With regret, the Barton County Commission Monday morning accepted the resignations of two long-time public servants – County Appraiser Barb Esfeld and Information Technology Director John Debes. Commissioners also named Wendy Prosser and Dereck Hollingshead as their respective successors.
• Esfeld’s resignation was effective Nov. 30. Esfeld was appointed in 2008 and has served consecutive four-year terms as Appraiser since that time, County Administrator Phil Hathcock said.
According to state law, an appraiser must be appointed for a four-year term every fourth year following July 1, 1993. Esfeld was last appointed as the Barton County Appraiser for a term ending June 30, 2021.
“We appreciate all your service to the county,” Commission Chairwoman Jennifer Schartz said. And, she also appreciated her efforts at succession planning.
Schartz was referring to Esfeld and her work with Prosser, who has been with the office since 2008 and has been deputy appraiser since 2014. Prosser has been in training since then.
“You have big shoes to fill,” Commissioner Jim Daily said.
“I look forward to serving you guys and the constituents of Barton County,” Prosser said. Her term is up in June 2021 when the post is up for reappointment.
“I think you’re going to do a good job,” Schartz said.
Esfeld moved to Barton County in 2008 when she became the appraiser. Prior to Barton County, she served as the Russell County appraiser for 13 years, and before that, she had been employed by the Ford County Appraiser’s Office since 1986.
Esfeld will not be leaving county service entirely, though.
In the November general election, she was elected as a Republican to the Barton County Commission, representing the Second District, which falls entirely within the Great Bend city limits and covers most of the north central part of the community. The district was served for five terms by Homer Kruckenberg, who did not seek reelection.
Commissioners serve four-year terms, with two of the five commissioners being elected in the same year, and the other three commissioners elected two years later.
• Debes’ resignation is effective Dec. 18.
He was hired as a computer programmer/analyst in 1988, Hathcock said. He then made the transition to the director of the newly formed Computer Information Services Department, later renamed Information Technology.
“He has served the county well for those 32 years,” County Administrator Hathcock said. Again, this was an example of succession planning as Debes prepared Hollingshead to assume the job.
Next, Hollingshead was named IT director, effective Dec. 21.
Hollingshead was hired as the network administrator for the Information Technology Department on Feb. 16, 2018. He has been instrumental in improving technological efficiencies to allow for no-contact services during the COVID-19 pandemic response, Hathcock said.
“You’ve done some really amazing things for us,” Schartz said of Hollingshead. “I’m pleased to give you this appointment.
Barton County Commission meeting at a glance
Here is a quick look at what the Barton County Commission did Monday morning:
• Named Jennifer Schartz as commission chairwoman and Jim Daily as chairman pro tem. The action was necessary following the death of Chairman Kenny Schremmer on Thanksgiving.
• Approved the resignation of County Appraiser Barb Esfeld.
• Approved the appointment of Deputy County Appraiser Wendy Prosser as county appraiser.
• Approved the resignation of Information Technology Director John Debes, effective Dec. 18.
• Approved appointment of Dereck Hollingshead as Information Technology director, effective Dec. 21.
• Approved bids for county building pest control.
Every two years, the county accepts bids from qualified vendors to provide monthly pest control and extermination services for Barton County owned buildings, excluding the Landfill. Two Barton County companies, B.A.T.S. Inc., (World Pest Control and Sunflower Services), and Schendel Pest Services, both bid on the work, County Administrator Phil Hathcock said.
Approved was a bid from World Pest bid for $420 per month.
• Approved a bid for county trash hauling services.
The only bid was provided by Estes Trash LLC, Great Bend. Their bid increases from $425 per month to $457, County Administrator Phil Hathcock said.
The County requested proposals for trash hauling services for county office buildings to include the courthouse, Sheriff’s Office and Detention Facility, Health Department, Barton County Office Building, Road and Bridge and Noxious Weed. There are generally three pick-up dates per week for service year 2021. It is noted that the Sheriff’s Office has service Monday–Saturday.
• Approved an updated the resolution denoting the vendor for the county’s web-based procurement platform.
Grant Coordinator Sue Cooper has worked with Vendor Registry and CityGrows to improve the County’s electronic presence through a web-based procurement platform and the addition of form submission software. After approval of subscription services with both venders on Nov. 9, it was learned that Vendor Registry was acquired by BidNet and will operate as such. So, she said the original motion reference Vendor Registry be rescinded and that action be taken to approve a subscription with BidNet.
