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Pratt County Commissioners had the rare opportunity to visit with Barber County Commissioner Steve Garten during their regular session this week. Garten said he was in town to take his wife to the dentist and decided to drop in and exchange conversation with local elected officials.
Garten informed commissioners that meetings would be held Nov. 8 and 9 to discuss the construction and possible location of an electrical transmission line to service the wind farm in Barber County and later wind farms in Kingman and Pratt counties.
The Nov. 8 meeting will be held at the Heritage Center in Medicine Lodge from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. All individuals affected by the location of the proposed facilities are urged to attend. Landowners who will be asked to give up rights-of-way will receive a letter in the mail this week, according to Garten. The November 9 meeting will be held in Kiowa, according to Garten.
After the meeting with the landowners, WindStar and Prairie Wind will have to decide which route they will take to complete the project. They will have 120 days in which to make this decision, according to Garten.
“Comanche County shot themselves in the foot because of prairie chickens and bats,” said Garten referring to the opposition to the transmission line through that county and its purported affect upon those creatures in the area.
In other matters:
• Garten briefly discussed the Barber County Commissioners stance on the proposed hospitals in Medicine Lodge and Kiowa. The county has offered $4 million to the hospital district in Kiowa and $6 million to the hospital district in Medicine Lodge. Both entities have accepted the offers.
However, Medicine Lodge Hospital is still seeking more funding, according to Garten. The $26 million bond issue passed by the county is null and void at this time. Additionally, there will have to be a bond issue passed prior to final approval of the proposal.
• Additionally, Garten was guarded but stated that there is suspected theft of money and equipment from Barber County and related that the county is covered up to $250,000 by their insurance company. The KBI is currently looking for the alleged thief, according to Garten.
• Pratt County Road Supervisor Randy Philippi informed commissioners he had put out bids for three pickups which were due to be in the county clerk’s office by Friday, November 5.
The bids are to be opened November 8 during the regular Pratt County Commission meeting.
• Emily Graf, a student at Wichita State University, was informed that she would not be considered as an intern as a county administrator for Pratt County. Emily had attended several Pratt County Commission meetings asking that commissioners consider her as an option to help alleviate their day-to-day workload.
• Commissioners approved the minutes of October 18 and 25. Chairman Charles Rinke asked that the minutes relating to the purchase of three trucks in the October 25 meeting reflect the purchase is for three pickup trucks.
• Dean Staab informed commissioners that he would be attending a landfill conference two days next week. Wiley also discussed OSHA regulations relating to step type excavations at the landfill.
Staab informed Commissioners that he has scheduled Christmas dinner for Monday, December 20 at the Fair Building. The landfill will be closed from 11:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. so employees there can attend. Wiley will also contract for catering for the dinner.
• Commissioners approved and signed contracts relating to the Sawyer Fire Department project. One contract was not to exceed $10,005 with SturdiBuilt Garage Doors, Hutchinson. A second contract was for $5,298.30 with Carter Waters, Wichita.
• Pratt County Sheriff Vernon Chinn is requesting bids for used laptop computers to be opened at the regular commission meeting on November 22.
Chinn reported there were a couple of broken water lines at the Law Enforcement Center last week.
“It is amazing how much water a pinhole can put out,” said Chinn.
Chinn also reported seeing a photograph taken in Pratt County of a bobcat estimated to be at least 24-inches tall. There is a large number of Bobcats currently inhabiting the county, according to Chinn.
“They’re death on game birds – especially pheasant,” said Chinn.
• Jan Scarbrough reported that the Chamber of Commerce would be holding an “Old Fashioned Christmas” on the courthouse lawn November 20. The theme for this year’s event is “Kentucky Derby.” She reported that she was meeting with city councilmen later in the day to work out arrangements for street closures, port-a-johns, and etc.
Scarbrough also invited commissioners to attend the Chamber of Commerce dinner to be held Friday, November 5 at 6:00 p.m. at the 4-H Building.
• Pratt County Counselor Gordon Stull reported he had attended a meeting in Topeka relating to the enforcement of regulations regarding underground gas storage units, According to Stull, with recent court actions there presently is no viable regulation of storage units when gas leaks out of these facilities. Presently, according to Stull, there are 24 storage units in Kansas – several of which are intrastate.
“The state (KCC) is out of the business of regulations of storage fuels,” said Stull. “State regulations are voided by federal regulations – since federal regulators aren’t doing anything they should allow states to manage.
“What I figured is these utilities are happy since they are not being regulated,” continued Stull.
Stull reported he had received feedback for Sheriff Chinn relating to the contract between the Pratt County Humane Society and the sheriff’s department. He said he had not received any feedback form the humane society.
• St. Paul Evangelical Church submitted an application for tax exemption to the Tax Board of Appeals. The Board of Appeals has asked for additional information upon which to base a decision.
• Commissioners discussed the overall design of the facilities at Pratt Veterans Lake. It was the opinion of the commissioners that anything relating to maintenance equipment and storage should be located at the east end of that facility.
Pratt County Commissioners had the rare opportunity to visit with Barber County Commissioner Steve Garten during their regular session this week. Garten said he was in town to take his wife to the dentist and decided to drop in and exchange conversation with local elected officials.
Garten informed commissioners that meetings would be held Nov. 8 and 9 to discuss the construction and possible location of an electrical transmission line to service the wind farm in Barber County and later wind farms in Kingman and Pratt counties.
The Nov. 8 meeting will be held at the Heritage Center in Medicine Lodge from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. All individuals affected by the location of the proposed facilities are urged to attend. Landowners who will be asked to give up rights-of-way will receive a letter in the mail this week, according to Garten. The November 9 meeting will be held in Kiowa, according to Garten.
After the meeting with the landowners, WindStar and Prairie Wind will have to decide which route they will take to complete the project. They will have 120 days in which to make this decision, according to Garten.
“Comanche County shot themselves in the foot because of prairie chickens and bats,” said Garten referring to the opposition to the transmission line through that county and its purported affect upon those creatures in the area.
In other matters:
• Garten briefly discussed the Barber County Commissioners stance on the proposed hospitals in Medicine Lodge and Kiowa. The county has offered $4 million to the hospital district in Kiowa and $6 million to the hospital district in Medicine Lodge. Both entities have accepted the offers.
However, Medicine Lodge Hospital is still seeking more funding, according to Garten. The $26 million bond issue passed by the county is null and void at this time. Additionally, there will have to be a bond issue passed prior to final approval of the proposal.
• Additionally, Garten was guarded but stated that there is suspected theft of money and equipment from Barber County and related that the county is covered up to $250,000 by their insurance company. The KBI is currently looking for the alleged thief, according to Garten.
• Pratt County Road Supervisor Randy Philippi informed commissioners he had put out bids for three pickups which were due to be in the county clerk’s office by Friday, November 5.
The bids are to be opened November 8 during the regular Pratt County Commission meeting.
• Emily Graf, a student at Wichita State University, was informed that she would not be considered as an intern as a county administrator for Pratt County. Emily had attended several Pratt County Commission meetings asking that commissioners consider her as an option to help alleviate their day-to-day workload.
• Commissioners approved the minutes of October 18 and 25. Chairman Charles Rinke asked that the minutes relating to the purchase of three trucks in the October 25 meeting reflect the purchase is for three pickup trucks.
• Dean Staab informed commissioners that he would be attending a landfill conference two days next week. Wiley also discussed OSHA regulations relating to step type excavations at the landfill.
Staab informed Commissioners that he has scheduled Christmas dinner for Monday, December 20 at the Fair Building. The landfill will be closed from 11:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. so employees there can attend. Wiley will also contract for catering for the dinner.
• Commissioners approved and signed contracts relating to the Sawyer Fire Department project. One contract was not to exceed $10,005 with SturdiBuilt Garage Doors, Hutchinson. A second contract was for $5,298.30 with Carter Waters, Wichita.
• Pratt County Sheriff Vernon Chinn is requesting bids for used laptop computers to be opened at the regular commission meeting on November 22.
Chinn reported there were a couple of broken water lines at the Law Enforcement Center last week.
“It is amazing how much water a pinhole can put out,” said Chinn.
Chinn also reported seeing a photograph taken in Pratt County of a bobcat estimated to be at least 24-inches tall. There is a large number of Bobcats currently inhabiting the county, according to Chinn.
“They’re death on game birds – especially pheasant,” said Chinn.
• Jan Scarbrough reported that the Chamber of Commerce would be holding an “Old Fashioned Christmas” on the courthouse lawn November 20. The theme for this year’s event is “Kentucky Derby.” She reported that she was meeting with city councilmen later in the day to work out arrangements for street closures, port-a-johns, and etc.
Scarbrough also invited commissioners to attend the Chamber of Commerce dinner to be held Friday, November 5 at 6:00 p.m. at the 4-H Building.
• Pratt County Counselor Gordon Stull reported he had attended a meeting in Topeka relating to the enforcement of regulations regarding underground gas storage units, According to Stull, with recent court actions there presently is no viable regulation of storage units when gas leaks out of these facilities. Presently, according to Stull, there are 24 storage units in Kansas – several of which are intrastate.
“The state (KCC) is out of the business of regulations of storage fuels,” said Stull. “State regulations are voided by federal regulations – since federal regulators aren’t doing anything they should allow states to manage.
“What I figured is these utilities are happy since they are not being regulated,” continued Stull.
Stull reported he had received feedback for Sheriff Chinn relating to the contract between the Pratt County Humane Society and the sheriff’s department. He said he had not received any feedback form the humane society.
• St. Paul Evangelical Church submitted an application for tax exemption to the Tax Board of Appeals. The Board of Appeals has asked for additional information upon which to base a decision.
• Commissioners discussed the overall design of the facilities at Pratt Veterans Lake. It was the opinion of the commissioners that anything relating to maintenance equipment and storage should be located at the east end of that facility.
