County commissioners’ plans to begin reviewing possible vendors to eventually replace the County’s current computer system with the emerging PC-based platform is a less than popular notion for at least a couple of department heads, namely, Register of Deeds Marilyn Brown and Treasurer Brenda Osborne.
The pair appeared before the commission at Monday’s meeting to voice their displeasure with the prospect of moving away anytime soon from the ASC 400 computer system currently being used.
“If we stay with the ASC 400 we’ll have to do the upgrade in January,” Commission Chair Gene West told the two Monday morning. “The State is going to go PC-based soon and we’ll have to do the same.”
“That doesn’t mean we have to jump right in,” Osborne objected.
West replied that rather than “jumping into it,” he and the commission were “simply looking at this.” He then asked the pair, “Don’t you think it would be worth your while to look into it also rather than letting it come up and bite you? You guys are getting all excited about nothing.”
Brown countered she’d talked with other Registers of Deeds around the state of Kansas having recently switched to the PC-based format. “They don’t like it,” she said.
West then explained the commission would be “looking at what different companies have to offer, but the time to look is now rather than before we’re forced to go to this when the State does. This is just for department heads to look and see what’s available so we can make an informed decision.
“You guys are department heads. We’re not going to force something down your throats we don’t think will work. I mean, what do you guys think we’re going to do?”
“I don’t know,” Brown replied. “We obviously don’t know what you guys are going to do.”
The two left shortly thereafter, with a demonstration by CIC Computer Information Concepts of their PC-based platform scheduled for department heads three days later in the commissioners’ meeting trailer.
“This ASC 400 series isn’t going to be supported after a while, so let’s not throw good money after bad (by upgrading and maintaining it as long as possible),” Liggett said shortly after Brown and Osborn departed. “We need to look at who can best supply us with what everyone’s going to be going to sooner or later.”
In other matters…
nLong-term recovery assistant director Kendal Lothman reported that of $610,000 in insurance money collected in connection with the fairgrounds, all but $91,000 has been “paid out so far.” He received permission to spend another $13,000 for materials for interior construction of the building that will replace the former Neighborhood Facility Building on the new fairgrounds bordering the Triangle Rodeo Club on North Bay. He also said he plans on pulling 50 or so volunteers from New York that will be in town September 4-7 to construct the new 4-H show barn in order to erect the community building. He also will spend $3,024 for brick from Salina Concrete for the building’s façade. The company donated the first 2,100 bricks.
nThe commission also agreed to Travis Barnes’ request to use the office formerly occupied by housing director Laura Stoltenberg in the commissioners’ trailer as a temporary office for newly hired recreation commission director Desire Miller, who lives in Pratt.
nLothman later reported he’d signed a contract for Road and Bridge’s temporary shop for $33,000. He said the structure should “be up the first week in October.” Lothman also presented three possible names for the 4-H show barn to be raised the first week of September—Livestock Pavilion; Livestock Barn and Livestock Building. The commission agreed on Livestock Barn. They also chose Community Building over Exhibit Building and Exhibit Hall for the new building to replace the former Neighborhood Facility Building.
Lothman further reported workers had so far hauled off over 800,000 pounds of concrete from the courthouse square in the initial phase of its remodeling. He also said he’d be looking to get additional FEMA dollars to help with the expense of unexpectedly having to tear out the east wall of the courtroom on the third floor. The wall was apparently damaged when the May 4, 2007 tornado slammed a vehicle into the roofline of the east side of the building.
As for whether the old concrete slabs can be reused for the new Road and Bridge buildings on South Grove, Lothman said even though architects recommended pouring new floors, he would ask FEMA whether they wanted to stand the $7,500 per site cost of having the core samples of the concrete tested for suitability of reuse.
nCarl Huslig, President of ITC Great Plains updated commissioners on his company’s efforts to construct a 750 kilo volt transmission line from Spearville across Kiowa County and back over to Sedgwick County. ITC’s progress toward the project was halted when Westar filed a protest last spring over the proposed route allegedly infringing upon their territory. The Kansas Corporation Commission is currently deciding whether ITC or Westar will get the nod for the project. The commission sent, at the behest of State Rep. Dennis McKinney, a letter to the KCC earlier this year urging them to give ITC the nod over Westar. Huslig raised the prospect of the planned ITC line including a substation in Kiowa County. ITC is the lone transmission-only utility in existence.
nRoad and Bridge Superintendent Doyle Conrad told the commission work on the south landfill’s C & D pit is nearing completion. He also said he’s planning on aggressively mowing overgrown intersections to enhance safety with fall harvest around the corner. As for the effect of the recent spate of cool, damp weather on his department’s efforts at resealing paved roads, Conrad lamented, “It’s ripping me up.”
Conrad signaled regret over the resignation of motor grader operator Clint Tuttle who had worked roads in the Haviland area. “A farmer offered him more than we could ever hope to pay,” Conrad said. “I hate to lose him. He was very particular about his work.”
Conrad reported he’s spent right at 50 percent of his budgeted allotment through the month of July, and that he’s not yet over the line on fuel. “But it’ll hurt by the end of the year,” he said.
“Being 50 percent at the end of July is a lot better than some other departments,” West said.
Conrad also said he’s preparing to mow a number of lots within Greensburg once more, including the fairgrounds “in preparation for the 9/11 barn raising that’ll be here soon.”
Conrad later asked commissioner Earl Liggett about complaints he’d heard regarding mowing and road grading maintenance, Liggett saying, “People need to understand we’re doing the best we can with the price of oil and diesel being what it is.”
Greensburg, KS —
