Diverse discussion and typical business for commissioners

Although normal business was quite typical for the Kimball County Board of Commissioners, discussion and action items for the Board proved to be more diverse during their first bi-monthly meeting of October.

The first item up for discussion was the consideration of purchasing new blinds for the entire courthouse. Before discussion began, it was announced throughout the court house that the item was up for discussion. Several court house employees came to the meeting to be present for the deliberation.

Three bids were returned and read, material options discussed and the Board approved to purchase 71 Hunter Douglas 2” wooden blinds from Fisher’s for the estimated price of no more than $15,500.

Although Chairman Engstrom said that the Board wants to maintain the inside of the historical court house and has budgeted an estimated $10,000 this year for that purpose, several county employees who wish to remain anonymous question whether that was the best use of the county’s money.

Some employees agreed that there are blinds in desperate need to be replaced, however, not all of the court house blinds actually need replacement. Still, from an aesthetic viewpoint, replacing the entire courthouse blinds all at once would create a more cohesive look.

The board unanimously voted to get a new quote from Fischer’s for all 71 windows of the Kimball County Court House.

Discussion and review of the nearly finished revised Kimball County Employee Handbook took place with Christy Warner present. The previous handbook was last revised in 1992. Several changes are being made, many to the benefit of the employees. The Board approved all of the last round of changes but agreed, after much discussion, not to implement the new handbook until January 1, 2017.

County Attorney, David Wilson suggested, during a previous consultation with Commissioner Nolting, that Christy Warner’s job description be expanded to include Human Resources (HR) duties so as to keep the handbook current and to be available to the county to assist in typical HR responsibilities. At this time, the board is still reworking Warner’s job description.

Dave Hottell, County Highway Superintendent reported that they have been busy patching a road south of Dix but that it was only a temporary fix on a much bigger issue that needs to be addressed before next spring.

County Road 59 south of Dix has been severely damaged due to heavy truck traffic. Hottell has looked into a few possible options to fix the road. Estimated costs to grind and lay chip seal to repair the seven miles of road range from $45,000 - 50,000 (per mile).

Another option is to lay a thin overlay of coal mix over what is already there for the estimated cost of $70,000 - 80,000 (per mile).

According to Hottell there is no guarantee how long either of those options will last. The board listened to the issue and took it under advisement.

Mature Canada thistle may look like it’s turning black and dying out when actually young plants are still coming up around the older plants, even this late in the season.

County Weed Superintendent, Rick Wangler explained that this is actually the best time of year to spray for the noxious weed.

Wangler commented on his first year as Weed Superintendent that it’s been a good year, a learning year but overall, “it’s been pretty good and there are good people around here.”

As one of the last items on the agenda, the Board discussed and approved authorization of flu vaccinations for county employees who do not have health insurance. A Kimball Health Services voucher will be available from the Clerk’s office to those employees wishing to receive a flu shot.

The next meeting of the Kimball County Board of Commissioners was set for Oct. 18, 2016 at 9 a.m.