In other business Monday morning, the Barton County Commission:
• Approved declaring a stretch of road as minimum maintenance. The road is one mile of NW 140 Avenue between NW 190 Road and NW 200 Road in Fairview Township. On Nov. 3, the commission adopted a resolution to determine the declaration of a certain road as being of minimum maintenance, since it is only used occasionally.
As required by statute, the resolution was published in the Great Bend Tribune and the Barton County Planning Commission reviewed the request at its regular meeting on Dec. 9 and recommended that the declaration be made. Since this road boarders between Barton and Rush counties, the Rush County Commission was notified of the potential for action, County Administrator Richard Boeckman said.
Now, a “Minimum Maintenance Travel at your own risk” sign will be installed. The action absolves the township of liability for the section.
It is drivable now and it was stressed that minimum maintenance does not mean no maintenance.
• Approved the installation of decorative fencing at Barton County’s Golden Belt Memorial Park for $38,987 from B&B Metal Arts of Hoisington. The work involves the installation of approximately 657 feet of sandblasted and powder coated fencing along the east side of the park, similar in design and quality of that already in place, said Barton County Memorial Parks Advisory Board President Mick Lang.
Given the cost, it was recommended that fencing be installed just at Golden Belt at this time. Also being studied is 971 feet of fencing at Hillcrest Memorial Park.
• Approved an improvement project, including curb, guttering and sidewalks in sections D, E and F at Hillcrest Memorial Park. The bid went to Sharkey Construction of Otis for $18,053.50. The project consists of approximately 1,915 feet of curb and gutter two feet wide and six inches thick, and a sidewalk approximately 142 foot long, five foot wide, and six inches thick, Lang said.
• Approved appointments to the Barton County Local Emergency Planning Committee. Named to the committee were:
Shelly Schneider, Health Department, replaces Lily Akings
Stephen Billinger, Kansas Highway Patrol, replaces Kenton Doze
Scott Fleming, Hoisington EMS, new appointment
Mary Hoisington, Great Bend Tribune, re-appointment
Doug Hubbard, 911 Communications, re-appointment
Jane Schepmann, Clara Barton Hospital, re-appointment
All the terms expire on Dec. 31, 2016, except for Fleming’s which expires Dec. 31, 2015.
The LEPC is comprised of representatives from the following groups: state/local officials; law enforcement; firefighting; emergency management; health; hospital; broadcast media and/or communications media; transportation; local environmental group; community service/civic group; emergency medical services; and facilities/industries regulated by SARA Title III, said Emergency Risk Manager Amy Miller.
Now, the names will be forwarded to the state for final approval which will come in February.
Sadly, Family Crisis Center Director Laura Patzner said her agency stays busy.
“Our agency has been growing,” she told the Barton County Commission Monday morning. She presented her annual report on the center’s activities.
The FCC, which is headquartered in Great Bend, serves those who have suffered from domestic and sexual violence, abuse and neglect. The center helps those in need through the Domestic and Sexual Violence Center and the Dell Hayden Memorial Child Advocacy Center.
The DSVC is what most people associate the with Family Crisis Center, Patzner said. It provides shelter, the hotline and other services in Barton, Barber, Comanche, Edwards, Kiowa, Ness, Pawnee, Pratt, Rush and Stafford counties.
In the fiscal year 2014, the DSVC provided:
• Shelter services - 54 women, 42 children and one man.
• Domestic violence outreach services - 188 women, 22 children, and 10 men.
• Sexual assault outreach services - 39 women, 12 children, and one man.
• Stalking outreach services - six women, two children and two men.
• Hotline calls - 2,667, up from 2,400 last year.
“Our shelter stays busy,” she said. “Our services are pretty much steady.”
Patzner said the Dell Hayden Center has been in operation now for two years, and serves Barton, Pawnee, Rush and Stafford counties. It’s mission is to provide a place where children and non-offending caregivers can be interviewed by law enforcement or care workers in a safe environment, she said.
In 2014, the DHCAC provided:
• Interview and Advocacy Services - 129 children and 164 non-offending caregivers.
• Forensic interviews - 127 children.
• Medical exams - 29 children.
“It’s a tough program, but its needed,” Patzner said.
The FCC has a budget of $780,245 for both programs, she said. The administrative costs are 11 percent of the overall spending.
As for the economic impact on Barton County from the center, Patzner said $414,431 of the budget goes to payroll and $80,839 for goods and services.
