 2012

McCulloh and Johnson present

Audrey Schremmer Philip, executive Director of Three Rivers Center for Independent Living presented the financial needs for her organization, esp. the Independent Living Services Department. These services are provided at no charge to eligible individuals with disabilities. State funding has been cut. This reduces the number individuals that can get home attendant care services or help for the neediest individuals who have no funding source to pay for services. The projected deficit for this coming year is about $150,000. They have eliminated two Independent Living Specialist positions, and have employees trying to cover 2 to 3 counties. This past year more than 160 Riley county residents received services from Three Rivers. Three Rivers is requesting $20,000.

McCulloh emphasized that so many financial responsibilities have been transferred by the State administration to the local level. Riley County is presently working on its budget.

Kristi Ingalls announced the upcoming American Reed Cross blood drives and stressed the need for both O-positive and O-negative blood.

Jennifer Wilson said that the Riley County Fair will be from July 26 to July 30.

Gary Rosewicz said that Dennison Avenue will be having “chip seal” work from Marlatt to Kimball and to expect some delays.

Rich Vargo, county clerk, spoke about the upcoming August 7 primary elections. There will be advance voting by mail starting July 18th. Applications are available on the county website or can be requested by phone.

. He emphasized the new need for photo ID when voting. I asked him how that worked with voting by mail and he said that a drivers’ license number would suffice as ID. (I didn’t ask what one did if they didn’t have a drivers’ license)

Advance voting in person at the at the county office, second floor, begins July 24.

Julie Merklin, observer



Thursday, July 12, 2012

Riley County Commission mtg 7-12-12

Mr. Lew was absent.

Commissioners discussed the composition and contents of the brochure that Rod Meredith, Public Works, is producing on the proposed 1/4-cent sales tax vote. This is for educational purposes, as elected officials may not advocate on such an issue, since public funds are involved. The brochure will contain facts about the present 1/2-cent tax, differences and similarities between the two systems, funding needs, safety deficiencies, etc.  Clancy Holeman, Counsel, gave the opinion that Mr. Meredith's proposed brochure meets the standard of education, not advocacy. He reported that the Regional Planning Board is working toward adopting a map of the area to be included.

Lyle Butler, Executive Director Chamber of Commerce, when asked, said the City had funded most of the the Chamber's budget requests but denied the City's part ($40,000) of the 24/7 program. He said the Kansas Department of Agriculture is planning to move part of their operation out of the present building. Proposals have been submitted by groups in Topeka, Manhattan, Dodge City, Garden City, and Great Bend. Three private sector groups have submitted proposals. Mr. Butler said there are several suitable properties here. The department is looking for a 7,500-40,000 square-foot space. The portion that will be moving is administration. The research arm would remain where it is for two more years. The relocation could produce from 15 to 140 jobs, depending on various factors.

Mr. Butler said they have been working to improve numbers attending the county fair on the opening night of the rodeo (Thursday). They have implemented a special "Military Night" promotion to encourage families from Ft. Riley to attend. The promotion has yielded 2,000 potential participants thus far.

Mr. Holeman discussed the content and wording of the ballot question for the 1/4-cent sales tax. Commissioners said simplest is best. Inclusion of the fact that it is a substitution for an expiring tax, date of sunset, purpose (uses) of the funds, expiration date (5 years), etc. would be desirable. It should be as short as possible. Commissioners discussed the proposed inter-local agreement between Riley County and the small cities therein. These small cities count on funds for certain operations. The suggested retention of the same percentage as at present was agreed to by consensus. Mr. Holeman said that the Legislative Post Audit is looking at the manufacturing and equipment exemption from personal property taxes. Evaluation and classi-fication may take 5 months. Next year's session may be long. There is still no formal answer from the Attorney General's office on the (now moot) question of the wording of a City/County 1/2-cent sales tax proposal. It would, as previously mentioned, be merely advisory anyway. Adjourned.

Submitted by Lyndal Nyberg.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Riley County Commission mtg 7-9-12

All Commissioners present.

Clancy Holeman, County Counsel, requested an executive session of 10 minutes.

Eileen King, Treasurer, gave monthly financial reports. Investments are still yielding low figures, but not worse than recent months. Sales tax collections continue to be healthy. With 50% of the year past, sales tax collections are at 58.85% of budget. Ms. King estimated final collections for the year may be $500,000 over budget. She suggested adding half that amount ($250,000) to the general fund. Commissioners agreed by consensus that this would be justified. In variance to budget, income is 4.4% up overall. Some funds are down, others up.

Press conference:
Gregg Eyestone, Extension, said there will be a presentation on fall vegetable gardening on Wednesday, July 18 at 7:00 in the Public Library Auditorium. He displayed some "long beans" (about 30" long) which can be eaten as dry beans or, when harvested at 12" or less, as "green beans. He said gardeners should keep watering to wet the root system.

Greg McClure, Extension, said the corn crop pollinated during severe dry conditions and is thus, not going to be a great crop. Other crops are doing pretty well. Early weaning of calves will pay off in the long run in health of cows and growth of calves.

Eileen King said average sales tax collection is 15.18% over 2011 through June. Auto sales and retail sales are up, as well as intercollegiate athletics. Utilities are mixed. Some new markets are among top 25 and top 40 sales tax remitters, and many new restaurants are in the top 100.

Ms. King said 3M (the company supplying the new vehicle registration system to all counties in the state) has to still fix some things before they are "off the hook." The system is working satisfactorily at present, though slow. Commissioners congratulated her on being elected President of the National Association of County Treasurers [etc]. She will be installed in Pittsburgh, PA on Saturday. The Association is valuable for networking ideas for improvements in service.

Dennis Peterson, Noxious Weed, said the Hazardous Waste trailer will be a Howie's this Saturday, July 14 from 8:00 to noon. They accept paint, waste motor oil and other automotive fluids, household cleaning substances, pesticides, batteries, mercury (old thermometers and thermostats), fluorescent bulbs, and prescription drugs. Note: controlled substances, e.g. those containing morphine or codeine, must be taken to the police department. E-waste is free except leaded glass TVs and computer monitors, which require a fee.

Rod Meredith said this Saturday the U. S. Secretary of the Interior, Mr. Salazar, will be here with the Governor to oversee the declaration of the Kansas River as (one of only two) a National Water Trail. They will meet at 8:30 at the canoe launch site for an airboat ride, then go to the Discovery Center for the 9:30 announcement.

Commissioners conducted a discussion of the 1/2-cent sales tax matter. Mr. Meredith distributed a handsome brochure about the state of county roads and bridges. Commissioners expressed impatience with waiting for the Attorney General to make a decision on wording for the ballot matter. They are also tired of waiting for the City Commission to decide what they want to do. They discussed what would present the question in the most favorable light to the voters. They felt the intention to devote their collections to repairs and building of roads and bridges, as the previous measure had been, was most appealing. The public was perceived as being uneasy about amorphous eco-devo plans, or "any lawful use." In the end, they voted 3-0 to put a 1/4-cent county tax on the ballot, for infrastructure uses. The legal language will be forthcoming, with further details.

Cheryl Collins, Museum Director, introduced Alana Sanger, the new Curator of Design. She is an appropriately-educated and well qualified addition to the museum staff. Commissioners discussed with Ms. Collins the subject of "old stuff and why it changed." This would include dial telephones, typewrites, LP records, a piece of carbon paper, etc.

After lunch, a representative of the Animal Shelter spoke. He said he needs more funding from Pottawatomie County, which has a large number of animals brought in every year.

Commissioners held a budget work session. Many department heads were present. They mentioned that the AG's opinion on the sales tax question was merely advisory, so there is no problem in that quarter with their decision to end the indecision on the matter. Several changes in the budget were accepted by consensus. At Ms. McCulloh's request, they agreed to increase the allocation to the Health Department and to give a COLA only to the Indigent Attorneys. Initially, an additional position for IT was denied, but after further discussion and explanations and pleadings from some department heads, they agreed (2-1, Ms. McCulloh dissenting) to allow the addition (replacement of an IT Analyst). Commissioners agreed to certain shiftings of funds between Public Works and CIP. Mr. Meredith pointed out that they need a certain buffer, approximately $200,000, in case of flooding, heavy snows, or other emergencies. Commissioners felt it is better to keep the mill levy flat rather than to lower it, since expenses for the Health Department are yet to fully fall on the county, and 2014 is likely to be a large jump in their request, without the previous carry-over. Commissioners agreed tentatively to raise the Health Department contribution to $500,000 for 2013. The mill levy for 2013, at this point, is computed as 35.557, a rise of only .299.  There will be another work session on July 19. Budget approval must be made by July 23. Adjourned.

Submitted by Lyndal Nyberg.