June 20

COMMISSIONERS’ PROCEEDINGS

JUNE 20, 2023

The Rooks County Board of Commissioners met with the following present:  Chairman, John Ruder, and Members Tim Berland and Kayla Hilbrink. Laura Montgomery, County Clerk, was present to record the minutes.  Virgie Laska was present to write a report for Stockton Sentinel. Ruder called the meeting to order and asked all to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance

With a change to the agenda, it was accepted as presented. Bouchey was unable to attend.

Jan Johnson, with CASA, was in to review their budget request for 2024. She also made a request for someone to represent Rooks County. She talked about the program with the commissioners. Ruder said it is a program that is needed and the commissioners will continue to fund it.

Danielle Muir, County Attorney, Megan Niblock, Rooks County EMS director, and Joe Gasper, Attorney for Stockton City was in to visit with the commissioners about with the property in Plainville. Adam Comeau was on the phone.  Stockton City has the contract and deed for the property. Mr. Gasper is setting up a land bank. A land bank is covered by state statue. The City will purchase the land, then the land bank will pay back taxes before transferring the property to the county.   A new ambulance shed would be built after the property has been conveyed to the county. A grant will be applied for to help with the cost of construction. Comeau asked about the time frame. Muir said it will need to be published 30 days prior to sale, so it will be approximately sixty (60) days to transfer the property.

Also discussed was the demolition of the building that is currently on the property. It has already been deemed a nuisance. It is proposed the city will tear down the building and the county will haul if off.

The commissioners and Muir discussed the vacant lot next to Culligan Water on Main Street in Stockton. The owner has agreed to sell the lot to Rooks County for $4,000. The property will be used for a new ambulance shed. Muir will draw up the contract and deed. Any fees would be split between the county and the current owner.

Hilbrink said she would reach out to NW KS P&D for any grants that might be available for the purchase of the ambulances.

The commissioners reviewed June 13th minutes. Ruder made a motion to approve the minutes with corrections. Hilbrink second the motion and Berland agreed.

April Brown, Register of Deeds, attended the Register of Deeds conference in Garden City last week. The big focus was on cyber security.  Tyler Tech, is a Cyber Security Specialist that could hack our system to find flaws and then made recommendations. Hackers find ways into the system and then lay dormant for months. Montgomery said Homeland Security does this free of charge. Hilbrink requested for someone to reach out to Homeland Security and have them review our cyber security.  Brown also discussed having someone look at fire protection in her vault area. Brown has everything backed up digitally and/or in salt mines.

Received from Kansas Insurance Department a notice of Delinquent Verified Accounting Report for Palco F.R.A. Berland will contact the person responsible.

Hilbrink weekly report: She received a few concerns about road issues and has already discussed these with Bouchey.

At the request of Berland, Ruder made a motion to go into executive session to discuss non-elected personnel, with the three (3) commissioners from 9:58 to 10:08. Hilbrink second the motion and Berland agreed. Upon returning to open session there was no further discussion.

Phillip Murrow, County Sanitarian, was in to visit with the commissioners. He discussed the contract with NCKLEPC that will begin July 1st. It hasn’t been updated since 2012. Every three months they have a meeting and he invited the commissioners to attend. He explained the NCKLEPC Board approved his contract. He will send the commissioners an invitation before the next meeting.

Terry Kinderknecht, with TK Smokehouse, was in to visit with the commissioners about opening the restaurant at the golf course. He said the building has protentional.  He would work with the Golf Associations. Kinderknecht and the commissioners discussed the building.  

Berland asked what is he thinking of doing? He is thinking BBQ plus other food and other options such as catering or delivery. Kinderknecht would like to go back through the building before making a commitment.

Heather Poore, Appraiser, was in at the commissioners’ request.

Ruder made a made a motion to go into executive session for 15 minutes 10:39 to 10 :54 with Heather Poore and the three commissioners.  Upon returning to open session, there was no further discussion.

Poore presented some changes in class codes. There was an issue with CDU that was discovered during informal appraisal hearings. All rentals are now ranked no higher than AV- and mobile home no higher than FR+. There was a data entry mistake for number of acres on some rural property that has been corrected.  Any property with less than 6 acres in rural areas, will be assessed as residential. Any property with more than 6 acres will be Farm Homesite.

Ruder made a motion to sign change orders for the county clerk’s office. Hilbrink second the motion and Berland agreed.

Hilbrink made a motion to sign June 13th minutes. Ruder second the motion and Berland agreed.                

Hilbrink moved to review and sign weekly vouchers as follows. Berland second the motion and Ruder agreed.

JUNE 20, 2023

FUND                    WARRANTS                        TOTAL

General                                                 80799-80831                     113,813.39

Road & Bridge                                       80832-80841                     53,417.90

Health Depart                                        80842-80852                     23,715.24

Sanitation                                              80853-80854                          636.56

CKLS                                                    80855                                 30,459.37

Insurance Claims                                  80856                                 12,616.39

GRAND TOTAL                                                                              234,658.85

The commissioners discussed Red Bud. Concerning roof damage and the deductible and the USDA Loan information.

The commissioners would like Mike Klein, Weed Director, to spray weeds at the Golf Course parking lot.

With no further business to transact, Berland made a motion to adjourn the meeting.  Ruder second the motion and Hilbrink agreed.

Adopted this 27th Day of June, 2023

ROOKS COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

______________________________________                     

John Ruder, Chairman                                                                                                                                                                                

______________________________________

Kayla Hilbrink, Member

______________________________________

Tim Berland, Member

ATTEST:

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Laura Montgomery, Certified County Clerk