The Morris County Commissioners met on Tuesday, June 22, 2010, at 9:00 a.m.; Commissioner Jost was absent.

Susan Moran and Missy Bane-Shelton of SOS, Emporia, reviewed crisis services provided to residents of Morris County. They requested an appropriation of $1,500 for 2011, the same as this year. The request will be considered when the county’s budget is prepared later this month.

Ty Wheeler, Kansas Legal Services, gave a report of services provided to qualifying persons who need legal assistance. His request for a 2011 county appropriation of $4,500 is the same level of funding the agency received this year. A decision will be made when the county’s budget is prepared.

Jennifer Kassebaum, emergency management coordinator, gave a department report.  Morris County meets the threshold of $19,000 for disaster declaration eligibility due to recent heavy rains and flooding. To date there is over $90,000 in damage to county roads.

Resolution No. 2010-09 was passed and adopted (Hay, Revere) declaring a state of local disaster emergency for the period June 12 through June 18, 2010, due to flooding and torrential rains. Motion carried. Paperwork for FEMA reimbursement funding will be submitted.

The county received a Emergency Management Performance Grant in the amount $12,257 for the reimbursement of expenses for the county’s emergency management department.

Contract was signed with Sanborn for E911 aerial photography. The county was awarded a grant to fund the project.

Additional right-of-way and temporary easement requirements were discussed with Rick Yadon, a landowner adjoining a proposed bridge replacement project. Shirlee Yadon is also an adjoining landowner. The price of $750 was approved to be paid to each of the landowners (Hay, Revere) for additional land and temporary easement needed for the project. Motion carried.

Jeff Blosser gave the weekly road and bridge report. Old Hwy 56, west of Council Grove is being prepared for an overlay. He also gave a status report of the Dunlap Bridge project.

Pipes were installed for a Lyons Creek watershed project. The watershed district will reimburse the county for the cost, Blosser discussed plans to temporarily reduce the current ten motor patrol districts to nine areas. By expanding and redrawing the boundary lines, the routes will have more efficient layout.

John Lee gave the weekly solid waste and noxious weed reports. Lee was authorized (Hay, Revere) to offer no more than $500 for a used tire cutter from Waste Management. Motion carried.

The disposal fee was waived (Hay, Revere) for the Boy Scouts to haul debris from their cabin to the transfer station. Motion carried. The cabin was destroyed in recent arson fire.

Kay Hutchinson, Morris County’s representative on the Flint Hills Tourism Coalition, gave a report on a study being done to determine a design and location of a new visitor’s center.

The minutes of June 8 and June 15 were approved as presented.

The meeting adjourned at 2:30 p.m.

The Morris County Commissioners met on Tuesday, June 29, 2010, at 9:00 a.m.; Commissioner Jost was absent.

Steve Rains, a representative of AmSan, presented information of various maintenance and cleaning projects.

John Lee gave the weekly solid waste and noxious weed reports.

Jeff Blosser, county engineer, gave a report of his department.

Larry and Kathy Cordell asked about the county’s policy for replacing culverts. The county will replace an existing culvert; however, if the landowner wants a longer culvert or an extension, he will pay for the additional length.

Sharon Pittman, county appraiser, gave a department report, and discussed the office equipment she plans to purchase. The expense was included in the 2010 appraiser’s budget.

The meeting adjourned at 3:10 p.m.

The Morris County Commissioners met on Tuesday, July 6, 2010, at 9:00 a.m.; all members present.

Rod Pretzer, Chairman of the Morris County Republican Party, discussed various issues.

Representatives of the Kansas Department of Emergency Management (KDEM) will meet with Jeff Blosser, county engineer, and Jennifer Kassebaum, emergency management coordinator, to conduct a preliminary damage assessment due to the rains and flooding in June.

Jim Reagan, administrator, gave the monthly hospital report. He discussed a proposed hospital expansion project. There were 48 emergency runs made by the ambulance service during the month of June.

Jeff Blosser gave the weekly road and bridge report.

Cindy Jensen, Aldrich & Co., presented the county’s 2009 audit report. It was a “clean”  audit.

The county treasurer presented the monthly financial report.

John Lee gave the weekly solid waste and noxious weed reports.

The minutes of the June 22 and June 29 meetings were approved (Hay, Jost) as presented. Motion carried.

The meeting adjourned at 3:05 p.m.