In other business Monday morning, the Barton County Commission:
• Approved a $15,052 bid from Little Giant Vinyl Fabrications of Great Bend to purchase flag poles at the Veterans’ Memorial at Golden Belt Memorial Park. Recent donations have allowed for the funding necessary to go ahead with the placement of the poles. Planned is a center 35-foot flag pole, flanked by six 30-foot poles representing the various branches of the armed services. Mick Lang of the Memorial Parks Advisory Committee said county employees will install the poles and they should be in place by Memorial Day.
• Approved the vacation of a portion of Dodge Road in the Zarah Cliff Subdivision, a small housing development about a half mile east of Barton Community College and a quarter mile south of NE 30 Road on NE 30 Avenue. The portion of the road is more fully described as that portion of Dodge Street located between Lots Five (5), Six (6) and Seven (7), in Block One (1); and lots One (1), Two (2) and Three (3) in Block Two (2). The owner of the lots wishes to have the road closed. The Commission viewed the site of the proposed vacation on Feb. 24 following a public notice period.
Public notices were published, letters sent out and public meetings have been held on the matter. There was some opposition to the vacation from area residents.
Road vacation is the legal process of undoing a road creation. The vacated road ceases to be a public road where the public has the right to travel.
• Approved the purchase of two used 12-terrabyte servers for the Barton County Sheriff’s Office at a total cost of $4,035. They were bought via Ebay.
The purchase was necessary, Sheriff Brian Bellendir said, since the current server was full and on the verge of crashing and there is no way to back up the information. The data includes digital photos and videos shot from patrol cars, all of which is potential evidence which can’t be lost.
Bellendir said he is still playing catch-up as he updates the BSCO information technology which had been neglected. He will also need to upgrade the in-car video systems and the video monitoring system in the jail.
• Approved the purchase of three rotary mowers for $16,959 from Great Bend Farm Equipment for the Road and Bridge Department. Included in the bid was the trade-in of three 2011 Land Pride 15-foot rotary mowers with high usage.
Road and Bridge Director Dale Phillips said has 400-plus miles of right of ways and other lots it must mow, so the mowers get a lot of use all year long. His department trades the mowers in every three years.
• Heard a departmental update from County Administrator Richard Boeckman.
Even with a fresh dusting of snow on the ground Monday morning, spring and the threat of turbulent lies weather ahead, said Barton County Emergency Management Director Amy Miller. So, the Barton County Commission approved a proclamation marking this as Severe Weather Awareness Week in the county.
“Being prepared is one of the best things people can do to help first responders,” Miller said. This is a cooperative effort of the National Weather Services and the Kansas Emergency Management Association.
Although 2013 severe weather season was not as eventful as prior years, Miller said everyone needs to be prepared for the spring severe weather season. There were still 56 tornadoes in Kansas last year, including an EF-4 in Pawnee County.
So, the proclamation encourages individuals, businesses and communities to plan and prepare for an emergency.
Kansans can expect a tornado safety drill at 1:30 p.m. today. Weather permitting, the sirens will sound in Great Bend at that time.
However, if it is too cold, the sirens will not be used because of potential damage to the equipment. Even if the alarm does not sound, Miller encouraged residents to practice their storm safety plans anyway.
In addition, “Storm Fury on the Plains,” a program of free training on severe weather awareness, is still scheduled be offered at 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. today at the Crest Theater. Information will be provided by the National Weather Service.
