Four area school districts will be made more secure as Labette County was awarded a U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant. This was announced at Monday’s Labette County Commission meeting by Sheriff William Blundell.
Labette County was awarded $362,885 to be used in all four area school districts: USD #503 Parsons; USD #504 Oswego; USD #505 Chetopa/St. Paul and USD #506 Labette County.
In June of this year, the commissioners approved the application for the Federal COPS Grant. The local 50 percent match of $362,885 will be paid from Labette County Schools. There is no cost to the county.
The application was for camera systems, door strikers, exterior light support cameras on exterior doors, etc. “This grant goes really great with what we got last year,” Sheriff William Blundell said. “This grant will help to finalize it.”
“Labette County was awarded the largest amount in the state,” Blundell said. The other  seven counties and the amount they received were: Andover $32,800; Cherokee County $161,087; Cherryvale $73,526; Dodge City $31,115; Ft. Scott $16,295; Girard $23,013 and Wilson County $293,249, making the state total grant $1,013,920.
“This is the second time we’ve done this,” Commissioner Lonie Addis said.
IN OTHER ACTION at Monday’s meeting:
• Commissioner Brian Kinzie with Dan Goddard, KAAP-LRPA executive director, was in Washington, D.C., Monday to meet with Mark Jones and the Department of the Army.
• Approved LCWC work crew application for the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Oswego. The female inmates will be helping with different project within the church.
• Sheriff William Blundell told the commission about county surplus property sale set tentatively for Oct. 25. The sale will be held at the county barn here in Oswego, south, behind the gas pumps.
• Laura Moore, was given approval to have ACM Removal LLC to remove 112 sq. ft., (small storage room) area for asbestos removal at the Osage Fire/Community Center project, located in Dennis. The grant will pay the $1,200  cost to remove it.
• Approved second pay request for Laura Moore, grant project and administrator for the Osage Fire/Community Center project, in the amount of $3,650.
• Update on the Osage Fire/Community Center -  soon be in the construction phase by middle of next month, Moore said. The school building will be torn town after a 10-day waiting period following the asbestos removal. Once removed, work can begin immediately.
• Approved for District Court to have an off-site computer software system as a backup. This system is used by other courts in the area. Cost will be $475 for Oswego and $625 for Parsons court.
• Road and Bridge Dept., helped to aid Elk City Reservoir with 3-4 dozen sandbags needed around the intake water valve, before flood water began rising last week.

County Commissioner Jack Martin was appointed to the Solid Waste Management Committee Board and to the Household Hazard Waste Committee during Monday’s county commission meeting.
Martin will be the alternate for solid waste in the absence of Larry Cupit.
Martin requested that he wanted only appointments that had to do with District No. 3 and that he would like to be involved in the discussion of all appointments. Commissioners Lonie Addis and Brian Kinzie along with county counselor Fred Johnson told Martin that all appointments had to do with the entire county.
Commissioners suggested that Martin take tours of Labette County facilities: Road and Bridge Dept., Sheriff’s Department, 911 Dispatch and the Labette Correctional Conservation Camp.
IN OTHER ACTIONS:
• Sandy Krider, Road and Bridge Supervisor, was given permission to attend the 10th Annual Four Corners Emergency Management Conference, at Monday’s county commission meeting.
Krider will attend the conference on Sept. 10-12 in Branson, Mo. “I went last year,” Krider said. “We participated in table talks that were very beneficial and it’s all geared towards disasters.”
Jim Cook, Emergency Manager, said that Chris Way, (Labette County Emergency Medical Services director), was en route with other emergency responders to Mississippi on Friday to help in emergency preparations of Hurricane Gustav.
Cook told the commission that he is on call with the Kansas Department Emergency Management team that might head to the gulf area, for a maximum time of two weeks.
• Tom Macaroncas, Labette Health financial officer and Brock Sutherland, Labette Health Director of Facility, gave the commission an update on sanitary sewer lines that need to be updated and expanded. The cost has been included in the hospital bond project. The City of Parsons will participate in this project. The hospital board has approved the concept but will be having a board meeting Thursday. This has a 30 day bid process and will close on Sept. 29. On Tuesday, Sept. 30, a special meeting will be held to approve the bids.
• Commissioners and staff were invited to an open house for the newly remodeled main entrance, lab and surgery area of the Labette Health, on Wednesday, Sept. 3, from 5-7 p.m.
The community is invited to the open house on Thursday, Sept. 4, from 5-7 p.m. A ribbon cutting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Labette Health is located at 1902 S. US Highway 59 in Parsons.
• Larry Cupit, Labette County Sanitation Officer, told the commission that six counties participate in the National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System. Labette County is one of them. The goal is to lower insurance rates for individuals and for the county and possibly more funding from FEMA.
Cupit was asked to pick a CRS coordinator and present it at the Sept. 8 or 15 meeting.
• Cupit was appointed to the SEK Solid Waste Authority Commission, replacing Brian Kinzie.

Members of the Labette County Republican Central Committee will convene next Monday, Aug. 18, in Parsons to select a person to fill the unexpired term of County Commissioner Jerry Carson who died in June.
Mike Howerter said he was acting on behalf of the Republican Central Committee’s chairman, Grant Allison, in calling the mini-convention which will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the basement of the Parsons Municipal Building.
“The person we select will serve out Jerry’s term which goes through Jan. 10, 2009,” said Howerter. “We will make our selection and immediately forward the name to the governor who will make the actual appointment.”
The meeting will be open to the public and any qualified candidate’s name may be placed in nomination, Howerter said.
The most likely candidate will be Jack Martin who won the Republican primary contest over Rick Hizey. No Democrats filed for the position.
Should the committee decide upon Martin as the nominee, he would take office as quickly as the government makes the appointment, then would stand for election on Nov. 4 with no opponent on the ballot.
Howerter emphasized that the mini-convention will be open to the public. A separate meeting will be held immediately afterward, also open to the public, and the purpose will be to elect new leadership for the Labette County Republican Central Committee.
In other races last Tuesday, there were numerous township officers listed on the ballot, as well as elected officials whose offices were uncontested.
The race for Labette County Commissioner, Dist. 2, resulted in the following votes:
Brian C. Kinzie 494.
Lowell C. Scott 363.
Pamela Oakley 78.
Kinzie’s name will be entered on the ballot uncontested in the Nov. 4 general election.
Since Labette Avenue now goes to press on Tuesday evenings, it is impossible to report election results in the following day’s edition. However, results were posted late Tuesday night on the newspaper’s website, taylornews.org.
Another county commission race which drew lots of attention was between Jack. W. Martin and Rick Hizey for the Dist. 3 race. In that primary contest, Martin came out the victor with 227 votes to Hizey’s 194 votes.
Since this was a Republican race and no Democrats filed, Martin will presumably win the general election in November unless there is a successful write-in vote.
All other county elected offices were listed as uncontested on the ballot.

Deputy director of the LRPA, (Local Redevelopment Planning Authority) Ann Charles presented a contract for commissioners signatures to the engineering firm, Cook, Flatt & Strobel for design work at Monday’s county commission meeting. Road and Bridge Supervisor Sandy Krider was also present to discuss the matter.
The firm will survey, design and landscape work on Scott Road for the Great Plains Industrial Park (entrance to the ammunition plant) at a cost of $48,800. These funds will be taken out of the $750,000 grant fund.
The commissioners said the county treasurer, Crystal Addis is looking for a banking institution to keep the grant money in a separate account that will draw interest and make the drawdowns easier.
Commissioner Brian Kinzie said this was the “road to prosperity.” In the future a geology and core drilling (in designated areas) will be contracted.
Ann Charles presented the commissioners with a check she received from Jobs Inc. of Parsons in the amount of $5,000 for the Great Plains Industrial Park.
Commissioner Kinzie and members of the LRPA will be meeting U.S. Congressman Jerry Moran, Kansas Western District, Monday to tour the Ammunition Plant.
IN OTHER ACTION at today’s meeting:
• Signed Resolution #2008-27L the minimum maintenance/limited use road. The road is located on Scott Road, approximately 1/2 mile North of intersection with 16500 Road North to railroad right of way. County counselor Fred Johnson said there are two statutes that will allows this: declare road minimum maintenance, use at own risk and allow to gate blocked off for limited use. It is a dead end road to railroad tracks, not quite a 1/2 mile long. The original request was for a cable across the road.
“The landowner, Steve Davis, requested a gate instead of a cable that is wide enough for farm equipment to go through and signage on the gate,” David Bortmes, Oswego, spokesperson for Davis said.  He presented Sandy Krider with a key to the gate. Bortmes said he  has contacted Eddie George fencing to construct the gated entrance, he said.
• Commissioner Lonie Addis read a letter submitted to Larry Reynolds on the county needing a designated official for appraisal for an interim period. The commissioners had a list of qualified appraisers for the state of Kansas. They had asked the Cherokee County appraiser if she could work in both counties, but was declined, she told commissioners that she was not comfortable doing that at this time.
About 30 appraisers will be retiring, leaving several openings. It will be extremely difficult to find one, Commissioner Addis added. An employee in the appraisers office was asked about taking the job and he would not be seeking the position, he said. There is nobody else qualified for the position.
• Present for the meeting was Rick Hizey and Lowell Scott.
• On Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 6 and 7, the commission will be meeting at 8 a.m. at the courthose commission room in Oswego for the purpose of working on the 2009 Labette County Budget. At Wednesday’s meeting, Commissioner Kinzie and Addis will invite either one or two commissioners elect to partake in the forming of the 2009 Commissioner’s budget and to monitor other budgeting issues. With the necessary education needed for a new commissioner, it is imperative we know if we are to have one or two new commissioner elects, Addis said.
• On Friday Aug. 8, the commission will be meeting. First to hear from Debbi Baugher and Larry Cupit  at 8 a.m., then will proceed to canvass the primary election held on Aug. 5. That day will hopefully also be consumed with finalizing the 2009 county budget. All activities mentioned will be held in the commission room of the Labette County Courthouse in Oswego. It is our desire not to leave until we have a budget ready for publication, Addis said.
• There will be no commission meeting Aug. 11. Commissioner Kinzie and Addis will be attending an Association of Defense Communities Meeting in Monterey, Calif. being held from Aug. 10-13. Commissioner Kinzie will represent the KSAAP LRPA with his expenses being paid by the KSAAP LRPA. Addis will be representing the Local Workforce Investment Board (LWIB) Area V as chair of the chief elected officials and his expenses will be paid by the LWIB.

The Labette County Appraiser’s salary was decreased by commissioners following five executive sessions at last Monday’s meeting.
Effective July 1 of this year, commissioners Brian Kinzie and Lonie Addis approved to reduce the amount of the County Appraiser’s salary by $5,000 annually or $2,500 for the remainder of the year. This reduction in pay resulted in the Appraiser LeRoy Burk resignation of duties as Flood Plain Administrator and the 911 Addressing Administrator. These duties have been dispersed to other departments.
Also approved was a three percent pay increase for the County Appraiser based on the new annual salary amount, $52,591.80 or $4,302.65 per month.
Approval was given to increase the salary of the 911 Dispatch Supervisor Brandy Grassl $100 per month effective July 1 of this year.
A salary increase in the amount of $150 per month was given to the Road and Bridge Supervisor Sandy Krider due to additional duties of 911 addressing that the appraiser resigned from.
The commissioners removed the stipend of $500 for the County Coordinator, Jim Cook, and merge it with his new title of Emergency Management/Coordinator effectively immediately. This creates one salary amount. A salary increase of $150 per month for the remainder of the year was issued.
The commissioners stated that the salary increases are due to these individuals, Brandy Grassl, Sandy Krider and Jim Cook, achieving education and performing at a level exceeding commissioners expectations.
IN THIS WEEK’S MEETING the commissioners:
• Update from Leon Steeby, Rob Garner and John Diediker on Labette No. 9 Fire Department.
• Macey McNickle given approval to put out for Juvenile Justice Authority job posting.
• Larry Steeby, Parsons Fire Chief and Brandy Grassl, 911 Dispatch Supervisor, gave commissioners update on the City of Parsons supporting the Parsons Fire Department to be dispatched through the Labette County 911 Dispatch facility.
• Denied request from Jason Piercefield for a waste management disposal site in Chetopa at this time.
• Commissioner Jerry Carson and Jim Cook were absent from the meeting. A work session followed the meeting.
• A budget work session will be held this Friday, July 18 at 8 a.m.
• Those attending were Cecil Fish, Rick Hizey, Lowell Scott and Jack Martin.
• They gave Register of Deeds Donna Strickland a $100 raise for her work with the other departments and for the technology she is advancing into.
• Accepted  several bids for the Osage Township fire department/community center project.

Funds from a Department of Commerce grant will go towards making an attractive front entrance, paving of parking lot project and signage at the Great Plains Industrial Park, was approved by the County Commission at Monday’s meeting.
The Kansas Department of Commerce and Labette County approved a grant for $750,000 for the Local Redevelopment Planning Authority (LRPA). “We haven’t asked the state for anything before, and we need a good looking front entrance into the plant area,” Brian Kinzie, LRPA Chairman said.  Senator Dwayne Umbarger got this passed in the legislature. It was tight, Kinzie said.
IN OTHER ACTION at Monday’s meeting:
•  Jim Cook, Emergency Manager for Labette County was given approval on a more appropriate work vehicle. The commissioners approved to purchase a 2004 Ford Ranger from Merle Kelly Ford to replace his present vehicle a Chevrolet Impala. The cost of the truck was $14,995. Trade in allowance on the Impala was $8,000 making the total cost of the purchase $7,034.50 to be taken out of the county general courthouse fund. “We have searched for a vehicle since the flood of last year,” Cook told the commissioners.  Brian Kinzie asked why Cook needed the vehicle. It was noted that a car was low to the ground and the ground clearance wasn’t always sufficient. It was difficult on off road accessibility which made it impossible to get around in. Also it lacked storage capacity to include needed emergency equipment, such as a portable generator, etc. The Ford truck does have 4-wheel drive and an extended cab.
• Special meeting has been called by chairman Lonie Addis for Friday, June 27 at 10 a.m. to meet with county audit Rodney Burns from the firm Schlotterbeck and Burns on the 2007 annual county auditor and to consider entering into a contract for the 2008 calendar year.
• Larry Cupit was given signature on a Local Environment Protection Plan (LEPP) grant. The state funding is $12,559 and the local match is $12,256, same as last year.
• O’Brien Ready Mix received the concrete bid for the remainder of this season, following a bid opening at 9:15. Lou O’Brien was present for the bid opening.
• Hurley Construction of Mound Valley was awarded the bid opening for low water crossings. The bid was for $1 per square yard to set up, pour and finish concrete work.
• Commissioners Lonie Addis and Brian Kinzie (Jerry Carson was absent) selected design contracts for County Bridge #109 (east of Mound Valley) and #183 (on Gray Road).
• Commissioners signed for construction engineering on bridge project 50c-4256-01 at 10,000 and Clay, scheduled to let in July.
• Mary Reed and John Green, Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging, presented update on senior care from the county mill levy committee meeting held last Wednesday. The committee approved to use the same percentage allocation formula they used in 2008 to be used for the 2009 Elderly Mill Levy Fund. The local matching fund is $18,987.50.
• Rick Hizey, and Jack Martin, candidates for third district commission and Lowell Scott, candidate for the second district commission, were in attendance.

A proposal for construction engineering services was signed at Monday’s regular scheduled Labette County Commission meeting.
Cook, Flatt & Stroebel Engineers, P.A., Topeka, will provide the services at 10,000 and Clay Road in Labette County.
In other business matters at Monday’s meeting:
• Road and Bridge Supervisor, Sandy Krider told the commission that 8,590 trees have been taken care of in the county, due to the “hangers” the ice storm left. They are work on one mile of Hickory and then will head East of Victory to 166.
• First load of dust control went down on Monday, Krider said.
• Still working on washouts, Krider said.
• Commissioner Jerry Carson was absent.
• Discussed the Labette Sewer District No. 1 charges and fees for the 2009 preliminary budget. County Clerk Linda Schreppel has worked up a letter and billing statement and County Counselor Fred Johnson will draft another letter of explanation.
• Approved the May 5 and May 12 minutes.
• Concluded that the special meeting called on Friday went very well and it accomplished what they were wanting. The meeting had to do with oil and gas production companies and their dealings with the county and neighbors along county roads.
“It was well worth it just to get the contacts,” Krider said.