The Barton County District Court Office will be remodeled to make it more user friendly for customers and safer for personnel, the County Commission decided Tuesday morning.
The $12,600 project, to be handled by Kustom Floor Designs of Great Bend, will involve the removal of the existing counter and the building of a new one set further back. The work includes: A new counter that will be more of a partition not extending all the way to the ceiling that has a laminated glass window through which business can be conducted; and a staff security door to the office area.
Currently, the public area is only about 48 square feet, said Mary Gatton, District Court clerk. Those needing help or wishing to used the public computer are now crowded into that space.
The change will expand this area to over 100 square feet.
A portion of this public area will be used for the staff-used microfiche machine that will be moved down from the fourth floor.
The work is part of an on-going effort to shuffle office space. This includes the elimination of the Records Department and the moving of the Environmental Management Office, done to help streamline county services and save money.
 In other business, the commission:
• Approved hiring Steve Reschke to paint the common areas of the Barton County Office Building at 1208 Kansas for a cost not to exceed $5,300. It has not been painted since the county first remodeled the building in 1995. It was agreed, as a cooperative effort by the agencies housed in the building, to include Central Kansas Community Corrections, Court Services, Juvenile Services and the KSU/Barton County Extension Council, that each agency would paint their own offices, and $1,200 is included to cover this cost. Reschke will provide all the paint and supplies for the project.
The total area to be painted is about 17,000 square feet.
The carpeting in the building is now in the process of being replaced.
• Approved the purchase of two copy machines for the Register of Deeds Office. Given the condition of current equipment, Pam Wornkey, register of deeds, requested authorization to purchase replacements for a Brother printer, costing $449.99, for use by the public and a Canon copier, costing $5,675.00, for general office use. The price of both items was quoted by Office Products Incorporated of Great Bend. The copier can also send faxes and emails.
• Heard a report from County Administrator Richard Boeckman on the activities of county departments.