IOLA, KANSAS
OFFICE OF THE ALLEN COUNTY CLERK
December 12, 2006
IOLA,
KANSAS
OFFICE OF THE ALLEN COUNTY
CLERK
December 12, 2006
The Allen County Board of Commissioners met in regular
session at 8:30 a.m. with Chairperson Dick
Works, Commissioner Kent Thompson,
Commissioner Walt Regehr Jr. and Sherrie L.
Riebel, County Clerk.
Bruce Symes, Iola Register, and Peggy Gilliland,
citizen was present to observe the meeting.
Commissioners corrected and approved the minutes of
December 5, 2006 meeting.
Thomas R. Williams, Allen County Sheriff, and Joni
Tucker, Jail Administrator, discussed lunch arrangement for today’s
meeting.
Sharon K. Utley, Allen County Treasurer, discussed the
paint job done over the weekend. She requested the painter come back to
repair the damage done. Discussion followed.
Elaine Dugan, Allen County EMS Director, discussed
changing policy for EMS employees on vacation. This would include any
12-hour or 24 hour employees. Commissioners will take under consideration.
Elaine reported one of the ambulances is still not
working.
Elaine presented information on a contract drafted by
Alan Weber, Allen County Counselor, concerning paramedic training for
three part time employees.
Bill King, Public Works Director, reported the rock
crusher is down at the quarry. He is checking into why it won’t work.
Bill reported the Senior Center on Jefferson Street
have requested a rug for their front door. Commissioners stated they
needed to come to the commissioners to make their requests.
Bill discussed work at the Allen County Airport.
Discussion followed.
Bill reported the cost of the snow removal on November
20, 2006 to December 5, 2006 to the county was $59,812.56. The main cost
was $3,237.03 for overtime and $1,280.50 for salt, the rest of the cost
was for regular day.
Bill discussed hunters at the airport. The county does
not give permission to hunters for hunting on county property.
Commissioners reassured there is to be no hunting on county property.
Bill reported the airport lease was up in March of
2006. Bill will send a letter to the current leaser to let them know the
ground will go up for bid in the spring of 2007.
Bill discussed other items the Public Works Department
is working on.
Commissioner Thompson moved to go into executive
session for 30 minutes to discuss non-elected personnel. Commissioner
Regehr seconded, motion passed 3-0-0. Those in the room will be Chairman
Works, Commissioner Regehr, and Bill King, Public Works Director. The time
is now 9:15 a.m. Commissioners reconvened at 9:45 a.m. No action was
taken.
Bill discussed a request from the City of Savonburg
concerning a county resident.
Hal Pannel, citizen, expressed his concerns for Allen
County Airport. Discussion followed. He stated Bill King’s employees did
a great job at the airport getting prepared for expansion.
Mr. Pannel asked about the hospital issue and hospital
consolidation. Commissioners stated
Commissioner Thompson moved to go into executive
session for 20 minutes to discuss non-elected personnel. Commissioner
Regehr seconded, motion passed 3-0-0. Those in the room will be
Commissioner Works, Chairman Regehr, and Alan Weber, Allen County
Counselor. The time is now 10:08 a.m. Commissioners reconvened at 10:28
a.m. No action was taken.
Commissioner Thompson moved to go into executive
session for 30 minutes to discuss non-elected personnel. Commissioner
Regehr seconded, motion passed 3-0-0. Those in the room will be
Commissioner Works, Chairman Regehr, and Ron Holman, House and Grounds
Director. The time is now 10:37 a.m. Commissioners reconvened at 10:58
a.m. No action was taken.
Commissioners moved to the assembly room for an
informational meeting with Mike Watson, Riley County Law Enforcement
Director and area Mayors, council members, city commissioners, city
clerks, city police and concerned citizens. There were approximately 46 to
50 persons in attendance.
Allen County Sheriff introduced Mike Watson. Mike gave
his background and the history of Riley County’s consolidation of Law
Enforcement. Riley County is the only consolidated law enforcement in
Kansas but not in the USA. Riley County has been for seven years but not
without some issues. He discussed some of the conflicting needs (airplane
trouble and employee shortage).
Mike informed the group that Don Everett, Riley County
Attorney, concerns started the idea of consolidation. It abolished all the
different law enforcements within Riley County and creating one
consolidated law enforcement, which did not belong to the county, any city
or any one entity. KSA 19-446.(?) He became a legislature and pass
legislation to allow counties to vote on this consolidation. Riley County’s
citizens would be the determining factor. Really had to sell citizens.
What happens to the salaries? Good services want to stay. They totaled all
the different entities monies for law enforcement to see what they each
would pay; they used that formula to figure who pays what into the fund.
Problems- what color of uniforms will they go
with? The cities or county’s?
What are the cars going to look like?
Are we wearing badges or stars? They ended up
with badge with star.
Would they have lieutenants, sergeants or
captains, chief or sheriff, decided to be supervisors, and Director
as a title instead of chief and sheriff.
Who is in charge, City or county? Neither, a Law
board made up of city 3 members (one commission and two at large)
county of 2 board member (one commissioner and one at large) the six
member of the board is county attorney, next the city and county
rotate one position for a two year period, the county for two years
then the city for two years.
Board duties include setting the budget for the
Law Board. The board sends vouchers to the county to collect their
portion and the city for their portion. There is no appeal process
for setting the budget by the city or the county, it is written into
the statute. The board is the boss over the director.
Questions about the smaller cities paying their
portion to the board, they pay through the county tax. County
coverage depends on the size of county and layout of county. Can
request to put more employees on staff. Deputies can respond from
their homes and keep their cars while they are off duty. Ready to
go.
KBI has not stated they recommend it or not
recommend it. They just would together to get the job done.
Consolidated the deputies work together, plan together and train
together. No one person claims choices.
Ambulance, Storm Watchers, jail, emergency
management all fit together. Riley County has a separate emergency
management who is the Riley County Fire Chief, response together
with both emergency management and consolidated law enforcement. The
Riley County Law Enforcement has their own dispatch. EMS is their
own department, but Riley County Law Enforcement dispatches them
out. Some of the dollars are grant monies. Riley County has first
responders, they handle jails, EMS Director is an Mercy Hospital
employee, and runs the ambulance through the hospital but is
dispatched through the law enforcement center. It is county run.
Storm Watchers are attached to the Emergency Management.
Dick asked how many are interested in consolidation.
Should a committee be formed to research the consolidation? Most expressed
an interest in a research committee.
Tom expressed his opinion of the consolidation.
Kent expressed his thoughts better service for the
monies are spending. City representatives and county representatives will
appoint committee representatives.
Meeting adjourned.
Commissioners approved the following documents:
Clerk’s Vouchers Totaling $47081.16
Employee Expense Vouchers
Abatements-PP 561 Value, $85.12, 2006 Year
Payroll Changes
With no further business to come before the board, the
meeting was adjourned until December 19, 2006 at 8:30 a.m. in the
Commission room of the courthouse.
