Get a new TV under that tree? Need to get rid of that old one?
The Barton County Landfill may have a solution.
The facility offers electronics recycling to Barton County residents. “When one gets that new electronic item for Christmas, the landfill will recycle the old one free of charge,” said Solid Waste Director Phil Hathcock.
For information regarding this service, recycling in general, household hazardous Waste, or regular household waste, call the Landfill at 620-793-1898.
The recycling issue came up as part of Barton County Administrator Richard Boeckman’s bi-weekly departmental update to the County Commission Monday morning. Other highlights included:
Solid Waste Director Phil Hathcock
In the past reporting period, the landfill took in:
• 859 tons of municipal solid waste
• 286 tons of construction/demolition waste
• 88 tons of special waste
• 401 loads of waste received for disposal
• $45,159.96 of revenue generated through disposal fees
Road and Bridge Director Dale Phillips
Road and Bridge /Noxious Weed departments are working together on projects for the reporting period.
• Sand pumping continued at the Ellinwood sand pit.
• Asphalt patching of potholes was performed as needed.
• Staff spent three days painting railroad crossing signs on the roadway.
• Rights of way were mowed for a second time as weather permitted.
• Grading crew staff worked on various drainage projects as scheduled.
• Winter weather preparedness continues however warmer weather is predicted.
• Staff worked on signage requests and repaired downed signs.
Emergency Risk Manager Amy Miller
• Each year, Barton County Emergency Management applies for grant funds with the Kansas Division of Emergency Management. For the FY2015 year, Barton County was eligible to receive $24,385 by completing planning, exercises and other special projects outlined by the state, Emergency Risk Manager Amy miller said. In order to receive the grant funds, Barton County Emergency Management was required to participate in exercises, attend specific training classes, work with the Local Emergency Planning Committee, develop emergency response plans and provide emergency preparedness information to the public.
Exercises are an important part of an emergency management program, providing an opportunity to discuss and evaluate plans and procedures as well as clarify roles and responsibilities, identify gaps in resources needed to respond to an emergency, and improve individual, department and agency performances, Miller said. During 2015, Barton County Emergency Management planned and participated in an ebola tabletop exercise at Clara Barton Hospital and a regional disaster recovery tabletop exercise that involved many partners included in Emergency Support Function 8 – Public Health and Medical Services of the Emergency Operations Plan.
The Kansas Integrated Warning Team meeting was held in Lyons in January 2015. Miller attended the meeting that discussed a wide variety of weather warning topics with local emergency managers, media representatives, meteorologists and personnel from the National Weather Service warning offices in Kansas. The forum is an open discussion on weather topics including types of forecasts and how to provide better severe weather warnings for the citizens of Kansas.
• Barton County also was included in a Federal disaster declaration due to severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding in 2015. Beginning on May 4 and continuing through June 21, severe storms swept through Kansas causing damage with straight-line winds and flooding in 42 counties in Kansas.
Although individuals were not eligible to receive assistance through the declaration, an early estimate of $13 million in public assistance would be made available to state and eligible local government and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities (including roads and bridges) damaged by the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding.
