In other business Monday morning, the Barton County Commission:
• Adopted a proclamation of support for the National Guard and Army Reserves at the request of the Kansas Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. In addition, the statement recognizes the Guard and Reserve as being “essential to the strength of our Nation, the Proclamation urges employers to enforce the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, provide supervisors the tools to effectively manage employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve, appreciate the values, leadership and unique skills of service members and recognize and support service members and their families.”
Boeckman said the county does have an employee deployed and stationed at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba. The act is in place to assure that folks like him have a job to return to after their deployments are over.
• Approved the five-year renewal of the lease for the building that houses the Barton County Communications. Barton County has leased a building at 1300 Stone, Great Bend, since 1989 when the county-wide 911 system was established.
The space houses 911, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The lease, originally with Southwestern Bell Telephone, is now with AT&T. Rental costs are built into the budget for 911 each year. The current lease expires at the end of this month.
911 Director Doug Hubbard said the lease rate will be $432 per month for the first year and that rate will increase 3 percent per year for the first three years.
The county will have the option in five years of renewing for another five years.
It was the late Pat Keenan who, as a Barton County commissioner, campaigned to have the road to the Great Bend Compost Site paved. He was recognized Monday morning for that effort as the County Commission named that road in his honor.
The road is located about a half mile line between Washington and McKinley street and south from Railroad Avenue to the site. It is known as SW 5 Avenue for 911 emergency purposes and this will remain its official designation.
Barton County Road and Bridge Director Dale Phillips presented the big blue sign reading “Pat Keenan Memorial Road” to Keenan’s widow Dortha Keenan during the meeting.
“He was very concerned about this,” Dortha said of the road. It would get muddy when it rained and would be rutted when it was dry, making using it difficult.
“He never failed to say how great it was” after it was finished, she said. “If Pat were here, he would thank you profusely.”
After that, she speculated Pat would say something comical. “He might say ‘I expected Main Street or Broadway, but this will do.”
Keenan served as a Barton County Commissioner from 1997 to 2005 and during his tenure, he advocated paving the road, Boeckman said. He took up the cause in 2004 and the road was paved in a joint effort by Great Bend Township, the City of Great Bend and Barton County in 2005.
“This was something he was very involved with,” Boeckman said.
Commissioner Jennifer Schartz said he paved the way for the project, but this effort was about more than just a smooth road. The bigger legacy is the spirit of cooperation between various governmental bodies.
A Great Bend native, Keenan died June 28 at the age of 79. He auctioned for 45 years and was partner with his wife Dortha at Keenan Real Estate Inc.
In addition to his eight years on the commission, he served four years on the Great Bend City Council and four years on the Kansas Real Estate Commission.
