The Barton County Commission districts, last set three years ago, will remain the same for another three years, it was decided at the commission meeting Monday morning.
At least once every three years, the commission must review districting to assure that each of the five is as compact and equal in population as possible. “It is time we look at them,” County Clerk Donna Zimmerman said.
However, “we don’t have any good population numbers,” she said. The best figures come from the 2010 census.
So, based on this information, she recommended no change in district boundaries. The districts, their population and representative commissioner include: First District, 5,240, Kenny Schremmer; Second District, 5,309, Homer Kruckenberg; Third District, 5,755, Don Davis; Fourth District, 5,737, Alicia Straub; and Fifth District, 5,639, Jennifer Schartz.
In other business Monday morning, the commission:
• Approved leasing a Pitney Bowes Connect+ 2000 Series postage machine from Pitney Bowes for $650.60 per month through a five-year contract starting in May.
The the current mailroom postage equipment lease will expire in May, but the matter was brought up early because of U.S. Postal Service postage changes that went into effect Monday. The current machine does not produce an intelligent mail barcode needed to receive the commercial based pricing discount. The new machine has the IMBP feature and can produce E-Receipt on certified mail, which will save another $1.36 on each certified letter the county sends, Zimmerman said.
In addition, it has a color printer that may allow the county to print its own envelops, saving on outside printing costs.
• Approved a $1,500 cost sharing with the Southwest Kansas Area Agency on Aging. These funds, which would be used as seed dollars, are part of a total of $351.440 in matching funds contributed by other counties in SKAAA’s catchment area. The money helps fund services received by older residents and low income families, including those from Barton County.
The county has traditionally provided this match, County Administrator Richard Boeckman said.
 • Approved the replacement of sidewalks at the Health Department, 1300 Kansas, and the Office Building, 1806 12th St. Proposals were accepted until Jan. 7, to remove and replace existing sidewalks at these sites. After studying the proposals, it was determined that the Suchy Construction bid of $30,852.93 best meets the needs of the County, Boeckman said.
• Approved a resolution consolidating two county funds. First, the commission approved consolidating several departmental equipment replacement funds into one county-wide equipment replacement fund. Second, they combined two capital improvement funds.
The action was taken to simplify bookkeeping and better reflect the way the county actually plans its budget.