Barton County Administrator Richard Boeckman offered his biweekly update on the activities of various county departments during the County Commission meeting Monday morning. Highlights included:

Road and Bridge Director Dale Phillips  
Road and Bridge
• Sand hauling to the county storage lots continued as projects allowed.
• Bridge work was completed on Northwest 30 Avenue at the Russell County line, this included silt removal, bridge rail and wing wall repairs.
• Bridge work at three other locations was completed.
• Culvert work and intersection widening was completed on Northeast 30 Avenue at Northeast 170 Road. Work included repairing two culvert drives and widening of the intersection for heavy equipment to negotiate the corner in a safer manner.
• Staff prepared equipment for asphalt work to start May 13 at Northeast 130 Avenue and K-156 Highway south of Claflin.
• Sign work continued daily with repairing signs and repairing bridge marker signs.
• Staff was called out on May 8 for storm damage on Northwest 30 Road as power poles were blown over requiring the road to be closed at 1 a.m. until further notice.
• Work at the South Washington Sand Pit continued in preparation to remove the sand dredge for repairs or relocation.
• Staff worked at county memorial parks and cemeteries.
• Culvert pipe organizational racks have been built allowing for easy access and inventory control.
• Staff hauled equipment to the Odin auction by Kenney Schremmer for sale. The D3 Dozer and one Ford pickup were sold.
• Summer work has started with the warmer temperatures.
• Winter salt supplies are being replenished.
Noxious Weed Department
• Road Spraying continued daily as weather permits.
• Spraying at county-owned memorial parks and cemetery were completed.
• Road work at cemeteries was completed.
• Spraying for musk thistle has started.
• Busy office work is overwhelming with new software and web pages to complete.

911 Director Doug Hubbard
April 2013 Statistics
• 911 Landlines, 337
• 911 Wireless, 908
• Administrative Lines, 8,058
• Total Calls, 9,403
• Radio Calls,
• Calls for Service, 3,186

Register of Deeds
Statistics for April 24, 2013 to May 8
Number of documents and total
• Deeds, 79, $526
• Mortgages, 52, $1,216
• Mortgage registration indebtedness, $5,345,043.90
• General records, 96, $646
• Oil and gas leases, extentions, ratifications, 17, $154
• Assignments, overriding royalty assignments, 106, $802
• Survey, 1, $6
• Uniform Commercial Code filings, 13, $135
• Cemetery permit, 1, $25
• Copies, 1,344, $1,344
• Passports, 19, $475
• Recording fees totals, $3,485
• Special fund fees, $2,064
• Mortgage registration county share, $13,362.61
• Heritage trust fund, $534.50
• Calculated mortgage registration tax, $13,897.11
• Recording totals, 364, $19,446.11