In other business Monday morning, the Barton County Commission:
• Approved a zoning amendment application for a tract of land northwest of Odin. On July 21, the Barton County Planning Commission held a public hearing to consider an application submitted by Zachary and Melissa Prosser, who operate Zack’s Pipe Testing Inc., for an change the zoning classification from agricultural district to light manufacturing service commercial district on a portion of land they own at 670 NE 170 Rd. This designation allows for them to use approximately 1.02 acres of their property to re-locate their “oilfield support” business, currently located at 1392 Kinzel St., Odin, to the property where they also plan to build a new home. The Planning Commission has recommended approval, said Zoning Administrator Judy Goreham.
• Approved a change order for scale house repairs at the Barton County Landfill. On July 18, the commission approved hiring Bryant Construction to replace the roof and siding and to install guttering and insulation on the landfill’s scale house. It has been suggested that replacing the three exterior walk through doors would be most cost effective while the siding is removed from the building, said Solid Waste Director Phil Hathcock. He received a $4,980 bid from Bryant Construction for the installation of three new three-foot steel doors. This brings the total cost of the project to $23,390.
• Approved the replacement of the chiller control panel in the Barton County Courthouse. The control panel on the courthouse chiller has failed. Given that air conditioning is essential, the repair was authorized as an “emergency.” So, Monday, the Commission was asked to ratify the expenditure after the fact, County Administrator Richard Boeckman said. The cost was $3,754 with Knipp Services of Wichita doing the work.
Southwest Developmental Services Inc. has served as Barton County’s Community Developmental Disability Organization for many years, County Administrator Richard Boeckman told the County Commission Monday morning.
“They’ve always done very well for the county,” he said. With this in mind, commissioners approved the 2017 agreement with SDSI to provide the county’s state-mandated CDDO services for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Under the one-year service agreement, SDSI will receive $70,000, which is the same total as in the past two years. It was $100,000 in 2012 and $80,000 in 2014.
Southwest contracts with the State of Kansas as a CDDO for an 18-county area in southwest and central Kansas. It is based in Garden City but has an office Great Bend. SDSI has contracted with Barton County since July 2005.
SDSI does not provide services directly to individuals, said SDSI President Mark Hinde. It contracts with affiliated community providers and helps coordinate services, such as assessments, transfers from one agency to another and counseling for clients and their families.
Hinde said most of the funds go to the providers SDSI works with, such as Sunflower Diversified Services, Rosewood Services and Pathways in Barton County. As CDDO, SDSI also helps manage state and federal money coming into the programs. In addition, the agency provides quality-of-service reviews and eligibility reviews for potential clients.
“We appreciate the relationship we’ve built,” Hinde said.
The work can be challenging, Hinde said. A host of new state regulations and rule changes have made providing these programs difficult.
“They are an additional advocate at the state level,” said Sunflower Diversified Services Executive Director Jim Johnson, who attended Monday’s meeting. SDSI has several legislative contacts and provides lobbying efforts.
“That relieves us of that responsibility so we can provide direct services,” Johnson said.
