Clancy Holeman, Counselor/Dir. of Admin Services, offered Monty Wedel, Planning, time to speak about the jurisdictional maps for the regional planning body, for budget purposes. He noted that of Ft Riley is included in the population counts, Riley County soars in percentage of budget responsibility. Since no roads, or bridges, for instance, in Ft. Riley are under the County's jurisdiction, this does not make sense. Commissioners decided by consensus that Mr. Holeman would draw up a letter to the effect of NOT including Ft Riley in Riley County in the jurisdictional map; to be sent to the City of Manhattan.
Commissioners went into Executive Session. After the Executive Session, Mr. Holeman said a date for the Legislative Conference is still being sought. It will likely be in early December.
He said that KAC is giving priority to the question of machinery exemption from sales tax, so no additional lobbying on the subject is necessary for RC Commission.
Dennis Peterson, Director of Noxious Weeds Dept, presided over bid opening for herbicides. County received six bids. After formal reading, Commissioners referred bids to staff for evaluation and recommendation.
Frank Beer, Area Chamber of Commerce, led discussion of the Chamber's Legislative policies and positions (this had been submitted previously to Commissioners). Ms McCulloh said that Riley County's primary concern at this time is the repeal of the tax exemption for machinery. The original idea arose from requests of 5 small rural counties, 54 of which have oil rigs; the other has an agricultural manufacturing plant. Ms McCulloh cited sources saying $42 million in tax revenues had been lost. Mr Holeman said one peculiar factor in the bill is that each tax payer gets to appraise his own property and classify it as real property or personal property.
Commissioners told Mr Beer that the many small cuts in various programs throughout the State Budget were a burden on Counties. Many are unfunded mandates; others are a result of withdrawal of State funds from established programs with previous matching. The Voter ID program was an example of unfunded mandate. It is an expense which Counties bear, and since there has never been significant (or even detectable) voter fraud in Kansas, perhaps unnecessary. Another matter worth considering is proposed traffic control projects. Fort Riley Blvd is NOT a bypass. One person remarked that he met 18 traffic lights between one side of the city and the other. Mr. Beer said the Chamber is eager to promote local buying, rather than internet. Local businesses pay taxes--both property and sales. So far, dot-com business do not; furthermore, dot-com business can (and often do) go out of business easily--no returns, no refunds, no complaint answers. He proposed asking local units of government to give local businesses a chance to compete and to not just go the "easy way" of the dot-coms.
Leon Hobson, Public Works Director/County Engineer, was warmly welcomed back from sick leave. He led the discussion of how to proceed on replacing retiring Rod Meredith as Assistant Public Works Director/Parks Director. Commissioners said Mr Meredith's unique experience, background and abilities will be hard to replace. They want to retain the cooperative attitudes of employees in both departments, and the overlapping duties of Roads and Bridges and Parks. Hobson said he felt he had very capable people at the second administrative level, who could carry on the work for a certain amount of time so that no undue haste was necessary for Mr Meredith's replacement. They might feel able to carry on a three-month process to formulate any structural changes needed and to find the right person. Hobson and other employees of the departments, along with Ms Valenti in Human Resources, will put together proposals and present them to Commissioners in a work session in about a month. Adjourned. Submitted by Lyndal Nyberg.
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