Courthouse security measures delayed; commission rethinks meeting time
By GAYLE WEBER
Changes at the Ellis County Courthouse won't be occurring as soon as originally thought.
In August, Ellis County commissioners agreed to meet in the evenings in order to free up courtroom space and to implement security measures in the courthouse. Both were estimated to begin in November but won't, at least not at the beginning of the month.
"The whole reason for doing it was the courts," Commission Chairman Perry Henman said. "And the other reason was maybe for people who work and can't get here during the day."
Moving to evening meetings would free up a courtroom so the district courts could schedule two jury trials at the same time.
Commissioner Vernon Berens said Monday he wasn't sure about the move to evening meetings anymore.
"If they want to come to a meeting, they're going to find time to come," Berens said, pointing to the seating area that was nearly full during Monday's discussion of zoning regulations.
Commissioners never have voted on the issue and have not set a date for the transition.
The original November deadline was set after commissioners instructed Sheriff Ed Harbin to obtain bids for potential security solutions for the courthouse.
"The minimum they should do is to have someone else in the courthouse," Harbin said.
He hoped to have all the bids for security equipment in the next few weeks, but said those only would be ballpark figures. He estimated bids would start at about $30,000.
Also at Monday's meeting:
* Commissioners approved a draw request from a transportation revolving loan fund for the Eighth Street bridge just west of Fort Hays State University. The request was for $15,347.23 for engineering services.
Public Works Administrator Mike Graf said there still is about $3,000 available to the county through the loan; however, there is about $40,000 in potential costs left on the project.
"The loan ... is not going to be enough for all of that," Graf said.
The overage would be paid from Ellis County funds.
* Bids have been submitted to the Kansas Department of Transportation for the county's stimulus project. Graf said four of the five bids for construction of the bridge southwest of Walker came in under engineer estimates.
"That would make it a little simpler on us as far as making a local match," Graf said.
Ellis County will pay 20 percent of the project's total cost.
* Commissioners approved a contract renewal for space on a communications tower to continue to operate the public works department's 400 megahertz radios. The contract lasts for five years.
* Commissioners discussed the possibility of applying for high-risk rural road funding to be used for studies, signage or right-of-way acquisition on a stretch of Old U.S. Highway 40 east of Ellis.
* Appraiser Dean Denning said sale prices on property have remained steady this year, and he expects property values to be relatively flat in 2010.
* Commissioners approved three grants received through Ellis County Emergency Management. The grants total more than $12,000.