LARNED — The Pawnee County Commission met at 9 a.m. March 21 for a regular meeting. Pawnee County commissioners Kathy Bowman; Donna Pelton; and Gary Caplinger, chair, were present. The following are approved minutes submitted by Pawnee County clerk Ruth Searight.
Searight gave the commissioners the following for their review/approval — payroll, payables, draft minutes of March 14, 2016; agenda; Proclamation for Fair Housing Week; and Kcamp 2016 Memoranda of Coverage.
• Tom Giessel stopped by to see if there was any way he could help with the issues regarding the Larned State Hospital facilities.
• Commissioners approved and signed checks for payroll and payables.
• Commissioners approved the additional charge for Farm and Home Publishers from $425 to $485.
• Commissioners read, corrected and approved minutes of March 14, 2016.
10:50 a.m.—Kurt Demel, Pawnee County highway administrator. Jenny Manry had contacted him, and requested permission, with volunteers, to paint the Lodge at Camp Pawnee. Commissioners approved.
Demel asked if any of the commissioners would be attending the South Central Conference in Hutchinson during April.
Demel gave an update on road work. He discussed purchasing a piece of equipment. Demel discussed the milling machine. He gave an update on starting the Sign Program. Demel provided other updates regarding railroad tracks tracks and stop signs; safety training; received tank, and it is doubled lined.
1:30 p.m.—Rod Wheaton, Pawnee County solid waste supervisor. Commissioners approved and signed Resolution No. 2016-01, regarding the Solid Waste Management Plan for Pawnee County and region.
1:30 p.m.—An executive session was requested, 10 minutes, personnel.
1:40 p.m.—John Hughes, Pawnee Valley Community Hospital administrator; George Harms, Hays Med, CFO; Shea Veach, Hays Med, Vice President; John Settle, Pawnee County attorney, and John Haas, board member.
Hughes gave updates on the following — Vari Care up and going; health coach in place; 340B doing good; radiology machine done; and other items of interest.
Gave more information on the X-ray Machine problems, and the inverter was $11,000, and took 3 or 4 days to fix.
Harms informed Commissioners that they have made the final payment on the MRI.
They discussed the $75,000 Meta Pad, and other items. They further discussed the imaging off for two weeks and the repair bill. Informed commissioners they are working on the 2016-2017 budget. Further discussed updates on chemo and 340B. They presented and discussed financials.
2:30 p.m.—An executive session was requested, 20 minutes, attorney/client privilege.
2:50 p.m.—An executive session was requested, 10 minutes, attorney/client privilege.
• John Settle, Pawnee County attorney, discussed the Larned State Hospital facilities and their challenges.
3:35 p.m.—The meeting was adjourned. The next meeting was scheduled Monday, March 28 at 9 a.m.