Now on this 1st day of March 2010, the Board of Commissioners, Sheridan County, Kansas met in regular session with Ron Schamberger presiding. Others present were members Doyle Kauk and Troy Dewey and County Clerk Paula Bielser.

Schamberger made a motion to approve the February 22, 2010 minutes and Dewey seconded the motion. Motion carried 3-0.

Kauk reported on the wind meeting he attended at Oakley the prior week. He said that plans are currently underway to develop wind energy in several northwest and southwest Kansas counties.

Dewey made a motion to approve the Nomination for County Weed Director naming Barry Quanz to the position and Kauk seconded the motion. Motion carried 3-0.

Kauk made a motion to approve Resolution No 10-79 titled Code of Conduct specific to the board of commissioners adopting a code of conduct barring elected officials, employees or agents of the county from any financial gain in the Community Development Block Grant process. Dewey seconded the motion. Motion carried 3-0.

At 8:32 a.m. Dewey made a motion to enter into executive session for 20 minutes for the purpose of client/attorney privileged information. Schamberger seconded the motion. Motion carried 3-0. The door opened at 8:52 a.m. with no motion being made. Present were the board and County Attorney Michael Haas.

Road Supervisor Paulette Feldt submitted the prior week`s work maps along with a revised 5 Year Plan from the Kansas Department of Transportation. Feldt noted that the revision placed feedlot road scheduled the resurfacing for 2011. The road had originally been scheduled for resurfacing for 2010. Dewey made a motion to approve the revised 5 Year Plan and Schamberger seconded the motion. Motion carried 3-0. Also discussed was the state`s request that the county assume the maintenance on the paved spur roads leading to Seguin and Menlo. The board asked that Feldt contact K-Dot engineer Bob Weiss from Oakley to meet with them at his earliest convenience to discuss the matter.

Feldt also said that Foley Caterpillar had picked up Loren Sulzman`s motor grader for repairs, but that they have not received the new John Deere grader, nor received a replacement machine that was to be furnished for the road department by Murphy Tractor. The board will contact the sales department at Murphy to find out why a machine has not been delivered. Feldt also said that the cost for repairs on one of the mowers came in at around $1000.00, but would have the commissioners review the repair estimates on the other mowers prior to purchasing the parts or making repairs. Also discussed was obtaining bids from local vendors for an additional mower.

Barry Quanz visited with the board regarding his new position as noxious weed supervisor effective March 29th.

Feldt submitted the Operators Safety Manual for the Sheridan County Landfill on behalf of landfill operator David Bingham. Schamberger made a motion to approve the revisions as submitted and Kauk seconded the motion. Motion carried 3-0.

Feldt also reported on the recycling meeting she attended the prior week in Colby. She said that Sheridan County was awarded a $15,000.00 grant to expand our program. Feldt said that they have begun collecting used clothing and shoes at the recycling sites.

Public Health Nurse Melanie Cooper informed the board that she is asking for bids for a commercial refrigerator from local vendors and reviewed the numbers of patients seen in 2009 for WIC and clients that have received the H1N1 vaccine to date. Cooper also said that she wrote and received a grant to attend the National Breast Feeding conference in San Diego scheduled for this spring.

At 9:45 a.m. Schamberger made a motion to enter into executive session for 10 minutes for the purpose of discussion of non-elected personnel. Dewey seconded the motion. Motion carried 3-0. The door opened at 9:55 a.m. with no motion being made. Present were the board and Cooper.

Sheriff Brian Fenner reported that the sheriff`s department has received a new deputy`s vehicle, and asked what the commissioners wanted to do with the 1999 Expedition. The board instructed Fenner to advertise the vehicle for sale by sealed bid. The board also discussed the proposed location of a communications tower south of Hoxie with Fenner through correspondence they received from the FAA. Fenner said he had no opposition to a company placing a tower at that site.

Mort Plunkett, architect, Westley Kendall, grant coordinator with NW KS Planning & Development, Brian Deines, Deines Construction, Wakeeney, KS, David Stithem and Steve Newell were present for the presentation and opening of bids for the Sheridan County Courthouse elevator project. Chairman Ron Schamberger opened the only bid from Deines Construction in the amount of $256,700.00 for the completed project which included bids from sub-contractors for the electrical, mechanical and the cost of the elevator. The proposal from Deines Construction exceeded the architect`s estimate of $153,000.00 by $103,700.00. The Community Development Block Grant application amount awarded to the county for the project was $114,090.00 based on Plunkett`s estimate and local injection of county funds the commissioners pledged to the project was $50,000.00. No decision was made at this time on rejecting or accepting the grant funds, but the commissioners instructed Bielser to contact State ADA Coordinator Anthony Fadale for suggestions on how to proceed from this point.

Larry Sharp, K-CAMP met with the board to review the county`s loss ratio for a four year average. Sharp also said that K-CAMP has opened a government training web-site and encouraged all departments to take advantage of up to 15 hrs annually of free credit hours of continuing ed. Sharp said that this has been an especially useful tool for the sheriff`s departments to earn their continuing education hours.

Sharp also said that K-CAMP is hiring a re-appraisal firm to appraise all the county courthouses under their coverage to be based on replacement cost.

No further business, Dewey made a motion to adjourn and Kauk seconded the motion. Motion carried 3-0. The next meeting will be March 8, 2009 at the regular time and meeting place.