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May 14, 2024, it's 9 a.m., I will call the order, call to order the meeting of the Silicon County Board of Commissioners. Would the Court please call the roll? Commissioner Shadwick? Here. Commissioner Vidrickson? Here. Commissioner Sparks? Here. Commissioner Weas? Here. Commissioner Hay? Here. So please, if you're able to stand, join me in a white flute followed by a moment of silence.

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I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

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one issue under God in the visible with liberty and justice for all.

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Thank you.

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Okay, at this time we'll move into our citizens' input of the portion in meeting where citizens can speak.

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Citizens can speak on county government, usually limited to three minutes and

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pertaining to items that is not being discussed on today's agenda.

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Are there any members of the public who would like to speak if you state your name?

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First of all, I want to invite the public and you commissioners to a informational meeting

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that the Granny Brigade is having on May 21st at 6 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall

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at 115 North Tenth Street and the topic is going to be on Medicaid expansion and the speaker

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will be our Kansas speaker of the House, Dan Hawkins.

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And the American for Prosperity will be providing food at six o'clock.

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We'd like to have reservations by Friday, May the 17th, if at all possible.

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And you can call 7-8-5-5-7-7-5-9-1-8 or leave a text for your reservations.

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And we are open to the public, so we encourage everybody to come.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Anybody else like to speak?

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Okay, at this time we'll move into our consent agenda which consists of, or comprised of the following approval of tax role adjustments, approval accounts payable, and approval of public foreign agenda.

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Is there anything on the consent agenda any commission like have removed or spoke about?

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If not, I'll entertain a motion.

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Mr. Chairman, I move we approve the consent agenda is presented.

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Second, I have a motion and a second to approve the consent agenda.

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All in favor say aye.

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Aye.

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Aye.

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All opposed, same sign that passes, 5-0.

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Okay, that will move us into our action items.

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I'm all true attachment with Darren Fishell, Rodin Bridge Administrator.

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Good morning, commissioner.

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Good morning.

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This is a request for action to discuss and

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a appropriate action on a Sling County road and bridge department request to purchase

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a multi-truth attachment and related items for a hydraulic excavator.

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Sealed bids were opened on April 29th of 2024.

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Bids and specifications were sent to four different vendors.

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The documents were also downloaded by four separate vendors on the demand-star bid system.

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We received one bid.

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That was from Murphy Tractor for $73,385.61.

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Upon receiving this bid, I contacted Murphy Equipment to verify the equipment and that

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it does meet our specifications.

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They sent me a manufacturer's spec sheet for a FICON VH40, which does meet our specifications.

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The alternative fraction are to reject the bid and direct staff to a different alternative

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to accept the bid from Murphy Tractor.

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The staff recommends accepting the bid from Murphy Tractor in the amount of $73,385.61.

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This includes setup and delivery of the attachments.

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These attachments have been very productive and will allow us to do more tree work during the winter.

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The budget impact, the funds will be taken from the Rodenbridge Special Machinery Fund,

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which has an account balance of $2,194,889.04.

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This will leave a balance of $2 million, $121,503 and $43.

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Putin reserve of this count is $1 million.

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I do not answer any questions.

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Okay.

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Any questions?

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One question.

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What else is projected to come out of this fund?

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This would be the last purchase this year for that fund.

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And then the rest will go over into 2025 purchases.

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A

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quick question here.

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You just mentioned a brand name of this mulcher here in your discussion there.

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And is it the same model or something that we've already got?

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No, we have two others.

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We have a Bradco, we have a caterpillar, and this will be a fecon, okay.

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And all four of these and your specifications when you went out,

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was it specifically for that model or it was open to any model that somebody,

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It was open to any model that would meet the specifications.

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Thank you.

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So this model is interchangeable then with the rest of your equipment?

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No.

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Okay, so this one here is just for the new excavator.

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Yes, just for that excavator.

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It will be set up for that excavator.

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The attachments are interchangeable and that they can be moved from machine to machine,

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but they're not the same brand.

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If one would break on a machine, you know, we would repair it, but we would have the option of if the machine broke moving one to the other.

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Okay.

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Aaron, you mentioned this is the last time that we're going to hit this account for this year. So that means eight months, the next eight months, you're not going to come to us for any more equipment.

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Can I count on that?

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No.

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you know, things happen sometimes. You know, you can't predict what's either going to break or sometimes things become available through the secondary market that you say, you know, we can upgrade some of our equipment and things like that. But I don't plan on any more this year.

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These, uh, these mulchers, how many of them do we have now?

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This, this would, we have two right now.

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And

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I'm having trouble analyzing and, you know, approving the fact that we need another one.

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Okay.

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I mean, this is only in the winter time that we do this.

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We've only got four crews working.

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I mean, I assume that that's a crew, it does take a crew to do this project.

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Yes.

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Yes, this would be, we have three crews that do the winter tree work.

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And we have three excavators, three 20 kind of excavators, two of them are equipped with

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mulcher heads at the moment.

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And this one would allow the other crew to have a mulcher head also.

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Well, I asked the neighbors that wish he didn't have any of them.

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I know.

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They are very productive.

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Well, they do create a mess initially.

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I mean, it's like any tree that you prune in your yard.

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It's just that these are a little messier.

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But in the long run, they are productive.

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I guess you would say, let me get the trees cleaned up

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in the roads, where they're not hanging over the roads.

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But I'm still having a hard time with it.

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Okay. Any other questions?

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Commissioner Shadwick, you have anything?

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Okay, I guess we'll see if there's any comment from the public.

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Okay, if not, I'll bring it back to commission for action.

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Mr. Chair, approve, move that we approve RFA 2024-77 as presented.

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Second.

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Okay, you have a motion to approve RFA and a second to approve RFA 2024-77 as presented.

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All in favor, say aye.

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Aye.

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Aye.

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All opposed?

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Aye.

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May.

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Okay.

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That passes 3-2.

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Thank you.

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Okay.

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That move is on to the next one.

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2024 Federal Fund Exchange Agreement with Justa Mater County Engineer.

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Morning, Justin.

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Morning, commissioners.

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So, yeah.

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So, I'm here this morning to approve this year's Federal Fund Exchange Agreement.

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Sling County will be receiving $232,629.76 in federal funds for the 2024 year.

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This agreement converts those federal funds into state funds at a 90-tann exchange rate,

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so we'll be giving up 10 cents on the dollar.

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For a total exchange amount of $209,366.78, once these funds are combined,

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converted they can be used by Selene County for any transportation related expense.

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Terms for action would be to one, sign the agreement which converts to federal funds to state

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dollars which will make funds available to Selene County through a transportation reimbursement

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program.

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Two, do not sign the agreement and leave the dollars as federal funds.

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These funds can only be used through a federally funded project procedure through K-DOT.

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Staff recommends exchanging the federal funds by signing the agreement.

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Exchanging the funds will provide $209,366.78 of reimbursement dollars and these dollars

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will be placed in our 127 account which is our special highway improvement account.

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And then my office desires to use those once they're in our account will we desire to use

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use those funds for our asphalt maintenance program, which is our overlay, chip seal, crack

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seal, and shouldering program.

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And this is something that we've done really every year, so this is kind of a standard

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thing this time of year.

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So any questions?

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So just in the drawback is, if we don't approve this and just keep it as federal funds, you

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can't use it in your asphalt.

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Correct.

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Yeah.

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If you leave it in federal funds, you know, we have to do a, as federal dollars, we have

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to meet very strict requirements for a project.

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And these projects are administered through KDOT, projects are through KDOT, and not just

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the design, but the construction engineering has to be done in a very specific way and

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fall on all the K-DOTs procedures, and that usually drives the cost of a project up way

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more than the 10% that we're losing doing this exchange.

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And how many years have we done this so far now?

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I was thinking that on the way over here, probably every year since I've been here, which 2019

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would have been the first year, but I'm trying to think since the program started, oh boy.

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I mean it's been quite a while yeah it used to be a little bit of a different it wouldn't

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like 75-25 or something like that there was one year where it dropped I believe to an 80-20

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split and maybe it was 75-20 but it was a one-year deal it was quite a few years back

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it's definitely different though correct every I mean it's but typically it's that 1910 and Justin we

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We don't have any K-DOT projects in our future?

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Correct.

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If we did, it would be better to bank that and apply it towards that K-DOT project because

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you'd get that other temp, you'd capture that other temp or so.

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No, I don't think that's how that works.

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If we got a K-DOT project, it would be through our high-risk grow roads and that's a separate

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fund, you know, through our H-triple R, it would be through that or through the off-system

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bridge.

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And so this, these funds would have to be used for another type of program.

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And only having $200,000 doesn't give you much of a project to do.

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And so, and if that's something you desire, I'd have to talk with KDOT.

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They would probably bank funds for a while.

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But I know they really don't want to do that.

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And that's why they're really promoting this program.

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And we don't have anything on our radar right now with KDOT.

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That's what we've applied we've applied for projects, but we've we have not been approved for a project yet

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Traditionally K-DOT projects also three four years to get off the ground. Oh, yeah, and when they're announced

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So yeah, I'm on board with the conversion rate here. It's $209,000 almost $210,000 that we don't have now

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Yeah, we're rolling the dice on $20,000. We don't even have a project. So

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Any other questions?

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Any comment from the public?

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Okay.

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I'll bring it back to the commission for action.

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Mr. Chairman, I move that we approve RFA 2024-80 as presented.

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Second the motion.

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I have a motion and a second to approve RFA 2024-80 as presented.

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All in favor say aye.

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Aye.

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Aye.

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All opposed, same sign.

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That passes 5-0.

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Thank you.

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Thank you, Judge.

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Okay, next is the number three.

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Our per-project modifications and update with Philip Smith-Haines-Kenney-Minister.

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Good morning, Mr. Chair, members of the commission.

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Thank you very much.

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So we have been talking for a full three years now about the American Rescue Plan Act or

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ARPA for short, which is the last of the major stimulus projects that the federal government

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did for COVID recovery. That piece of legislation provided funding to all the counties in the

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United States, and for Selene County, that amount was $10,532,367.

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We developed a plan back in 2021 that includes a number of different focus areas, and we've

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been following that plan.

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we've made modifications to it along the way, but there are three things today that I wanted to

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address that are all solidly within that original plan. So I'll sort of do them in reverse order

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of the way they appear in the staff report. But the first is the administrative costs of administering

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the grant funding from the feds as county engineer was just discussing with federal transportation

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projects. The federal government has a lot of rules and regulations and so since this money came

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to us directly from the U.S. Department of Treasury, we are subject to many of those rules and regulations

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and so we've employed a firm that is knowledgeable in that.

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I parametrics, we selected them on a competitive basis,

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even before we had our first payment.

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They have been doing work for us all, you know, for three years now,

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and that's been a very successful partnership,

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but we are down to our last $7,000 with them,

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and so the request is to do another task order with them in an amount between 70 to $100,000.

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In order to do that, we would need to move funding from one of the other projects within the

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the ARPA plan and my recommendation is to move that funding from the broadband infrastructure

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piece to the administrative cost piece.

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And the reason for that is broadband of all the things that were in the original plan

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it has been sort of the slowest to get off the ground.

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And in particular we've been holding $150,000 as potential grant match for state grants

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that might be given to local providers,

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those just haven't materialized.

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We have not had anybody approach us about doing that,

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and we're getting sort of down to the wire here

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where our defense have to be fully obligated

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by December 31st of this year.

233
00:18:11,860 --> 00:18:16,240
So my recommendation is to take about half of that 150

234
00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:18,460
that we've been holding and put it towards

235
00:18:18,460 --> 00:18:21,420
our next task order with eye parametrics.

236
00:18:21,420 --> 00:18:33,720
The second item is the commission as part of the ARPA plan identified the need for public safety

237
00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:39,980
and criminal justice items related to recovery from the COVID pandemic.

238
00:18:40,540 --> 00:18:48,600
And one of those which touches both on the criminal justice side but also on the mental health side

239
00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:55,980
was the idea of doing a co-responder program where a mental health clinician would accompany

240
00:18:55,980 --> 00:18:58,220
law enforcement out into the field.

241
00:18:59,300 --> 00:19:11,260
So this was originally approved by your commission in early 2022, but various machinations and

242
00:19:11,260 --> 00:19:16,120
and trying to get all the plan and place and so forth.

243
00:19:16,380 --> 00:19:22,780
It actually was November of 2022, by the time a three-party MOU

244
00:19:22,780 --> 00:19:28,340
between Selene County, the city of Selina, and Central Kansas Mental Health

245
00:19:28,340 --> 00:19:30,520
came in front of the commission for adoption.

246
00:19:31,120 --> 00:19:36,420
So there was a delay there in getting the program up and running.

247
00:19:36,420 --> 00:19:43,000
And then it's not easy to hire mental health clinicians in this day and age and particularly

248
00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:48,420
mental health clinicians who have a passion for field work with law enforcement.

249
00:19:48,660 --> 00:19:55,340
And so it took about another eight months or so for Central Kansas Mental Health to actually

250
00:19:55,340 --> 00:19:57,740
get somebody on board to start the program.

251
00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:04,580
So it was really the middle of 2023 before the program got up and running.

252
00:20:04,580 --> 00:20:14,920
So, as a consequence of that, the recommendation before you today is to approve in concept, we'll

253
00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:21,080
bring back the final document, an amendment to that MOU to extend the time for them to

254
00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:26,960
spend the ARP offense. They're not asking for any more money, just asking for more time.

255
00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:31,980
and would like to carry over about $70,000

256
00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:36,800
and change from 24 into 2025

257
00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:38,820
to finish up that project.

258
00:20:39,340 --> 00:20:42,000
I will say the direction from this commission

259
00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:45,740
at the beginning was sustainability on these projects

260
00:20:45,740 --> 00:20:51,040
and I know that the co-responder partnership has identified

261
00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:52,960
some grants that they are pursuing

262
00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:56,860
to keep the project going after the end of our offense.

263
00:20:57,260 --> 00:20:59,480
So they are doing what they need to do.

264
00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:01,980
And then the third and final item,

265
00:21:02,340 --> 00:21:04,920
one of the areas that was identified

266
00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:07,000
by the Commission in the initial plan

267
00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:10,880
was business and nonprofit recovery.

268
00:21:11,420 --> 00:21:16,940
And in particular, an idea of assisting local businesses

269
00:21:16,940 --> 00:21:20,800
are prior COVID stimulus funding.

270
00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:28,160
the CARES Act, we partnered with the Selina Area Chamber Foundation to actually do direct payments

271
00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:35,600
to local businesses that had impacts from the pandemic. So we wanted to mix it up a little bit,

272
00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:44,180
do something a little bit different with the ARPA funding. We hit upon this idea of doing a shop

273
00:21:44,180 --> 00:21:51,660
local app where folks could go in, spend money at local businesses, earn rewards, redeem those

274
00:21:51,660 --> 00:21:59,580
rewards, and then those businesses would get paid back with the ARPA funds. We've been partnering

275
00:22:00,820 --> 00:22:11,240
since early 2022 with a firm called KOLU Technologies. We have a current contract with them which

276
00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:21,980
rents through February of 25, they are in the middle of a transition, I will say, is

277
00:22:21,980 --> 00:22:29,780
probably the easiest way to describe it. Start-up technology firms exist in a different

278
00:22:29,780 --> 00:22:35,440
world than city and county government, and so there's a lot of churn and burn in their

279
00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:45,160
world and creative destruction. I think they they call it in the tech industry and so they

280
00:22:47,260 --> 00:22:56,780
they're selling something and we're not quite sure what at this point. Originally they indicated

281
00:22:56,780 --> 00:23:05,360
to us that they were going to sell their technology to a different company a company that does a

282
00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:20,240
an app for public transit kinds of things, they may actually end up selling their entire

283
00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:28,280
US subsidiary to that company. So they're working through a financial due diligence process,

284
00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:37,840
corporate merger thing. So I don't actually have a recommendation for you today on this one.

285
00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:44,780
This is just an FYI. When I started my staff report, I thought I was going to have a recommendation

286
00:23:44,780 --> 00:23:52,980
for you to say, hey, we're losing the app, we'd like to transition it. And the sliner area chamber has

287
00:23:52,980 --> 00:24:00,880
been interested in partnering with us. But where we are right now, the

288
00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:08,860
Chiseling County app will continue through at least June 30th and we will know

289
00:24:08,860 --> 00:24:14,340
more in the next 30 days. I'm sure I'll be bringing you back another report in

290
00:24:14,340 --> 00:24:22,640
early to middle part of June and and know where we go from here. But that is my

291
00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:25,660
a report for today on those three items.

292
00:24:26,020 --> 00:24:32,940
Again, the request is to direct staff to do another task order with high paramedics,

293
00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:40,040
direct staff to do an MOU amendment with the City of Slina and Central Kansas Mental Health,

294
00:24:40,180 --> 00:24:42,320
and bring those items back for final signature.

295
00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:43,840
And I'd be happy to answer any questions.

296
00:24:44,740 --> 00:24:52,240
Okay, so the shop local app, it says we have a contract with them until February of 2025.

297
00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:59,060
We don't have any recourse at all to make them stand through their contract and make this run until 2025?

298
00:25:02,540 --> 00:25:20,900
Well, if the business ceases to exist, I suppose we could sue them, but, you know, that is a whole other can of worms, right?

299
00:25:20,900 --> 00:25:23,600
I mean, if the business folds, the business folds,

300
00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:27,640
if the business gets sold or a portion

301
00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:31,640
of the business gets sold, then I think it might be

302
00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:34,460
fairly seamless to the users.

303
00:25:36,100 --> 00:25:37,360
Sort of remains to be.

304
00:25:37,360 --> 00:25:38,420
Do we think we're gonna have something

305
00:25:38,420 --> 00:25:41,160
within the next few weeks on that or?

306
00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:42,060
I do.

307
00:25:43,220 --> 00:25:47,380
We were continuing to meet with them on a weekly basis

308
00:25:49,900 --> 00:25:55,960
and they indicated that they had about a 30-day window here to close their deal, whatever

309
00:25:55,960 --> 00:26:04,420
that ends up looking like, and so as I said, I'm certain I'll be back in front of the

310
00:26:04,420 --> 00:26:07,400
commission by the end of June, hopefully by the middle of June.

311
00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:12,920
I don't have any problem with the co-responders using the 70, you know, carrying over to 70,000.

312
00:26:12,920 --> 00:26:18,600
that broadband infrastructure category, they've not reached out to us at all on anything, have they?

313
00:26:20,180 --> 00:26:37,800
No, and it's, so the state has gotten a lot of money for broadband and originally our hope was to use this funding

314
00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:51,820
to help a local provider do their match to pull down some of the massive amounts of funding that the state has gotten from the feds.

315
00:26:51,820 --> 00:27:02,880
The state and not through any fault of their own, but just that program is taking a lot longer to sort of materialize.

316
00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:12,500
And we're still on a clock for the ARPA funding, where we need to have it obligated by the end of this year, regardless of what the state does.

317
00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:16,820
So we are doing things in the broadband space, right?

318
00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:19,240
We did the digital equity grants.

319
00:27:20,120 --> 00:27:22,340
Those two of those are already completed.

320
00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:24,880
Three more are in progress.

321
00:27:25,100 --> 00:27:27,860
We're doing progress payments to those entities.

322
00:27:28,620 --> 00:27:34,280
We have the study, which the broadband study was approved by the commission.

323
00:27:34,700 --> 00:27:37,260
That is kicking off very shortly.

324
00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:44,000
I expect surveys to be showing up in people's mailboxes by the end of this month.

325
00:27:44,540 --> 00:27:46,000
They will be on site.

326
00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:52,640
The consultants will be on site at the end of June to have further conversations with the community about that.

327
00:27:52,640 --> 00:28:03,340
So, we are, oh, and we did do the one grant agreement with next tech for their program north and west of the city of slinas.

328
00:28:03,620 --> 00:28:10,680
So, we definitely have, I think, made a really good faith effort to fulfill that part of the ARPA plan.

329
00:28:11,460 --> 00:28:18,140
We just haven't been able to spend all of the money, and I think it's warranted to transfer it at this time.

330
00:28:19,220 --> 00:28:20,960
Any other questions from the commission?

331
00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:29,860
Phil, my question revolves around the grant administration, the $70 to $100,000 it's needed

332
00:28:29,860 --> 00:28:33,840
to complete this administration. How long a period of time is that for?

333
00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:44,520
That should be through the end of 24 and maybe into 2025. We will have to file a few,

334
00:28:50,940 --> 00:28:50,940
even

335
00:28:50,940 --> 00:28:55,760
and I parametrics is the one who's been preparing those.

336
00:28:56,020 --> 00:29:01,480
I go on to the US Treasury website and sign in and certify everything,

337
00:29:01,580 --> 00:29:05,420
but they're the ones who are actually preparing them on a quarterly basis.

338
00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:13,240
What drives that question for me is that it, $144,000 took us for more than three years.

339
00:29:14,360 --> 00:29:19,220
And yet it's going to take us another $70,000 to $100,000 to take us for another eight months or so.

340
00:29:19,220 --> 00:29:27,740
Yeah, so that's a great question, and actually, it was $244,000. So the first one lasted

341
00:29:27,740 --> 00:29:34,080
for a little over a year, and then the second one lasted for about another year.

342
00:29:35,020 --> 00:29:41,880
And the reason that this last one is a little higher than you might expect is because it

343
00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:50,820
includes the option of having them come back on site and do final audits for our grant recipients.

344
00:29:51,560 --> 00:29:55,440
We don't know if we will need that or not.

345
00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:59,880
and some, some

346
00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:23,160
Arpa recipients are doing that, others are not. Since our grants have been mainly on a reimbursement basis, we're considered a pretty low risk by the feds. So that's why it's that range of 7,200. So this 144,000 should be 244,000.

347
00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:24,160
So what you're telling me?

348
00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:26,760
289.

349
00:30:26,940 --> 00:30:36,220
Okay, there we go, and don't misunderstand me, because this isn't any money that's going to sling county coming out of our pocket.

350
00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:42,000
It's just a rearrangement of the funds that we have available to us and where we're going to spend them.

351
00:30:43,100 --> 00:30:54,000
Correct, yes, and I will note, I mean, I will say $289,000 sounds like a lot of money and it is

352
00:30:54,000 --> 00:31:02,160
to pay a consultant, but that is a minuscule fraction of the $10.5 million that we received.

353
00:31:02,500 --> 00:31:06,880
We've been very conscious about keeping the administrative costs under 5%.

354
00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:12,720
And how many different allocations were exposed to that?

355
00:31:13,540 --> 00:31:14,860
We did over 70.

356
00:31:15,020 --> 00:31:18,440
I haven't counted lately, but we had over 75 the last time I got it.

357
00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:19,440
I agree with you.

358
00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:29,860
That's a pretty $289,000 lot of money, but that's a lot of headaches and a lot of work to go through to designate.

359
00:31:30,260 --> 00:31:33,500
And why should they get that much money or not get as much money or whatever?

360
00:31:33,860 --> 00:31:37,500
So that part of it, I don't have a problem with, but I was curious about the other.

361
00:31:37,500 --> 00:31:38,540
I

362
00:31:40,550 --> 00:31:49,870
just want to say from the get go on the on the ARP funds, I was concerned about using any of those funds for start-ups

363
00:31:51,650 --> 00:32:01,450
because there's no plan of it going on, the success of the program.

364
00:32:01,450 --> 00:32:09,770
I'm glad to hear that it looks like the co-responders are already looking at ways to find

365
00:32:09,770 --> 00:32:10,550
this and such.

366
00:32:11,130 --> 00:32:18,150
We have some others out there that need to heed the words, at least that I spoke, that

367
00:32:19,610 --> 00:32:23,770
if it's our offense today, it won't be counting money tomorrow.

368
00:32:28,580 --> 00:32:29,220
Any other questions?

369
00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:31,400
I got one final thing.

370
00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:37,600
I want to thank the staff and thank you, Phil, for administering this ARPA funds.

371
00:32:37,780 --> 00:32:43,180
I mean, that's a big, big project for you guys to take on with everything else we got going on.

372
00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:54,080
So kudos for you guys taking the time and doing that because it did take a good chunk out of your time and our time for other stuff.

373
00:32:54,860 --> 00:32:58,320
Okay, any of the public like to speak?

374
00:33:00,470 --> 00:33:03,010
Okay, if not, I'll bring it back to the Commission for Action.

375
00:33:03,890 --> 00:33:11,150
Mr. Chairman, I move that we approve RFA 2024-81 for the ARPA project, modifications and update.

376
00:33:11,990 --> 00:33:12,910
Second to motion.

377
00:33:13,470 --> 00:33:18,510
I have a motion as second to approve RFA 2024-81 as presented, all in favor say aye.

378
00:33:18,990 --> 00:33:19,330
Aye.

379
00:33:20,310 --> 00:33:22,630
All opposed, same side, it passes 5-0.

380
00:33:23,170 --> 00:33:23,510
Thank you.

381
00:33:23,510 --> 00:33:27,630
Okay, that brings us to informational items.

382
00:33:28,410 --> 00:33:32,430
Human resources quarterly update with Marilyn Leamer, human resources director.

383
00:33:32,650 --> 00:33:32,990
Thank you.

384
00:33:36,450 --> 00:33:37,490
Good morning, commissioners.

385
00:33:38,270 --> 00:33:43,190
This report is, the interval is mid-February to mid-May.

386
00:33:43,510 --> 00:33:47,130
And during this time, we've had 29 new hires.

387
00:33:47,650 --> 00:33:51,270
We've had 12 employees that have transferred or promoted to a different position.

388
00:33:51,710 --> 00:33:55,470
And we've had 16 employees that are no longer employed.

389
00:33:55,470 --> 00:34:01,250
activities that we had during this time frame, working on estimating salary and benefit

390
00:34:01,250 --> 00:34:07,050
projections for both budget and workers' compensation. Completing preliminary tasks

391
00:34:07,050 --> 00:34:13,330
related to the creation of a county-wide safety committee, we're starting that, we've got

392
00:34:13,330 --> 00:34:17,430
some volunteers, we've got a draft agenda, so hopefully that will be moving forward very

393
00:34:17,430 --> 00:34:23,970
quickly. Updated several policies and procedures this previous month, and then our payroll

394
00:34:23,970 --> 00:34:28,990
benefits coordinator did successfully process an offsite payroll as a part of our

395
00:34:28,990 --> 00:34:34,990
continuity of operations plan. So that occurred during this time as well. Plans

396
00:34:34,990 --> 00:34:39,210
moving forward will be participating in the creation of a new applicant

397
00:34:39,210 --> 00:34:45,190
tracking system. GovBuild who hosts our website right now is going to host that

398
00:34:45,190 --> 00:34:50,130
for us. We'll be performing another offsite payroll process this summer.

399
00:34:53,230 --> 00:34:53,950
Again,

400
00:34:53,950 --> 00:35:01,210
be coordinating a voluntary vision plan request for proposal process with our insurance consultants.

401
00:35:02,130 --> 00:35:07,230
This would be for our vision plan. That would be for the plan year beginning October 1st.

402
00:35:08,470 --> 00:35:15,710
Currently negotiating with our employee council and then beginning the 2024 in service day planning.

403
00:35:16,790 --> 00:35:23,730
Working on filling 17 vacant positions across the county. Our budget update, the health

404
00:35:23,730 --> 00:35:29,170
The dental plan is running very well for this time of year at 72.4% loss ratio.

405
00:35:29,690 --> 00:35:35,650
The dental plan is running a little bit high, it's at 112% however, historically it does

406
00:35:35,650 --> 00:35:40,210
start up kind of high on the first half of the plan year and then it levels off for the

407
00:35:40,210 --> 00:35:41,050
rest of the plan year.

408
00:35:41,790 --> 00:35:48,770
And then our HR budget is running at 34.46%, which is in line with historical HR operations.

409
00:35:49,370 --> 00:35:50,590
And I'm available for questions.

410
00:35:50,590 --> 00:35:53,370
Okay, Marilyn, you said we had 29 new hires.

411
00:35:53,750 --> 00:35:55,750
We lost 16, which is 13.

412
00:35:55,770 --> 00:36:00,030
Is that 13 included in the 17 that were needed to fill?

413
00:36:00,670 --> 00:36:05,310
It's all a moving target, but yes, I mean after all the dominoes fall.

414
00:36:06,690 --> 00:36:13,410
Okay, I noticed in your new hires that there's an individual that was hired twice.

415
00:36:14,350 --> 00:36:16,890
Is that one, should that be a transfer?

416
00:36:18,470 --> 00:36:37,970
Actually, hired in one position, things didn't work out for that person in that particular position, so she did leave, and then we opened up a different position that was very attractive to her, so she did apply for that. We hired her for that second position, so she does really have two separate higher dates.

417
00:36:37,970 --> 00:36:38,710
Any

418
00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:43,660
other questions?

419
00:36:47,240 --> 00:36:47,540
Thank you.

420
00:36:47,700 --> 00:36:48,200
Thank you.

421
00:36:48,500 --> 00:36:48,760
Thank you.

422
00:36:53,890 --> 00:36:57,050
Expo weed and farm update with David Flaredy,

423
00:36:57,110 --> 00:36:58,550
the second expo center director.

424
00:37:01,390 --> 00:37:02,030
Whatty, David?

425
00:37:07,420 --> 00:37:09,560
It's from our update is March April and May.

426
00:37:10,660 --> 00:37:13,140
On the accomplishment side on the expo center,

427
00:37:13,280 --> 00:37:15,140
we have set up tear down events.

428
00:37:15,340 --> 00:37:17,100
We started groundwork, mowing, trimming,

429
00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:19,140
watering and new grass that was put in.

430
00:37:20,420 --> 00:37:23,980
We have got the stair railing by 4-H painted.

431
00:37:24,620 --> 00:37:30,020
We hung updated building signs of Born 1 and the office building since the

432
00:37:30,020 --> 00:37:34,040
metal is done. We got our new signs in and got them put up.

433
00:37:35,160 --> 00:37:39,480
Repaired water lines that were broken in Born 2 restrooms. Repaired water lines in

434
00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:43,180
Aghol that were broken. Had another successful

435
00:37:43,180 --> 00:37:47,860
Equifest. Their numbers were down a little bit but not as much as I thought.

436
00:37:47,960 --> 00:37:52,760
I think their total numbers were 11 or 13 thousand something.

437
00:37:54,360 --> 00:38:03,160
At quite a few new shows, we had the jolly mixers coming in, they're now using Kenwood twice a month now.

438
00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:15,820
Farm show, monster truck shows, uplanders, roller derby, we had about in the 4-H building turned out very good, they had a good turnout on that one.

439
00:38:16,900 --> 00:38:23,060
We fixed the entry gates into Ag Hall and we had to replace the boards on it too as we

440
00:38:23,060 --> 00:38:25,180
were fixing the gate itself.

441
00:38:25,880 --> 00:38:33,880
There have been 46 events using events in the 80 days or using 80 days of the facility.

442
00:38:35,660 --> 00:38:42,760
On the noxious weed side we did have to fix and re-plum our spray skin and we had to fix

443
00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:49,040
one of our big spray trucks. My new weed supervisor has passed his general

444
00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:55,560
knowledge, the 9A and the six certification tests within two months. We have

445
00:38:55,560 --> 00:39:00,700
started inspections to be helping on the expo center side and we'll be

446
00:39:00,700 --> 00:39:05,820
spraying right away. We just started that at the end of last week so we're going to

447
00:39:05,820 --> 00:39:11,140
continue into that. Help customers with questions, concerns and various plants and

448
00:39:11,140 --> 00:39:15,780
chemicals and then general maintenance of the spray equipment as we're going

449
00:39:15,780 --> 00:39:20,740
along spraying and inspecting. On the farm side we had the seven new

450
00:39:20,740 --> 00:39:27,450
scholarships that were awarded for 2024 and 2025 school year and our future

451
00:39:27,450 --> 00:39:31,090
plans for the exposed center side is we're going to continue to set up and tear

452
00:39:31,090 --> 00:39:38,310
down events. Continue looking for we have two full-time positions available. It's

453
00:39:38,310 --> 00:39:40,610
currently two looking for a couple help.

454
00:39:43,280 --> 00:39:46,340
We're going to one of our future plans is we have some

455
00:39:46,340 --> 00:39:52,500
repairs to do on our forklift. We are currently waiting for parts to come in and we'll get them

456
00:39:52,500 --> 00:39:56,640
going and then we're going to continue with the ground maintenance, mowing, trimming, picking up

457
00:39:56,640 --> 00:40:04,120
trash and continue all the preventive maintenance. We also ordered new signs for barn two three five

458
00:40:04,120 --> 00:40:10,300
and six so as soon as those do come in they will be displayed on both the front and back of the

459
00:40:10,300 --> 00:40:12,360
building so people know which ones went.

460
00:40:14,120 --> 00:40:17,640
Plans for the Noxious Weed Department, we're going to continue this training in the right

461
00:40:17,640 --> 00:40:22,660
of ways, continue maintenance on equipment, keep looking for an applicator, we do have

462
00:40:22,660 --> 00:40:28,240
an applicator position available, continue helping on the Expo Center side and continue

463
00:40:28,240 --> 00:40:30,440
helping customers with questions and concerns.

464
00:40:31,580 --> 00:40:44,460
On the farm account in 2023, the fall of 2023, we did bed for the west half of the farm

465
00:40:44,460 --> 00:40:49,480
to put a new fence in, so now I'm going to go out for beds and replace the south half

466
00:40:49,480 --> 00:40:51,680
mile of the county pasture.

467
00:40:51,680 --> 00:41:00,560
here. Budget updates. Expo year-to-date budget. Use this 31.78%. Noxious weed. I'm

468
00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:09,960
going to 11.31. And Noxious capital outlay fund. There's 162,0618.78. And then in a farm

469
00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:15,780
account, there's 171,298.41. And I'll just tell you the questions.

470
00:41:17,860 --> 00:41:22,520
The Rocky Mount Elk's banquet you have, where are they located, where are they from?

471
00:41:23,120 --> 00:41:24,320
Are they a local chapter?

472
00:41:24,680 --> 00:41:32,000
It is a local, but they have also combined with a couple other chapters to you to try to keep their groups going.

473
00:41:32,360 --> 00:41:32,520
Okay.

474
00:41:34,980 --> 00:41:39,020
David, your obnoxious weed department says you're going to keep looking for an applicator.

475
00:41:39,160 --> 00:41:43,420
Does that person have to have experience, or do we train them, or are we willing to train them, or?

476
00:41:44,280 --> 00:41:55,860
We're willing to train an applicator because they do have to go through and get the general, the 6a, or the 9a and the 6, but they do have to have a CDL to be able to drive this bridge road.

477
00:41:56,700 --> 00:42:03,180
That's really the only thing that's needed to apply for the job is at CDL.

478
00:42:03,180 --> 00:42:07,520
Yeah, and if I know it wrote in bridge, we've we've had

479
00:42:09,160 --> 00:42:16,620
Processes to work it will help them get a CDL. Do we are we thinking about that same thing for this position?

480
00:42:17,560 --> 00:42:23,300
I have been back with there in a few times. We've sent a couple people out there to try to get

481
00:42:24,280 --> 00:42:25,740
some things done, but

482
00:42:26,800 --> 00:42:28,840
My last one transferred out to him

483
00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:31,780
Would it go, Dern?

484
00:42:34,420 --> 00:42:38,480
Is the level of entrance pay an issue?

485
00:42:39,820 --> 00:42:42,820
It is a bigger issue.

486
00:42:43,240 --> 00:42:46,400
We did bump up pay a little bit, starting pay.

487
00:42:46,920 --> 00:42:51,220
So we did jump that to a grade or a step three, I believe it was.

488
00:42:51,220 --> 00:42:59,260
Well, you know, I don't, I mean, I like our pay schedule in terms of where everybody's after a certain period of time,

489
00:42:59,260 --> 00:43:05,580
but it does seem like that we continually beat our heads against the wall with entrance level positions.

490
00:43:06,420 --> 00:43:12,320
And that is something that HR and the commission and administration and everyone else,

491
00:43:12,780 --> 00:43:17,420
the department heads needs to really take a hard look at is the entrance level pay.

492
00:43:17,420 --> 00:43:22,480
not so much what you get and you've been here 10 years or 15 or whatever the

493
00:43:22,480 --> 00:43:27,440
entrance level pay seems to be an obstacle for us. That is very tough on I would

494
00:43:27,440 --> 00:43:31,500
probably say every department but I know on the Expo and the weed department

495
00:43:31,500 --> 00:43:38,680
side it is very tough. Your CDL it's it's an important license to have but now we're

496
00:43:38,680 --> 00:43:44,780
requesting you to have general knowledge test and then a 9a and a 6 to be able to

497
00:43:44,780 --> 00:43:47,180
which that's required by the State, so.

498
00:43:47,420 --> 00:43:53,580
And you know, it used to be that Votec would have a CDL or the State.

499
00:43:53,760 --> 00:43:57,220
I don't remember who it was, it would come in, and you could get a CDL on one day.

500
00:43:58,980 --> 00:44:02,900
So he might check into that type of it, or maybe you have, and it's not available anymore.

501
00:44:03,120 --> 00:44:06,200
I don't know that that program is not available.

502
00:44:07,580 --> 00:44:09,660
Don't send any more to Deren, he steals them.

503
00:44:19,660 --> 00:44:22,200
I'm sorry, go ahead, Commissioner Shadwick.

504
00:44:23,140 --> 00:44:27,380
Now, when you say step grade, you know, step three or grade three, I don't have the

505
00:44:27,380 --> 00:44:31,840
pay scale memorized. What are you talking about a starting pay for somebody like that?

506
00:44:32,980 --> 00:44:34,920
Instead of grades, give me a figure.

507
00:44:34,920 --> 00:44:46,500
here. So it was, it was 16 I believe something as step one and then step three it was 208.

508
00:44:46,740 --> 00:44:50,460
So we moved them up to the step three to be able to start at 208.

509
00:44:51,680 --> 00:44:53,320
That's very helpful. Thank you.

510
00:44:53,640 --> 00:44:59,220
If it's step 16 or I mean grade 16 step three is 23 dollars and 30 cents an hour.

511
00:44:59,220 --> 00:44:59,960
No, it's great.

512
00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:03,840
Grade 11. Grade what? 11.

513
00:45:06,390 --> 00:45:31,630
That's 17, 22 to start at level 1, entry 1, and at 3, or at 4 is 208. 208, okay. So we moved into the step 4. So I apologize. It probably needs to be reevaluated as to what grade it is, not so much of the level, but you know, the grade that starts out. That job is. How long has that position been open January?

514
00:45:36,680 --> 00:45:44,120
So is that the reason that you're not just weed budgets only use 11.31% is because if you'd have not had anybody to use that

515
00:45:45,580 --> 00:45:50,860
That's part of it, but the other part of it is we don't really we are just now really starting to order chemical

516
00:45:50,860 --> 00:45:54,980
So the budget itself will actually start increasing pretty

517
00:45:55,600 --> 00:45:59,780
Pretty good here in the next two months. It'll it'll be probably up to where it should be

518
00:46:02,970 --> 00:46:04,050
Okay, any other questions?

519
00:46:06,010 --> 00:46:08,150
Thank you David. Thank you

520
00:46:13,560 --> 00:46:17,940
Overview a budget request for 2025 with Philip Smith Haynes County Administrator.

521
00:46:19,720 --> 00:46:30,820
Good morning again, commissioners. So we've been talking about the budget for next year since the

522
00:46:30,820 --> 00:46:40,980
beginning of this year. So we've had a couple discussions with the commission already. We've received

523
00:46:40,980 --> 00:46:53,840
We've received requests from departments and we've had the outside allocation agencies come and present to your commission at your last couple of meetings.

524
00:46:54,640 --> 00:47:09,380
So this is the point at which the administrator takes all of that, the submissions from the departments and the outside allocation agency requests and puts them all together

525
00:47:09,380 --> 00:47:20,640
and adds them all up. And as typically happens when you add them all up, the amount is a

526
00:47:20,640 --> 00:47:30,500
little bit higher than what we can realistically afford. Now, I want to start though by thanking

527
00:47:30,500 --> 00:47:38,560
the departments and our employee council and the outside allocation agencies. I think

528
00:47:39,880 --> 00:47:45,680
folks did hear the messaging this year and the requests are

529
00:47:46,720 --> 00:47:51,160
considerably less than they were for example this time last year.

530
00:47:52,540 --> 00:47:59,460
So that's great but we know we're not going to be able to fund everything so

531
00:48:00,500 --> 00:48:05,340
I'll just take one example of something

532
00:48:05,340 --> 00:48:07,120
that's included in those requests,

533
00:48:07,120 --> 00:48:10,520
which is the Salina Area United Way

534
00:48:11,010 --> 00:48:14,200
has taken charge of child care in the community.

535
00:48:14,240 --> 00:48:17,600
They came before you and requested $500,000.

536
00:48:18,040 --> 00:48:21,820
Now, I think you all know, and they know

537
00:48:21,820 --> 00:48:26,280
that we're not going to likely fund $500,000

538
00:48:26,280 --> 00:48:29,480
for child care in the 2025 budget.

539
00:48:29,480 --> 00:48:31,620
it, but that is a request.

540
00:48:33,400 --> 00:48:41,240
The commission has talked about making sure that we submit needs and not once.

541
00:48:41,860 --> 00:48:48,580
Well, I think you could fairly argue that childcare is a need in the community and needs

542
00:48:48,580 --> 00:48:50,280
to be funded at that level.

543
00:48:51,280 --> 00:48:57,080
Those needs do not translate into the ability of the county to fund it at that level.

544
00:48:57,080 --> 00:49:07,100
So there are several examples of that same type of thing, but again, departments clearly

545
00:49:07,100 --> 00:49:08,320
heard the message.

546
00:49:08,880 --> 00:49:17,900
There are no new staff requests that are not things you have seen before.

547
00:49:18,420 --> 00:49:25,620
We have some departments who have asked for positions that they did not get previously,

548
00:49:25,620 --> 00:49:32,260
but nothing brand new, nothing that folks have just invented out of whole cloth.

549
00:49:35,200 --> 00:49:40,920
So where we go from here is next Tuesday.

550
00:49:41,720 --> 00:49:47,300
The commission will be next door here in 107B for a study session.

551
00:49:47,780 --> 00:49:53,180
And we will go through the budgets in much more detail.

552
00:49:53,180 --> 00:49:58,860
today was just the presentation and allowing you and the public to sort of

553
00:49:58,860 --> 00:50:04,760
see the raw numbers. Next Tuesday we'll delve into those a little bit

554
00:50:04,760 --> 00:50:13,420
further and then you all will make some comments, some direction and then in

555
00:50:13,420 --> 00:50:22,480
early June I'll be getting actual valuation numbers and we will crunch the

556
00:50:22,480 --> 00:50:29,020
revenues side of this and then bring you a proposed budget with the county

557
00:50:29,020 --> 00:50:35,900
administrators recommendations in the middle of June. And then from there a

558
00:50:35,900 --> 00:50:41,180
departments will have an opportunity to appeal if they don't like what I've

559
00:50:41,180 --> 00:50:47,540
recommended. We'll hear those and then you will need to buy the middle of July

560
00:50:47,540 --> 00:50:56,980
decide whether to hold a revenue neutral rate hearing and we will notice that

561
00:50:56,980 --> 00:51:04,820
for August and have the final budget adoption in August. But this is an

562
00:51:04,820 --> 00:51:10,100
opportunity we've invited the public to take a look at what we're doing.

563
00:51:16,600 --> 00:51:17,520
This

564
00:51:17,520 --> 00:51:27,600
And if we receive questions by the 23rd, we will address those at your commission meeting on the 28th.

565
00:51:28,840 --> 00:51:42,260
So we certainly welcome the public because although there's going to be a public hearing in August, as there always is, at that point, your ability to change things is sort of limited.

566
00:51:42,260 --> 00:51:50,880
So, this is really the point in time at which the public can have an impact most clearly.

567
00:51:51,620 --> 00:52:01,620
I will say, however, you know, I've done this for a quarter of a century, so all of these

568
00:52:01,620 --> 00:52:11,940
things make sense to me from a public standpoint, local government budgeting is not always the

569
00:52:11,940 --> 00:52:21,520
most intuitive thing to understand so one of the things that we do is we have different

570
00:52:21,520 --> 00:52:35,300
funds and a fund is really a self-balancing account so think of it like a checking account

571
00:52:35,300 --> 00:52:40,020
So each of our funds is sort of a separate checking account.

572
00:52:41,870 --> 00:52:51,900
You can make transfers between those funds, but only with

573
00:52:53,920 --> 00:52:57,040
some for thought and for a purpose.

574
00:52:57,040 --> 00:53:09,860
So, for example, one of the things that we do is we routinely collect some money in

575
00:53:09,860 --> 00:53:18,800
the general fund, which is our largest checking account, and we designate an amount that

576
00:53:18,800 --> 00:53:23,380
we want to transfer to our capital improvement programs.

577
00:53:23,740 --> 00:53:35,000
So this year, I'm sorry, next year, this budget year, I've started that number at $250,000.

578
00:53:35,380 --> 00:53:42,600
We know we have some buildings that we're going to need to address in the next couple

579
00:53:42,600 --> 00:53:43,120
of years.

580
00:53:43,540 --> 00:53:47,920
So banking a little bit of money there makes some sense.

581
00:53:47,920 --> 00:53:53,440
It will likely not stay at that amount. It will likely get reduced just because we have

582
00:53:53,440 --> 00:54:02,260
other things that we want to fund. But if you then look at the county capital improvement

583
00:54:02,260 --> 00:54:12,040
fund, you see this massive number. You don't see $250,000. You see $8 million. And the reason

584
00:54:12,040 --> 00:54:21,120
you see that number is because what we do is we budget the entire available fund balance in

585
00:54:21,120 --> 00:54:32,400
that fund each year in case we need to spend it. So that fund only receives funds from transfers.

586
00:54:32,400 --> 00:54:36,040
It does not receive a tax allocation.

587
00:54:36,960 --> 00:54:42,100
So I think folks sometimes get confused by that.

588
00:54:42,360 --> 00:54:44,780
Like, why is this this massive increase?

589
00:54:45,120 --> 00:54:47,780
Well, it's not.

590
00:54:48,400 --> 00:54:53,200
I mean, it's a lot of money, but we're probably not going to spend

591
00:54:53,200 --> 00:54:55,040
$8 million next year.

592
00:54:55,140 --> 00:54:58,240
We just have it there in case we need it.

593
00:54:58,240 --> 00:55:07,200
and it's not affecting your tax bill except for that $250,000 or whatever the final number ends up being.

594
00:55:08,220 --> 00:55:16,320
So there are lots of little examples like that within the budget where things are not necessarily intuitive.

595
00:55:17,520 --> 00:55:27,280
So again, want to encourage folks if you have questions about why some things being done, please reach out to us

596
00:55:27,280 --> 00:55:35,240
send us an email to public communications, all one word, at salinecountyks.gov, and again

597
00:55:35,240 --> 00:55:41,960
we'll be able to address those questions on the 28th. With that, I will stop rambling

598
00:55:41,960 --> 00:55:47,580
and ask if the commission has any questions for clarification at this time, again with

599
00:55:47,580 --> 00:55:50,700
knowledge that next week will delve into the specifics.

600
00:55:51,080 --> 00:55:55,960
We've got a workout out for us because if you look at the adoptive 2024 and then what

601
00:55:55,960 --> 00:56:01,220
to request it is for 2025, you know, it's nine-and-a-half million dollars difference.

602
00:56:02,380 --> 00:56:05,860
We've got to work cut out for us.

603
00:56:05,980 --> 00:56:14,460
I really would like to see us not to have, you know, exceed the revenue for right, so hopefully

604
00:56:14,460 --> 00:56:15,540
we can see what we can do.

605
00:56:18,550 --> 00:56:24,150
Well, I have a goal that I think, I mean, I don't know who's going to go along with me if anybody

606
00:56:24,150 --> 00:56:24,590
does.

607
00:56:24,590 --> 00:56:32,010
But the rate of inflation this year is somewhere between two and a half, three percent, I think that's an accurate number.

608
00:56:32,790 --> 00:56:39,790
And if you take that into account for three percent, that amounts to about $1.6 million.

609
00:56:40,670 --> 00:56:44,430
Instead of what was it that we got over here?

610
00:56:44,570 --> 00:56:49,190
5.1, almost 5.2 million. So that's a pretty significant difference.

611
00:56:50,390 --> 00:56:59,270
I'm going to personally take a pretty staunch approach and position on this that we don't exceed that $1.6 million.

612
00:56:59,990 --> 00:57:01,890
Whether we can do it or not, I'm not certain.

613
00:57:03,070 --> 00:57:09,250
I'm not going to say that it's yes or no, but I want to get as close to that 3% number as we can get.

614
00:57:10,510 --> 00:57:14,570
And there needs to be some cuts somewhere along the line without question.

615
00:57:14,570 --> 00:57:19,630
but that's my personal goal and I would like to see the commissioners go along

616
00:57:19,630 --> 00:57:24,790
with some sort of a end-to-the-line goal you know set up set up position that

617
00:57:24,790 --> 00:57:30,930
we want to try to achieve rather than just take the numbers and whack it off a

618
00:57:30,930 --> 00:57:36,630
little bit here and there and I want to set a goal that's that's me personally

619
00:57:38,030 --> 00:57:39,410
That sounds good.

620
00:57:41,470 --> 00:57:46,990
My goal has been the same as this would be my 18th budget that I've gone through as

621
00:57:47,690 --> 00:57:52,750
we need to fund government and then see what's left over for the outside agencies instead

622
00:57:52,750 --> 00:57:58,010
of lumping the outside agencies in with the whole budget and then just see where it goes.

623
00:57:58,010 --> 00:58:03,650
But you've got to provide essential services to the taxpayers and then the other stuff if

624
00:58:03,650 --> 00:58:05,710
If there's money left over, let's see what happens.

625
00:58:11,850 --> 00:58:12,930
Jim, any questions?

626
00:58:13,670 --> 00:58:13,850
No.

627
00:58:14,430 --> 00:58:14,650
Okay.

628
00:58:15,630 --> 00:58:16,230
Thank you.

629
00:58:21,540 --> 00:58:24,440
Okay, that moves us into our, I thought moves it to number four.

630
00:58:25,020 --> 00:58:25,840
Mr. comments?

631
00:58:27,380 --> 00:58:30,920
I just got one thing we got, if anybody's interested tomorrow,

632
00:58:31,240 --> 00:58:33,620
I'll believe at 8 o'clock in the morning at Jerry Ivey Park.

633
00:58:33,840 --> 00:58:40,120
They've got the, I mean, the law enforcement memorial going on

634
00:58:40,120 --> 00:58:43,620
tomorrow morning, if you can make it.

635
00:58:43,700 --> 00:58:48,840
I think it'll be a, it's usually well attended and it's really something to see.

636
00:58:56,710 --> 00:58:57,310
Announcements.

637
00:59:01,090 --> 00:59:10,370
I did attend the Senior Department of Senior Services Committee meeting and it was just rehashing the

638
00:59:10,370 --> 00:59:13,850
information that Rosia brought us the prior week so

639
00:59:16,470 --> 00:59:19,170
I'm going to move this into G.

640
00:59:29,620 --> 00:59:35,400
Good morning commissioners, I'm going to start off this discussion about the Expo Center but we have

641
00:59:35,400 --> 00:59:41,320
I'm Stephen Flerty as the director and then Justin May with Hutton, who is her project

642
00:59:41,320 --> 00:59:41,920
me and a true.

643
00:59:43,040 --> 00:59:44,540
So a little bit of background.

644
00:59:45,520 --> 00:59:50,760
The county commission signed a 30 year lease with you for the livestock and exposant

645
00:59:50,760 --> 00:59:54,120
or with the city of Sloan back in July of 2020.

646
00:59:54,940 --> 00:59:59,860
At that point in time, that lease had conditions of minimum

647
01:00:00,000 --> 01:00:29,980
Item, maintenance, and minimum improvements that had identified and agreed upon that needed to be completed at that particular building. So, in that process, the county did requested proposals for Project Management Services and entered into an agreement with Hutton, and got started. We developed a phased plan over five years to address the things that

648
01:00:29,980 --> 01:00:32,680
that were outlined in the agreement with the city

649
01:00:33,280 --> 01:00:36,820
with some very minimal things that had been identified

650
01:00:36,820 --> 01:00:40,140
by the county as kind of more maintenance things

651
01:00:40,140 --> 01:00:41,780
that needed to be taken care of.

652
01:00:42,420 --> 01:00:45,380
So we put that plan into place and got going.

653
01:00:46,200 --> 01:00:48,200
As you can see, joining by there,

654
01:00:48,260 --> 01:00:50,180
there's been a lot that has been accomplished.

655
01:00:50,700 --> 01:00:56,100
We are in, I guess, year three or four of the plan

656
01:00:56,100 --> 01:00:58,820
and still moving forward in completing projects.

657
01:01:00,960 --> 01:01:19,380
So, as part of that plan, we had to come up with an initial budget back in 2020, and at that point in time, after we outlined everything, we had anticipated and budgeted that estimated cost, I guess you could say, would be about 1.9 million.

658
01:01:19,380 --> 01:01:28,080
and there had already been just a little over $2.7 million that had been earmarked in CIP

659
01:01:28,080 --> 01:01:34,380
for specifically Expo Center projects. So we thought you were sitting pretty good.

660
01:01:35,200 --> 01:01:41,960
But back in April of 2022, we had a study session with the commission where Director Flaherty

661
01:01:41,960 --> 01:01:48,360
provided some more information of just the continued things that we came upon

662
01:01:48,360 --> 01:01:54,200
during doing all of these improvements. Things such as water lines that

663
01:01:54,200 --> 01:01:58,620
needed to be replaced in order to do something, problems with electrical that we

664
01:01:58,620 --> 01:02:03,980
were in and to. So, lots of things that we didn't expect to come across, we did,

665
01:02:04,480 --> 01:02:11,660
and needed to address those things to be able to safely and in the

666
01:02:11,660 --> 01:02:19,360
respect of maintenance operate the facility. So as it sits now, to date, we have spent just

667
01:02:20,190 --> 01:02:30,760
$2,492,101 on all the things that we have done so far. So we are currently in phase four of

668
01:02:30,760 --> 01:02:37,560
the plant phase four includes the screening of barn two but then also some additional concrete work

669
01:02:37,560 --> 01:02:47,320
around Barton II to address erosion and stuff like that. We also have Phase 5. Phase 2 also includes

670
01:02:47,320 --> 01:02:52,900
to point tucking the brick on Ag Hall, but just because of the budgetary constraints, I don't

671
01:02:52,900 --> 01:03:01,900
know that we're going to be able to do that this year. It might be a Phase 5, 2025 project, not exactly

672
01:03:01,900 --> 01:03:10,100
sure yet. But the other things that are left to do on the list of the cities is citing

673
01:03:10,100 --> 01:03:16,280
and painting on 4-H as well as painting and citing on Kenwood Hall and then some additional

674
01:03:16,280 --> 01:03:25,700
concrete work at Ag Hall or at Kenwood Hall. So it's anticipated that the rest of the items

675
01:03:25,700 --> 01:03:30,000
to satisfy the lease with the city is going to be about 800,000.

676
01:03:31,040 --> 01:03:36,980
So currently we've got 224,000 that's remaining year marked in CIP for

677
01:03:36,980 --> 01:03:39,300
Expo Center improvements for this year.

678
01:03:40,080 --> 01:03:49,700
And then we have an ask of 800,000 to have in CIP for 2025 to close out all the projects.

679
01:03:50,960 --> 01:04:03,660
So that is where we are at today, but David has got a long list of things that have surfaced over

680
01:04:03,660 --> 01:04:09,700
the course of doing all of these minimum maintenance and improvement items that I think we're just

681
01:04:09,700 --> 01:04:16,920
really at a point of trying to get more direction from the commission of what it is that you want to see.

682
01:04:16,920 --> 01:04:26,840
because there's more things that can be done. For example, David has run into a very large issue with the bathrooms in 4-H.

683
01:04:27,500 --> 01:04:44,540
He can't get a plumber to come and do anything more with it, so it's either we patch it and just make do or is it the commission's direction to move forward and remodel those bathrooms and do what we need to do to keep the facility back up and running.

684
01:04:44,540 --> 01:04:46,060
But that's just one example.

685
01:04:46,900 --> 01:04:53,420
I think listening to David, you'll understand that there's things in each building that need

686
01:04:53,420 --> 01:04:56,000
to be addressed, that may not, they're not cosmetic.

687
01:04:56,980 --> 01:05:00,060
It's more maintenance things or more operational things.

688
01:05:00,700 --> 01:05:05,900
So we wanted to take this time today to get some feedback from the commission, get some direction

689
01:05:05,900 --> 01:05:12,180
from the commission, and help us with further developing the plan after we get all of the

690
01:05:15,600 --> 01:05:18,180
So David, do you want to go

691
01:05:21,890 --> 01:05:25,330
on and along some of these things, I'll just take it on kind

692
01:05:25,330 --> 01:05:31,990
of like some of the top end things that we are needing, like Hannah stated, the 4-H rest

693
01:05:31,990 --> 01:05:39,170
rooms and the women's rest room there, the lines are, they're in the walls, so plumbers

694
01:05:39,170 --> 01:05:43,650
won't come touch it because they have to bust the walls out and then they won't put

695
01:05:43,650 --> 01:05:50,990
the walls back in. So we're having an issue there. Main breaker panels, Ag Hall, Kenwood,

696
01:05:51,250 --> 01:05:57,170
4H, all of those are getting to be outdated to where we can't even get the main breakers

697
01:05:57,170 --> 01:06:03,690
anymore. We can get the square D, the smaller 15, 20 amps still. But as far as the main

698
01:06:03,690 --> 01:06:11,890
breaker side we cannot get. 4H trying to do a little bit of improvements in the kitchen side of

699
01:06:11,890 --> 01:06:26,110
there. We did discover about 80% of 4-H, there's no ground in the building. Ag Hall, there's about 90 to 92% no grounding in the building there.

700
01:06:28,330 --> 01:06:40,650
So, Ag Hall, as Justin and I were walking around in Ag Hall looking at some things, we did notice the roof. You can actually see daylight in certain areas of the roof.

701
01:06:40,650 --> 01:06:55,610
so that is a main concern. One of them was around a, I want to say it was the vent, if I remember correctly, and if that one continues to get bad, what's the odds of that vent just dropping straight down, you know.

702
01:06:55,610 --> 01:07:06,410
So, HVAC systems, Kenwood and 4-H, both of those had those, 4-H had 3-HVAC systems put in in 2017.

703
01:07:06,870 --> 01:07:11,970
They were the lower in, low grade systems, and then Kenwood had to put in at the same time.

704
01:07:12,790 --> 01:07:20,550
So, it would be trying to save cost on the utility side of it, it would be to open those, put those in new again.

705
01:07:21,290 --> 01:07:27,670
And born two, we've come across several issues in that as far as one, the electrical is

706
01:07:27,670 --> 01:07:36,010
a problem, grounding issues in it, and then also the phase we just did in born two, we

707
01:07:36,010 --> 01:07:43,330
had for the electrical underground stuff of born one, and born two, we did have to put in

708
01:07:43,330 --> 01:07:51,930
one main panel because they could not find replacement parts. So we're getting to the

709
01:07:52,420 --> 01:07:58,730
side of all the electrical is where it's a big issue. Underground plumbing, the water,

710
01:07:58,990 --> 01:08:05,930
the sewer, a lot of that is becoming a lot that we're starting to see and have more and

711
01:08:05,930 --> 01:08:14,570
more troubles with. Also in barn 2 it would be the restrooms. They are block walls now or they've

712
01:08:14,570 --> 01:08:20,930
been block walls but now the metal frames and all the doorways around like the restroom doors are

713
01:08:20,930 --> 01:08:29,150
starting to flake out so we can't our staff can't go in there and we've tried coming up with a lot

714
01:08:29,150 --> 01:08:35,550
of different ideas. Talk to Justin over a couple things and everything we're trying it's just as you're

715
01:08:35,550 --> 01:08:38,990
and certain it into there, the wall just keeps crumbling and crumbling.

716
01:08:41,870 --> 01:08:44,530
Shut-offs, main shut-offs to a lot of the buildings.

717
01:08:45,150 --> 01:08:48,850
Those are getting very hard to replace.

718
01:08:49,270 --> 01:08:53,550
We did have, and I think it's the beginning of this year or towards the end of last year

719
01:08:53,550 --> 01:08:53,930
I did.

720
01:08:54,350 --> 01:08:59,310
I was able to get a company to come in and replace the main shut-off in 4H.

721
01:08:59,990 --> 01:09:04,050
That way we can at least control the building if something does happen to it.

722
01:09:07,620 --> 01:09:15,480
RV area we're starting to see a lot of underground water issues it's not a

723
01:09:15,480 --> 01:09:19,160
real big thing right now it's just a little small leak here and there we're

724
01:09:19,160 --> 01:09:25,760
having to dig up and fix the electrical side on the RV we are now starting to

725
01:09:25,760 --> 01:09:32,540
run into we think the wires are getting older so it is becoming a more

726
01:09:32,540 --> 01:09:38,120
pain to try to go through and determine and we can only put certain breakers in

727
01:09:38,120 --> 01:09:42,920
that pedestal out there too and some of those are getting ordered harder to

728
01:09:42,920 --> 01:09:44,040
find and come by.

729
01:09:46,570 --> 01:09:50,930
The roof's barn one or barn two I'm sorry not barn one. The roof

730
01:09:50,930 --> 01:09:56,950
and barn two is the same way there's quite a few leaks in it. There is the way

731
01:09:56,950 --> 01:10:00,770
barn two is formed there's two different roofs on that actually there's one that

732
01:10:00,770 --> 01:10:04,150
covers the big main area and then there's an area that comes down like this

733
01:10:04,150 --> 01:10:17,230
but both those areas are having a lot of a lot of issues in them. And then of course the lights in barn two. Our staff can replace the lights. We did the lights in barn three, five and six.

734
01:10:18,650 --> 01:10:28,690
But it's the wiring. I think we need to have the wiring look before we go spend the funds and maybe upgrade the wiring and put grounds in there.

735
01:10:28,690 --> 01:10:41,830
There is the boiler room that's upstairs been shut down for, I really couldn't tell you how long longer than I've been there.

736
01:10:43,250 --> 01:10:52,130
So we have been slowly replacing water heaters too but that's where we're coming across a lot of the older plumbing issues and we're able to plumb what we can.

737
01:10:52,910 --> 01:10:57,710
but then going inside of walls, not just 4A's, but born twos the same way.

738
01:10:59,570 --> 01:11:11,690
So that's just kind of some of the main beg points, and like Hannah said, we're just kind of looking for direction to continue operating the way we are.

739
01:11:12,230 --> 01:11:20,190
There is other things that can be done on top of these that we can operate in a different manner as far as bringing in different events.

740
01:11:20,190 --> 01:11:27,030
and yes, still staying with ag events, but also bringing in different types of events.

741
01:11:27,670 --> 01:11:30,890
But there is other things that would have to be addressed to be able to do that.

742
01:11:31,430 --> 01:11:33,710
David, I see two issues here.

743
01:11:34,190 --> 01:11:41,230
I see the maintenance issues we got, and I see the issues we got, what the city wants us to do to maintain or whatever they said.

744
01:11:41,950 --> 01:11:47,230
So I think the first thing that I like to see is on the maintenance,

745
01:11:47,230 --> 01:11:50,750
Yeah, we need to take care of the stuff we need to take care of.

746
01:11:50,790 --> 01:11:58,610
I mean, are to keep the building the stuff up like that on the city part that they told us we had to do.

747
01:11:58,850 --> 01:12:08,250
I guess I'm what I'm looking at is how much time in that 30 year at least that they give us to get this progression to get stuff done.

748
01:12:08,430 --> 01:12:09,070
Five years.

749
01:12:09,370 --> 01:12:10,310
Five years, okay.

750
01:12:10,530 --> 01:12:11,710
And we're in the third year of it.

751
01:12:11,890 --> 01:12:13,470
And we're in the third year of that fourth year.

752
01:12:13,610 --> 01:12:14,310
Fourth year of that.

753
01:12:15,990 --> 01:12:31,600
So I guess what I would like to see is how many dollars have we got left to what the city wants us to do to get up the what and then how much, you know, what are we looking at in maintenance issues that we're going to have to take care of that away.

754
01:12:33,000 --> 01:12:59,800
Yes, so I think Hannah addressed the fact that we've got 800,000 plus left on the city side, and I think the messaging today is really we could spend every bit as much over the next five years as we have spent over the last five years just doing

755
01:12:59,800 --> 01:13:15,400
other kinds of things that not fancy stuff, just really replacing and repairing things on facilities that are now between 40 and 80 years old.

756
01:13:15,400 --> 01:13:24,320
And the real question for the commission is, do you want us to do that?

757
01:13:24,600 --> 01:13:29,880
And is there a dollar limit to us doing that?

758
01:13:30,200 --> 01:13:38,860
Because at the end of the day, the facility needs at the Expo Center,

759
01:13:38,860 --> 01:13:48,700
which we only know that we have for another 25 years, compete against other

760
01:13:48,700 --> 01:14:01,100
facility needs that we have identified such as a health department. And so we're

761
01:14:01,100 --> 01:14:12,020
just we're trying to get a gauge on how much your comfort level is on where we

762
01:14:12,020 --> 01:14:18,720
need to stop and say all right we we gave it the office this is all we're doing

763
01:14:20,260 --> 01:14:26,900
and I know there's a really hard questions but that you look at the numbers we

764
01:14:26,900 --> 01:14:32,360
We could spend every bit as much over the next five years as we've spent over the previous

765
01:14:32,360 --> 01:14:32,760
five.

766
01:14:33,100 --> 01:14:38,720
So right now we're staring 1.6 million dollars into face, 800,000 one place and 800,000

767
01:14:38,720 --> 01:14:39,460
dollars in maintenance.

768
01:14:40,900 --> 01:14:41,720
If not more.

769
01:14:41,960 --> 01:14:42,420
That's not more.

770
01:14:43,680 --> 01:14:45,520
Well, it's pretty simple to me.

771
01:14:45,740 --> 01:14:51,740
I mean, number one, why wasn't I thought the restrooms at the 4-H building were included

772
01:14:51,740 --> 01:14:54,760
in on the first phase of things, and why weren't they?

773
01:14:54,760 --> 01:14:59,660
because we had identified those.

774
01:15:00,000 --> 01:15:29,120
Okay. I'm probably wrong. But it was more of a county thing. And I agree. The city thing. Outside it. That leads me to my, my overall view of this. It, we're going to throw back at you guys. You guys need to prioritize what you've got and what needs to be done. Obviously, restrooms to me would be right at the top of it. A leak in the, in the barn to roof, isn't going to bother me that an animal gets wet, you know, or whatever if it rains out. That's not going to bother me.

775
01:15:29,740 --> 01:15:35,280
Prioritize it give us some costs we can analyze what we want to think about on down the line

776
01:15:35,280 --> 01:15:39,720
Fills hit on it. There's other needs within the county. We can't just say oh, yeah

777
01:15:41,240 --> 01:15:45,860
Five million dollars. We're gonna give the expo center to do this over the next two years

778
01:15:45,860 --> 01:15:47,600
I don't want to do it that way

779
01:15:47,600 --> 01:15:53,700
I want to see some prioritization of these items and and how quickly we might do it

780
01:15:53,700 --> 01:15:56,440
There's there's some of that that obviously needs to be done

781
01:15:56,440 --> 01:15:58,120
and restaurants, like I said, right away.

782
01:15:58,800 --> 01:16:02,500
But the electrical stuff, I mean, I don't know what the need,

783
01:16:03,120 --> 01:16:06,740
I can't just sit here and say that we absolutely have to replace it

784
01:16:06,740 --> 01:16:08,120
and barn five or whatever.

785
01:16:09,040 --> 01:16:11,080
You've got to prioritize some of that for us.

786
01:16:11,760 --> 01:16:12,160
Absolutely.

787
01:16:12,580 --> 01:16:15,380
And get some costs or relative costs.

788
01:16:15,840 --> 01:16:18,400
I mean, we're already looking in this four-year plan,

789
01:16:18,460 --> 01:16:19,600
we're already above budget.

790
01:16:20,060 --> 01:16:20,360
Absolutely.

791
01:16:20,700 --> 01:16:22,980
I mean, I get that when we start going out like that,

792
01:16:23,140 --> 01:16:24,880
it's going to probably be more.

793
01:16:24,880 --> 01:16:32,320
But we still need some guy, you know, some sort of a budget or, you know, a

794
01:16:32,320 --> 01:16:37,820
proximate of what it's going to cost us and do I want to do it next year?

795
01:16:37,940 --> 01:16:46,320
Heck no, let's fulfill our obligation to the city and we'll do things as we can.

796
01:16:48,620 --> 01:16:51,100
The buildings belong to Silling County.

797
01:16:52,880 --> 01:16:58,340
The lease is, when the lease runs out, we've got building set on somebody else's property.

798
01:16:59,540 --> 01:17:02,240
So, but we need to look down the line.

799
01:17:04,600 --> 01:17:07,580
That doesn't really give you any guidance right now, I know, but-

800
01:17:07,580 --> 01:17:15,120
No, I appreciate that feedback, because we have already started to kind of list out and

801
01:17:15,780 --> 01:17:22,300
I guess rank those additional items, it just knows it was really prudent to give you

802
01:17:22,300 --> 01:17:29,200
an update of, like, where are we at, but getting some feedback of, what is your tolerance?

803
01:17:30,120 --> 01:17:37,420
What is it that you want us to do? Because if we had unlimited funds, this would be

804
01:17:37,420 --> 01:17:39,940
an unissue, right? But that's not the case.

805
01:17:40,440 --> 01:17:48,620
My tolerance is not very, very high. But, you know, I mean, is the relief, the rough leaking

806
01:17:48,620 --> 01:17:54,380
in the offices. No, but if it were, that would be number one priority type thing. That's

807
01:17:54,380 --> 01:17:59,660
what I'm looking at. David listed a lot of electrical issues that are probably a priority,

808
01:17:59,960 --> 01:18:05,700
or very expensive, but they're not a priority that we have to be able to turn, you know,

809
01:18:05,880 --> 01:18:13,000
have electricity at barn six or whatever. That's my point. You need to tell me what's a priority,

810
01:18:13,780 --> 01:18:18,240
whether that electrical is a problem or is an issue that should go to the top of the list.

811
01:18:18,240 --> 01:18:20,280
and why it should or why it should not.

812
01:18:20,660 --> 01:18:22,160
That's what I want to see.

813
01:18:23,260 --> 01:18:28,220
Were any of these items addressed in the 2025 budget request?

814
01:18:31,420 --> 01:18:32,180
And why not?

815
01:18:35,820 --> 01:18:42,940
So the 2025, so the budget request is really

816
01:18:42,940 --> 01:18:44,700
to operate the facility.

817
01:18:44,880 --> 01:18:49,100
So it's paying staff and paying plumbing parts

818
01:18:49,100 --> 01:18:50,500
and that sort of thing.

819
01:18:50,500 --> 01:19:03,480
it's not major capital. So it's buying a new small square

820
01:19:03,480 --> 01:19:08,180
to e-breaker box. David can accommodate replacing the main electrical switch

821
01:19:08,180 --> 01:19:17,220
for Ag Hall is not within his operating budget. That's a capital project. And so there

822
01:19:17,220 --> 01:19:25,800
There is a number in the capital plan for 2025, but that is related to completing the

823
01:19:25,800 --> 01:19:27,240
projects that are in the lease.

824
01:19:28,420 --> 01:19:34,100
What we're talking about here is really 2026 and beyond.

825
01:19:37,090 --> 01:19:45,810
You want to keep spending as much per year for the next five years as you have been on Expo

826
01:19:45,810 --> 01:19:51,610
center because we certainly could, or do you want to shift other buildings?

827
01:19:52,370 --> 01:20:04,250
Refresh my memory, when do we, as a commission, address CIP and set those, what our targets are?

828
01:20:04,930 --> 01:20:14,890
We'll bring those to you in June, as when I bring the rest of the budget to you, we'll have CIP within that.

829
01:20:16,150 --> 01:20:39,030
You know, there's another thing here that troubles me a little bit, and that is that we're trying to get this up to the level that we're competing with someone else's facility, and we're, it costs us, I don't know what $500,000, $400,000 to operate the expo center every year, why do we want to spend money to compete with someone else so that we can lose more money?

830
01:20:39,510 --> 01:20:45,150
I don't I don't go along with that. I mean, you know, if we're spending costs is $500,000 to

831
01:20:46,450 --> 01:20:48,070
operate the place in the first place,

832
01:20:48,910 --> 01:20:53,950
we're going to continue to lose at that rate, particularly at the at the level of charges that we

833
01:20:55,310 --> 01:20:59,150
distribute with these functions. I

834
01:20:59,150 --> 01:21:02,190
think I think we've always looked at it at the Expo Centers bringing

835
01:21:03,170 --> 01:21:05,310
revenue to the city to the community

836
01:21:06,270 --> 01:21:09,850
But it's still costing our budget a half a million dollars just to run the place.

837
01:21:10,810 --> 01:21:16,590
And that's where I have a problem upgrading it, trying to compete with someone else so we can lose more money.

838
01:21:19,750 --> 01:21:22,230
Well, and that really is the crux of the matter.

839
01:21:23,050 --> 01:21:26,790
I'm just going to expand on what you said there are commercial metrics.

840
01:21:26,790 --> 01:21:30,090
and that yes, so it has been,

841
01:21:30,990 --> 01:21:34,590
and I've talked about this in what we're trying to gauge

842
01:21:34,590 --> 01:21:37,250
is the commission's risk tolerance, right?

843
01:21:37,850 --> 01:21:41,850
So you have been, you have told us in the past,

844
01:21:42,610 --> 01:21:46,730
maybe not explicitly, but by virtue of passing the budget,

845
01:21:46,970 --> 01:21:52,550
you have told us you're willing to spend $400 to $500,000 a year

846
01:21:52,550 --> 01:21:56,390
to have the facility, to operate the facility.

847
01:21:56,770 --> 01:22:00,250
And the question is, are you willing to spend that

848
01:22:00,830 --> 01:22:04,290
plus another half a million dollars a year

849
01:22:04,610 --> 01:22:08,750
in capital for the foreseeable future?

850
01:22:09,630 --> 01:22:15,050
Or do we really need to start thinking about alternatives

851
01:22:15,510 --> 01:22:16,870
that avoid that?

852
01:22:22,270 --> 01:22:24,810
I'm at the alternative stage at this point.

853
01:22:24,810 --> 01:22:34,690
My risk tolerance is exactly where it's currently until outside groups come in and help with this.

854
01:22:34,870 --> 01:22:41,150
There's always been a wish list that people have wanted out of this center.

855
01:22:42,050 --> 01:22:44,870
But in 10 years nobody has ever come forward with any funds.

856
01:22:46,070 --> 01:22:51,930
You guys have heard me say this before but similar to what the tennis and the golf and the soccer and the

857
01:22:51,930 --> 01:22:54,750
The Steeple and everything else has happened around town.

858
01:22:55,230 --> 01:23:03,590
Other groups get together and band together and push a project and no outside agency has

859
01:23:03,590 --> 01:23:04,950
ever come forward to do that.

860
01:23:05,770 --> 01:23:09,890
And so what we're spending right now is my tolerance level.

861
01:23:18,000 --> 01:23:18,560
Any other questions?

862
01:23:21,950 --> 01:23:22,750
Does that give you a little bit?

863
01:23:24,130 --> 01:23:36,550
I think that gives us enough to start some additional conversations and first and foremost

864
01:23:36,550 --> 01:23:38,390
we'll get the list of the city stuff done.

865
01:23:38,870 --> 01:23:42,450
Well, I'm sure there's going to be a little harder conversations to be had because it's

866
01:23:42,450 --> 01:23:42,910
so.

867
01:23:43,690 --> 01:23:45,390
I appreciate the conversation today.

868
01:23:45,390 --> 01:23:52,650
Okay, I think this gives us enough of a direction to start exploring some things.

869
01:23:53,330 --> 01:23:53,510
Okay.

870
01:23:54,650 --> 01:23:55,630
Thank you.

871
01:23:56,030 --> 01:23:56,270
Thank you.

872
01:23:59,230 --> 01:24:00,450
That moves us into H.

873
01:24:01,210 --> 01:24:12,190
Mr. Chairman, staff would request that the commission recess to executive session under the non-elected personnel exception to the Kansas Open Meetings Act to discuss

874
01:24:12,190 --> 01:24:22,850
Yes, Department Head Performance Evaluation for seven minutes and reconvene in this room at 1030.

875
01:24:23,810 --> 01:24:24,630
So moved.

876
01:24:25,350 --> 01:24:25,810
Second.

877
01:24:26,290 --> 01:24:31,930
Okay, we have motion a second to adjourn to the executive session until 1030.

878
01:24:32,150 --> 01:24:33,030
All in favor say aye.

879
01:24:33,410 --> 01:24:33,750
Aye.

880
01:24:34,130 --> 01:24:34,230
Aye.

881
01:24:34,850 --> 01:24:35,790
All opposed, same sign.

882
01:24:36,150 --> 01:24:37,610
We are in the executive session.

883
01:32:55,090 --> 01:33:04,980
Okay, we're back in session, and no action was taken. That moves us on to, I believe, a motion for adjournment.

884
01:33:06,180 --> 01:33:06,860
So move.

885
01:33:08,340 --> 01:33:08,680
Second.

886
01:33:09,180 --> 01:33:11,880
Have a motion and a second to adjourn. All in favor say aye.

887
01:33:12,380 --> 01:33:12,660
Aye.

888
01:33:13,380 --> 01:33:15,780
Opposed, same sign, passes 5, 0. Thank you.