Board of County Commissioners - Regular Meeting

I'd like to call the meeting to order to do the flag saying, Tyson, have a T word.

I point allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Dear Reminders, before we get going, please state your name and title when you first begin speaking. Public comment will be allowed to the extent that it's on topic.

Persons participating via Zoom are currently muted. If you have a comment, please let Mark know via the chat function. Mark will then inform Chairman Trinkle who can take up the comment in a manner that doesn't disrupt the agenda. If an executive session is needed, then we'll mute and turn off the video, and when we're done, we'll turn everything back on.

Heather, we're going to have our public hearing first on REBUY.

Great. Thank you.

Let's call the public hearing open. for the neighborhood revitalization plan?

So we had published notice on May 21 and May 28 and had left what you have in front of you with the clerks and the public could come in and comment on it to the extent they want to. Now is the time to do so. I don't know if there's anybody online that has comments. And Susan, you're welcome to comment. If there are no comments, then just for the public record, this has been a work in progress since before the end of the year. A lot of moving pieces. What's in front of you was created as a result of a working group with the city and some public members. And then, uh, taking out to the other tax entities, when we met on those, the current list of who will be participating is, uh, assuming that they approved you guys, the city of Pratt, USD 382, USD 438, Pratt community college, the airport authority, and then the cities of IUCA and city of Sawyer. So to the extent you want to adopt, we need to adopt a resolution. I'm going to read that resolution to you. I didn't send it to put it up. I tried to keep it short to the point. So it's resolution number 0608-2026, a resolution adopting a neighborhood revitalization plan, designating the county as a neighborhood revitalization area, and approving an interlocal agreement to effectuate the neighborhood revitalization plan. Whereas KSA 1217- or 17,114 at SAG, commonly called the Kansas Neighborhood Revitalization Act, allows this governing body to adopt a neighborhood revitalization plan to designate neighborhood revitalization areas and to enter into interlocal agreements with other municipalities for the purposes of promoting rehabilitation, conservation or redevelopment of property so as to protect the public's health, safety, and welfare. Whereas, pursuant to KSA 1217,117C, this governing body published a notice of public hearing on neighborhood revitalization plan in the Tri-County Tribune on May 21st, 2026 and May 28th, 2026. Whereas the proposed neighborhood revitalization plan and related interlocal agreement were made available to the public prior to the public hearing. Whereas after the public hearing, this governing body met and considered the proposed neighborhood revitalization plan, designation of neighborhood revitalization areas, and the proposed interlocal agreement. Now, therefore, the Board of County Commissioners of Pratt County, Kansas, meeting in regular session this eighth day of June, 2026 does hereby resolve as follows. One, as described at length in the neighborhood revitalization plan, the conditions set forth in KSA 1217,115C are pervasive throughout Pratt County. Accordingly, this governing body adopts a neighborhood revitalization plan as presented. A copy of the neighborhood revitalization plan is available to the public in the county appraiser's office. Pursuant to KSA 12-17,1116, this governing body declares that a neighborhood revitalization area exists within the entirety of Pratt County, including all the geographic areas subject to its taxation power. The legal description for Pratt County is available in the county appraiser's office. Three, pursuant to KSA 12-2904B, this governing body hereby approves the form and content of the interlocal agreement as presented. The chairman is directed to execute the interlocal agreement on behalf of Pratt County. A copy of the interlocal agreement is available to the public in the county appraiser's office. For this resolution shall become effective upon its publication in the official county newspaper. So to the extent that you want to adopt, there need to be a motion to adopt the resolution.

Can I make a motion to adopt this resolution with the thought that we will update the maps as other taxing entities either come in? So the other doesn't matter.

No, the other taxing it, everything that's green, what you're looking at on the map is just the corporate boundaries of those cities.

Oh, okay. Okay.

And this is a participation. That's right.

Okay. I just wanted to clarify. I'll make a move. I'll make a motion. To approve Resolution Number 06-08-2026 for the adoption of the Neighborhood Revitalization Plan.

I'll second that. It's been moved and seconded, and we adopt Resolution Number 06-08-2026 of the Neighborhood Revitalization Plan. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed, same sign. Motion carried. Do I need to sign?

Yep, that one.

This one on my copy today? No, this is that. Just go ahead and sign it?

Yep. And then for the public, just so you're aware, the other taxing entities will be having hearings as well. Upon their approval, everything gets sent to the Attorney General for approval. And once we get that back, it then gets recorded with the Register of Deeds and the Secretary of State. And once it's recorded, everything becomes effective. So we're looking at I don't know. We were shooting for July 1. It's going to probably be past July 1 with the late add of tax amenities. But there'll be an announcement, probably a joint announcement, letting everybody know when the program's available. You're also welcome to call the appraiser's office. I'll keep the appraiser up to date.

Yep, that's there. Yep.

okay the public hearing on neighborhood revitalization program is now closed heather go ahead

Yeah, I just have a couple of things. I did meet with the City of Sawyer last week. They are going ahead to join Neighborhood Revitalization. They were excited to hear about how it exactly worked. There was some miscommunication or perceptions there, so that went well. Working with the Kansas Corporation Commission on the final fiscal closeout related to the Sawyer grant. There was a meeting, an initial coffee with housing developers last week related to the housing incentive grant through PAEDC. As soon as we get the neighborhood revitalization in place, that can move forward. Also working with a business on a potential Kansas Department of Commerce retail grant. The Western Kansas Regional Economic Development Association met a person from the Kansas Department of Commerce came out to talk about data centers. The state's current position is that that's a local issue. Clearly, we've not had any interest in Pratt County that I'm aware of, but certainly that's a hot issue down in Barber County. And certainly for the statewide elected officials are certainly getting questions about data centers, sort of an issue nationally. The last thing I have today is within the last hour, it's been announced that the chamber has a new executive director. Bruce Givens has been hired as the new chamber executive director. With that, I'm happy to stand for questions.

I don't have any, Heather.

I don't have any. On the data center, Heather, was that presentation recorded or not?

No, I don't believe that it was recorded. Okay, thanks. Thank you. Bye-bye.

Thanks, Heather.

Thank you. I need to wait on Tara then. Either one of those two.

Both of those are good. Exactly.

I'll make a motion to approve the minutes from June 1st. Second. Sorry. That's fine. Move and second, we approve the minutes from June 1st. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Opposed, same sign. Motion carried. i did talk to chuck timmage he said he would mow that so i don't know if it's done or not but he said he would do it okay he's got a hold of me a week ago tom about that what was counting games

um i did change the just time for the um budget workshop scheduled for the 16th it'll now be if it's okay with you guys instead of one till a known time it'll be 8 a.m to 1 p.m at the very latest on the 16th yes if that works for you guys we'll just start an hour earlier and and get done i think it'll probably be done before noon my that's my that's my thinking too i told them we probably should have no trouble getting out and i'm trying to get them their valuations so they can work on that that's fine that is tomorrow correct rich i thought it was tomorrow apparently it's next week don't scare me like that yeah that's what he said earlier that's why i said you know better to be early than late

Spray orders are racking up. Keeps raining, can't cut weed. I don't even know what to do. Lucky I even showed up today.

We would have called you.

Yeah, yeah. Did you forget us?

Yes, I did. I could get a quick executive session out of the way if we don't have anything else. I'd request an executive session for attorney.

I have privilege to discuss PRMC for 10 minutes.

We'll make that motion. We moved in second. We moved in second to go into executive session for 10 minutes to discuss PRMC. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Opposed, same sign. We'll be in executive session.

We'll make a motion to come out of the written session with no action taken.

Oh, we move in second. We come out of our executive session with no action taken. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed, same sign. We're back in open session.

Do you have anything else?

I'm going to wait.

I have an update if you guys need to kill some time. So I went to the, um, uh, Kansas department of, um, admin municipalities division training for it's like a budget workshop. And they were spending an awful lot of time, like an hour on ADA accessibility. I've talked with Mark about this. Um, and I thought, why are we spending so much time out of a, out of an eight hour, you know, we only have so much time here. So the federal government has passed ADA laws, which I think you guys are aware of. And Mark has been kind of working on our website to get it. And it's based off a population on when we need to comply to that. We're not until 2028. The state, however, is 2027. So I don't really know. I wish they want all of the, I have to submit all of the budgets. So every tax amenity we have to them so they can be put online. And they are saying that everything, they have bought a program, but everything they have on their website starting in 2027 has to be ADA compliant, which is not a small task. It's not a small learning curve. It takes programs and codes and tags on all of these documents. I mean, you guys know what our budget looks like. I mean, every single page has to be ADA compliant with the correct tags. And a lot of those are spreadsheets. format charts, um, not going to be easy. They, um, and everyone goes to these trainings, like accountants, um, clerks from any city township, whatever they said that, you know, the county clerks can not accommodate making all of those accessible, which I, we can, I can't even do our, I don't know. I that's a steep learning curve. Right.

And so, um,

they told them that they need to submit an Excel or PDF form, a budget that has all the correct tags. I have trouble getting some of our entities to even submit me a budget on time, let alone having a PDF document.

Why are we? So the state's bringing up. Somebody else's taxing entity getting their budget ADA compliant. That should be on them, right? It is.

It is. The state has said, even though it's on our website, we're not going to do it.

So the Department of Administration puts out the forms that everybody uses, and I'm wondering if the form that they use will be ADA compliant, meaning there won't have to be any user-in add-ons to their form. So right now, Scott gets his budget forms from the Department of Administration.

It's called a workbook, like a budget workbook. Yep. And it's all in Excel form.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And are you saying that, so that'll be updated when the state goes?

They are not.

They're not going to update their form. That is correct.

It is up to.

And you can't always get the taxing entities to use.

I don't, I can't. I mean, Taryn Reniger has done a really great job and she has a lot of our taxing entities that she takes care of, but she doesn't have them all. Um, and she gives them the stuff to give to me because it needs life signatures on it. Um, so it almost has to be a PDF. Um, at least some of it does, um, where it has those actual signatures on there. Um, and they have said, you know, they told everyone on the call or on the training, the clerk cannot do it. You guys need to do it. That's a really big ask to say, Hey, not only do you need to get me your budget has to be in a digital format that's ada accessible yeah it's it's not going to happen i mean like all the taxing entities have to do that townships boards all this airport authority polis and codes township yeah schools i would but at some point uh department administration does put out a workbook that's that's usable by everybody yeah that would be my hope um It's just whether they submit that to me in Excel form or hard copy PDF or however. But they want us submitting that starting now for the 2027 year. The budgets that we're submitting now need to be in that format.

But we have to submit the other taxing energies budgets in that format?

They said all budgets that are submitted from the county clerk have to be in this format. but to make the taxing entities submit them that way to me. So I just wanted to give you guys a heads up on that. Mark and I have kind of discussed it to see what our options are. I mean, it's too big of a task, I know, for my department, for his department, for, I mean, I don't know if there's a third party. I know we were going to kind of look at that and see if there was like a website or,

Other than taxing entities, the small ones, they're not going to afford that.

I mean, we're going to have to charge them to get done that way. So they're going to have to find somebody to do it.

Yeah. I don't, I don't know the solution, but after about an hour of them going over and I was like, something's getting ready to happen because.

And then try to explain it to them. Correct.

Because a lot of these, I mean, it is volunteer positions. These aren't, I mean, it's people stepping up and taking on the duty of clerk, treasurer, and trustee in these places and just to help their community out. So it is a big ask. Even counties.

And who's pushing that?

It's a federal law that's being passed down. What's that?

Triggling down to you at the end.

Correct.

Yeah, I'm not used to that.

Mandy from the department admin did say that the state has purchased a program. But she said, just so you know it, that's not going to be something that everyone has access to. And there is a steep learning curve. It's not something that you can just pick up and learn how to do.

I don't even know what to say on that.

That's what I said.

Yeah.

I think there's a, I honestly just think there's a disconnect between laws.

What's this for? So they could click on a link on the website and then somebody reads the budget to them? Correct. Basically. So let me ask you this. How do they get on the website to click the link? I'm sure there's some program.

They just move the mouse around and then that's why the website has to be ADA compliant. So like the mouse that tells you. Tells you when you're over. Yes. Each image had description.

If it's wrong, you don't know. But yet we're going to take two weeks to count ballots out in that way. And we can do that. Yeah. Or longer. Yeah, or longer. Okay.

Wow.

I shouldn't have said that. Just the truth, folks.

Okie dokie. Tara?

get you done with that yep oh you got good news maybe not yeah i'm meeting talked about non-elected personnel i'd say 15.

make a motion we go into executive session for 15 minutes to discuss non-elected personnel second we move in second we go into executive session for 15 minutes to discuss non-elected personnel all in favor say aye aye opposed same sign go on executive session

Okay.

We'll make a motion we come out of executive session with no action taken.

Second. We move to second. We come out of executive session with no action taken. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed, same sign. We're back in open session.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

So, I mean, this can be for legal or non-lawful personnel. For how long?

It's something that we've talked about ad nauseum at this point. So, I'd request a 10-minute executive session for attorney by privilege to discuss an appointment issue. I'll make that motion.

I'll second it.

I move and second we're doing an executive session for 10 minutes to discuss an appointment issue. all in favor say aye aye opposed same sign we'll be back in the executive session for 10 minutes i'll make a motion we come out of the executive session with no action taken well second been moved and seconded we come out of executive session with no action taken all in favor say aye aye aye opposed same sign we're back in open session thank you guys thank you thank you guys brian now you're in you get a stay all right we just have more please

All right, we got some AC issues out there. What issues?

Air conditioning. So it's for the bedrooms. So it's just our small unit. I texted you, but it was right before the meeting, so you probably didn't see it yet.

Unless it popped up here.

Right now, we're thinking it's a compressor. They called, and it might be here Thursday or Friday. So I said, what else can we do? I've got the company that put them in looking for a compressor right now as well, because I called Intergreen the first time. Haven't heard back from them. So I don't know if they have one or I don't know, haven't heard. He came out and said, maybe we can, because when they first fixed it, one of the times last week or last month, he said, I thought it was a little small of a unit that should be there. So Intergreen came out today and said, let me check, see if we can put a little bigger outside unit only in and not have to mess with the inside. I said, well, give me a price on that. I'm sure the compressor and or that's going to be over a thousand. So I'm trying to get numbers before I do much, but I wanted to bring it to your attention that we're.

You need it.

It's going to get warm. You're going to need it this week.

It's been out since last week.

I've been sleeping in the recliner.

So yeah, they're, they're working on that now, but we're, we're making do. It's not terrible, but I don't know what it's going to be if it keeps going up. So that's where we're at now. So I just figured I'd let you know that's coming and we'll do whatever the most cost-effective way to get it fixed.

Is that the same one right after you moved in, kept freezing up? Is that the same unit?

One of those did. I can't remember if it was the big one or the little one.

Yeah. One of those just turned into Baca.

Yeah, I don't remember which one that was now with all the problems we've had with our HVAC.

Yeah.

An integrating guy said, I don't even know what brand this is. Well, I Google searched it and it comes up. Another name brand for that is like an offshoot of Coleman, which isn't the best. Anybody that's got a Coleman on their house, on their RVs maybe, but so I don't know. I don't think it was the best unit to begin with, but.

Yeah.

Yeah. So we'll keep you posted on that, but it may just be something if they get it. If you're okay with it. Yeah. Yeah.

Yep.

Yep. I'm afraid so. So in summer, just start basically.

Yeah.

But other than that, we're talking a lot along. So unless you guys got anything for me. Since you're here. Yeah.

Why don't we go into executive sessions for 10 minutes to discuss non-elected personnel. To discuss. To discuss an assistant. Does that make sense? Mm-hmm. Non-elected personnel discussing assistance. Whatever gets Graber out of here. Second that motion. We've got 50 complaints upstairs. They just walked in.

It's been moved and seconded. We go into executive session to discuss non-elected personnel for EMS and assistant. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed, same sign. We'll be in executive session. i'll make a motion to come out of the executive session relax okay oh second then move the second we come out of executive session no action all in favor say aye aye aye opposed same sign motion carried we're back in open session all right well that's all i had thank you you're welcome thank you brian thank you thank you they're probably all huddled in your office got some extra cuts Got anything else, Tyson? I did.

I request a 15-minute executive session for attorney-client privilege to discuss the upcoming tax foreclosure.

I'll make that motion. Second. So we're moving in second, and we go into executive session for 15 minutes for attorney-client privilege to discuss tax All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed, same sign. Motion carried.

We'll make a motion we come out of the executive session without action taken.

Second. We move to second. We come out of executive session with no action taken. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed, same sign. We're back in open session.

I really hate to do this, Mark, but I'd like to go into executive session for a quick 10 minutes for non-elected personnel to discuss wages.

Second, we go into executive session for 10 minutes to discuss non-elected personnel to discuss wages. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed, same sign. We'll be in executive session again.

We'll make a motion we come out of executive session with no action taken.

I'll second it.

We're moving to second. We come out of executive session with no action taken. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed, same sign. We're back in open session. Is she coming back? Do you know?

I said yes if you hustle.

Okay.

So I haven't heard back, but hopefully.

Got you.

Can we go ahead and pay the vouchers?

I'll make a motion we pay the vouchers. Second.

So moved and seconded, we pay the vouchers. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed, same sign. Pay the vouchers.

I'll put those there.

So it looks like that email I got from CBD this morning about the state certification affected about 10 counties that they certify to. And then- You didn't hear the clerk scream across the- So, well, I sent out an immediate email to all of our shared districts saying, pause, I'm going to have to recertify, don't move forward. Cause then if they, you know, I certified at five other counties. So then if that county certifies to five other counties, I mean, it's a tangled web.

Well, even like the school district, we go into other counties. Yeah, we have like seven other. We have to wait for them to, you know, that would be even nightmare.

Yeah. So I just sent out a mass email that said pause, which it looks like, you know, we're not the only county. So it's affecting, I mean, I would say a good portion of the state.

Mm-hmm.

I'm sure.

It'll be okay. But I have that candy attitude.

Are they done with the pipes? Are we dripping water still?

I haven't looked yet this week, but I have a... You need to look in them. I have a noise. A noise every three minutes. It's a like it's in my corner.

And you're like a five-year-old pretending you're a machine gun.

Mark laughs every time. He said, does it only happen when I'm in here? I said, no, it happens every three minutes. So if you're in there, you're almost about, yeah, you're going to hear it.

Why is it doing it now?

I mean, I think there's air on the lines, but they came on blood and twice. So I don't know if it's the pumps. I don't know.

Is the pipe loose and it's shaking a little bit and making that noise?

Well, it didn't do it before. I don't know. I don't know. I'm going to email him back and be like, hey, it's... I keep trying to catch it on video so I can send it to him so they can see what noise it is. But then I forget about it and, you know, it's kind of hard to keep my video up. I guess I could just stand there, but I don't really have that time. Not right now.

Did your door vanish?

Yes. Have you guys seen that? If you were wandering around, go take a look. It looks fantastic. Clayton's crew did a wonderful job. Oh, I guess that's an update I need to give you guys. While they were putting in the door, we found a urinal built in to my wall that's porcelain. No joke. I know you can't make this stuff up. So I'm wondering, it used to be the courts, like my office is used to be the courts and the judge's chambers and I, and there's no bathroom on the second floor. So I'm sure they were like, ah, it's all men. Let's just slap this urinal on the wall. Anyway, until we moved the cabinets, the cabinets were hiding it. And so, um, the problem is it was never capped off. So every time someone would flush, they were getting whiffs of sewer. So I said, we can't leave it. I said, do what you need to do to take it out and cap it off. So that's going to be separate from the grant that we have to cover, but it had, I mean, it had to be done, so. they did a wonderful job taking care of that i did grab a picture that's what you're hearing mark's going up there you know what if that was if that room wasn't what it was i would come down here and bid to you guys bathrooms because there's no bathrooms up there and evidently there's sewers so yeah um i had martin fleming in my office when i left and um i think that this might be the

help that I need. Um, I talked to him a few weeks ago and then he went on a vacation and just wasn't sure. I wasn't sure if he'd still be interested. So he, he came by. Um, so, um, I like to hire Martin Fleming as a part-time driver.

Make a motion. We hire Martin Fleming as a part-time driver for 1070 an hour.

We'll second that. We're moving second, and we hire Mark Fleming as a part-time driver for P-70 there. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Opposed, same sign. Motion carried.

We'll do it. Maybe you go back to the office. There'll be somebody else in there.

Okay. I don't know if you guys know him much, but he drives for USD 332 and has a CDL. And so he has some of the credentials already that are needed, like CDL not needed, but helpful.

He's qualified.

Yeah. And not going to need to sign that. So. Thank you so much. and then if you want to grab a short time packet i will i will she's got to get them in the books first but okay guys thank you thank you is that your girl on the wall or what was that oh

I got some information back that I'm pointing out for you guys.

Maybe you're going to say you're going to find pigeons in the wall or something. I would have cried.

I think I would have. that would probably have been a phone call you guys received saying no it is it is insane actually so it took us a little while longer than expected but uh no plague's crew is awesome i they did a great job and they um really worked around the public and um the door looks great and nobody got trapped in the elevator No, it worked perfectly as a certified elevator would.

Somebody got called out because somebody was wrapped in the elevator.

They did get called out because someone pushed the button. And once you push the button, it's over. And you know, a big red button in an elevator is awfully tempting for little children. It wasn't the first time or the last. Sometimes they pick up the phone.

Yeah.

Thank you.

I'll give him a couple extra. Did you? Yeah. See, he's happy we go. I noticed that.

I think they're plotting against you, Tom.

Oh, that's all right. I probably deserved it.

They kept out those words.

If it's not, we'll get them figured out.

Anything else?

I'll make a motion to adjourn. I'll say it. Been moved and seconded. We adjourned. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Opposed, same sign.

I'm going to be on to Mark. He's on the phone. You're trying to solve some kind of crisis.

You just unplug it and see what happens. I think you can just end.

I think you can too, but I'm worried if it doesn't publish or save, you know what I mean?

I'll go let him know. We'll be paid until then. I guess I would cancel the plan then.

I think this needs to get down the line.