A late addition to the Barton County Commission meeting agenda on Wednesday resulted in the county approving a memorandum of understanding with Comanche Township that will allow the Road and Bridge Department to improve 1.5 miles of SE 40 Road going into Barton County Feeders, at a cost not to exceed $250,000.
Commissioner Kirby Krier said the county will be reimbursed and Comanche County will be responsible for maintenance of the road after its completion.
“They will also be part of that contract,” Krier said. “They’re out there helping with their grader and manpower.”
Before it passed unanimously, commissioner Jennifer Schartz commented, “Mr. chairman, I normally don’t like having things put on the agenda at the last minute that we don’t have a study session on, but we have discussed this several times before, so it’s not new information to anyone.”
Chairman Shawn Hutchinson agreed that it needed to be approved now, especially since the commission won’t meet next week due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
The road goes past the rural Ellinwood feedlot at 1164 SE 40 Road and it’s in bad shape. “It was a total disaster,” Krier said. “Basically, we’re taking the entire road and we’re redoing it, and making a base and a top surface.” Maybe in the future it could be a blacktop road, he added.
Normally, a project like this would be the township’s responsibility.
“They didn’t have the expertise nor the engineers nor enough equipment to justify doing it,” Krier said. “They will reimburse us on FEMA rates and wages. We won’t do it without them reimbursing the county.”
Comanche Township Trustee Kenneth Spangenberg said a lot of big trucks travel down that road every day. The township is out there working with its equipment but doesn’t have enough manpower to finish the project.
Health Department grants
Barton County Health Director Karen Winkelman reported on a remodeling project that is mostly being funded with grant money from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Brentwood Builders submitted the only proposal at a bid of $70,928.
In July, Winkelman asked KDHE to consider providing a $50,000 grant through the ELC (Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity) program for this project. She wants to combine two restrooms into one and make a decontamination area with a shower, washer and dryer. “We would use it when we go out on environmental visits,” she said. The staff would also have a place to change before going home, a good precaution with situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
After getting the bid from Brentwood Builders, Winkelman said she went back to KDHE and requested an additional $10,000, which was also approved.
At Wednesday’s meeting, the commission approved the final $10,928 for the project, using the health fund in the county budget.
Winkelman said the Health Department has also received a grant from KDHE for $29,000, through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Gap with Social Determinates of Health Accelerator Plans program. The primary focus of this grant is to reach the under-served population. The commission accepted the grant, which will be used to offset the salary of Health Educator Katelyn Sigler and for program supplies.
County announces holiday hours
With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, the Barton County Commission will not meet on Wednesday, Nov. 23. Its next meeting is set for 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, at the Barton County Courthouse.
• Barton County Office Buildings will be closed on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 24-25. The Barton County Health Department and the Records Division of the Sheriff’s Office will be closed both days.
• The Barton County Landfill will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 24. It will reopen on Friday, Nov. 25, between the hours of 8 and 11 a.m. It will return to normal operational hours on Saturday, Nov. 26.
• Emergency services will be in normal operation.
Meeting at a glance
Here is a quick look at what the Barton County Commission did Wednesday:
• Provided a letter of support to the Rosewood Services Roots and Wings Foundation. Howard Partington said the request is for a Kansas Department of Transportation grant application. Under the application, the Foundation will apply for the replacement of an older mini van and at least $10,000.00 in operating funds. This will be used to advance transportation services for persons with disabilities and senior citizens.
• County Engineer Barry McManaman talked about the 2023 biennial bridge inspections and the bid was awarded to Kirkham Michael, a civil engineering firm in Ellsworth, for $90 per bridge, or $33,480. Work includes routine bridge inspections following the Kansas Department of Transportation’s “Local Routine Bridge and Element Level Inspection Scope of Services and Forms” guidelines. Barton County is required to have all 372 bridge-length structures inspected every two years. Three proposals were received. Cook, Flatt & Strobel Engineers in Topeka had a lower bid at $80 per bridge, or $29,760; Kaw Valley Engineering out of Junction City bid $95 per bridge, or $35,340.
“Kirkham Michael was in the middle of the pack,” McManaman acknowledged, adding the firm has done Barton County’s bridge inspections since around 2003, “and we’ve had really great service with them.” The other firms are reputable and could do the work, he said, but McManaman recommended staying with the “local” bidder. “Anytime we have an issue, we can get with them. They’ve been very generous about sending somebody out to meet with us to take a look at a problem. ... There’s some value there, I believe.”
• Jennifer Hamby, Solid Waste Director, reported that, per KSA 65-3405, Barton County is required to form and maintain a Solid Waste Planning Committee to develop and perform an annual review of the Solid Waste Management Plan, which is then approved by the Commission. This committee is comprised of representatives of cities, counties and the private industry as served by the Barton County Landfill. The commission approved five committee members recommended by Hamby: Scott Turner with Pawnee County; Brad Helfrich, who is the solid waste superintendent for the City of Ellinwood; Shawn Bates with Sunflower Diversified Services; Troy Daubert with Superior Essex; and Jon Prescott from the county commission.
• Health Director Karen Winkelman presented details concerning the CDC Closing the Gap with Social Determinates of Health Accelerator Plans Grant. The Health Department will receive $29,000.
• Winkelman also reported on plans to remodel of certain areas of the Health Department. Brentwood Builders submitted the only proposal at a bid of $70,928, but state grants will pay $60,000 of that.
• The commission agreed to help with the improvement to 1.5 miles of SE 40 Road in Comanche Township, at a cost not to exceed $250,000. The county will be reimbursed by the township.
