Board of County Commissioners - Regular Meeting

Before we go into new business, I'd like to go ahead and take a quick recess, but I'll move over to the fire board. So, Madam Clerk, if you would please call the roll for governing body of fire district number one.

Roll call. Commissioner Meitzner.

Present.

Commissioner Beatty. Present. Commissioner Howe. Present. Commissioner Wise. Present. Chairman Buva.

Present.

Next item.

Appointments.

Yes, thank you Chairman Justin Wagoner, County Councilor. Item A is a resolution appointing Jacob Coley to the Sedgwick County Fire District Number One Steering Council as recommended by the City of Mays. The recommended action is to adopt the resolution.

And I would like to go ahead and make a motion to adopt the resolution. I'll second.

Second, sorry.

Okay, motion and a second. Any questions or comments? If not, Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Commissioner Meitzner.

Aye.

Commissioner Beatty.

Aye.

Commissioner Howe. Aye. Commissioner Weiss. Aye. Chairman Blubaugh.

Aye. Motion passes 5-0.

All right, good morning, Commissioners. Morning. All right, if you'd raise your right hand. I do solemnly swear I will support the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State of Kansas, and faithfully discharge the duties of the Office of Sedgwick County Fire District No. 1 Steering Council, so help me God. I do.

Congratulations. If you'd like to say anything, you can. Morning, Jacob. Morning, Commissioners. I just want to say thank you for this opportunity, and I look forward to working with the Fire District. Okay. Thank you for being here. Thank you.

All right. Next item.

Public agenda.

We do not have anyone signed up on the public agenda. Next item.

New business, item B, report of the Board of Bids and Contracts regular meeting on August 13, 2026.

Good morning, Mr. Chairman, Commissioners, Joe Thomas, Purchasing Director. The meeting of the Board of Bids and Contracts on August 13th for Fire District number one, we have one item that we're seeking your approval for, and that's the personal protective equipment and accessories for the Fire District. This recommendation is to accept the low bids at the rates listed, and this will be for a contract period of two years with two one-year options to renew, and this is with the following vendors. For item number one, Conrad Fire Equipment, Item number two would be Ed M. Feld Equipment Company, Incorporated. They're doing business as Feld Fire Equipment. For item three is the North America Fire Equipment Company doing business as NAFECO. For items four and six, we recommend Casco Industries, Incorporated. item number five Danko emergency equipment and item number seven with MES service company LLC. Be happy to answer any questions and recommend approval. Okay. Commissioners, do you have any questions?

On the, is that item two, the register of deeds? We're doing the fire district right now, sir. Thank you.

If we don't have any questions, I'd like to make a motion to approve the recommendations of the Board of Bids and Contracts.

Second.

I have a motion and a second. Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Commissioner Meitzner. Aye. Commissioner Beatty. Aye. Aye. Commissioner Howell.

Aye.

Commissioner Weiss. Aye. Chairman Blumenthal.

Aye. Motion passes five to zero. Next item.

Budget discussion.

Do we have any discussions on the board? Okay. Next item?

Other.

Anything on other? Yeah. Go ahead. Yeah, Commissioner, I'd just like to give you a quick update on some of the conversations that have taken place in the last 18 hours, I think, probably. As the public knows, and as we obviously know, in October of last year, we received from our firing steering council, we received a resolution asking us to address specific issues in some of our aid agreements that deal with Some of our partner cities, five in particular, that operate either a volunteer department or a hybrid volunteer part-time department. We've engaged with discussions with all five of those cities. In my district, one of those cities is Valley Center that operates a part-time department with five full-time firefighters, the part-time department on a 12-hour shift. Last night, after significant conversations over the last probably three to four months, myself, Chief Williams, Fire Marshal Chris, Rusty Leeds, attended their city council meeting to help just answer questions and to help walk them through this process. They took a vote last night to explore the option with the public of a 1% sales tax to help partially fund some of their fire operations. That'll be on the ballot in November. So if that, I think the direction we received last night is if that sales tax does pass, that they're gonna try to just bolster their department and maintain internal and then seek a mutual aid agreement with Sedgwick County and other partners. If that does not pass in November, then they will then we're going to reengage conversations to figure out kind of level set where they're at and what they need to do and what they need to accomplish. So a lot of obviously have a lot of observations, a lot of opinions. The primary focus for us as the fire board maintains the same, though, is that we will reinforce the need for safety for our personnel, for all fire personnel on scene and for citizens. We arrived at this moment. because of a lack of turnout when you go on a structure fire scene when we're sending in an aid situation when only three to five firefighters from the primary jurisdiction is showing up it puts everyone in that situation and on that scene in jeopardy from the citizen to the firefighters i was grateful last night that their interim chief their public safety director and their city manager acknowledged that we have a problem we have to solve so we're building from a premise that everyone agrees this lack of turnout is a significant safety concern The question now is, how do we deal with it? Does Valley Center bolster their own department, or do they join with an open invitation into the fire district where we will reinforce and re-bolster the fire response? And those are the conversations. Apparently, we're going to wait until November to answer that finally, to get a final answer. So I wanted to give an update to the commission because we're all intricately involved in these conversations. I'll continue to contest that safety is the priority. that we will not compromise safety of our firefighters. We will not do it. In doing so, that we, personally, me, I have a specific opinion of what I think would be best for my citizens in Valley Center, for the firefighters of Sedgwick County, and the firefighters for Valley Center. But that is a decision that is left to the cities, and we'll support and do the best we can with what direction they want to go to create an agreement that will provide safety for everybody on the scene. So my last thought is, and I've said this publicly from this bench multiple times, These archaic old models of government, if we continue to try to scale them, it will only increase the cost of government to its citizens. Safety is a component here, but we have to reform some of these models. We have to reform some of these models, not only to increase efficiency and safety, but we have to reform models to lower the cost of government to its citizens. This is one example of many examples all across the organizational charts, all across our 20 cities and Sedgwick County government, to where this is just another example that we're trying to scale old models. When there is a reform option, a modernization option that is available, that will help us gain efficiency and cost savings and safety. So I'm going to continue to advocate for the plan I think is best and continue to advocate for our firefighters and as the fire board and the fire district taxpayers, but also for my citizens and constituents in Valley Center. So hopefully we land the plan in a good place. I'm still hopeful, but I'll keep you updated on the Valley Center side of things. I'll keep you updated as we go. Just quick update, Chairman. Okay. Thank you very much. All right. Next item.

Executive session.

We do not have an executive session. We will adjourn fire district number one meeting and go back into our BOCC meeting.