Barton County Office Buildings will be closed Monday for Martin Luther King Day. The Records Division of the Sheriff’s Office and the Health Department will also be closed. The Landfill will only be open from 8-11 a.m. that day. Emergency services will be in normal operation.
Since this is a Monday, the next regular Barton County Commission meeting will be at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the courthouse.
There was a changing of the guard of sorts at the Barton County Commission Monday morning as Commissioner Kenny Schremmer was named chairman for 2014 and Jennifer Schartz was named chairman pro tem.
After his nomination was approved, Schremmer switched seats with Don Cates. Cates held the post this past year.
“I hope to follow in his path,” Schremmer said of his predecessor. “I thank the rest of the commission for having confidence in me.”
In his 12 years on the commission, Schremmer has wielded the gavel four times.
“This is a great bunch of people,” he said of his fellow commissioners and the county staff. “It just seems like a family.”
As he stepped aside, Cates said has been an honor to be chairman. “Time flies when you are having fun.”
He said he and the other commissioners have not agreed. But, in the end, they all have the best interest of the county at heart and respect one another.
He looked back on the year. “We continue to be in good shape and we don’t have any debt,” Cates said.
County employees have continually done more with less, working with what amounts to .9 mills fewer than they had five years ago. “We still get excellent service,” he said.
The commission gets a lot of attention, Cates said, but he deferred to County Administrator Richard Boeckman and the county personnel. “They are the ones who do the work and make that happen.”
As for changes, Cates mentioned the new county website. He also noted the switch over to the new county-wide commercial software, a change that has not been easy for everyone.
But, Cates said, despite their reluctance, those who resisted did their best to make the move. He respected their professionalism and team spirit.
In other business Monday, the commission:
• Named the Great Bend Tribune as the official county newspaper. The newspaper selected must meet the qualifications as prescribed by state statute as best reaching the citizens of Barton County.
• Approved a resolution waiving the use of generally accepted accounting principles by the county come audit time. The county, in line with the state, operates on a cash basis. So, each year, the county must adopt such a resolution.
