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Tax sale payments coming in
Work progressing on Cheyenne Bottoms overlook
courthouse pic new web

 The Barton County Treasurer’s Office is receiving payments for properties included in this year’s tax sale, County Treasurer Kevin Wondra reported. There are currently 73 properties on the sale. 

Since the auction was filed with the court, owners must now pay all taxes owed plus the abstract and court fees of $170 in order to redeem the property, Wondra said. Subsequent to the filing, the county will send each party to the sale a summons, a copy of the petition and the corresponding limited Certificate of Title by certified mail.

The 2017 tax sale is set for Tuesday, Oct. 10. 

The information on the sale was part of the biweekly departmental update presented during the County Commission meeting Monday morning by commission Chairwoman Jennifer Schartz. Other highlights included:

County Engineer Barry McManaman

• Attended a Transportation Engineering Conference in Manhattan.

• The county engineering technician continues to do inspection work on the Cheyenne Bottoms scenic overlook tower projects east of Hoisington on K-4.

• Issued a utility permit for Kansas Department of Health and Environment monitoring wells.

• L&M Contractors poured a concrete headwall and installed the flapgate on the drainage pipe south of Ellinwood.

• Worked on floodplain permit issues and met with two citizens and their surveyor to help them make a decision on a house addition.

• Provided floodplain information for a real estate agent.

• Corresponded with the Division of Water Resources to gather information for people who are looking at floodplain developments.

Road and Bridge Dale Phillips

Road and Bridge Department

• Sand was hauled from Ellinwood to storage lots in the County. Sand was screened for asphalt production. 

• Staff will begin filling potholes with asphalt.

• Sign work continued.

• Asphalt work was started on the Barton County Landfill roads. 

• Office staff worked with Federal Emergency Management Agency on the disaster reimbursement. 

Noxious Weed Department

• Spraying of roadsides and pastures is in full operation.

• Customers are scheduling spraying.

County Treasurer Kevin Wondra

• The Treasurer’s Office processed a total of 1,153 motor vehicle transactions from April 6-19. Of those, 654 were vehicle renewals and 253 were new titles. In the past two weeks personnel have also renewed, registered or updated 12 commercial vehicles. 

The bookkeepers are current with daily work. 

Juvenile Services Director Marissa Woodmansee

• The All Stars class was taught to two sixth-grade classes at Riley Elementary school. 

• Made a presentation to the Great Bend Police Department regarding law changes with Juvenile Justice.

• Juvenile Intake and Assessment has completed 36 intakes since March 23. 

• Juvenile Intensive Supervised Probation and Case Management currently supervising 48 youth from the 20th Judicial District.

• Project Stay is the Case Management program for youth who have truancy issues and currently provides Case Management for 32 youth in the district.

• Teen Court is held every month and currently has 15 youth participating.

• Choices is a new evidence based curriculum offered by staff. Six youth are participating in classes.

• The new immediate intervention program has 17 cases now. Eight youth in Stafford and in Ellsworth have successfully completed the course. The rest of the youth have either started classes or are getting ready to begin.