Small Town News

County begins work of running WATS service

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The beginning of the New Year brought about the opportunity for Wabaunsee County Commissioners to make decisions on things that are new to the county this year and clarify policies on older topics.

Upon taking over the Wabaunsee Adult Transportation System, commissioners were faced with the question of how to handle requests for trips outside of the designated area, which includes Wabaunsee County and adjacent counties.

Commissioners were asked during their meeting to make the call on whether to approve a trip for an individual needing to go to the V.A. Hospital in Leavenworth, and County Clerk Jennifer Savage said her office is in the position of deciding which trips should and shouldn't be allowed now that they are coordinating the program.

She asked commissioners for their input on how to handle trips to places such as the V.A. in Leavenworth or KU Medical Center until KDOT can give more input into what should and should not be allowed.

Commissioners suggested those decisions could be made on a time by time basis until they can meet with KDOT again.

Commissioner Jim Suber said continuing to make the trips is the right thing to do for medical situations, and Commissioner Ervan Stuewe said he agreed, at least until the county can make other arrangements and let people know.

Commissioners also discussed the fee structure, agreeing that the $5 fee should become $10 per person for trips more than 60 miles each way.

They also opted to provide service up to 150 miles from an individual's home, but no further, to help accommodate medical needs.

Savage also said the drivers are recommending a wider lift for the van with more load capacity to help accommodate riders who may be too heavy for the current set-up.

Commissioners also thanked Savage and her office staff members for being willing to pick up and take on the additional program.

They then accepted transfers of the two vehicles belonging to the program from KDOT to Wabaunsee County.

They also discussed WATS CD accounts that are coming due soon, including an $18,000 CD coming due on Jan. 14 and a $5,600 CD coming due Jan. 22. County Attorney Norbert Marek said a third one will come due in March. He added that some of the CDs have interest rates in the 5 percent range, and he said if they roll over into the new interest rates they will have nowhere near the same gains.

Commissioners agreed to take the CDs coming due and put them in the WATS fund, and to each year transfer remaining money to a special equipment fund.

Commissioners also discussed pay, money and expenditures.

Marek was out of town the week prior, but said he understood the commissioners were wondering whether Road and Bridge Department Supervisor Les Schrader could be moved from salary to hourly following a holiday weekend in which Schrader and his department spent the majority of his weekend pushing snow.

"If you consider it, you need to consider how it affects everyone in certain circumstances," Marek said.

He said this would include other salaried department heads.

Stuewe said the situation seemed to him like a very unusual circumstance, with significant snowfall on a Christmas, which fell at the end of a week, causing the department to end up working significant overtime on a holiday.

Commissioners did not decide on how to compensate Schrader for his salaried work on the holiday.

Commissioners did, however, decide to try to keep salary increases the same for all courthouse employees.

Last summer, they approved a 1.5 percent increase for all employees, but at that time Sheriff Doug Howser had requested his employees be given a 3 percent increase.

Stuewe said the sheriff legally can do what he wants with his budget and noted that with a big enough budget an elected official can wiggle funds around, where a smaller department couldn't go against the commission-approved increase if it wanted to.

"I think he does a good job," Stuewe said about Howser. "I think he runs a good office. On the other hand, that was a decision we made and I think we have to stick to it."

"That's why we did this ahead of time," Commission Chairman Rodney Allen said, referring to the prior designating of the courthouse cost of living increase.

Commissioners signed the requests, noting a 1.5 percent increase instead of 3 percent and agreed to see where it goes.

(Note: Later that afternoon, after the meeting had adjourned, Howser's office received the revised payroll change forms. Howser told Savage he had asked the forms to be prepared with the 1.5 percent increase as allowed by commissioners and had not looked them over nor seen that the number on the forms was 3 percent prior to the Clerk's office receiving them. Howser stressed that he was not happy about the mix-up and that he only had intended the 1.5 percent increase, as approved by the commission.)

The commission also discussed expenditures that seemed unnecessary or excessive and approved a motion requiring prior approval on all purchases of $400 or more, including new services with fees adding up to $400 annually.

Commissioners asked Savage to send out a memo also noting that payments on unapproved purchases will be denied.

They discussed potential exceptions, such as the Road and Bridge Department.

In other business, commissioners:

Appointed Velda Hodges and Ben Kormanik to the Wabaunsee County Economic Development Committee.

Approved resolutions 2010-1, 2 and 3 authorizing Fire District 4 to move $9,582.97 to a special equipment fund, Fire District 3 to move $3,000 to a special equipment fund and Fire District 6 to move $10,000 to a special equipment fund and Fire District 6 to move $10,000 to a special equipment fund.

Approved awarding the contract on the bridge on Bodark Road set to be replaced using stimulus funds.

Were told Shawnee County is preparing to replace a bridge on Carlson Road over Vassar Creek, and Wabaunsee County's interest is 4.255 percent based on comparative valuations.

Marek said this means the $325,000 project will cost Shawnee County $311,000 and Wabaunsee County $13,000.

Commissioners approved the contract with Shawnee County, under which the bridge will be maintained by Shawnee County following construction.

Discussed Andy Badeker's interest in being appointed to the zoning and planning board, to the position currently held by Bob Stuewe.

Commissioners said Bob Stuewe had indicated interest in continuing to serve, but told Badeker they appreciate knowing about his interest in serving, whether he ends up being appointed this round or another time.

Allen said the commissioners always have found people who want to serve when there are openings, and he asked whether the commission should consider looking at term limits for the zoning and planning board.

Ervan Stuewe said he could visit with Zoning Administrator David Stuewe and get the zoning board's input.



Copyright 2010 The Wabaunsee County Signal-Enterprise, Alma, Kansas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2010 The Wabaunsee County Signal-Enterprise Alma, Kansas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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