COMMISSIONERS’ PROCEEDINGS
MARCH 5, 2024
The Rooks County Board of Commissioners met with the following present: Chairman, John Ruder, and Members Tim Berland and Jake Prockish. Laura Montgomery, County Clerk, was present to record the minutes. Virgie Laska was present to take notes for Stockton Sentinel. Tonia Goertz with Plainville Times was present to take notes for the newspaper. Ruder called the meeting to order and asked all to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
The agenda was accepted as presented.
April Brown, Register of Deeds, was in to visit with the commissioners about a surveyor who is upset with her office requiring boundary surveys to be reviewed. She said the commissioners can opt out but she doesn’t recommend it. Brown is requesting leaving the survey reviewing policy as is. The commissioners agreed it needs to stay the same.
Ruder made a motion to sign the When to Consult with Tribes Under Section 106 for the CVR grant requirement. Berland second the motion and Prockish agreed.
Canaan Glover with Northwest Kansas Planning and Development, was in to have the commissioners review and approve the Statutory Checklist for the CVR Grant 2023 CVRL011 and supporting documentation. Roger Hrabe explained the process of the businesses getting the grant. Ruder made a motion to approve and sign the Statutory Checklist for CVR Grant 2023 CVRL011. Prockish second the motion and Berland agreed.
Montgomery will post the Notice of Intent to request funds from the State as required on the board in front of the commissioner’s room. Roger Hrabe will post the same notice at Stockton City Hall and Plainville City Hall. The notice will need to be posted until the end of the day of March 18th.
Eric Biggs, Road Supervisor, weekly report: The road crew is laying rock on 15 and AA Roads. They hauled 40 loads of rock out of Webster Lake area yesterday. The State was giving away the rock. He had a person complain about the county hauling rock and the job Biggs was doing. Biggs explained what was said and that he informed the person they would need to contact the county commissioners for any road work in the future and to file any complaints.
The grader men are working on roads. All of the signs for the bridges have been put up.
Biggs said there is a grader in the shop to have the starter replaced.
Ruder discussed doing some work on the track at the fairgrounds.
Biggs has set a road safety program for April 4th at the 4-H building at the fairgrounds at 9:00 am. He invited all of the commissioners to attend.
Biggs discussed roads and the new person he hired. He will meet with Jerold DeBoer, Penco Engineering, at Bow Creek tomorrow.
The commissioners reviewed February 27th and February 29th minutes. Ruder made a motion to accept the minutes with corrections. Berland second the motion and Prockish agreed.
The commissioners discussed the KAC meeting in Colby. Prockish and Berland will attend.
The commissioners received a thank you card for a memorial.
Ruder made a motion to sign a check #82529 to Collin Hockett in the amount of $1,961.83 for reimbursement of garnishment.
Danny Knoll, Sanitation Supervisor report: Ray Swaney didn’t get the material needed, so Knoll is still waiting on the spraying to be done.
Landfill has five enclosed trailers they used for recycling. Knoll ask if the commissioners wanted to put two on purple wave with the other equipment from road. The City of Stockton has one of the trailers and if they wanted make an offer, the commissioners would accept. There are two in the yard at the shop and two at the school. Champlain came and picked up the tires. It costed the county $190 per ton to get rid of them. Knoll discussed doing one week of county wide cleanup instead of just one weekend. The commissioners will discuss later.
Roger Hrabe, Economic Director, was in to discuss the City of Damar/Richland Township applying for a CDBG grant. They are working through NWKSPD to get a grant for the township hall. However, they are not eligible to apply for the grant and are requesting the county be the applicant. Ruder made a motion for the county to be the applicant for the grant for Damar City/Richland Township Hall. Prockish second the motion and Berland agreed.
Hrabe also discussed the funding for the airport. During covid they were able to receive funds to help with the cost of maintaining the airport. The FAA distributed funds two times.
There are several issues that now need to be addressed. 1. The Awos System (the weather station) is being updated. The new tower will be 30-ft tall and will have a fence around it. They need an easement around the tower because there is height limitation. There are two landowners involve where the tower is currently located. One of the land owners refuses to give an easement so the airport is having to move the tower south 800 feet. The estimated cost to move the tower is between $20,000 to $30,000.
2. There was some damage to the blade on the snow removal tractor. The cost for repair was just under $7,000.
3. The airport is at the 12-year runway rehabilitation. There are parts of the runways that needs to be repaired or replaced and reseal. There is some damage to the concrete around the fuel tanks that will be repaired at the same time.
Adam Bryant and Butch Post, EMD, was in to discuss the exercise on Friday. Prockish said he will be in attendance.
Adam requested changing his schedule to 7:00 am until 5:00 pm with an hour for lunch on Mondays through Thursdays and 7:00 am to 11:00 am on Fridays. The commissioners approved.
Ruder made a motion to sign the Notice to Township Board #11 for a license to sell cereal malt beverages for Nathan and Lisa Overlease DBA Websters Bait and Tackle. Berland second the motion and Prockish agreed.
Prockish weekly report: He drove a few roads and had no complaints.
Berland weekly report: He had a complaint about the road department hauling rock out of Webster. Berland has a NWKS P&D meeting this week.
Ruder weekly report: He had a call from April Brown about the surveys needing to be reviewed.
Ruder asked Montgomery if she heard from Corrina Cox about grants for the ambulances. Cox said it will be hard to get a grant as the ambulances have already been ordered. The commissioners discussed grants for the ambulances. Mary Tucker from Plainville does grant writing and Ruder said he would reach out to her. Montgomery said Roger Hrabe was going to see if any of the utility companies would have a grant available.
Received from Rooks County Fair a request for a donation. Berland will pay the Wheat Award for $50.00.
Prockish made a motion to sign the minutes for February 27th and February 29th. Ruder second the motion and Berland agreed.
Montgomery presented each of the commissioners a pin representing the Presidential Preference Primary on March 19th. Each of the election workers will receive a pin.
Ruder made a motion to go into executive session with the three commissioners and Danielle Muir, County Attorney, from 10:46 am to 11:05 am for attorney client privilege. Upon returning to open session there was no further discussion.
Ruder made a motion to hire outside counsel to represent Rooks County regarding the appraiser’s appeal. The county will be represented by Fisher/Patterson/Sayer/Smith. Prockish second the motion and Berland agreed.
With no further business to transact, Ruder made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Prockish second the motion and Berland agreed.
Adopted this 12th day of March, 2024
ROOKS COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
______________________________________
John Ruder, Chairman
______________________________________
Jake Prockish, Member
______________________________________
Tim Berland, Member
ATTEST:
__________________________________
Laura Montgomery, Certified County Clerk