The Board
of County Commissioners met in regular session at 9:00 a.m. with all members
and the County Clerk present.
The monthly
department head meeting was held with the following in attendance: Ron Lofland,
Transfer Station Manager; Mary K. Sullivan, Register of Deeds, Rita Gee,
Treasurer; Nancy Ramski, Civic Center Building and Grounds Manager; Tom Kramer,
Road Foreman; Pete Clinesmith, Noxious Weed Director; John Crosby, Fire Chief;
Todd Hampton, City/County Building Official; Don Button, Emergency Management
Coordinator; and Frank Goldsby, Public Works Administrator.
Gene
Schwein made the motion to approve the minutes of the December 16, 2003 meeting
and the claims against the various funds of the county. Madison Traster
seconded and the motion passed unanimously.
A public
hearing for a micro loan grant through the State’s CDBG funds was held. Faye
Trent, Great Plains Development, and Gene Pflughoft, Economic Development
Director, attended the hearing. No one from the public was present. The grant
is for $100,000 and economic development is going to put $5,000 as matching
funds. Twelve thousand dollars can be used for administration costs and $2,000
of that $12,000 can be used for financial management training for the borrower.
This means there would be $93,000 available for businesses to borrow. Madison
Traster made the motion to approve Resolution No. 04-01 certifying legal
authority to apply for the Kansas small cities Community Development Block
Grant program from the Kansas Department of Commerce and authorizing the
presiding commissioner to sign and submit such application. Gene Schwein
seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Gene Schwein made the motion to
adopt the Residential Anti-displacement and Relocation Assistance Plan under Section
104(d) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as Amended.
Madison Traster seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Award
announcements for the grant will be made around February 28. Only one proposal
for administration of the grant was received out of the ten requests that were
sent out. Gene Schwein made the motion to appoint Great Plains Development,
Inc. administrator for the CDGB Micro Loan Grant not to exceed $9,200. Madison Traster seconded and the motion
passed unanimously.
Harold
DuPree, Airport Board Member updated the commissioners on the next phase of the
airport grant for this year. The agreement for improvements to the Ulysses
Airport between Grant County and Bucher, Willis & Ratliff Corporation was
reviewed and signed by the commissioners.
John
Crosby, Fire Chief presented bids for guttering at the fire station. Gene
Schwein made the motion to accept the bid from Pro Exteriors not to exceed
$1,616. Madison Traster seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
Frank
Goldsby, Public Works Administrator, and Tom Kramer, Road Foreman, presented
information on road projects for 2004.
Discussion was held on paving Deerfield Lane. Mr. Kramer reported the
State removed the cemetery road project from their grant list for now. The
decision was made to look into buying a single blade plow that can be attached
to a truck to assist with snow removal.
Lance
Babcock, Sheriff, and Loy Henderson, Undersheriff, gave an update on their
department. Mr. Babcock requested and received permission to solicit bids for a
new vehicle to replace the 1997 pickup driven by one of the deputies.
Loy
Henderson requested approval to have the Civic Center fees waived for the
monthly meeting of the Cowboy Church. The commissioners approved his request.
The
decision also made to waive the fees at the South Room for the Conservation
District’s Annual Meeting on January 16.
The
commissioners adjourned to meet again in regular session on January 20, 2004.
Linda McHenry, County Clerk Carl Higgs, Chairman