The Chase County Commission met Tuesday, June 30, at the Chase County Courthouse in Cottonwood Falls, with Commissioners Tony Hazleton, Matt Miller and Gene Line present. County Clerk Connie Pretzer also attended.
The commission approved warrants of $315,387.28 and payroll of $334,838. Commissioners also approved the June 15 meeting minutes, Change Order 2025-42 and Resolution 2026-07, establishing Fund No. 914, the registered offender technology fund. Sheriff Jacob Welsh said the fund is tied to a state-required $10 technology fee for registered offenders, which will be submitted to the state for a statewide offender-registration platform. Commissioners also discussed recent water-hauling assistance provided by the fire department. The discussion included a possible fee structure for future situations, with comments noting the need to help in emergencies while avoiding creating an ongoing water-hauling service.
Welsh presented a 2027 sheriff’s office budget request of $870,526. He said the increase in commodities was tied primarily to fuel costs. He also noted that the sheriff’s office has handled more stray animal calls in rural areas, which can result in veterinary bills for the county. Welsh said he does not include patrol vehicle replacement in the regular sheriff’s office budget, but he expects the county may need to consider replacing one Ford Explorer. He estimated a fully equipped patrol vehicle could cost roughly $60,000 to $75,000.
Welsh also reviewed the proposed 2027 Chase County Detention Center budget. The total proposed budget is $6,341,793.36.
Grant writer Christie Reinhardt was out of town but submitted a written report. The report said the county is still waiting on the grant agreement for the Safe Streets for All funding. Reinhardt also reported that the county reapplied for a FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant for a tanker/tender truck. The project cost was listed at $514,120, with a grant request of $489,638.10. The county also is preparing a Department of Justice immigration-related grant application to improve the booking area at the detention center, with an estimated request of about $2.5 million after adjusting a previous estimate for inflation. Reinhardt also reported that the county’s application for slip-on tankers for dump trucks remains under review.
Amanda Cunningham and Megan Adcock, representing Crosswinds Counseling and Wellness, presented an annual report and requested $20,000 in county funding for 2027. Cunningham said Crosswinds served 257 Chase County clients, including 43 individuals identified as having severe and persistent mental illness or severe emotional disturbance. She said Crosswinds also provided services related to crisis response, substance-use treatment and jail services. Cunningham said the requested county appropriation helps cover services that are not fully reimbursed, including uninsured care, crisis services and jail-related services. County Appraiser Andrew Durbin presented his budget and said the appraiser’s office budget remains limited to essential needs. Commissioners approved a 2027 consulting agreement with McCully & Associates for analytical services at a cost of $15,300.
Road and Bridge Supervisor Thom Kirk discussed a bridge structure on 190 Road. Kirk said the structure had failed and had been closed. He presented information from Husker Steel for a replacement structure and installation, with the total estimated at about $216,000. Kirk said the project could be done in-house, but the cost difference appeared small when considering county labor and equipment time. No final decision was made during the discussion.
Kirk also reported that crews were working on storm damage, washouts and ditch work in the area of 250 Road and X Road. He said the tentative plan is to remove drift from the river at Clements during the last two weeks of July and begin chip-seal stabilization work during the first week of August, weather permitting.
Commissioners held two executive sessions regarding non-elected personnel during the meeting. No action was taken after either session.
Commissioners also briefly discussed possible storm-siren locations, including Elmdale, Lake Kahola and Saffordville. The discussion included whether a siren near the Elmdale water plant could provide coverage toward Camp Wood, as well as possible placement near the Lake Kahola firehouse. No formal action was taken.
Near the end of the meeting, commissioners voted to donate $2,000 to the Cottonwood Falls July 4 celebration, which will be held July 3. The meeting later adjourned.