June 25, 2003

BOARD OF FRANKLIN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

The Board of Commissioners met in a regular session with Chairman John E. Taylor and Commissioners Fred E. Ferguson, Donald C. Hay, Donald R. Stottlemire and Donald E. Waymire present.   

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Taylor at 8:30.

Don Higdon, Chairman of Services for the Elderly in and discussed a 1996 Ford bus that is causing them problems.  They would like to purchase a new one to replace it.  They can’t get any money from KDOT this year, so they would need to buy it out of there equipment reserve fund.  Board agreed to solicit bids to purchase a new bus.  

John Dowell discussed agreement between City of Ottawa, Franklin County and Ottawa Franklin County Economic Development.

Keith Clark in and discussed JAIBG and renewing contracts for 4 employees.

Commissioner Waymire moved and Commissioner Stottlemire seconded to sign contracts with Cynthia Norton, Marlas Christian, Carolyn Schuster and Jonni Cayton.  All voted “yes.”

Commissioner Hay moved and Commissioner Ferguson seconded to approve the Juvenile Justice Authority Grant Conditions.  All voted “yes.”

Keith Clark discussed bids he has received from Holthaus Motors, Ottawa Ford and Beckman Ford for a new vehicle for Community Corrections.  Board asked him to call South Star Chrysler and get a bid and come back in at 1:00 today.

Board received a letter from Rick & Shanda Olmsted asking for consideration to waive the building permit fee to rebuild their home after it was destroyed by a fire in March of this year.

Commissioner Hay moved and Commissioner Waymire seconded to waive the building permit fee for Rick & Shanda Olmsted.  All voted “yes.”

Board discussed request from Brandon Jones from the County Attorney’s Office to receive reimbursement for meals.  Mr. Jones didn’t have itemized receipts only credit card receipts and that he would hope that the county would take the word of a prosecutor that the reimbursements he is asking for are for allowable reimbursements.  Personnel policy states itemized receipts, so that receipts can be verified as allowable reimbursements.  John Dowell said that the reimbursement was coming out of his budget and he wanted Mr. Jones to receive the reimbursement.

Commissioner Hay moved and Commissioner Waymire seconded to reimbursement Brandon Jones for expenses dated June 8 through June 10 without itemized receipts.  All voted “yes.”

Board discussed Charter Resolution to increase the transient guest tax rate.

Commissioner Hay moved and Commissioner Stottlemire seconded to set January 1, 2004 as the effective date of the increase in the transient guest tax rate.  All voted “yes.”

Tammy Pendergrass of 1484 Utah Rd. in about an unmarked curve and bridge east of 3200 Pawnee Rd.  She said her son was involved in an accident at this location.  Board said they would go look at it.

Wayne Westerman with Cook, Flatt & Strobel and Ray DeJulio in and discussed Uniform Traffic Control Devices and the need for an engineering study.  Board asked Ray DeJulio to get proposals from Cook, Flatt & Strobel and other firms for the study.

Open bids at 10:30 for fencing.  Four were received.
Vendor                Bid        Rock Clause Per Hour    Starting Date

Bar D Bar            $2,000        $50.00            June 26
Arrow Corral & Fence        $3,465.10    $50.00            Early July
Bowden Fence            $234        $50.00            10 days
Goodwin Bobcat & Fencing        $2,382        $50.00            June 30

Board asked Ray DeJulio to call Bowden Fence about their bid and get back with them on recommendation.

Commissioner Waymire moved and Commissioner Stottlemire seconded to go into an executive session for 20 minutes at 10:40 for personnel of non-elected, with Board and Shari Perry present.  All voted “yes.”  Chairman Taylor opened the meeting at 11:00 and reported no action taken, no decisions made.

Barbara Conus in about hiring a nurse practitioner.  She said she had two good applications, but neither wanted to do the Jail inmate portion of the job.  Board agreed to hire a nurse practitioner under contract for the Health Department only.

Barbara Conus discussed grants that she will be receiving and that she would need to redo some budget figures.

Board, Shari Perry and Ray DeJulio left at 11:20 to view Iowa Rd. north of Sand Creek Rd.  Meet with Scot Hamblin and discussed dragging the sod on to the road and then rocking it or just putting rock on the road and leaving the berm.  Board asked about taking the berm off and hauling it off.  Board agreed to removing the berm and hauling it off and to see what that does to the road and how long it takes to do it.

Board, Shari Perry, Ray DeJulio and Scot Hamblin then went and viewed the ditches and road ½ mile east of Pawnee and Nebraska.  Ray DeJulio is going to do a work order to fix culvert and to put up signage.

Back at Courthouse at 12:15 and Chairman Taylor closed for lunch.

Chairman Taylor opened the meeting at 1:05.  All present.

Keith Clark in and said he had received a bid from South Star Chrysler and he recommended to accept the low bid from Holthaus Motors for a 2003 Chevrolet Malibu.

Commissioner Stottlemire moved and Commissioner Hay seconded to accept the low bid from Holthaus Motors for a 2003 Chevrolet Malibu at a cost of $14,882.  All voted “yes.”

Darrell Wadkins in and discussed the generator at the Courthouse, the hours his employees work and if in hot weather if they could come in earlier and leave earlier, because of the heat, the flag pole at the District Court Building and some tenants in the Annex changing suites.

Weldon Padgett in and discussed annexation and Tax Increment Financing (TIF).  Weldon is going to get some more information on TIF and get back with the Board.

Commissioner Hay moved and Commissioner Stottlemire seconded to approve the minutes for June 23, 2003.  All voted “yes.”

Commissioner Hay moved and Commissioner Waymire seconded to approve Charter Resolution No. 03-01 exempting Franklin County from K.S.A. 12-1697 and leving a transient guest tax of six percent (6%) upon the gross receipts derived from or paid directly or through an accommodations broker by transient guests for sleeping accommodations, exclusive of charges for incidental services or facilities, in any hotel, motel or tourist court, such increase shall commence on the first day of January, 2004.  All voted “yes.”

Shari Perry, Malea Lutz and Kristie Stinebaugh in and discussed, with the Board, the Personnel Rules and Regulations that have been established by the Board of County Commissioners.  In 1999 the County Clerk was given, by Resolution, the duties of Personnel Officer and is responsible for the administration of the rules and regulations.  She told the Board that she tries to follows the rules and regulations that have been established, and treat everyone the same, but if someone doesn’t like it they come to the Board and they make their own decisions and don’t follow their own policies that they have established.  She said she is elected by the taxpayers of the County and looks out for the best interest of the taxpayers as everyone else should also.  She said they receive no backing from the Board on policy that has been established.  She said that she knows that department heads tell their employees, this is the way it is because the Clerk’s Office said so or this is the way the Clerk’s Office said it has to be done, instead of telling them it is against policy that has been established by the Board of County Commissioners.  The blame is put on the Clerk’s Office and it makes employees mad at us instead of the Department Head.  She said that department heads need to follow policy and make sure that their employees follow policy and then it would not be an issue.  She told the Board that when receipts are submitted, and signed by department heads, they are going to pay the bill and not question them anymore, the department heads are the Boards employees and they should know what the policies are.  Commissioner Stottlemire said that bills should be paid according to the policy and that reimbursements should not exceed the allowable charges and only for items that should be reimbursed for.  She said when itemized receipts are not submitted you don’t know what you are reimbursing for.  John Dowell discussed the charges and said he believed Brandon Jones and that Brandon didn’t know he needed itemized tickets to get reimbursed.  John Dowell said the 3 phone call charges on another motel bill were made to order a pizza for supper.  She said when time sheets are submitted they have been signed off on by department heads and they will be paid the way they are submitted with no questions asked and that checks will not be mailed out until the Chairman has signed off on the payment vouchers.  She said that most of their problems come from males and they feel if they were males that they would get more respect.  She said she would no longer be making decisions on personnel rules, because she is not backed by the Board.  She told the Board that maybe hiring a County Manager to deal with personnel rules and regulations would be a good idea, but that person would need to be a man.     

With no further discussion the meeting was adjourned at 2:40.




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                                Clerk                                        Chairman