Reno County Commission adopts 2020 budget, approves routine resolutions and hears departmental updates

Reno County commissioners on Tuesday moved ahead with a package of fiscal and housekeeping actions and heard department updates, adopting the county's 2020 budget and approving several routine resolutions.

County administrator Gary Meager presented the proposed 2020 budget and said the levy amount in the proposal is $25,080,339 and the county's mill levy was held at 41.687 mills. Meager said the budget includes salary adjustments for eligible employees and elected officials, two mills set aside for a bridge fund, one mill for a special road fund, one new position for the sheriff's office and a courthouse weatherization initiative funded from remaining sales-tax proceeds tied to a prior jail project. "We were able to accomplish that," Meager said, summarizing the staffing and fund set-asides.

After a brief public hearing with no public commenters, the commission approved the county and special-district budgets on a roll call vote. Commissioners also approved Resolution 2019-12 acknowledging that several special districts (including Fire District 9 and Sewer Districts 201 and 202) exceeded the inflation-based amount under the truth-in-taxation comparison; staff noted some affected sewer districts have very low assessed valuations (one cited at about $197,000), limiting revenue per mill.

The board approved Resolution 2019-13 to authorize the director of accounts and reports to waive GAAP reporting requirements and continue use of the Kansas Municipal Auditing Guide (KMAG). County staff said KMAG is used by many local governments and that moving to GAAP would increase reporting burdens and require additional training and staff time.

Commissioners also completed annual housekeeping items: designating the Hutchinson News as the county's official newspaper under Resolution 2019-14 and approving Resolution 2019-155 to designate county depositories for Reno County funds. The consent agenda, approved earlier in the meeting, included vouchers totaling $2,280,231.47 and listed change orders.

Public Works Director Dave McComb presented a request to declare miscellaneous equipment and a 2002 three-quarter-ton Chevrolet Silverado (about 201,920 miles) as surplus to be sold via the Purple Wave auction platform; the commission approved the surplus declaration. Don Britton, public works superintendent, reported that a 94-foot bridge on Heron Road was damaged when a subcontractor for a "progressive pipeline" exceeded the weight limit. "They owed it to the citizens to repair the bridal, so they'll pay for it," Britton said, and he said the company's insurance will cover a short-term repair intended to reopen the bridge within six to seven weeks; a full replacement is scheduled to be programmed within a year or two.

In health department business, director Nick Baldetti presented a memorandum of understanding with Rice County to share a WIC-trained registered dietitian. The MOU calls for the Reno County Health Department to provide approximately 288 hours per year of dietitian time (including travel), share up to 10% of vacation and sick leave for that time, and receive reimbursement for salaries, fringe and mileage at the federal rate; the commission approved the agreement.

Sheriff Brandy Henderson delivered a departmental update reporting average daily jail populations for June and July of 100 and 81 respectively, which she characterized as "a decrease of 20 inmates" compared with the prior year period. Henderson said the sheriff's office is operating short two correctional officers, is using overtime (roughly 9% overrun) after several major incidents and transfers, and described recent training and enforcement activity. She also summarized an Aug. 2 DUI checkpoint at K-96 in Mayfield that processed about 318 vehicles and resulted in multiple DUI and drug arrests and other violations.

The meeting concluded after routine roll calls; commissioners adjourned the session.