With advance voting becoming available last week ahead of the April 2 county-wide general election County Clerk Donna Zimmerman told the Barton County Commission Monday morning that voting was slow.
But, “we expect it to pick up,” she said.
Zimmerman has  ordered ballots and electronic voting equipment programming for the upcoming April election for positions in cities and school districts across the county, Barton Community College and the Ellinwood Hospital District. Also up to the voters in Ellinwood’s  Unified School District 355 is a special question for the creation of a recreation commission.
“It’s a busy ballot,” the county clerk said.
Her office is also in the process of preparing the iVotronic electronic voting equipment for the election by physical inspection, clearing and testing data from the last election and charging is beginning.
In addition, the processing new and updated voter registrant applications continues and the staff is fulfilling  public service requests, which are reports generally created for election candidates to aid them in reaching their constituents during campaigns.
Other County Clerk’s Office business included:
• Sold 1 annual vehicle permit, 5 senior annual vehicle permits, 1 annual camp permit, 1 14-night camping permit for a total of $325.75 to the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks for the reporting period Feb. 26 March 4.
 • Completed the office asset inventory and the 2012 Motor Vehicle Abstracts for the State. Input of the Motor Vehicle tax from the Treasurer’s MOVRS system continues.
• The 2012 financials are finalized and reports prepared for 2013 following the commissioners February action to transfer funds. Cross training is beginning for Accounts Payable.
• The “13th Month” general ledger and year-end reports have been completed. With that task complete, time is available for working real estate deeds and the 2013 general ledger.
• Abatements and refunds of 2012 taxes are being processed, as are deeds with splits and combinations. Newly elected township officials have been in the office to provide their oath of office and performance bonds as necessary.
• Zimmerman continues planning the Kansas County Clerks’ and Election Officials’ Association Annual Conference to be held in Manhattan on May 8-10.

 Clark Rusco, county engineer
• Met with contractor to discuss asphalt recycle projects.
• Met at several sites to develop plans for various drainage structure repairs or replacement projects.
• Met with surveyor for a subdivision plat in Hoisington. Completed plat review and signed survey review.
• Met with two landowners concerning project development in the floodplain.
• Received one bid for mixing of asphalt for 2013.
• Met with a contractor for the Cheyenne Bottoms pipeline project. Coordinating recycling of concrete pipe from this project.
• Participated in a conference call with Kansas Department of Transportation officials concerning the grant application for the High Risk Rural Roads program. The application is for the required replacement of regulatory and warning signs for several corridors in Barton County.
• Met with a citizen concerning the history of Barton County roads.
• Met with a surveyor concerning flood plain elevations and requirements for several project sites.
• Completed surveys and prepared roadway and channel exhibits required for the Division of Water Resources permits.
• Finalized requirements with DWR concerning roadway changes to the Barton Lake Road.
• Met with landowner to the south of the Barton Lake Road to discuss roadway project and to determine easement requirements for the proposed improvements. The engineering firm of Kirkham Michael, Ellsworth, will submit a proposal to modify the plans they had prepared earlier.
• Prepared plan markups for Barton Lake Road improvements for review by adjacent landowner, Kirkham Michael  and DWR.

Dale Phillips,
road and bridge \ noxious weed \ memorial parks
Road and Bridge
• An early snow storm with blizzard conditions kept crews busy. Eleven truck plows went out to blowing snow and drifting in many locations.
• Shoulder and driveway work was performed southeast of Ellinwood on South East 40 Road.
• Sand pumping continued and this allowed staff to haul sand to the stockpile lot at Odin.
• Staff mixed 200 tons of sand and salt supplies.
• Sign work on bridge markers was scheduled after the snow melt from the weekend storm.
• Sign staff built new signs.

Noxious Weed
• Staff attended the 75th Kansas Weed Directors Conference and Recertification Training.
• Phillips presented a program commemorating the past 75 years in Noxious Weed history.
• Barton County assisted with registration at the conference and helped set up history exhibits.
• Sprayed areas on County roads around signs and bridge rails.
• Prepared the annual weed state report for submission to the Kansas Board of Agriculture, Weed and Pesticide Division.

 Amy Miller,
Emergency Risk \ Records Manager
Emergency Management
• On Feb. 5-7, Miller attended training in Topeka on discussion-based exercise design. The class reviewed the concepts of exercise design, provided practice in the step-by-step construction of exercise design and allowed class attendees the opportunity to develop, conduct and evaluate a discussion based exercise during the class. Exercises are an important part of emergency planning. They provide a means to either practice recent training, review emergency plans, utilize new equipment and/or develop relationships between government agencies, private non-profits agencies and private industry.
• On Feb. 11, Miller attended the annual Barton County Township Officials meeting and gave a presentation on “Public Assistance for a Federal Disaster.” She reviewed the various steps that are followed and the damage assessment that is needed to submit to the State of Kansas so that they can request a Federal disaster declaration.
Records Management
February 2013 – The Barton County Records Management Department had 186 visitors call, write, e-mail or walk in from Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Florida, Arkansas and Wyoming. 
Miller noted that a woman from Wyoming called for information on her great-grandfather. She was looking for his Declaration of Intention to become a citizen of the United States. Records staff found his papers as well as his brother’s. The papers stated that the great-grandfather had arrived at the port of New York on June 18, 1905, from Austria. He settled in Barton County to farm land around the Claflin area. Records staff location information that showed the great-grandfather and his wife were buried in Pleasant View Cemetery.

Doug Hubbard, 911 director
2013 February statistics 
911 Landlines 367
911 Wireless 863
Administrative Lines 9,178
 Total Calls 10,553
 Radio Calls
 Calls for Service 2,834

Lily Akings, health director
Clinic Contacts, totaling 186
• Family Planning, 51
• HIV, 1
• Healthy Start, 12
• Immunizations, 80
• Maternal and Infant, 10
• Sexually Transmitted Infections, 9
• TB, 14