[ Administrative Building Town Hall on March 19, 2024.]
[00:00:07]
SO, WE CALL TO ORDER THE MARCH 19TH TOWN HALL MEETING.LETS STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
SECOND, LET'S SEE, MARY BOW OUR HEADS.
FATHER, WE ARE SO GRATEFUL AND THANKFUL FOR OUR OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.
WE THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO USE OUR VOICES AND TO RAISE OUR VOICES.
WE THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION THAT'S GONNA BE PROVIDED TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE IN THIS CHAMBER, WE PRAY A SPECIAL BLESSING OVER OUR FAMILIES, OVER OUR COMMUNITY.
WE PRAY FOR THE WISDOM OF GOD AS WE ARE INFORMED, AND THAT WE SEEK UNDERSTANDING AND WE CONTINUE TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO MAKE THIS A STRONG COUNTY FOR ALL OF OUR CITIZENS.
SO, UM, OPEN UP AND FORMATS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IF YOU'VE BEEN TO THE OTHER ONES.
WE KIND OF HAVE THE
IT'S A LITTLE MORE, UM, CASUAL, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF COMMUNITY REQUESTS THAT WE RECORD THE MEETING.
WE ALSO HAVE AN ELECTION, UH, GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
AND SO WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO RECORD THE MEETING.
SO, SO THAT'S THE, UM, THE FIRST PERSON THAT, UM, WE HAVE THIS EVENING GONNA SPEAK TO YOU IS JOHN WALTON, WHO IS OUR EMS DIRECTOR, AND HE HAS SOME GREAT INFORMATION, UM, TO SHARE WITH YOU.
AND I KNOW HE BROUGHT A COUPLE STAFF MEMBERS ALONG WITH, SO WE'RE GONNA TURN IT OVER TO JOHN FOR THE, FOR THE FIRST ITEM.
BUT I DID WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU GUYS, JEREMY BUSINESS WORKER.
SO I ASKED JOHN TO SHARE WITH ME AND JILL.
UM, THEY STILL HAVE THE
SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THE KIND INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE, HOW YOU CAN DO INTERACTIVE WITH IT, THE WEBSITE, AS WELL AS FOR THE GREAT COLLECTIONS INFORMATION THAT WILL GO OVER LATER THAT STATES HAS PUT ON THEIR WEBSITE.
JUST HAVE A QUICK, THE FIRST THING I'M GOING TO PUT UP IS KIND OF A, IT IS A MAP SHOWING YOU THIS IS WHAT WE DO.
22, THE GREENS ON THERE ARE ALL, UH, BASICALLY PATIENTS THAT WE TRANSPORTED THAT ARE CODE THREE STATUS.
WE TRIAGE OUR PATIENTS EVERY TIME WE PICK THEM UP.
AND THE THREE EYES, ACCORDING TO THEIR CONDITION, RED BEING THE WORSE, WORSE SEVERE BLUE, MEANING CARDIAC ARREST, BLACKS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE, ARE DECEASED.
AND THEN THE, THE BOTTOM, THE, SO THIS GIVES YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IS ZOOMED IN ON LIBERAL KANSAS.
THIS IS ALL, ALL JUST IN THE CITY OF LIBERAL.
THESE ARE THE, THE CALLS THAT WE RESPONDED TO IN A ONE YEAR PERIOD OF TIME CALLS SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE HAVE GONE.
AND PART OF IT IS JUST BECAUSE OF THE POPULATION CHANGE AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE HERE RECOVER.
BUT, UH, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN IS, IS WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE, UH, SOME OF THESE CALLS MIGHT NOT BE AAL, THEY MIGHT BE OUT ASSISTING, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY FOLLOW, NEED SOME HELP GETTING UP AND THEY'RE LIVING WITH AN ELDERLY HUSBAND OR ELDERLY WIFE AND CAN'T HELP THEM.
SO WE GO OUT, WE ASSIST THEM, MAKE SURE THEY'RE NOT INJURED.
AND WE, SO THERE'S A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, THINGS WE PROVIDE THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY THINGS WE PAT OURSELVES ON THE BACK ON, BUT THINGS WE DO.
THE, UH, BUT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS SOMETHING THAT'S KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OF EYE CANDY, BUT IT'S ALSO, THIS IS RESPONS.
THE OTHER THING I WANNA TELL YOU IS ALL THESE
[00:05:01]
STUFF, IT'S NOT JUST LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBLE.THE REASON WE DO THAT IS BECAUSE WE'VE GOT SUBSTATIONS WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEY, I FORGOT THAT WE'RE PUBLIC LIVE.
AND I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT THEM NOT BEING ABLE TO HEAR.
UH, BUT THE, THE, IS THAT ON? YEAH.
UM, WE'VE GOT TWO FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN THE CA IN THE CITY THAT THEY CAN GET THERE A LITTLE BIT QUICKER THAN US AND GIVE US KIND OF A HEADS UP OF WHAT WE'VE GOT.
AND IT, IT KIND OF MINIMIZES THE RISK AND THE TRAVEL, IT MINIMIZES THE RISK AND THE RESPONSE BECAUSE IT, IT CAN TAILOR OUR RESPONSE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THAT PATIENT.
UM, THE, UM, IN THE COUNTY IT WORKED KIND OF THE SAME WAY BECAUSE THERE'S TWO PEOPLE ON THE TRUCK AND SOMETIMES YOU NEED MORE THAN TWO PEOPLE TO MOVE SOME OF THE PATIENTS.
WELL, INSTEAD OF JUST EMPLOYING MORE PEOPLE, WE UTILIZE WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN OUR, IN OUR SYSTEM.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY CALL A TANDEM RESPONSE OR DUAL RESPONSE.
AND WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
WE JUST LITERALLY COULDN'T BECAUSE THEY'RE OUR BACKBONES.
UM, THE, UH, OTHER THINGS THAT I WAS GOING TO TELL YOU IS, IS BUDGET WISE, SOME OF THE PEOPLE GET MISCONSTRUED ON HOW WE ARE FUNDED.
WE ARE FUNDED PARTIALLY COUNTY TAX SUPPORTED AND PARTIALLY INSURANCE BILLING.
'CAUSE WE HAVE OUR INSURANCE BILLING.
AND TYPICALLY WE ARE AROUND 50 50.
SO, UH, WHEN THEY APPROVE OUR BUDGET, THEY APPROVE IT FOR THE AMOUNT WE NEED TO OPERATE.
AND I THINK THIS YEAR IS A LITTLE UNDER 9,000, $900,000, SO ABOUT $800,000.
BUT OF THAT $800,000, WE'RE GONNA COLLECT ABOUT 400 TO 450,000.
SO THE TAX MONEY SUPPORT, ABOUT HALF OF THAT TOTAL IS WHAT IT'S COSTING YOU IN TAXES.
AND THE REST WE'RE GETTING FROM THE INSURANCE BILLING THAT WE'RE THE ACTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, AND, AND I'M GONNA HAVE JILL COME UP AND KIND OF EXPLAIN WHAT WE DO ON THAT IN JUST A SECOND.
UH, WELL, LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO IT NOW.
UH, JILL, THIS IS JILL GARINGER.
UM, OUR BILLING IS CONTRACTED THROUGH OMNI EMS BILLING.
AND OUR CREW ENTERS REPORTS IN THE SYSTEM AND THEN I GO IN AND I MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S THERE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND THEN I SEND IT ON
SO I KIND OF GO THROUGH STUFF AND CHECK AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S THERE.
THEY CLAIM INSURANCE COMPANIES AND THEY ALSO SEND STUFF OUT TO PRIVATE FOR PRIVATE PAY.
AND THEN WHEN THE PAYMENTS COME IN, I THEM IN AND TAKE 'EM TO MARY.
AND ANYTHING ELSE? ANY QUESTIONS ON THE WAY WE DO BILLING? BILLING? IT'S KIND OF A, IT'S A, IT'S A CONTRACT, BUT IT'S ALSO, UH, WE STILL KEEP CONTROLLING.
BUT I HAVE TO COLLECT A LOT OF INFORMATION AFTER THE CREWS WRITE THE REPORTS AND SEND IT IN THROUGH A CO, THROUGH A PROGRAM CALLED IMAGETREND IS WHAT OUR REPORTS GO THROUGH.
AND THAT SO THE MONEY GOES BACK INTO YOUR FUND OR GENERAL FUND, OR IT GOES INTO THE GENERAL FUND AND IT JUST OFFSETS OUR BUDGET.
IT GOES IN, WHEN WE DO OUR, WHEN WE DO MY BUDGET, I PROJECT WHAT I THINK WE'RE GONNA DO.
AND I PROJECT IT REALLY TIGHTLY.
AND, AND THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF, YOU KNOW, 50,000, BUT I HIT THE GENERAL FUND AS FAR AS MY BUDGET.
BUT THAT MONEY GOES BACK TO REIMBURSE AND IT'S THERE FOR EITHER START UP NEXT YEAR IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT IT THAT WAY, OR IT'S JUST THERE IN THE GENERAL FUND TO REIMBURSE SOME OF OUR, OUR OPERATIONAL COSTS.
I THINK THAT WE MUST HAVE HAD MORE RUNS THIS YEAR.
'CAUSE WE COLLECTED, LIKE YOU SAID, $450,000 THIS YEAR.
SO OUR, OUR VOLUME, OUR VOLUME WAS HIGHER THIS YEAR.
WHAT DID YOU SAY, JOHN? 23, MAYBE 2020 AFTER COVID WE STARTED GOING UP AND WE HIT IN 22.
SO IT
CAN WE PASS THE MICROPHONE SO THE, THE, THE CITIZENS IN THE SURE.
COUNTY CAN AND THE AUDIENCE CAN, THE PEOPLE THAT'S LISTENING CAN HEAR THEM AND AS WELL AS YOU GUYS.
[00:10:01]
IT'S KIND OF HARD.HOW MANY YEARS DID YOU GUYS OUTSOURCED YOUR COMPANY? THE QUESTION, HOW MANY YEARS HAVE WE OUTSOURCED OUR BILLING? OH, THAT'S, I THINK WE'RE REACHING 10.
WE'VE BEEN WITH THE SAME COMPANY.
UH, AND I'M HOPING I'LL JUST STAND OVER HERE BY, UH, IT'S BEEN OUTSOURCED TO OMNI AND WE'VE BEEN WITH THAT COMPANY.
THEY'RE VERY GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO.
THEY, THEY, THEY FOCUS ON EMS BILLING, WHICH IS KIND OF A ISSUE IN ITSELF BECAUSE OF THE, THE MEDICAL NECESSITY REQUIREMENTS AND THINGS OF THAT.
AND, UH, WE, WE, WE HAVE MEDICARE.
WE'RE A MEDICARE PROVIDER, WE'RE MEDICAID PROVIDER OR MEDICAID FOR OKLAHOMA.
UM, AND, BUT WE BILL ABOUT ANY INSURANCE WITH THAT COMPANY AND, AND THEY'RE VERY GOOD AT IT.
AND IT GIVES US KIND OF AN, A LITTLE BIT OF A BIG SISTER, UH, THAT DO BILLING FOR A LIVING THAT CODE THEM FOR US BECAUSE THE CODING'S WHAT WOULD GET YOU IN TROUBLE WITH MEDICARE IF YOU UP CODE OR DOWN CODE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WE JUST SEND IT TO THEM AND THEY DO THE CODING.
SO, UH, IT HELPS US A LOT WITH THAT.
AND I KNOW BILLING IS ALWAYS A, A CHALLENGE.
AND I WOULD ADD TO THAT, UM, STACY, THAT JILL DOES A LARGE PART OF STILL COLLECTING INFORMATION FOR THEM.
IT, IT'S A VERY SMOOTH PROCESS.
AND THEN I BELIEVE IT WAS CINDY THAT HAD THE QUESTIONS.
SO THEY ARE IN THE GENERAL FUND, SO WE HAVE A REVENUE FUND IN THE GENERAL FUND WHERE WE TRACK THAT.
BUT AS WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET WORK SESSIONS, WHEN WE START THAT PART, THAT PROCESS IN JULY, WE LOOK AT THE REVENUE THAT HE'S BRINGING IN.
AND AS, UM, JOHN SAID THAT OFFSETS HIS BUS BUDGET, THEN THEY DO REIMBURSE THE COUNTY, UM, FOR THEIR INSURANCE COST AND SOME OTHER COSTS BECAUSE THEY ARE REVENUE GENERATING DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND SO THERE ARE SOME COSTS THAT THEY REIMBURSE, UM, OUR GENERAL FUND FOR SUCH AS THEIR MALPRACTICE INSURANCE AND UM, ALSO VEHICLE INSURANCE, THE UMBRELLA POLICY AND STUFF, BECAUSE THEY ARE REVENUE GENERATING AS WELL.
HOW MANY AMBULANCES DO YOU HAVE? WE CURRENTLY HAVE FIVE AMBULANCES.
UH, UH, WE'VE GOT FOUR AT LIBERAL AND ONE IN KISMET.
AND, UH, KISMET IS PRETTY MUCH A VOLUNTEER.
COME FROM HOME, GET THE AMBULANCE, GO TO THE CALL TYPE RESPONSE THERE.
IT'S NOT, IT IS NOT A MAN STATION.
THE ONLY MAN STATION WE HAVE IS THE ONE HERE IN LIBERAL.
AND WE, WE RUN A 24 HOUR CREW AT THAT MAN STATION.
PLUS DURING THE DAYTIME, WE TYPICALLY RUN A 12 HOUR CREW WITH THEM BECAUSE STATISTICALLY OUR CALL VOLUME GOES, GOES LIKE THIS DURING THE DAYTIME AND THEN BACK DOWN AT NIGHT.
SO AT SEVEN IN THE MORNING TO SEVEN AT NIGHT, WE HAVE TWO CREWS ON JUST TO SPEED UP OUR RESPONSE AND STUFF.
THE WAY WE TRACK THAT IS OUR, IS OUR EN ROUTE TIMES.
AS OUR EN ROUTE TIME CLIMBS, THEN YOU'RE NEEDING MORE PEOPLE TO BE THERE BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE TO GO FROM HOME TO THE STATION TO GET THE TRUCK AND THEN GO EN ROUTE, THAT, THAT'S A, IT'S GONNA BE AN INDICATION IN THE, IN THE TIMING OF IT.
AND, UH, WE'RE, WE'VE GOT, UH, ABOUT, EH, A BOOKLET ABOUT THAT MANY REGULATIONS THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW.
AND ONE OF THEM IS MAINTAIN A FIVE MINUTE RESPONSE TIME FOR ALL AMBULANCE CALLS FOR THE YEAR, A FIVE MINUTE, 10, EIGHT TIME EN ROUTE.
SO, AND THAT'S FOR THE WHOLE STATE OF KANSAS.
AND WE MONITOR THOSE TIMES VERY CLOSELY.
JOHN, IS IT FAIR TO ADD TO THAT TOO? OUR DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF LIVES IN KISMET AS WELL AS A FULL-TIME CAREER FIREFIGHTER, AND THEY ARE TRAINED.
UM, I'M NOT, I DON'T WANNA GIVE YOU THE WRONG TERMINOLOGY AS FAR AS EMR OR EMT, UM, BUT THEY ARE TRAINED IN THAT TOO.
AND SO THEY CAN HELP RESPOND AS WELL AS HE TALKED ABOUT VOLUNTEER.
WE HAVE, UM, CHRIS STANDARD THAT ALSO LIVES IN KISMET.
UM, SHE HAS BEEN ABLE TO HOP ON AN AMBULANCE FOR US BEFORE, SO WE DO HAVE QUICK RESPONSE IN THE CITY OF KISMET AS WELL.
IF YOU HAVE MULTIPLE CALLS IN THE DAY TO THE SAME RESIDENCE OR LIFT ASSIST OR WHATEVER MM-HMM.
WE, WE ARE NOT ALLOWED SERVICE.
HOW DO YOU DICTATE WHO TAKES FOR SERVICE? IF, IF WE PROVIDE THE SERVICE OF TRANSPORTATION AND CARE, THEN WE CAN BILL FOR IT.
HEY, JOHN, WOULD YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION SO THAT THE AUDIENCE IS LISTENING? OH, OKAY.
THE, THE QUESTION WAS IF WE HAVE MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE MEDICAL ASSISTS AT ONE LOCATION, UH, IS THAT A, IS THAT BILLABLE? IF WE CAN BILL THAT, AND THE ANSWER IS, THE ONLY THING WE CAN BILL INSURANCE FOR
[00:15:01]
IS IT COMES DOWN TO TRANSPORTATION.IF YOU TOOK THEM FROM POINT A TO POINT B, THEN YOU CAN BILL FOR THAT CALL.
YOU GO TO THE SAME RESIDENT FIVE TIMES A DAY, YOU WANT YEP.
PART OF, PART OF THAT, PART OF THAT OPERATION.
DO YOU NOT, DO YOU, DO YOU KEEP TRACK OF WHAT THAT REVENUE WOULD BE AND LIKE SAY, OH, THIS IS OUR CHARITY DOLLARS FOR THE YEAR, OR NO, I DON'T, I I I REALLY DON'T.
AND THE REASON I DON'T IS BECAUSE IF YOU'VE GOT ONE PERSON DOING THE ABUSE OF THAT, THAT'S MORE OF A REACH OUT AND A CALL TO WHERE WE HANDLE IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
AND THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT CAN HELP, YOU KNOW, BUT THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT CAN CREATE PROBLEMS TOO WHEN YOU DO THAT, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO EVER, YOU KNOW, IT, IT GOES BACK TO THE OLD STORY OF YOU CAN SCREAM WOLF SO MANY TIMES AND THEN FINALLY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE IN TROUBLE WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU DON'T RE RESPOND TO THAT.
SO IT, IT'S A CATCH 22 FOR US.
SO WE RESPOND IN KIND AND WE DO THOSE ASSISTANCE AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
AND I'D, I'D SAY WE PROBABLY DO ON THE AVERAGE OF, UM, WITHOUT THE ABUSIVE ONES, THE ONES THAT TEND TO EXPECT IT FOR SOME REASONS, UM, WE, WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE AS MANY OF THOSE AS WE DO JUST THE, THE TYPICAL, I JUST NEED SOME HELP TODAY OR I JUST GOT OUTTA THE HOSPITAL.
BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT CREATE THOSE TYPES OF CALLS TO US.
AND PART OF 'EM ARE DRGS IN THE HOSPITAL WHERE THEY GET 'EM DISMISSED FROM THE HOSPITAL AND THEY MIGHT JUST NOT BE READY TO GET UP AND GET AROUND ON THEIR OWN.
AND WE RUN INTO THOSE SITUATIONS TO WHERE WE CAN STILL KEEP 'EM IN THEIR HOME, STILL KEEP 'EM TO WHERE THEY CAN GET SOME CARE AND WE CAN HELP 'EM OUT.
AND, AND THOSE ARE THE ONES WE, WE DON'T WANNA HURT BY SAYING WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THIS.
WELL, I'M NOT SAYING YOU DON'T DO IT.
I'M JUST SAYING GIVE YOURSELF CREDIT.
HOW MUCH CHARITY ARE WE? THAT'S TRUE.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE PROBABLY SHOULD LOOK AT.
I THINK THAT'S A NOTE THAT WE CAN TAKE DOWN OF TRACKING THAT DATA MAYBE SOMEHOW ABOUT HOW MANY, UM, CALLS YOU DO TO HELP.
AND THEN MAYBE HOW MANY CALLS WHERE YOU'RE CALLED OUT AND THEN THEY REFUSE.
BUT YOU'RE NOT TRANSPORTING ANYONE.
SO WE ALSO PROVIDE MUTUAL AID ACROSS STATE LINES AS WELL.
IT'S NOT ZOOMED OUT FAR ENOUGH, BUT YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THESE.
IMAGETREND IS A NATIONWIDE PROGRAM.
THAT'S WHERE WE DOCUMENT ALL OF OUR CALLS.
THOSE ARE SHARED, THEY'RE COMPILED IN TOPEKA, AND THEN THEY'RE SHARED THROUGHOUT THE NATION TO GET NATIONAL DATA.
AND THEN WE CAN COMPARE OURSELVES ON OUR DATA SET TO THE STATE, TO COUNTIES OF SIZE AND TO THE NATIONAL DATA SET TO SEE THAT WE'RE WITHIN THE MARGINS OF WHAT IS EXPECTED OF EMS STATIONS THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT THE NATION.
AND IT'S VERY RESTRICTIVE ON HOW MUCH INFORMATION YOU PUT IN THERE.
MEANING THAT IT'S ALMOST FORCE COMPLIANCE TO WHERE YOU ANSWER THE QUESTION OR YOU CAN'T SIGN IT OFF.
SO IT'S, IT'S FORCE COMPLIANCE IN THE SYSTEM, BUT IT'S A VERY GOOD DATA SET AND WE PAY NOTHING FOR IT.
WELL, I SAY WE PAY NOTHING FOR IT.
TAXPAYERS PAID FOR IT BECAUSE IT WAS GIVEN BY THE STATE OF KANSAS, BUT IT'S NOT A COUNTY FUNDED THING.
IT'S A STATE REQUIRED THING THAT WE HAVE TO ENTER OUR INFORMATION IN THERE.
AND THAT'S WHAT GIVES ME THIS ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO MAP.
'CAUSE IT'S MAPPING THROUGH GIS AND THE PROBLEM I HAVE WITH SOME OF THE MAPPING IS SOUTH OF THE BORDER, THEY DIDN'T HAVE FOR, UH, THEIR GIS STUFF DONE.
SO IT'LL PUT SOME OF THEM IN CHICAGO AND BECAUSE IT'S, IT JUST COMES UP WRONG BECAUSE IT'S NOT BY GPS COORDINATES, IT'S BY ADDRESS AND THE ADDRESSING DOWN THERE HASN'T BEEN DONE.
SO IT, IT CREATES SOME SITUATIONS THERE.
UH, HAD DANNY BRING SOME EQUIPMENT UP TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF COST.
THIS EQUIPMENT RIGHT HERE IS TYPICALLY WHAT WE'VE TAKE INTO A HOME.
UH, WE MIGHT NOT TAKE IT ALL IN TO BEGIN WITH, BUT, UH, ON THAT COT, INCLUDING THE COT, YOU'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT $200,000 WORTH OF EQUIPMENT.
I KNOW IT'S A, UH, IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THAT ALL COSTS THAT MUCH, BUT YOU'RE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT A CARDIAC MONITOR.
THIS MONITOR CAN DO ANYTHING FROM 12 LEADS, PULSE OXIMETRY INTO CO2.
WE CAN MONITOR CARBON MONOXIDE LEVEL WITH IT.
WE CAN DEFIBRILLATE, IT'S A ONE CATCHALL THING.
UH, BLOOD PRESSURE, UH, EVERYTHING.
SO, UH, WE COULD HOOK THEM UP TO THE CLOSE EYE ON
[00:20:01]
'EM.UM, THE BAG HAS IN IT, UH, DRUGS.
UM, IT'S GOT THE AIRWAY KITS, UM, BLOOD GLUCOSE MONITORS, GO AHEAD, DANNY IV KIT.
UH, HAVE A FEW SP PLANTS AND SOME DRESSINGS IN IT.
AND, UH, THEN OUR OXYGEN BOTTLE ON THERE.
AND WE HAVE AIRWAY EQUIPMENT, UH, IN THE BAG AS WELL.
AND THIS COT, WE STARTED USING THESE ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO.
THEY'RE POWERED COTS SO WE DON'T HAVE TO LIFT ANYMORE.
SO THE CO HOLE IS RATED FOR 700 POUNDS.
AND THEN WE HAVE A SYSTEM ON OUR THREE BLUE TRUCKS THAT'S A LOAD SYSTEM.
WE PUT IT UP TO IT AND PUSH THE BUTTON.
IT RAISES UP AND WHEELS RAISE UP AND WE JUST SLIDE 'EM IN.
WE DON'T HAVE TO, LIKE YOU SEE ON TV AND A, A LOT OF THE SHOWS ARE PICKING UP AND TURNING AND, AND PUTTING 'EM IN.
WE USED TO HAVE TO DO THAT, BUT NOW WE DON'T.
AND IT'S A, IT'S A VERY GOOD BACK SAVER.
UH, IT, UH, TO DO IT, THIS MACHINE JOHNNY'S GOT RIGHT HERE IS CALLED A LUCAS.
IT'S A, UH, MECHANICAL CPR DEVICE.
WE GOT, UH, THREE OF THESE NOW.
WE GOT ONE ON A GRANT AND THEN THE COUNTY BOUGHT ONE AND THEN WE GOT ANOTHER ONE.
UH, SO WE HAVE TWO OF THESE IN LIBERAL AND ONE IN KISMET.
AND WHAT THIS DOES IS FREES US UP FOR, UH, WHEN WE'RE HAVING TO DO A CPR ON SOMEBODY IN THE CODE BLUE STATUS.
AND IT'S VERY EFFECTIVE IF, IF THE PERSON WILL FIT IN IT.
IT DOES HAVE SIZE AND LIMITATIONS.
GREAT BIG PEOPLE ARE REALLY SMALL PEOPLE IT WON'T WORK ON, BUT IT FREES UP, IT DOES EXCELLENT CPR ON SOMEBODY.
IT'S THE SAME EVERY TIME WHERE IF YOU'VE EVER HAD TO DO CPR YOURSELF ON SOMEBODY, YOU GET TIRED REALLY QUICK AND THE EFFECTIVENESS GOES OFF REALLY, REALLY FAST.
WHAT YOU DO IS YOU PUT THE BOARD BEHIND THE PERSON, SO COOL, YOU GOTTA TURN IT ON AND LOWER IT DOWN TO THE CHEST WHERE IT TOUCHES THE CHEST AND THEN HE TURNS IT ON AND IT'S GOING TO DO ABOUT A HUNDRED, 120 TIMES A MINUTE.
SO NOW IF WE HAVE JUST TWO OF US ON THE TRUCK, ONE OF US CAN BE, UH, GETTING AN AIRWAY PUT IN, THE OTHER ONE CAN GET AN IV IN AND MAYBE GIVE MEDICATIONS.
AND SO, UH, THIS THING KEEPS GOING AND IT'S BATTERY POWERED.
AND WE DO HAVE A, UH, 110 PLUGIN.
SO IF WE HAVE TO, WE, WE HAVE AN INVERTER ON THE TRUCK, WE CAN PLUG IT IN, GO TO 110 AND WE CAN KEEP GOING EVEN IF THE BATTERY DIES.
IT ALSO ALLOWS FOR SAFETY FOR THE CREW MEMBER TO BE BEFORE YOU'RE JUST OVER THE COTTON, THERE'S NO WAY TO BUCKLE IN.
AND THIS ALLOWS FOR YEAH, BUT THIS MACHINE, THE FIRST ONE WE GOT WAS ABOUT 15,000.
AND SO LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE, THEY COULD JUST GO UP FROM THERE.
AND, UH, WE'VE HAD THE LUCAS IS ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS.
AND THEN, UH, WE JUST GOT, UH, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A LITTLE LONGER THAN THAT.
AND THEN WE JUST GOT A, THE, THE THIRD ONE HERE A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
HAVE YOU HAD TO USE IT? UH, DO WHAT? HAVE YOU HAD TO USE IT? OH YES.
WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD SOME, UH, UH, FIELD SAVES ON PEOPLE.
WE ACTUALLY, THEY GOT THE HEARTBEAT BACK AND, UH, CAME, UH, CONSCIOUS AGAIN BACK OF THE TRUCK.
BUT, AND THE GOOD THING ABOUT THESE ARE WE ACTUALLY GET PEOPLE, YOU'RE GETTING A BLOOD PRESSURE WHEN YOU'RE DOING IT.
SO THAT'S CIRCULATING THE BLOOD, GETTING OXYGEN TO THE CELLS AND TO THE BRAIN.
WHERE IF YOU'RE DOING MANUAL CPR, IT'S, THAT'S REALLY HARD 'CAUSE YOU'RE NOT GOING THE SAME DEPTH, THE SAME RATE ALL THE TIME.
AND SO THAT BLOOD FLOW DOES THIS AND SO YOUR OXYGEN AND EVERYTHING'S NOT GETTING TO THE SYSTEM LIKE IT SHOULD ON THAT.
BUT, UH, THESE HAVE BEEN, UH, VERY GOOD.
THE HOSPITAL HAS ONE IN ER NOW TOO, SO THEY GOT ONE JUST LIKE THIS ONE.
SO WHEN WE COME IN, WE CAN JUST LEAVE OURS ON IF WE NEED TO AND PULL OUR BATTERY OFF, PUT THEIRS ON OR SWITCH OUT OR WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO.
THAT INDICATES IN, IN THIS, UH, SECTION OF THE MAP THAT INDICATES THE NUMBER OF TIMES WE USED IT IN 2022.
YEAH, THOSE CALLS THE, THE, THE BLUE MARKS ON THERE FOR CODE BLUES.
AND THAT'S IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT.
LIKE WE SAYING IS OUR MONITOR HERE, WHERE WE'D HAVE, AND THIS, UH, MONITOR ALSO IS, UH, SO WE CAN DEFIBRILLATE LIKE YOU SEE ON THERE WHERE THEY DO ON TV, CLEAR AND HIT THE BUTTON AND GIVE 'EM SHOCK.
SO IF NEED BE, WE, WE CAN, UH, DO EVERYTHING IN THE FIELD.
THEY CAN DO IN THE ER AS FAR AS FIRST ROUND, UH, UH, UH, EVENTS AND, AND ALSO, UH, FIRST ROUND DRUGS ON THERE.
THEY, WELL, IT DOESN'T MAKE GOOD TV.
WE'RE NOT SEEING IT ON TV BECAUSE YOU WATCH A LOT OF STUFF ON T AND WATCH ON TV.
THEIR CPR IS REALLY FIRST CLASS
[00:25:01]
TOO, SO, UH, ON THERE.THERE'S SEVERAL DIFFERENT BRANDS OUT HERE.
WE GOT, UH, THIS ONE'S STRYKER AND IT'S THE SAME BRAND AS OUR COTS, BUT THEY MAKE ALL FOUR OR FIVE PROBABLY DIFFERENT BRANDS AND TYPES OUT THERE.
DO DO THE SAME THING JUST IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
BUT, UH, I WANNA MENTION, UM, SO AS YOU KNOW, THE COMMISSIONERS ARE, HAVE REALLY FOCUSED ON OUR SAFETY CULTURE HERE AT THE COUNTY THIS YEAR.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT JOHN HAS DONE FOR US IS WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 250 EMPLOYEES.
HE'S TRAINED OVER HALF OF OUR EMPLOYEES THIS YEAR, UM, IN CPR FIRST AID AND HOW TO USE THE A ED MACHINES.
AND THE COMMISSIONERS JUST RECENTLY, UM, APPROVED FOR HIM TO ORDER EIGHT MACHINES.
GONNA BE PLACED THOSE COUNTY BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCESS, DEFIBRILLATION.
UM, LOT PEOPLE LIVE ALONE AND HAVE CALL BUTTONS UHHUH THAT THEY WEAR.
AND YOU GET VERY MANY CALLS FROM THOSE A LOT.
THAT'S A LOT OF OUR CAN YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION FOR THE AUDIENCE? UH, THE QUESTION WAS, UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THE, UH, FALL ALERT, UH, UH, SYSTEMS IN THEIR HOMES AND UH, WANTED TO KNOW IF WE HAVE A LOT OF RESPONSE FROM THOSE.
UH, THERE, THERE'S, IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY SUBJECT FOR ME BECAUSE, UH, THE APPLE DEVICES, APPLE PHONES AND THINGS HAVE A FAULT DETECTION IN THE APPLE PHONES.
AND WE RESPONDED TO MAYBE FIVE OR SIX OF THOSE CALLS IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS.
AND THEY'VE ALL RELATED TO EITHER SOMEBODY WAS MAD AND THREW THEIR PHONE OUT THE CAR OR THEY DROVE OFF AND LEFT IT ON TOP OF THEIR CAR AND HIT THE GROUND.
WE HAVE NOT HAD A PATIENT FROM AN APPLE PHONE, BUT, BUT THEY'VE GOT FALL DEVICES ON THOSE TOO, SO, SO, UH, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A LOT OF A RESPONSE FROM, UH, FROM COPS AND FIRE AND EMS TO LOCATIONS IF YOU THROW YOUR PHONE OUT THE WITNESS.
BUT WE RUN ABOUT AVERAGE ABOUT FIVE AND A HALF CALLS A DAY.
WE'RE DOING ABOUT 2000 CALLS A MONTH OR 2000 CALLS A YEAR TODAY.
UH, THE LAST ONE THEY JUST RAN JUST A LITTLE BIT AGO.
IT'S OUR 426 CALL FOR THE YEAR.
THAT'S SINCE THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.
SO IT'S JUST, AND UH, IT CAN BE ANYTHING FROM MINOR OR SOMEBODY DOESN'T WANT TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL TO THE CODE BLUE STATUS OR YOU KNOW, ANYTHING IN BETWEEN.
SO, SO DO YOU HAVE A STAFFING ISSUE? LIKE YES.
SHE WANTS TO KNOW IF WE HAVE STAFFING ISSUES AND YES, WE WE'RE WHAT, FIVE POSITIONS? FOUR POSITIONS SHORT RIGHT NOW.
AND I'VE GOT ONE RETIRED AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
SO WE WE'RE TIGHT AND WE'VE HAD ADVERTISING, TRYING TO GET PEOPLE, IT'S HARD TO GET PEOPLE TO WORK.
JOHN, YOU MIGHT TALK ABOUT YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS A, UM, DEPUTY CORONER AS WELL, OR I HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES.
YEAH,
STACY, THAT'S ALSO WITH THE INCREASE OF PAY.
'CAUSE WE INCREASED PAY LAST YEAR AND IT'S STILL DIFFICULT TO GET IT.
IT DID HELP IN THE VERY BEGINNING WHEN THEY INCREASED THE PAY TO GET PEOPLE.
BUT THEN AGAIN, YOU, YOU LOSE PEOPLE.
THEY, UH, IT'S A POSITION WHERE WE TRAIN A LOT OF PEOPLE IN IT AND THEN THEY MOVE ON.
AND OUR PROBLEM WE HAVE IN OUR WORK IS YOU GOTTA COME IN CREDENTIALED.
I MEAN, YOU GOTTA COME IN ALREADY TRAINED AND CERTIFIED AS OPPOSED TO A LOT OF JOBS.
THEY CAN TRAIN YOU ONCE YOU COME IN TO DO THE JOB.
YOU HAVE TO BE AT LEAST AN EMT, IF NOT AN A MT OR A PARAMEDIC.
AND CAN YOU GET THAT, LIKE AT THE COLLEGE, THEY'RE DOING AN EMR CLASS AT THE COLLEGE, UH, AS AN OUTREACH.
UH, THEY'RE DOING IT THIS YEAR.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE, THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO MOVE TO GETTING ANOTHER MT COURSE.
I HAVEN'T TAUGHT AN EMT COURSE AT COLLEGE FOR ABOUT FIVE, FOR FIVE YEARS.
I TAUGHT OUT THERE FOR LIKE 15.
AND UH, AND IT WAS, IT WAS OKAY, BUT WITH, WITH MY VOLUME OF WORK, I JUST COULDN'T DO IT AND KEEP IT DOING WHAT I WAS DOING BEFORE.
AND, UH, WHAT APRIL WAS TALKING ABOUT IS I'M THE SPECIAL DEPUTY CORONER
AND WHAT THAT INVOLVES IS WHEN DR. PETERSON RETIRED BACK IN 2014, HE NEEDED SOMEBODY TO REPLACE ME.
AND RIGHT NOW IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO GET A PATHOLOGIST WITH FORENSIC BACKGROUND TO DO THE INVESTIGATIVE SIDE, UH, TO MOVE OUT OF BIG CITIES.
IT'S LIKE, AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT A KNOCK TO LAWYERS, IT'S NOT A LOCK KNOCK TO DOCTORS, BUT THEY WANT TO BE WHERE THEY'RE WORKING FOR A COMPANY THAT HAS SEVEN PHYSICIANS.
[00:30:01]
DAY.THE WORK ETHIC HAS REALLY CHANGED IN THAT AVENUE.
SO THEY WANT SEVEN OR EIGHT DOCTORS THERE TOGETHER.
SO THEY GET A WEEKEND OFF THOSE
I'M NOT KNOCKING THAT, I'M JUST TELLING YOU THAT'S THE WAY IT'S GOING.
WE NEED TO GET READY TO RETIRE LOOKING FOR SOME TYPE OF SOLUTION TO THAT 'CAUSE WE NEED A CORONER.
SO, UH, WHEN WE DID THAT, WE LOOKED AT VE NEAR FACILITIES LIKE WICHITA CITY COUNTY HAS ONE, HAYES HAS ONE.
AND ALL OF THEM HAD ALREADY BEEN HIT BY THIS.
'CAUSE PETERSON HUNG ON FOR A LONG TIME AS OUR COUNTY CO.
AND HE WAS ALWAYS THERE FOR US.
HE JUST TOOK CARE OF, IT WASN'T A, IT WASN'T A BIG DEAL, IT WAS JUST A PART OF HIS JOB AND HE WAS GREAT.
AND BY HIM STEPPING DOWN, IT LEFT US WITH A LITTLE BIT OF VOID THERE BECAUSE ALL OF THE OTHER COMMUNITIES AROUND HAYES AND WICHITA, ALL THEM, THEY HAD LOST THEIR STATUS MANY YEARS BEFORE US.
AND SO THEY TOOK IN THOSE COMMUNITIES RIGHT NEXT TO 'EM.
WELL, THAT PUSHED US CLEAR ACROSS THE STATE TO WHERE THE ONLY PLACE WE COULD GO WOULD BE FRONTIER FORENSICS.
AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE REASON OUR CORONER'S OFFICE IS
AND MY INVOLVEMENT IN IT IS TO HAVE A CONTACT HERE TO WHERE WE CAN GO OUT AND GET TAKEN CARE OF AND DETERMINE WHETHER WE NEED TO DO AN AUTOPSY BECAUSE IT'S STATUTORILY DRIVEN.
UH, AND WHAT THAT INVOLVES IS IF IT'S AN ACCIDENT OR INVOLVING AN ACCIDENT OR SUSPICIOUS IN NATURE OR ANY OF THOSE THINGS TO WHERE IT BE POSSIBLY A CRIMINAL EVENT, THEN WE HAVE TO DO AN AUTOPSY.
AND IF THOSE ARE NEEDED, THEN I HAVE TO TYPE UP THE STUFF, GET 'EM ORDERED, MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR TRANSPORTATION FROM HERE, TOPEKA, GET THE AUTOPSY DONE AND TRANSPORTATION BACK AND, AND ALSO TAKE CARE OF THE FAMILIES, YOU KNOW, OF, OF THE, THE DECEASED FAMILIES.
AND UH, AND THAT'S JUST SOMETHING WE TOOK UPON OURSELVES 'CAUSE WE'RE THERE AND, UH, IT'S JUST SOMETHING WE FOLDED INTO.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY A LOT OF WORK.
I DIDN'T EXPECT IT TO BE AS BUSY AS WHAT IT'S BEEN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, BUT, UH, BUT IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE NEED TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY WITH AND, AND THERE'S NO SOLUTION FOR IT.
YOU CANNOT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, THE HOSPITAL HAS TRIED, YOU KNOW, IT'S EVEN HARD FOR THEM TO GET A PATHOLOGIST INTO THE LAB.
YOU KNOW, PATHOLOGIST JOHN, WE HAVE PEOPLE OUT IN WATCHING AND THEY SAY, YOUR BATTERY IS DEAD.
THEY'RE NOT UNABLE TO HEAR YOU NOW.
I HOPE THAT'S NOT AN INDICATION WE NEED TO OH YEAH, THAT SOUNDS BETTER.
UH, IS THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS? I WOULD ADD THAT THEY HAVE A PARAMEDIC CLASS GOING ON AT GARDEN CITY AND WE HAVE GO.
I MEAN THERE'S DIFFERENT LEVELS.
THE PARAMEDIC WITH THE A LS SERVICE AND I DON'T KNOW THE SPECIFICS ON WHAT THE PARAMEDICS CAN DO COMPARED TO AN EMT.
THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENT PROTOCOLS THAT THEY CAN DO.
UM, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THE PARAMEDIC CLASS IN GARDEN CITY CURRENTLY? KAYLA'S THERE AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY, OH, IS THERE FIVE? I THINK WE STARTED WITH EIGHT AND THEY'RE DOWN TO FIVE, FIVE PEOPLE.
SO THAT'S ALSO AN EDUCATION OPTION UP THERE, WHICH IS GOOD FOR JILL OR JOHN, YOU MIGHT, UM, TALK ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP OPTIONS THAT YOU HAVE TOO, TO HELP PEOPLE GET THE TRAINING THAT THEY NEED.
YEAH, I MEAN THE, WHAT DOES THE EIG OFFER? UH, THE EIG IS A, IS A PROGRAM WITH THE STATE OF KANSAS.
IT'S THE, UH, EDUCATION INCENTIVE GRANT.
IT'S OFFERED THROUGH THE BOARD OF EMS. AND WHAT IT DOES IS IT WILL, UH, OFFER FINANCIAL MONEY TO SOMEBODY THAT'S GOING THROUGH TRAINING.
AND WHAT THEY DO IS THEY SIGN AN AGREEMENT WITH A SPONSORING AGENCY LIKE OUR AGENCY.
AND WHAT WE DO IS THEY SEND THE MONEY TO THE COUNTY, THE COUNTY WILL ISSUE THAT MONEY TO THAT INDIVIDUAL FOR PAYING THEIR TRAINING.
AND THEN THAT INDIVIDUAL IS OBLIGATED TO US BASED OFF OF WHAT LEVEL OF TRAINING THEY'RE DOING.
IF IT'S A, IF IT'S A FUNDING FOR LIKE AN EMT, IT'S A 12 MONTH AGREEMENT THAT YOU'RE GONNA STAY AND BE GAINFULLY EMPLOYED AT THAT, THAT LOCATION.
IT'S NOT SO RESTRICTIVE THAT YOU HAVE TO BE FULL-TIME.
YOU HAVE TO WORK, UH, I BELIEVE IT'S 20 HOURS A MONTH FOR THAT SPONSORING AGENCY TO GET REIMBURSEMENT FULLY FOR THE, FOR THE EMT COURSE OR FOR THE, THAT DOESN'T QUITE PAY ALL OF THE PARAMEDIC COURSES.
THE PARAMEDIC COURSE HAS KIND OF GONE UP, BUT IT'S LIKE $5,100 FOR THE PARAMEDIC COURSE.
SO IT PAYS, UH, PRETTY CLOSE TO HALF.
SO IT'S, IT'S A GOOD OPTION FOR US.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE REALLY WORKED THAT OPTION.
THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE BEEN GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO APPROVE US TO GET INTO THAT EIG AND IT'S PAID OFF IN MOST CASES.
UH, AND THE NICE PART ABOUT IT IS IF
[00:35:01]
THEY DEFAULT ON IT, THEY DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE TO GO AFTER THEM.SO, UH, IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE HAVE TO RECOUP BECAUSE IT'S REALLY WASN'T OUR MONEY.
THEY LOANED US THE MONEY AND THEN WE GAVE IT TO THE, THE PERSON WE JUST HAVE TO DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT THE TIME THAT THEY SPENT AND MAKE SURE THEY FULFILLED THEIR EIG REQUIREMENTS.
I'M JUST WAITING ON, I'M WAITING ON THESE.
YEAH, I'M WAITING ON, UH, UH, PAPERWORK BACK FROM THE COLLEGE ON HERS.
OTHER QUESTIONS, IF ANYTHING EVER COMES UP THAT YOU GOT A QUESTION ABOUT A CONCERN, I'VE GOT A CELL PHONE AND IT RINGS ALL NIGHT LONG, SO DON'T HESITATE TO CALL ME.
JUST GET, OH, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, AND THAT KIND OF HURTS US.
ON THE RECRUITING SIDE, WE HAVE CALL, SO WE HAVE A CREW ON AND WE GOT A CREW ON CALL AND THEN THE CREW'S NOT ON CALL.
IF WE'VE GOT A 12 HOUR TEAM ON THERE, THEY'RE JUST ON CALL THE BOTTOM 12.
WE'RE RIGHT NOW THE CREW'S WORKING AND THE CREW'S ON CALL.
SO WHEN YOU HEAR, UH, LIKE WE, UH, THEY, UH, PROVED US RAISES, YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT THESE PEOPLE THAT DO THIS JOB BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE RAISE SOME PEOPLE FROM 15 TO 16 BUCKS AN HOUR AND 17 TO 18 BUCKS AN HOUR.
WHEN YOU TAKE 18 BUCKS AN HOUR, THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD WAGE IN MY VIEWPOINT.
I MEAN, I STARTED AT $3 94 CENTS AN HOUR WORKING FOR THE HOSPITAL AS AN EMT.
BUT THE SIDE TO THAT IS DIVIDE THAT IN HALF BECAUSE FOR EVERY DAY YOU WORK, YOU'RE GIVEN A DAY FREE.
SO THAT CALL IS VERY RESTRICTIVE ON THE FAMILY AND RESTRICTIVE ON THE PEOPLE.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE GOTTA CONSIDER.
AND A LOT OF THE SERVICES AROUND US DON'T HAVE CALL ANYMORE.
SO THAT'S A COMPETITIVE THING TO WHERE WE'VE GOTTA, WE GOTTA LOOK AT THAT TO SEE IF THAT MIGHT BE SOME OF THE REASONS WE'RE NOT GETTING A LOT OF APPS.
EMS IS A CLOSE CIRCUIT, JUST LIKE NURSING IS AND PEOPLE TALK, THEY KNOW THE SERVICES.
SO, AND THE OTHER THING THOUGH, JOHN, SO THEY KNOW WHAT IT'S ON.
IF WE HAVE A CALL, LIKE SAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, IT SAY 12 O'CLOCK THE NIGHT, IF THE FIRST OUT CREW, THE 24 HOUR CREW'S WORKING, THE NEXT CREW HAS TO COME FROM HOME.
SO THAT MIGHT WHERE YOU MIGHT SEE A 15 OR 20 MINUTE DELAY BETWEEN THE TIME THE AMBULANCE WAS CALLED AND UNTIL, UNTIL IT GETS THERE.
'CAUSE WE GOTTA GET A CREW FROM HOME OUT OF BED TO THE STATION, FROM THE STATION TO, UH, WHEREVER IT MAY BE.
AND SO, SO YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THERE'S GONNA BE A, A LONG DELAY ON GETTING THERE.
OUR SAVING FACTOR IS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S RESPONDENT, SO WE AT LEAST MIGHT HAVE SOMEBODY THERE UNLESS THEY'RE TIED UP ON, ON A FIRE OR SOMETHING IN TOWN.
SO THEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU DO? WE JUST HAVE TO GET THERE AS QUICK AS WE CAN.
SO THEY'RE ON, SO THEY WORK 12 HOUR SHIFT AND THEN THEY'RE ON CALL 12 HOUR? UH, SOME OF THEM, YEAH.
THE, THE 12 HOUR CREW DO THE, THE WAY IT STARTED IS THE 24 HOUR CREW WAS ON CALL LIKE ON MONDAY THEY WORKED A 24 HOUR SHIFT ON TUESDAY, THEN THEY'RE OFF FOR TWO DAYS AND THEY'RE ON CALL AND THEN WORK.
THEN WHEN JOHN PUT ON A 12 HOUR CREW 10 YEARS AGO, I CAME ON FROM BEING A PART-TIME PERSON.
UH, I STARTED IN 87 AS A PART-TIME PERSON AND THEN CAME ON FULL-TIME IN 2013 FILLING THE 12 HOUR CREW.
SO WHEN I'M WORKING, IF I HAVE A PARTNER, WE GOT TWO CREWS ON DURING THE DAY FROM 7:00 AM TO 7:00 PM SO IF THERE'S TWO CALLS OUT, WE GOT TWO CREWS RIGHT THERE.
BUT AFTER SEVEN TONIGHT, I'M ON CALL TONIGHT.
SO WHEN I GO HOME TONIGHT, IF THERE'S A CALL, I GOTTA COME FROM HOME FOR THE A SECOND OR, AND SOMETIMES THIRD OUT, DON'T BE SECOND OUT AFTER SEVEN O'CLOCK
IF YOU GET PAID ON CALL, IF YOU GET PAID ON CALL, BE ON CALL VERY LITTLE.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A SMALL AMOUNT.
AND THEN IF YOU GET PUT INTO ACTION, YOU'RE BACK TO THE REGULAR HOURLY RATE.
IS IT TIME AND A HALF? IT'S REGULAR HOURLY RATE AND IT'S TIME AND A HALF AFTER 40 ONCE YOU, BUT YOU'RE SCHEDULED FOR OVER 40 YEAH.
YOU'LL GET, YOU'LL BE ON, YOU'LL PROBABLY GET TIME AND A HALF ON IT.
I MEAN THERE'S ALL YOU EXCEPT, AND I'M NOT DOING THAT BECAUSE IT'S A COMPLAINT.
I'M DOING THAT TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THESE ARE SOME DEDICATED PEOPLE WORKING FOR, FOR A HARD, HARD JOB.
AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT, UH, EVEN CALL AT LIKE THE HOSPITAL AND CALL AT SOME OF THE OTHER PLACES THAT HAVE CALL.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE TO, YOU GO HOME AND THEN YOU HAVE TO RESPOND LIKE THIS BECAUSE YOU, YOU JUST CAN'T, YOU CAN'T USE THE TIME FREELY, BUT IT'S NOT CONSIDERED PAID TIME.
MANY TIMES I LEFT MY WIFE AT A RESTAURANT BECAUSE I WAS ON CALL AND HAD TO GO,
[00:40:01]
YOU KNOW, SO WE'LL HAVE TO ASK KAY ABOUT THAT.SO YOU SAID OTHER PLACES HAVE GOTTEN AWAY FROM MM-HMM.
WHAT ARE THEY DOING? HOW THEY HIRED MORE STAFF? OH YEAH.
AND WE'RE THE SECRET'S MORE STAFF, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE AUTHORIZED FOR SO MUCH, BUT WE CAN'T EVEN FILL THOSE POSITIONS.
IT'S, IT'S NOT A TIME TO EXPAND.
IT'S A TIME TO FILL AND THEN LOOK AT EXPANSION, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT COULD BE A FOUR YEAR, FIVE YEAR PLAN ON OUT THERE.
WHICH I DON'T WANT TO TAKE AWAY MY FIRE FOR BUDGETS, BUT, BUT THE SAME TOKEN IS THESE GUYS REALIZE IT.
THEY KNOW IT, THEY'RE WORKING TOWARDS IT.
YOU CAN'T FIX EVERY PROBLEM YOU FIND JUST OVERNIGHT.
YOU HAVE TO TAKE TIME WITH IT TO MAKE SURE WHEN WE DO APPLY A FIX, IT'S A FIX FOR THE FUTURE.
SO IS THE AMBULANCE BAY ACCEPTABLE? IS IT TOO LITTLE? UH, IN ORDER TO DO ANY
UH, THIS IS ASKING IF THE AMBULANCE BAY IS ACCEPTABLE.
THE AMBULANCE BUILDING ITSELF IS A GREAT BUILDING.
IT WAS BUILT WITH ALL THE RIGHT THINGS IN MIND.
WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT THING'S BEEN THERE FOR, SINCE THE EIGHTIES AND IT'S STRUCTURALLY SOUND, IT'S A VERY SAFE BUILDING FOR STORMS. IT'S ALL CEMENT.
THE ONLY PROBLEM IS YOU CAN'T EXPAND IT.
AND FOR US TO EXPAND IN STAFF, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO EXPAND IN BUILDING.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, THE REASON WE HAD PROPOSED A, A CHANGE ON THAT, UH, FOR THE ARPA MONEY.
AND, UH, WE HAVEN'T MOVED FORWARD WITH ANY OF THAT YET.
BUT IN THE FUTURE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FACE THAT ISSUE TO WHERE WE GET EITHER A SUBSTATION AND BUILD ANOTHER STATION TO PUT MORE PEOPLE IN OR EXPAND OUR BUILDING OR BUILD A NEW, AND THAT'S SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE GONNA BE FACING IN THE FUTURE.
IT PROBABLY WON'T OCCUR IN MY TENURE, BUT IT'S GONNA OCCUR.
HOW HAVE YOUR CALLS BEEN AFFECTED? LIKE TRAIN, I KNOW THE TRAIN'S A BIG ISSUE.
YEAH, THEY DO AFFECT IT BECAUSE IT, IT DELAYS OUR RESPONSE.
I MEAN, AND THERE'S, THERE'S NO WAY TO MESS WITH, WITH THE TRAIN PEOPLE.
I MEAN, IT AFFECTS A LITTLE BIT.
THEY HAD THE OTHER NIGHT, UH, DISPATCH TOLD 'EM AND SAID THE TRAIN'S GONNA BE BLOCKING EVERY OR EVERY CROSSING FROM EIGHTH STREET TO WESTERN.
SO AT LEAST WHEN THEY DO THAT, WE KNOW ABOUT IT.
BUT WHEN YOU GET THERE, THEN YOU GOTTA BACKTRACK.
AND SOME OF THE TIMES IT'S FROM SALLY ROAD ALL THE WAY INTO TOWN AND UH, 'CAUSE THE TRAINS ARE TWO AND A HALF.
UH, I THINK THEY SAID IT WAS A TWO AND A HALF MILE LONG TRAIN.
HUH? THEY'RE THREE PLUS AND THEY'RE WORKING TO GET TO FIVE.
THEY'LL BE BLOCKING CHISMAN AND LIBERAL.
HAVE THEY ASKED FOR YOUR INPUT ON A SECOND OVERPASS? OH YEAH.
AND NOW WHICHEVER ONE THEY PICK.
BUT YEAH, I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
BUT DID THEY ASK YOU WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE IT? OH YEAH.
YEAH, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CONVERSATIONS.
YEAH, THEY'RE VERY, UH, CITY'S VERY INCLUSIVE ON EVERYTHING THEY DO WITH ME AND THEM.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ALWAYS ASK EVERYBODY STANDING AROUND THE ROOM.
WE DO GET ALONG OCCASIONALLY, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY DOES GET ALONG OCCASIONALLY.
SO, ROBERT, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? NO, I MIGHT TELL HIM YOU ARE GETTING A NEW PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
UH, WE ARE IN 2025 AND IT WOULD'VE BEEN SOONER IF WE COULD HAVE GOT IT SOONER, BUT, UH, FIRST QUARTER IN 2025 WE ARE GOING TO GET A NEW AMBULANCE.
IT WAS PURCHASED AND UH, IT'S REQUESTED, BUT THAT'S HOW BACK THEY ARE.
AND WE ORDERED IT LAST YEAR AND THAT'S HOW BACK THEY ARE IN BUILD.
SO IT'S GONNA TAKE US A LITTLE WHILE TO GET IT, BUT IT'LL BE A GOOD THING TO ADD TO OUR FUTURE.
WE CAN GET RID OF ONE OF OUR 20 PLUS YEAR OLD TRUCKS AND, AND UH, START A NEW ARENA FOR THE NEW ONES.
AND IT WILL BE A TRUCK TRUCK, FOUR WHEEL DRIVE.
WELL, I SHOULDN'T SAY WON'T GET STUCK.
UH, IT'S JUST GONNA BE A, A BETTER VEHICLE FOR WHAT WE'RE NEEDING.
BUILDING, UH, THERE'S SEVERAL AMBULANCE, UH, DIVISIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
UH, THIS ONE WOULD BE IN MISSOURI.
IT IS A COMPANY OUTTA MISSOURI.
AND THEY BUILT OUR LAST TWO, NO, OUR LAST ONE.
THE, A COMPANY THAT BUILT OUR OTHER TWO, THE OTHER TWO BLUE ONES, UH, WAS UH, IN COLORADO AND HE RETIRED.
SO HE'S NOT DOING ANY BILLS, BUT THIS COMPANY, THEY'RE PUTTING OUT AN AMBULANCE A DAY.
THAT'S HOW FAR BEHIND THEY GOT DURING COVID.
'CAUSE YOU COULDN'T GET TRUCKS AND THEY'RE BUILDING AN AMBULANCE A DAY AND THEY'RE PUTTING THAT MANY OUT AND WE'RE ON THE WAITING LIST AND HAVE BEEN
[00:45:01]
FOR A YEAR AND IT'S 2025 FIRST QUARTER BEFORE WE'RE GETTING IT.SO THAT'S LOT OF TRUCKS THEY'RE GONNA BE BUILDING OVER THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF IF, IF YOU WERE TO BUILD A SYSTEM.
YOU NEED TO GET THE PEOPLE AND THEN THEN FIGURE, FIGURE THAT OUT.
IT WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL TO HAVE A SERVICE ON THE SOUTH END, BUT AMEN.
AGAIN, IT'S MANNING IT AND THEN IT'S WHERE DO YOU PUT THAT AS WELL? BUT IT WOULD DEFINITELY HELP CALL TIMES TO HAVE MM-HMM.
YOU, YOU HAVE TO CRINGE EVERY TIME YOU GET CALLED OUT AND GOING DOWN WESTERN A TRAIN YOU GOT, IT'S TERESA, I GOT ULCERS,
BUT JUST, IT JUST MAKES YOU WONDER IF YOU HATE FOR SOMEBODY TO NOT MAKE IT BECAUSE GETTING THERE,
SOMETHING IS, YES, THEY WILL GET HELP, THEY WILL GET HELP A, IN A TIMELY FASHION, BUT THE TRANSPORT'S GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT DELAYED THING.
YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT ON THAT BECAUSE IF YOU SAVE TIME IN RESPONSE, YOU'RE GONNA SAVE TIME IN DOWNTIME TOO, SO YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE AS VULNERABLE BECAUSE WHEN THEY HIT THAT SECOND CALL RUN OUT, MY PRESSURE GOES UP WITH THAT BECAUSE THE THIRD CALL'S NOT MANNED.
SO IT'S JUST YOUR WIFE AND DEDICATION COMES STAFF.
THAT'S WHY IT BECOMES DICEY ALSO WHEN WE HAVE THOSE MUTUAL AID TYPE SITUATIONS.
ANY, ANY, ANYTIME OUR FIRST CREW OR SECOND CREW'S BUSY.
IT, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF WHO CAN RESPOND IF THEY HEAR IT FROM HOME, IF THEY, IF THEY CAN RESPOND OR WHEREVER THEY'RE AT.
AND MAYBE WE'LL HAVE SOMEBODY MAYBE WON'T.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE ONES WHERE IT MIGHT BE 30 MINUTES GETTING AN AMBULANCE TO THE SCENE.
WE GO DOWN TO, UH, BEAVER COUNTY A LOT.
DOWN TO THE NEXT CLOSEST THAT OPERATE.
WE GET HELP FROM ME, FROM, UH, I MEAN MEAD H****R H****R COMES OVER AND HELPS US A LOT AND UM, GUY IS THE NEXT CLOSEST GUYMAN, GUYMAN FIRE RUNS PARAMEDIC SERVICE ALSO THEY RUN FIRE EMS AND THEY'RE PARAMEDIC SERVICE.
UM, BUT HASKELL COUNTY, THEY'VE HELPED US.
THE MATTER OF FACT, THEY'LL, THEY'LL RESPOND TO THE ONES CLEAR NORTH IF THEY GET THE CALL TOO, THEY'LL RESPOND AND THEN IF THEY GET THERE, THEY'LL CALL US AND SAY, HEY, WE GOT THIS.
DO YOU WANT US TO GO AHEAD AND TRANSPORT? SURE.
IT'S EASY IN KANSAS, BUT WHEN YOU START DEALING WITH ACROSS THE STATE LINE, IT GETS VERY CONFUSING ON LEGAL, LEGAL ASPECTS OF IT.
WELL, LIKE EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, INVITE EVERYBODY TO COME OUT BY OUR DEPARTMENT.
IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE GOT AND WHERE WE'RE AT AND JUST KIND OF SEE IF YOU WANNA LOOK AT THE TRUCKS OR WHATNOT, WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TO SHOW EVERYBODY WHAT WE GOT AND HOW EVERYTHING WORKS.
AND SO, UH, IT JUST, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THERE, WE'RE ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF THE HOSPITAL AND THAT UNDERGROUND BUILDING GO UP TO MCDONALD'S AND GO WEST AND YOU'LL RUN INTO US.
SO THE NEXT, UM, OH, HOW DO I GET BACK TO OURS? UH, I NEED MARY'S NOW.
SO THE NEXT PRESENTER TONIGHT IS, UH, MARY ROSE.
SHE'S OUR SEWARD COUNTY TREASURER.
AND I THINK SHE HAS A LITTLE POWERPOINT FOR YOU THIS EVENING.
DO YOU HAVE MY CLICKER? IS THIS THE YEAH, IT'S RIGHT.
SO THIS IS FOR MY FOURTH GRADERS THAT I SHOW THEM.
SO WE'RE GONNA PLAY ARE YOU TOMORROW THAN A FOURTH GRADER TODAY? AND I JUST KIDDING.
SO SOME OF THIS MIGHT LOOK LIKE IT'S, UM, A LITTLE CHILDISH, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE GO OVER WHENEVER WE HAVE GOVERNMENT DAYS OR I DO ANY OTHER PRESENTATION WITH PEOPLE.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE COUNTY TREASURER AND I'M SURE EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM HAS BEEN IN THAT OFFICE AT SOME POINT.
SO WHAT DOES THE TREASURER'S OFFICE DO?
[00:50:01]
WE COLLECT TAXES.WE DISTRIBUTE TAXES, AND WE DO MANY DIFFERENT TASKS FOR THE VEHICLES.
SO THIS IS, UM, OF COURSE THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING.
WHAT KIND OF TAXES WE CAN, UM, COLLECT SALES TAX ON NEW VEHICLES.
WE, UM, COLLECT TAXES ON NEW BOATS ONLY.
SO IF YOU WERE TO GO BUY A BOAT FROM YOUR FRIEND, WE WOULDN'T COLLECT THAT TAX.
IT WOULD ONLY BE FOR NEW PURCHASES.
AND WHEN I SAY TRAILERS, I MEAN LIKE HORSE TRAILERS, CAR TRAILERS, TRAILERS THAT YOU'D HAUL.
THAT'S, UM, IF IT'S UNDER 2000 POUNDS, YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO TAG THAT IN THE STATE OF KANSAS.
UM, IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE A TITLE IN CASE IT WAS EVER STOLEN, THE VIN NUMBER OR ANYTHING ON THAT, UM, WE'RE ABLE TO TRACE THAT ALSO, WE ARE ABLE TO SECURE THAT LIEN ON THOSE ATVS TRAILERS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO IF YOU DID HAVE A BOW AND YOUR FINANCE COMPANY SAID I WANT TO SECURE THAT LIEN, WE WOULD DO THAT FOR A TITLE ONLY.
OF COURSE, WE, UM, COLLECT PROPERTY TAXES, WHICH IS THE LAND, THE HOUSES, AND UM, ALSO BUSINESSES.
UM, SO LIKE YOUR PERSONAL PROPERTY AS WELL.
WE, UM, COLLECT TAXES ON MINERALS, GAS AND OILS, WHICH IS A BIG, UM, IS A BIG THING OVER IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS.
SO HOW DOES SEWARD COUNTY HELP FUND? SO IN MY OFFICE I DO DISTRIBUTION, UH, ABOUT FIVE TIMES A YEAR.
UM, AND WE'LL GO OVER THAT, BUT THE COUNTY, UM, HAS A BUDGET TIME IN, I THINK WE START IN JUNE AND THESE ORGANIZATIONS COME TO THE COUNTY COMMISSION AND THEY ARE SAYING THIS IS WHAT I WOULD NEED TO OPERATE IN THE COUNTY.
AND SO SOME OF THESE, UM, THAT THE COUNTY HELPS FUND IS CITY ON THE HILL COUNCIL ON AGING ADOLESCENT SUPPORT SERVICES, COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS, UM, SDSI, CHILD RUSSELL CHILD DEVELOPMENT, THE HISTORICAL MUSEUM, AND THE SEWARD COUNTY FIVE STATE FAIR.
THERE IS SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT SEWARD COUNTY HELPS FUND.
UM, BUT IN THESE ARE WIC, THE BUDGET GETS SET TO FOR THE COUNTY.
SO THESE ARE JUST SOME OF 'EM.
SO LIKE I SAID, THAT THE BUDGET TIME IS USUALLY IN JULY.
THEY COME IN DURING BUDGET TIME, THEY PRESENT HOW MUCH THEIR BUDGET IS AND THEN THE COMMISSION WILL GO THROUGH AND REVISE THAT.
SO WHAT DOES A TAXES DO? WE COLLECT TAXES IN MY OFFICE TWO TIMES A YEAR.
WE COLLECT IT ON DECEMBER 21ST, RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND MAY 10TH.
SO WHENEVER WE DO THAT, UM, AFTER THE TAXES ARE COLLECTED, THE COUNTY TREASURER, WHICH IS MYSELF, I DISTRIBUTE A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THAT MONEY BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY.
SO WHEN COLLECTION IS DONE IN DECEMBER, I WILL CUT CHECKS TO ENTITIES IN JANUARY AND IT'S USUALLY JANUARY 20TH IS BY THE TIME THEY GET THEIR, THEIR MONEY.
AND THOSE ENTITIES THAT HAVE SUBMITTED A BUDGET OR THESE RIGHT HERE ARE PART OF THE MILL LEVY.
UM, USD FOUR 80 USD 4 83, CITY OF LIBERAL, CITY OF KISMET, SEWARD COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THE CEMETERIES.
AND THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT WILL GET CHECKS FROM MY OFFICE FOR THE COUNTY THAT HAS COLLECTED THE TAXES.
ANY QUESTIONS SO FAR? SO TAXES HELP MAKE THE FUTURE BETTER FOR YOU.
THESE ARE REALLY COOL YOUTUBE VIDEO THAT WE GO THROUGH.
SO YOUR TAXES AND HOW IT MAKES SENSE, IT HELPS MAINTAIN THE PAVED AND DIRT ROADS, IT HELPS THE CURBS, THE SIDEWALKS AND THE LINES ON THE ROADS.
SO WE STAY BETWEEN THE LINES, WE NAVIGATE BETWEEN THE LINES, THE SIGNS, THE SIGNALS, AND IT PAYS THE PEOPLE TO DO THAT.
SO THESE ARE SOME REALLY COOL PICTURES IN LIBERAL.
SO WHY CEMETERIES? SO THERE ARE, UM, SOME OF THE ENTITIES WILL GET CHECKS FOR THE CEMETERIES OR GET LINE ITEMS ON THE CHECKS, WHICH IS MONEY DESIGNATED FOR THAT CEMETERY.
UM, CITY OF LIBERAL IS ONE THAT GETS SOME MONEY FOR THAT AND THEY JUST HAVE THAT IN THEIR BUDGET.
SO THE LIN CEMETERY IS ONE THAT GETS THAT.
UM, THERE'S A PRIVATE, UM, CEMETERY, THE WHITE FAMILY CEMETERY, THEY GET MONEY FOR THAT.
AND THEN OF COURSE THE LIBERAL CEMETERY.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE PAYING THAT, SO WE HAVE TO HELP SUPPORT THAT IN OUR COMMUNITY EVEN AFTER DEATH.
SO TAXES HELPS SEVERAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN SWARD COUNTY.
THERE ARE SEVERAL, UM, SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT GET MAYBE NOT A LOT OF MONEY, BUT THE ONES
[00:55:01]
THAT GET THE MOST IS TO USD FOUR 80 AND USD 4 83.WE DO HAVE SOME, WE SEND SOME OVER TO MOSCOW, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT PAY TAXES IN SEWARD COUNTY, BUT THAT DISTRICT IS FOR THE KIDS OVER IN, IN THAT AREA.
SO WE STILL SUBMIT, THEY STILL GET MONEY FOR THAT.
SO TAXES AND LIBERAL TAXES GO TO THE CITY OF LIBERAL, WHICH HELP FUND OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND ALSO THE LIBERAL MEMORIAL LIBRARY.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN VIEW ON YOUR COUNTY CLERKS.
THIS, UM, THIS RIGHT HERE IS ONE THAT I USE IN MY OFFICE, BUT IT HAS ALL OF THE ROADS AND IT HAS THE TAXATION.
AND THEN IT ALSO HAS, SO IF YOU COME INTO MY OFFICE AND YOU HAVE A NEW VEHICLE, WE'RE GOING TO SUBMIT AND SEE WHERE YOUR ROAD IS AND MAKE SURE THAT YOUR TAXING UNIT AND YOUR HOUSE IS WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE TAXED AT, WHICH MOST OF LIBERAL IS OH OH TWO THAT WE HAVE, OH, 33, WHICH IS OVER BY OUR KAYLIN PARK ROAD M IS OH 30.
SO KISMET PLAINS IS OVER BY OH 32.
SO, UM, GIS APPRAISALS COUNTY CLERK IN MY OFFICE, WE ALL USE THAT TAXATION MAP.
UM, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING GOES TO THAT.
WHEN I PULL THE TAXES, UM, IN THE BACKSIDE OF IT, WHEN YOU PAY YOUR TAXES, IT DIRECTS YOUR TAXATION TO THAT LINE ITEM, WHICH THEN WHEN I PULL THAT MONEY, IT'S GONNA PULL IT FROM THAT TAXATION SO WE KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH THAT DISTRICT IS PAYING.
SO HOW MUCH TAXES? SO SIX TIMES A YEAR.
UM, THE SEWARD COUNTY RESIDENTS PAID, IT WOULD'VE BEEN FOR THE BUDGET OF 2023.
WE, UM, WROTE SIX CHECKS, WHICH EVERY SINGLE, THIS IS THE DATES THAT EVERY SINGLE CHECK GETS DONE, JANUARY, MARCH, JUNE, SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER.
OCTOBER'S THE LAST CHECK FOR THE YEAR.
AND SO USUALLY YOUR TIFF, YOUR R RIDS AND ALL THAT COME FROM JANUARY AND JUNE.
UM, SO WE, THOSE WILL BE DISTRIBUTED WITH THAT.
SO WE DID A TOTAL OF $44 MILLION BACK.
IT WAS A HUNDRED PERCENT COLLECTED, A HUNDRED PERCENT WENT BACK.
SO WHENEVER YOU LOOK AT THE MILL LEVY AND ALL OF THOSE N ENTITIES THAT BROUGHT THEIR MILL LEVY IN, SO THEIR BUDGET, UM, THAT'S HOW MUCH THE COUNTY COLLECTED AND THAT'S HOW MUCH WE, UM, DISTRIBUTED BACK INTO IT TO RUN THE COUNTY AND ALL OF THOSE ENTITIES.
I'VE BEEN IN THE OFFICE FOR 10 YEARS, BEEN IN THIS POSITION FOR A YEAR.
UM, OF COURSE THERE'S A LINE IF FIRST OF THE MONTH OR END OF THE MONTH.
UM, WE'RE ALWAYS CHEERFUL AND TRY TO HELP AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
ANY QUESTIONS? MARY ROSE, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE TIME THAT YOU, THE 15 MINUTE, HOW BIG OF A DIFFERENCE THAT HAS MADE WITH OVERTIME AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE? YEAH, SO I HAD COME TO THE COMMISSION AND LET THEM KNOW THAT OVER TIME IN MY DEPARTMENT WAS THROUGH THE ROOF.
UM, AS YOU PROBABLY ALL HAVE SEEN, YOU MIGHT COME IN THE OFFICE AND THERE IS, MY GIRLS ARE STILL THERE AT 5 15, 5 30.
SO A PERSON HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WALK IN THAT DOOR AT FIVE O'CLOCK AND IF THEY HAD A TOWEL AND REGISTRATION, THE STATE OF KANSAS SHUTS DOWN AT FOUR 30.
SO IF WE HAD TO CALL THE STATE OF KANSAS FOR ANY KIND OF VEHICLE, UM, WE COULDN'T ASSIST THAT CUSTOMER APPROPRIATELY OR GET ANY ISSUES RESOLVED, WHICH IN VITAS IS NOW WITH US.
SO WE ARE LIVE WITH ALL 50 STATES ON ANY TIME THEY RUN THAT VIN NUMBER.
SO IF THAT VIN NUMBER CAME UP THAT IT WAS STOLEN, WE COULDN'T CALL THE STATE TO GET THAT FIXED.
WE'D HAVE TO DISMISS THAT CUSTOMER.
SO WE WENT AHEAD AND, UM, STARTED CLOSING AT 4 45.
THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES IN THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH AND THE END OF THE MONTH THAT WE'VE HAD TO STAY TILL 5, 5 30, BUT MOST OF THE TIME THE GIRLS ARE OUT OF THERE AT A DECENT TIME.
SO WE'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL WITH THAT.
UM, OF COURSE WE ARE VERY ACCOMMODATING IF YOU HAVE WHERE YOU'RE COMING IN FROM KISMET OR YOU KNOW, WE'VE CALLED, WE WILL STAY FOR YOU.
IF YOU'RE ALREADY IN THE OFFICE, WE WILL, WE WILL HELP YOU.
AND YOU KNOW, THOSE GIRLS HAVE A LIFE AFTER WORK AS WELL AND SOMETIMES THEY TRY TO DO EVENTS AND STAY IN THE COMMUNITY AND THAT ALLOWS THEM TIME TO DO THAT BECAUSE SOME STUFF STARTS AT SIX OR FIVE 30.
SO WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL AND THEY'VE BEEN HAPPY WITH IT.
AND I THINK WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY COMPLAINTS REALLY.
[01:00:01]
NOT THAT I KNOW OF, NO.UM, ANYTHING ELSE? I THINK, UM, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE OF MARY'S PRESENTATION IS THAT WE COLLECT ALL OF THE TAXES HERE IN SEWARD COUNTY.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT ALL OF THAT MONEY REMAINS IN THE SEWARD COUNTY BUDGET.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT BECAUSE WE COLLECT THE TAXES, WE'RE USING ALL OF THOSE TAXES.
THERE HAS TO BE A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN COLLECT THOSE TAXES THAT'S HERE, BUT THEN SHE DOES DISTRIBUTE IT TO ALL OF THE OTHER TAXING ENTITIES BASED ON WHAT THEY HAVE, UM, SET THEIR MILL LEVIES TO.
SO SHE WENT OVER SOME OF THOSE TAXING ENTITIES FOR YOU WHEN THE COMMISSIONERS DO THEIR BUDGETS, UM, STARTING IN JULY.
NORMALLY, UM, THERE OBVIOUSLY WE FUND OR PROVIDE A LOT OF SERVICES WITHIN THE COUNTY, BUT THERE'S STILL QUALITY OF LIFE SERVICES THAT COUNTY, UM, CITIZENS NEED, SUCH AS VETERAN SERVICES, SUCH AS, UM, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, UM, DRUG AND ALCOHOL, UM, SERVICES THERE.
AND THOSE, MARY TOUCHED ON SOME OF THOSE, BUT PEOPLE ASK A LOT OF THE TIMES, WHY DOES THE COUNTY FUND THOSE DIFFERENT AGENCIES LIKE SOUTHWEST OR, UM, CENTER FORAGING CHILD DEVELOPMENT, THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, UM, THE SENIOR CITIZEN CENTER IN KISMET, UM, SOUTHWEST GUIDANCE CENTER.
IT'S BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE IN-HOUSE, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO OFFER THOSE SERVICES.
BUT THOSE SERVICES ARE NEEDED IN A COMMUNITY, UM, FOR QUALITY OF LIFE AND FOR YOUR CITIZENS TO GET THE CARE THAT THEY NEED.
SO THAT IS WHY, UM, THE CITY OF LIBERAL DOES THE SAME THING.
THEY HAVE OTHER PEOPLE THAT COME TO THEM FOR FUNDING.
UM, THAT'S WHY WE FUND THOSE PARTICULAR AGENCIES BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE A MUCH NEEDED SERVICE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE CAN'T PROVIDE IN-HOUSE AS A COUNTY.
I, IT'S 17 CHECKS THAT I DISTRIBUTE, UM, EVERY TIME I DO THE DISTRIBUTION.
AND THOSE ARE MAINLY FOR, UM, CITY OF LIBERAL, CITY OF KISMET, THE LIBRARY, THE SCHOOLS OR THE CEMETERY OF FARGO TOWNSHIP.
THE OTHER ENTITIES THAT ARE WITHIN THE COUNTY'S BUDGET IS BROUGHT FROM THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE.
THEY ARE ON A, LIKE A PAYABLES.
SO THEY SAY THEY'VE ALLOCATED THIS MUCH AND THEY'LL GET A CHECK QUARTERLY OR UM, SEMI YEARLY DEPENDING ON HOW THEY WERE SET UP.
SO NORMALLY THE FIRST OF THE YEAR IS WHEN THEY'LL GET THEIR FIRST, UM, ALLOCATION TO THEM FROM THE COUNTY CLERK.
UM, AND THEY'LL SEND THOSE OFF WITH PAYABLES.
ANYTHING ELSE? LIKE WE'RE, SO, UM, I'M REALLY PROUD OF OUR GROUP.
SO ALL OF THAT, $44 MILLION THAT WAS COLLECTED CAME INTO MY OFFICE.
WE HAD HANDS ON IT, WE DEPOSITED IT.
UM, WE COLLECT 97% OF THE TAXES, SO WE DO VERY WELL.
UM, AND THEN ALSO WE WERE EVERY YEAR, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT I SHOULD PRAISE ABOUT, UM, THE GIRLS WE'RE AUDITED FROM THE KINS DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE EVERY YEAR.
AND UM, OUR AUDIT COMES, UM, IT'S COMING UP ACTUALLY.
THEY DON'T TELL US WHEN THEY'RE GONNA DO IT, THEY JUST DO IT.
AND SO THEY GO THROUGH AND THEY AUDIT ALL OF OUR TRANSACTIONS.
WE DO ABOUT 23,000 TRANSACTIONS FOR VEHICLES A YEAR.
AND UM, THAT AUDIT CAME BACK AT A 98%.
SO WE ARE CARRYING SOUTHWEST KANSAS IN, UM, ACCURACY AND SITTING TO THE STATUTES.
AND THAT'S WHAT MY OFFICE DOES.
WE HAVE NO AGENDA, WE DON'T HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, HE SAID, SHE SAID, WE FOLLOW THE LAW AND THE STATUTES IN MY OFFICE.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT REASON, WE'RE AT A HIGH PERCENTAGE IN, UM, COLLECTION AND ERRORS.
AND I ALSO HAVE A LOT OF GIRLS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE TENURED.
SO, UM, OF COURSE THAT IS A HUGE BENEFIT.
MARY ROSE, DIDN'T YOU, UM, DIDN'T YOU ALSO HAVE AN HONOR TO HOST, UH, AN EVENT HERE? WE DID.
SO IT HADN'T BEEN FOR 20 YEARS.
UM, WE GOT TO HOST, UM, SOUTHWEST KANSAS TREASURE'S ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS 22 COUNTIES.
UM, WE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF HOSTING THAT IN SEWARD COUNTY AND UM, WE HAD 65, UM, SURROUNDING PEOPLE SHOW UP.
UM, I GOT VOTED IN AS A, UH, SECRETARY FOR, UM, SOUTHWEST KANSAS TREASURER'S ASSOCIATION.
SO, UM, ALL OF THAT, UM, WE DO TWO TIMES A YEAR AND IT'S ALL OF SOUTHWEST KANSAS AND IT'S JUST A NICE, UM, GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT
[01:05:01]
WE COME TOGETHER WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF LIKE IDEAS AND UM, INFORMATION AND SCENARIOS AND YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE OIL AND GAS IN OUR AREA AND WE DEAL WITH A LOT OF THE SAME PEOPLE AND SAME THINGS.SO IT'S NICE TO HAVE THAT LITTLE GROUP TOGETHER.
UM, AND IT WAS A HUGE TURNOUT.
UM, MY, UH, STAFF LEARNED A LOT.
WE HAD SOME REALLY GOOD SPEAKERS, SO THEY LEARNED A LOT AND THEY WERE REALLY GLAD THAT THEY WENT.
JARED, HOW COULD YOU SCAN? SO WE HAVE ON THE FRONT LINE, WHICH IS WHAT WE CALL THE FRONT LINE, WE HAVE, UM, SIX ON THE FRONT LINE.
UM, WHEN I CAME INTO OFFICE, WE WERE JUST NOW STARTING TO CROSS TRAIN BEFOREHAND.
WE HAD DONE HALF, UM, TAX AND HALF TAG.
WE ARE CROSS-TRAINED, SO YOU CAN GO TO ANY GIRL, UM, AND THEY WILL PROCESS VEHICLES, TAXES ALL IN ONE THING.
WE CANNOT TAKE THE SAME PAYMENT.
LIKE IF YOU'RE TO WRITE ONE CHECK FOR ALL OF IT, WE CAN'T DO THAT, BUT WE CAN, UM, WE CAN ASSIST YOU IN BOTH OF THOSE TRANSACTIONS AT THE SAME TIME.
I HAVE A TREASURER CLERK, WHICH IS OUR, HELPS DO THE DAILY BALANCING.
AND THEN MY DEPUTY AND THEN MYSELF.
SO THERE'S NINE TOTAL IN THE OFFICE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PHONE CALLS, A LOT OF, UM, TRANSACTIONS.
OUR BUSIEST TIME, OF COURSE IS DURING TAX TIME.
UM, AND SO ALL HANDS ON DECK AND, UM, MOVING OVER TO THE NEW SYSTEM, UH, WITH CIC WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, IF GLADYS AND I NEED TO JUMP IN AND GET THOSE THROUGH THE DOOR, WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT AND PROCESS ALL OF THAT.
KIND OF PUT A LITTLE, COUPLE MORE HANDS ON DECK.
UM, AND A LOT OF THAT ALSO COMES IN THROUGH THE MAIL.
SO WE WILL PUT A PERSON IN AND THAT'S ALL THEIR JOB IS TO DO, LIKE JUST HANDLE THE MAIL, PROCESS, THE PAYMENTS THROUGH THE MAIL.
AND LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, HAVING A A GOOD STEADY GROUP, THEY KNOW WHEN IT'S GONNA BE BUSY AND WHEN IT'S NOT.
AND BEING MINDFUL OF THAT AND HAVING THAT TENURE IS, IS AWESOME.
UH, SO PAY YOUR CAR TAGS ONLINE.
DOES, DOES THAT GO HERE? DOES IT GO TO STATE? SO IF YOU PAY YOUR CAR TAGS ONLINE, HOW THAT WORKS IS IT'S GONNA GO, THERE'S A DROPDOWN BOX THAT LETS LIKE MAKE SURE, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE EVERYTHING CORRECT.
SO IF YOU ARE IN SEWARD COUNTY, IT'S GONNA COME TO MY OFFICE NO MATTER WHAT WE PROCESS IT.
UM, THE STATE OF KANSAS DOES KEEP, UM, THAT IS REGULATED BY KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, WHICH IS ANYTHING THAT YOU USE FOR YOUR CREDIT CARD OR A CHECK, THEY CAN DO ECHECK.
THEY CHARGE 2.5% AND THE STATE OF KANSAS KEEPS THAT.
AND SO THAT GOES TO THEM AND THEY JUST PULL THAT OUT AUTOMATICALLY.
UM, AND THEN THE REST WILL COME TO US AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE A AN EFT THAT COMES THROUGH EVENTUALLY.
AND SO SOMETIMES WE HAVE IT HAPPEN WHERE YOU PAID AND UM, YOU'RE LIKE, HEY, I DIDN'T GET IT IN THE MAIL.
YOU DO HAVE A 10 DAY GRACE PERIOD.
IF YOU DO PAY ONLINE, UM, IT GIVES YOU A 10 DAYS TO, UM, GET YOUR STUFF IN THE MAIL.
IF YOU DIDN'T GET IT, IT COULD BE TWO REASONS.
UM, ONE, IT GOT STUCK IN THE SYSTEM, MAYBE YOUR INSURANCE WAS WRONG.
OR SOMETIMES IF YOU HAVE YOUR INSURANCE NOT IN THERE, IT WON'T LET YOU DO IT.
SO EVERYTHING HAS TO BE CORRECT.
IT DIDN'T MATCH UP WITH THE INSURANCE.
MAYBE THERE WAS AN O AND NOT A ZERO, OR IF THE ADDRESS WAS DIFFERENT, YOU HAD A WICHITA ADDRESS, BUT YOU'RE WANTING IT TO COME IN S COUNTY, IT COULD KICK IT OUT BACK AS WELL.
SO MAYBE YOU HAD THE FUNDS IN THERE BUT IT DIDN'T HIT YOUR BANK TWO DAYS LATER AND NOW THE FUNDS AREN'T IN THERE.
SO WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WE WILL CALL YOU.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL AND WE'LL SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN COME IN AND PAY AND WE WILL, YOU KNOW, WORK IT OUT.
SO, UM, THERE IS, UH, SOME FEES.
YOU PROBABLY NOTICED THERE'S, UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, MODERNIZATION, WILDLIFE, IF YOU DECIDE TO GET WILDLIFE ON YOUR RECEIPT WHEN YOU GET YOUR TAGS, UM, YOU DO HAVE A CHOICE IN OUR OFFICE.
UM, KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE PARTNERED UP WITH THE WILDLIFE, SO YOU'RE ABLE TO GET A TAG.
THEY'RE, UM, VERY, I, I'D HAVE TO GET ONE.
THEY HAVE FISH OR HUNTING OR WHATEVER YOU WANT.
THERE'S, THEY COME IN THREE, YOU BUY THE TAG AND THAT GETS YOU FULL ACCESS TO ALL OF THE KANSAS LAKES, UM, WITH
[01:10:01]
THE TAG.BUT YOU ALSO HAVE A CHOICE TO BUY FROM US FOR $12 AND 50 CENTS.
UM, THE TAG A LITTLE STICKER THAT GOES ON YOUR CAR WINDOW TO GO INTO THERE AS WELL.
IF YOU WERE TO BUY IT AT A, THE COUNTY CLERK SELLS THAT, OR WALMART OR MIDLAKE, IT'S 25 50.
SO YOU'RE SELLING, YOU'RE SAVING $12 BY BUYING IT THROUGH US.
UM, AND SO SOMETIMES THAT ALSO IS A REASON WHY IT GETS KICKED BACK.
UH, BUT YOU HAVE THAT OPTION TO DO THAT.
AND YOU CAN ANTIQUE A CAR THAT'S 35 YEARS OLD.
SO IF YOU HAVE A CAR THAT'S 35 YEARS OLD, YOU CAN ANTIQUE IT IN SEWARD COUNTY, IT COSTS YOU ABOUT 27 50 TO DO THAT.
IT'S 1750 A YEAR TO PAY FOR THAT.
UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR OFFICE DOES.
UM, AS A COURTESY TO, UM, RESIDENTS OF SEWARD COUNTY, WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO DO THAT.
UM, BUT IT KIND OF IS REGULATED BY THE STATE.
UM, THEY STILL PUT IT IN THE SYSTEM AND EVERYTHING.
SO THAT 1750 IS WHAT YOU PAY FOR REGISTRATION AND, AND PROPERTY TAXES ON THAT ANTIQUE.
YOU CAN DRIVE THAT ON THE ROAD.
BUT REMEMBER YOU HAVE TO HAVE INSURANCE ON ANYTHING, ANY TIRES THAT YOU PUT ON THE HIGHWAY, ANY ROAD OR ANYTHING.
IT HAS TO HAVE INSURANCE ON IT.
SO EVEN IF YOU ANTIQUE SOMETHING, YOU HAVE TO HAVE INSURANCE AND THAT, UM, FOR FARM EQUIPMENT, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
THE WILDLIFE TAG COMES WITH A PARK PERMIT AND IT'S WILL JUST SO YOU GOT YOU, IT'S SPECIFIC TO THAT VEHICLE.
THE STICKER IS SPECIFIC TO THAT VEHICLE.
SO THE WILDLIFE TAG, UM, LIKE I SAID, IT HAS THREE, THREE DESIGNS.
UM, IT IS, IT WOULD RENEW EVERY YEAR.
SO LET'S SAY YOU CAME IN AND YOU JUST RENEWED IT, IT AUTOMATICALLY COULD RENEW THAT WILDLIFE AND PARK PASS AS WELL.
AND THE PLATES ARE PLASTIC WITH A VINYL OVER IT.
AND ALSO IF YOU HAVE EMBOSSED, WHICH IS, UM, THE ONES THAT ARE IMPRINTED INTO IT, WHICH ARE THE METAL, THEY'RE PHASING THOSE OUT.
AND SO YOU, YOU'LL BE COMING IN AND WE'LL BE SEEING YOUR PRETTY FACES IN OUR OFFICE BECAUSE THEY'RE PHASING THOSE OUT.
AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE FOUR LETTERS, OR FOUR NUMBERS AND THREE LETTERS ON YOUR TAG NOW.
AND YOU MIGHT HAVE SAW THOSE AROUND TOWN, THEY IMPLEMENTED THAT IN JANUARY, BUT THEY'RE GONNA IMPLEMENT THE NEW TAG.
UM, THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO IT FEBRUARY, BUT THE GOVERNOR PULLED THE NEW TAG.
AND SO, UM, SO SHE'S GOING TO, WE'RE GONNA PROBABLY SEE THOSE IN JUNE I THINK.
SO WE'LL BE SEEING THOSE, BUT YOU WILL BE GETTING THE IMPOSSIBLE PHASE.
THEY'LL PHASE THOSE OUT AND GIVE YOU THE REGULAR VINYL KIND ON YOUR NEXT RENEWAL, YOU WILL HAVE WHAT WE CALL A STOP.
AND SO LET'S SAY YOU WANTED TO DO IT ONLINE, AND IT'LL BE LIKE, SORRY, YOU CANNOT DO THAT.
YOU KNOW, MATT IS A WET HAND COMING IN.
WHY, BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA COME IN AND YOU'RE GONNA GET ANY TAG.
UM, BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE TAGS THAT I'VE SEEN AROUND SEWARD COUNTY, I JUST WANNA STOP AND BE LIKE, I NEED YOU TO COME TO THE OFFICE.
THE POLICE REGULATES THAT, BUT UM, THEY'RE PHASING THAT OUT BECAUSE THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO THE NEW STYLE.
SO LET'S SAY YOU DECIDED THAT YOU WANTED A, UM, THEY HAVE ONE FOR, UM, CHOOSE LIFE OR THE HORSE COUNCIL THAT, OR KU, I HAVE A KU ONE THAT KU ONE.
UM, IF I, WHEN I BUY THAT TAG FOR $50, PART OF THAT GOES TO THAT ORGANIZATION.
IT'S A DONATION THAT YOU'VE MADE TO THAT ORGANIZATION AND YOU PAY THAT AMOUNT EVERY SINGLE YEAR ADDITIONAL WITH YOUR RENEWAL.
SO YOU'RE GONNA PAY THE $50 PLUS YOUR REGISTRATION, PLUS YOUR PROPERTY TAX, PLUS YOUR PROCESSING FEE.
SO THAT'S ON A ONE TIME THING.
THE PERSONALIZED PLATES THOUGH, WHICH ARE $50, YOU CAN DO UP TO SEVEN NUMBERS OR LETTERS.
UM, IF IT'S APPROVED, THAT IS $50, THAT IS A ONE TIME FOR FOUR YEARS.
BUT THEN EVERY FOUR YEARS YOU HAVE TO GET A NEW ONE AND PRAY.
YOU BEAT JOE DOWN THE STREET THAT WANTS THE SAME ONE THAT HE'S BEEN TRYING TO GET FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS.
SO HE MARRIED BECK TO THE TAX COLLECTIONS.
WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THAT? THAT 3%.
SO ONCE PROCESSES, SO ONCE IT'S CURRENT, ONCE CURRENT, IT SWITCHES OVER TO DELINQUENT.
WHEN IT'S DELINQUENT, IT STARTS OCCURRING, FEES AND PENALTIES, UM, PERSONAL PROPERTY, THEN YOU START GETTING WARRANTS AND REGISTRATION AND SHERIFF FEES ADDED ONTO THAT.
SO YOU PAY INTEREST EVERY SINGLE DAY ON THAT $16 THAT YOU DIDN'T PAY, WHICH IN FIVE YEARS COULD
[01:15:01]
ADD UP TO $200 IF YOU DECIDE NOT TO PAY IT.WE CAN'T TELL YOU, LOOK, I KNOW YOU, YOU'RE A GOOD PERSON.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEGINNING OF TIME.
WE'VE KNOWN EVERY SINGLE YEAR, WHAT IF YOU'VE OWNED THAT HOUSE FOR 30 YEARS, YOU'VE KNOWN THE PAST 30 YEARS THAT TAXES ARE THE 10TH AND THE 21ST.
SO IF YOU'VE BEEN GETTING EVERY SINGLE CORRESPONDENT FROM US, YOU KNOW, IT COULD HAVE BEEN JUST A MINE SITE, YOU FORGOT TO PAY IT.
AND AFTER THREE YEARS, IF IT'S REAL ESTATE, UM, YOU HAVE THE, UM, WONDERFUL TAX SALE THAT'S GONNA START.
SO, UM, AFTER THE THIRD YEAR, YOU ARE DELINQUENT ENOUGH, WHICH IS CONSIDERED, UM, CONSISTENT.
AND SO THEN THE PROPERTY STARTS THE TAX SALE PROCESS.
AND SO WE HAVE TWO TEXTILES GOING ON, UM, NOW, UH, 2016 TO EARLIER, AND THEN FROM 2016 TO 2019 IS WHAT WAS PULLED.
AND SO THOSE ARE PROCESSES THAT'LL TAKE PLACE.
ON SCALE, LET'S SAY FIVE WHERE, SO IN THE STATE OF KANSAS, UM, THIS, HAVING SOMETHING THAT GETS PAID OVER WHAT IS OWED WOULD BE AMAZING.
THAT WOULD BE THE PERFECT STORM, RIGHT? BUT LET'S SAY IT DOES.
SO LET'S SAY SOMEBODY CAME IN AND HIS QUESTION WAS, IF SOMETHING WAS $5,000 AND THEY CAME IN AND THEY PAID 10,000, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE EXCESS? THE EXCESS WOULD EVENTUALLY GO BACK TO THE COUNTY.
UM, DISTRICT COURT COLLECTS THAT.
THERE'S A PROCESS, A COURT PROCESS THAT HAPPENS.
SO YOU CAME IN, SHERIFF SAID, WE'RE SELLING THIS STARTING BID 5,000.
THAT PART OF THAT 10,000, YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THERE'S COURT COSTS, THERE'S FEES, NOTHING'S FREE, THERE'S FEES INVOLVED, THERE'S, UM, FILING FEES, THERE'S CLERICAL FEES.
ALL OF THAT IS ADDED INTO THAT PAST TAXES.
THE 5,000 WOULD COME TO MY OFFICE AS BEING PAID, AND THE REST WOULD GO TO DISTRICT COURT.
AND IF THERE WAS ANY LIENS ON THAT PROPERTY, LET'S SAY YOU HIT A LINE AND THERE'S A LIEN ON IT FOR $584 FROM THAT TELEPHONE COMPANY, THEY WOULD PAY THAT.
IF SOMEBODY CAME BACK AND SAID, LOOK, THIS PERSON, I DID WORK FOR THEM, THEY NEVER PAID ME.
COURT SYSTEM SAYS, YEAH, WE SEE THAT ON THERE, THEY PAY THEM AS WELL.
SO THE DISTRICT COURT WILL DIVVY UP ALL THAT MONEY AND THEN WHATEVER'S IS LEFT, THE COUNTY WILL GET, THE COUNTY KEEPS IT.
I WANTED, I WOULD HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK ON THAT, BUT I, I DO NOT, I DO NOT THINK SO.
AND, UM, BUT I WILL SAY THIS, WHENEVER WE DO HAVE A TAX SALE, AND WHEN WE DO SELL, AND IT'S NOT JUST OUR COUNTY, BUT THE SURROUNDING SOUTHWEST KANSAS COUNTIES HAVE ALSO BEEN DOING TAX SALES, THE PERCENTAGE OF THOSE, THOSE, UM, PROPERTIES GOING FOR WHAT IS OWED AGAINST IT, BECAUSE THEY'RE PROBABLY PEOPLE THAT HAVE NOT PAID FOR SEVERAL YEARS, UM, IS NEVER ENOUGH TO COVER ANYTHING.
BUT YOU'RE STOPPING THE BLEEDING, YOU'RE NOT PUTTING A BANDAID ON IT ANYMORE.
SO THAT'S THE KEY RIGHT THERE, IS TO STOP THE BLEEDING AND NOT TO PUT THE BANDAID ON IT.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S MANY REASONS THAT IT'S GOING UP FOR TAX CELL, BUT, UH, IT'S PROBABLY 99% OF THE TIME IS GONNA BE A LOSS FOR THE COUNTY.
BUT WE'RE GONNA TRY MOVING FORWARD TO MAKE IT SO IT'S NOT MARY ROSE, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE REDESIGN OF THE TAG ENVELOPES AND HOW IT, THE COST SAVINGS THAT WAS INVOLVED? YEAH, THERE WAS, UM, SO, UH, 2020, I HATE BRINGING 2020 UP BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH THAT HAPPENED, BUT, UM, WE ALWAYS BLAME THAT YEAR.
UH, SO THE ENVELOPES THAT WE USED TO HAVE WERE BROWN.
I THINK THE LAST THREE TREASURERS HAD 'EM THAT WAY.
WE TRIED TO KEEP THEM, UM, AS LONG AS WE COULD.
WE WERE TOLD BY THE SUPPLIERS, UM, ALL OF THE COUNTIES PRETTY MUCH HAD THAT.
UM, THEY WERE COMING TO A POINT WHERE THEY WERE EXPENSIVE, THEY COULDN'T GUARANTEE THEM.
WE HAD BOUGHT THE LAST TWO BOXES.
UM, AND SO WE DECIDED TO SWITCH.
[01:20:01]
I THINK AN 85%, UH, SAVINGS MOVING OVER TO THE ENVELOPES THAT WE NOW HAVE, WHICH, UM, THE OFFICE WE ALL POWWOWED TOGETHER SAID, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE ON THE ENVELOPE TO BE MORE INFORMATIONAL THAT YOU FEEL THE COMMUNITY NEEDS? UM, WE ALL GOT TOGETHER, DESIGNED THE ENVELOPE, STILL KEPT QUITE A BIT OF THE INFORMATION THAT WAS ON THE OTHER ONE.AND NOW IT'S JUST A REGULAR WIDE ENVELOPE.
UM, AND IT HAD, IT SAVED US OOS OF MONEY.
UM, ABOUT 85% OF WHAT WE WERE PAYING IS NOW BEING SAVED.
SO IN MY OFFICE, UM, I'M A BIG PENNY PINCHER KIND OF, I, UM, AM LOOKING FOR SAVINGS IN THE SMALLEST LITTLE PLACES THAT I COULD FIND.
SO THAT WAS ONE OF THEM THAT WE DID.
UM, WE STOOD BY AND WE STARTED BUYING IN BULK.
THAT HELPED A LOT OF SAVINGS IN THE OFFICE.
UM, SHUTTING DOWN AT 4 45 WAS A BIG SAVINGS.
UM, SO I THINK WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
WE'VE, WE'VE DONE VERY WELL ON OUR BUDGET.
OKAY, FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, BECAUSE WE DID TELL YOU THAT WE WOULD DO THIS FROM SIX 30 TO EIGHT, WE HAD SOME OTHER INFORMATION THAT WE WERE GONNA PRESENT THIS EVENING, BUT WE ARE DOING TOWN HALLS EACH QUARTER.
UM, SO WE CAN DEFINITELY SAVE SOME OF THAT INFORMATION, UM, AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT NEXT TIME BECAUSE I KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU CAME AND YOU HAVE QUESTION AND ANSWERS, UM, THAT YOU WOULD LIKE.
SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE YOU SOME TIME TO SPEAK THIS EVENING AND TO BRING UP ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
UM, AND SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I GIVE YOU TIME FOR THAT.
AND THEN I DON'T KNOW IF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE EXTRA THINGS THAT THEY WANT TO ADD AS WELL.
UM, AND SO I THINK WE'RE GONNA OPEN IT UP, UM, TO THE AUDIENCE.
IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR ANSWERS, LIKE I SAID, WE, WE HAVE SOME OTHER STUFF THAT WE CAN TALK TO YOU ABOUT.
I DO WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO OUT TO OUR WEBSITE, UM, WWW.SEWARDCOUNTYKS.ORG.
THERE ARE DEPARTMENTS, ELECTION IS ONE OF THOSE.
AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ELECTIONS GOING ON THIS YEAR.
WE WILL HAVE A, UM, AN ELECTION IN AUGUST AND ANOTHER ELECTION IN NOVEMBER.
UM, STACIA AND HER STAFF DO AN EXCELLENT JOB OF PUTTING THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE.
DEADLINES, UM, KNOWING WHEN YOU NEED TO GET YOUR REGISTRATIONS IN, IF YOU NEED AN ADVANCE BALLOT, IF YOU HAVE SOMEBODY THAT NEEDS AS ASSISTANCE, THERE'S SOME GREAT INFORMATION OUT THERE ON OUR WEBSITE.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU GO OUT OUT THERE.
ALSO REAL QUICK, UM, IF I GO OUT TO OUR, OKAY, SO ALSO THIS, THIS IS OUR WEBSITE AND SO IF YOU GO OUT HERE, YOU'LL SEE THIS NOTIFY ME.
UM, THE CITY ALSO HAS THIS, WE BOTH USE CIVIC PLUS FOR OUR WEBSITES.
IF YOU, YOU GO OUT AND YOU CLICK ON THIS, NOTIFY ME.
IT GIVES YOU THE OPTIONS OF PUTTING IN YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS AND THEN ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT THINGS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE ALERTED ABOUT EVERYTHING UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY GO THROUGH AND SELECT IF YOU WANNA BE ALERTED FOR BID POSTINGS, IF YOU WANNA BE ALERTED FOR ELECTION STUFF, IF YOU WANNA SEE THE CAL COUNTY CALENDAR OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON.
UM, JUST, YOU CAN SEE ALL OF, ALL OF THIS INFORMATION OUT THERE.
YOU CAN CLICK ON ALL OF IT, OR YOU CAN CLICK WHAT YOU WOULD, UM, LIKE TO BE NOTIFIED ABOUT.
IT'S JUST ANOTHER WAY FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO STAY INFORMED ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COUNTY.
UM, I DID WANNA SHOW YOU REAL QUICK THE ELECTION SITE SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE OVER HERE, SHE HAS 2024 ELECTION INFORMATION.
UM, IT GIVES YOU THE DATES HERE.
IT ALSO TELLS YOU, UM, LIKE ALL OF HERE, UM, THE DATES TO REGISTER TO VOTE WHEN EARLY VOTING'S GONNA COME UP.
IT ALSO TELLS YOU ABOUT THE CANDIDATES THAT HAVE FILED.
IT ALSO TELLS YOU ABOUT THE DIFFERENT, UM, OFFICES THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE OPENED RIGHT NOW AND THAT YOU CAN FILE BY JUNE 3RD.
WE HAVE SOMEBODY WITH US IN THE AUDIENCE TONIGHT THAT'S RUNNING FOR OFFICE.
SO, UM, SO YOU CAN SEE, UH, SHERIFF WARD HAS REFILED, COMMISSIONER, WETTSTEIN REFILED.
WE HAVE LENA AND JILL WHO HAVE BOTH FILED FOR COUNTY TREASURER AS WELL.
SO ALL OF THAT INFORMATION IS OUT THERE.
IT'S A REGISTERED REGISTER DEEDS.
[01:25:01]
YEAH.SO ANYWAY, I'M, I'M TRYING TO HURRY.
SO ALL OF THAT INFORMATION IS OUT THERE.
I JUST WANTED YOU TO BE AWARE OF THAT.
AND SO NOW WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE AUDIENCE IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT YOU WANTED TO ASK TONIGHT.
ANY TALK ABOUT ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT? OH, NO.
ANYTHING, ANY, THIS HAS OPENED UP ANYTHING THAT YOU WANNA DISCUSS WITH THE COMMISSIONERS.
UM, ANYTHING THAT YOU WANNA BRING UP? YES.
I KNOW SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW ME.
MY NAME IS TONY LAY AND, UH, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS CONCERN ABOUT THIS.
THERE'S QUITE A FEW OF US HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT THIS.
THIS IS ABOUT OUR ROAD CONDITIONS.
UM, WHEN IT RAINS OR SNOWS OUT, UH, OUT, OUT AT THE COUNTY THIS YEAR, WE'VE GOT ABUNDANT AMOUNT OF RAIN THIS YEAR.
WE HAVE LOTS OF RUTS AND ROUGH ROADS.
SOMETIMES WE'RE UNABLE TO, UH, DRIVE ON THEM OR EVEN MEET SOMEBODY ON THEM.
THERE'S A LOT OF TIMES WE EVEN GET STUCK ON THEM.
THE LAST TIME THE COUNTY CAME OUT AND HELPED ME OUT WAS JULY 6TH.
MY HUSBAND HAD A MAJOR WRECK IN COLORADO AND HE CAME HOME, UH, AS AN INVALID.
HE STILL HAS A LOT OF ISSUES, BUT WE WEREN'T NEED TO GET OUR ROAD FIXED BECAUSE ALL, ALL THE RAIN, SO I COULD GET HIM DOWN THE ROAD.
THERE WAS A COUPLE WEEKS I COULDN'T EVEN GET DOWN THE ROAD IN FOUR OH DRIVE.
I HAD TO WALK FROM THE CORNER TO A QUARTER MILE INTO MY HOUSE THROUGH THE MUD.
SOME OF THE MUD WOULD COME UP TO MY KNEES AND THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD DRIVE DOWN IT.
I KNOW THERE ARE SEVEN DIFFERENT ROADS IN THE COUNTY THAT, UH, HAVE CONTACTED ME ABOUT THE CONDITIONS OF THE ROADS.
ONE NIGHT, THE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR LADY, THIS IS THE LAST TIME IT RAINED, IT WAS 10 30 AT NIGHT, AND SHE WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD.
IT WAS 20 DEGREES OUTSIDE, IT'S 10 30 AT NIGHT, AND IT WAS DARK.
SHE HAD TO WALK HOME IN THE MUD.
AND UH, SHE'S LIKE MAYBE 24, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S, THAT'S NOT TO ME IT'S NOT SUITABLE.
AND I KNOW A LOT OF TIMES WE COULDN'T GET DOWN THE ROADS.
THERE WAS NO WAY ANY EMT FIRE DEPARTMENT OR ANYBODY ELSE COULD GET DOWN THE ROAD.
UH, MY HUSBAND ALSO HAS A HEART CONDITION, UM, AND THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE ON THE OTHER ROADS THAT PROBABLY HAVE THESE CONDITIONS TOO.
AND THERE WAS NO WAY, IF HE WOULD'VE HAD A HEART ATTACK, ANYBODY COULD GOT DOWN MY ROAD.
AND ALL WE'RE ASKING ON THESE ROADS, WE DON'T WANT A PAVED ROAD.
WE JUST WANT IT BLADED WHEN IT RAINS OR SNOWS.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO GET UP AND DOWN THEM.
MY ROAD, LIKE I SAID, HASN'T BEEN TOUCHED SINCE THE 6TH OF JULY.
THERE WAS A FARMER THAT HEARD ABOUT THIS AND HE CAME AND BLADED MY ROAD THE OTHER DAY, USED A BOX BLADE ON IT, AND IT'S, IT'S DRIVABLE, BUT, UH, I THINK THIS IS AN ISSUE FOR THE COUNTY TO REALLY THINK ABOUT.
AND THAT'S ALL ANY OF THE SEVEN ROADS PEOPLE WANT IS TO BE ABLE JUST TO GET DOWN THEM.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO COST A LOT OF MONEY.
TAKE THE, UH, ROAD GRADER DOWN THEM.
UM, I WANNA ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT.
UM, I AM FAMILIAR, UM, WITH TONY'S CONCERNS AND I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN IT.
WHAT WE HAVE IN THE COUNTY IS A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE PLANNING AND ZONING REGULATIONS.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE PLANNING AND ZONING BECAUSE WHEN DEVELOPERS GO TO PUT IN HOUSING SUBDIVISIONS, PART OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING IS THAT THEY HAVE TO PUT IN, THEY HAVE TO PLA THOSE SUBDIVISIONS.
AND THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO, ACCORDING TO THAT PLAT AND THAT SURVEY, PUT IN PROPER ROADS.
WE HAVE SEVERAL SUBDIVISIONS IN THE COUNTY WHERE DEVELOPERS DID NOT DO THAT, AND THEY SOLD OFF LOTS.
AND A LOT OF TIMES THEY SELL THESE LOTS TO PEOPLE AND THEY DON'T TELL THEM THAT THEY NEED TO COME TO PLANNING AND ZONING.
[01:30:01]
FRUSTRATED BY THE TIME THEY GET TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING BECAUSE THEY'VE BUILT OUT THERE, THEY DIDN'T KNOW THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO COME IN AND GET PERMITS.THEY DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THEY PURCHASED PROPERTY IN THESE SUBDIVISIONS THAT NEVER HAD PROPER ROADWAYS PUT IN IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION.
AND WE KNOW IT'S A CONCERN, AND I'M GONNA LET THE COMMISSIONER SPEAK TO IT A LITTLE BIT TOO, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE A WORK SESSION ABOUT THIS.
THEY'VE INVOLVED PLANNING AND ZONING, THEY'VE INVOLVED LEGAL COUNSEL.
UM, BECAUSE MS. LAY'S SUBDIVISION IS NOT THE ONLY SUBDIVISION IN WHICH WE'RE HAVING ISSUES WITH IN THIS PARTICULAR SUBDIVISION, OUR FORMER RODIN BRIDGE DIRECTOR WENT OUT AND LOOKED AT IT.
THE PROBLEM IS, IS BECAUSE ROADS WERE NEVER PUT IN AND PEOPLE BUILT OUT THERE WHERE SHE'S TALKING ABOUT, THERE'S BASICALLY A BIG LAKE AREA AS YOU'RE ENTERING INTO THAT SUBDIVISION.
IF WE GO IN THERE AND TRY TO PUT IN ROADS, UM, IT'S GONNA CAUSE DRAINAGE ISSUES INTO PEOPLE'S HOMES.
SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE HAVE ALSO BUILT IN THE RIGHT OF WAYS.
UM, THEY HAVE FENCES, THEY HAVE BUILDINGS THAT THEY'VE PUT WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE TO PROPERLY BUILD A COUNTY ROAD.
AND SO UNFORTUNATELY IT'S TURNED INTO A MUCH BIGGER ISSUE THAN JUST, UM, IN SOME INSTANCES THEY'RE NOT EVEN TRULY, REALLY, THEY'RE NOT COUNTY ROADS.
UM, I AGREE THAT IT'S AN ISSUE.
I THINK OUR COMMISSIONERS KNOW IT'S AN ISSUE, BUT IT'S HOW DO WE GO ABOUT SOLVING THESE ISSUES FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS.
UM, LIKE I SAID, NOT NECESSARILY THEIR FAULT THEY BOUGHT FROM A DEVELOPER.
UM, THERE ARE REGULATIONS IN PLACE TO HELP WITH THIS, BUT THEY DIDN'T NECESSARILY KNOW WHAT THOSE REGULATIONS ARE.
UM, I I DON'T HAVE ANY EXCUSES FOR THE DEVELOPERS, UM, DOING THAT.
UM, AND I'M, I'M GONNA FORWARD THAT ON TO THE, UM, COMMISSIONERS.
BUT TONY, I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE TALKED TO LEGAL COUNSEL.
WE HAVE TALKED TO SOME OF THESE DEVELOPERS.
THE COMMISSIONERS KNOW THAT IT'S AN ISSUE.
UM, WE DID LOOK AT A ROAD SEVERAL YEARS AGO, BACK IN 2007, AND THE COMMISSIONERS WERE GONNA HELP.
THE COMMISSIONERS WERE GONNA TRY TO HELP THESE PARTICULAR INDIVIDUALS THAT LIVED IN THE SUBDIVISION.
UM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY TO DO THAT, YOU HAVE TO ASSESS TAXES BACK TO THESE INDIVIDUALS FOR THE COUNTY TO GO IN AND PUT PROPER ROADS AND EVERYTHING.
AND WELL, THE PROBLEM WAS, IS A LOT OF THE OWNERS IN THAT SUBDIVISION HAD NOT EVEN PAID THEIR TAXES.
SOME OF THEM WERE IN THE TAX CELL THAT MARY, UM, DESCRIBED TO YOU TONIGHT AFTER THEIR THREE YEARS DELINQUENT AND THEN THEY GO INTO A TAX CELL.
WELL, IF SOMEBODY IS IN A TAX CELL, YOU REALLY CAN'T ASSESS ADDITIONAL TAXES ONTO THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT EVEN ABLE TO PAY WHAT THEY CURRENTLY OWE.
UM, AND SO I THINK WITH ANY, UM, COUNTY GOVERNMENT, WE KNOW THAT, UM, THERE'S REGULATIONS AND STUFF IN PLACE.
IT'S NOT ALWAYS A PERFECT SYSTEM.
AND WE HAVE SOME ISSUES AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GONNA WORK THROUGH THOSE ISSUES WITH THOSE HOMEOWNERS, WITH THOSE DEVELOPERS, AND WITH THE COMMISSION.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WITH ROAD AND BRIDGE, UM, IN ROAD AND BRIDGE'S DEFENSE, UM, THEY, IT'S NOT THAT THEY DON'T WANNA BE GOOD NEIGHBORS, AND IT'S NOT THAT THEY DON'T WANNA HELP PEOPLE.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME LIABILITY IN THAT AS WELL WHEN IT'S NOT AN ACTUAL COUNTY ROAD.
AND THEN IF WE CAUSE, UM, EVEN GREATER ISSUES, AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER NOW TO THE COMMISSIONERS, IF THEY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE THAT THEY WANNA ADD THAT THEY FEEL LIKE I DIDN'T COVER IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, I WANTED TO SAY THAT I, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE AND LOOKING AT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR QUESTION AND YOUR CONCERN.
AND IT IS OUR CONCERN AS WELL, UM, IN REFERENCE TO A LOW MAINTENANCE ROAD AND JUST TRACKING THE, THE CHALLENGE HERE IS TRACKING OWNERSHIP AND IF THE OWNER HAS LEFT IT TO A FAMILY AND DOING THAT A HUNDRED YEAR SEARCH TO SEE WHO ACTUALLY OWNS THIS PROPERTY, A LOT OF THE DEVELOPERS HAVE, HAVE GONE ON AND GONE OUTTA BUSINESS, MOVED OUTTA THE STATE.
AND SO THEY'RE KIND OF LEFT HOLDING BACK OR THEY'RE DECEASED IN SOME CASES AS WELL.
I NOT SAY THAT WHEN I WAS SAYING GOING ON, THAT'S WHAT I WAS MEANING.
I DIDN'T WANNA JUST BE THAT TOO MUCH.
BUT WE ARE, UM, WE HAVE ALL KIND OF DOCUMENTATION.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A WORK SESSION AND, AND THE GOAL IS TO HAVE A WORKABLE SOLUTION.
HOW DO WE FIND A WORKABLE SOLUTION TO SOMETHING THAT WAS INHERITED, YOU KNOW, FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS SOMEBODY NOT SOMEBODY ELSE'S FAULT.
AND YOU ARE PAYING COUNTY TAXES.
AND IF YOU BREAK THAT DOWN IN THAT AREA, I THINK AREA 33 OR AREA 30 AND THE AMOUNT OF TAXES THAT'S COMING COLLECTIVELY OVER THE YEARS, A LOT IS, BUT INDIVIDUALLY, IF YOU BREAK THAT DOWN, BUT WE STILL DON'T WANNA JUST CAST IT ASIDE,
[01:35:01]
BUT WE'VE GOTTA TRACK EVERYTHING.I SAW THE DOCUMENTATION, I READ EVERYTHING FROM 2007.
I WAS TRYING TO REMEMBER WHERE I WAS IN 2007, BUT A LOT HAS HAPPENED.
BUT SAYING ALL OF THAT, SOMETHING HAS TO HAPPEN.
AND WHAT IS THAT SOMETHING THAT ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS CAN AGREE UPON AND HAVE A WORK SESSION TO, TO FIND A RESOLUTION? MY CHALLENGE IS BECAUSE I WAS NOT A COMMISSIONER, THE NEW COMMISSIONERS WERE NOT HERE.
MY CHALLENGE IS IF YOU GIVE CANID TO A BABY AND THEN YOU TAKE IT AWAY, THEY WANT THAT CANDY BACK.
SO FROM MY READING AND RESEARCH, AT ONE POINT THE COUNTY DID GO DOWN, I GUESS AS A GOOD NEIGHBOR AND DO SOMETHING TO THE ROADS.
AND THEY WERE, WHOEVER WAS WORKING AT THAT TIME WAS TOLD NOT TO DO IT.
WELL, THE NEIGHBORS DON'T KNOW THAT.
SO THEY'RE THINKING, WELL, IF YOU DID IT ONCE BEFORE, WHY YOU WON'T DO IT AGAIN.
AND SO THIS IS THE CONUNDRUM THAT WE'RE IN.
I BELIEVE IT'S A WORKABLE SOLUTION.
WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I, I I MADE A PHONE CALL, UM, WHILE I WAS SITTING IN THE PRESENCE OF SOMEONE AND THE PERSON WASN'T THERE, I LEFT A MESSAGE.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S MY 2 CENTS.
AND DEVELOPERS HAVE TO DO IT RIGHT THOUGH.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT FAIR TO ALL THE OTHER TAXPAYERS OF SEWARD COUNTY TO PAY THE DEVELOPERS TO BUILD ROADS.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO BE DOING THAT.
IT'S THE DEVELOPER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO PUT THE ROADS IN CORRECTLY.
AND THAT'S WHERE IT NEEDS TO START.
YOU DON'T GO BUILD HOUSES IN LIBERAL KANSAS, THEN ASK THE CITY, HEY, COME AND PUT ME A ROAD IN, COME PUT ME A SEWER IN.
THEY GOTTA BE DONE RIGHT TO BEGIN WITH.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT IT WITH THE LEGAL.
SO JUST BUT IN, SORRY, SCOTT, IN IN DEFENSE OF THE OUR OF THE CITIZENS, THEY'RE NOT DEVELOPERS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE JUST EXCITED ABOUT THE LAW.
THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE HOUSE GOING UP.
IT IS THEN THE DEVELOPER'S RESPONSIBILITY YEP.
TO MAKE, THAT'S WHY PLANNING AND ZONING IS IMPORTANT, THAT THEY DON'T CIRCUMVENT PLANNING AND ZONING.
I DON'T CARE IF YOU OWN A HUNDRED ACRES, YOU STILL HAVE TO COME TO PLANNING AND ZONING IF YOU EXPECT THE COUNTY TO, UM, MAINTAIN YOUR ROADS SO THAT IT'S DONE PROPERLY.
AND SO WE DON'T WANNA PENALIZE ANYONE.
BUT AGAIN, THE CITIZENS ARE NOT DEVELOPERS UNLESS THAT'S THEIR BUSINESS.
THEY WON'T KNOW ALL OF THESE IMPORTANT THINGS.
THEY DON'T KNOW THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
THEY DON'T KNOW HOW ALL THIS IS GONNA AFFECT BEAUTIFUL HOME.
LIKE APRIL SAID, THERE'S SOME SOLUTIONS OUT THERE WITH TAX ASSESSMENTS.
WE CAN PUT ROADS IN, BUT IT'S GONNA BE A, YEAH, IT WOULD BE NO DIFFERENT THAN PUTTING A ROAD IN A LIBERAL FAR AS THE TAX ET BUT YOU HAVE TO GET THE MAJORITY OF THE PROPERTY ON.
BUT THIS SUBDIVISION IS JUST OVERWHELMING US IN THE COUNTY WITH PEOPLE SELLING AN ACRE TWO OR THREE OR FOUR OR FIVE OR 10, WHATEVER.
AND WE DON'T FIND OUT ABOUT IT TILL THEY COME IN AND SAY, WELL, WE BOUGHT GROUND FROM SOMEONE AND THEY SAID YOU WOULD PUT THE ROAD IN.
SO IT'S, IT CAN BE AN OVERWHELMING TASK.
WELL, WE ARE LOOKING AT IT, TONY.
I MEAN, WE'RE LOOKING AT IT WITH THE LEGAL AND TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
LIKE I SAID, I'M NOT ASKING FOR A ROAD JUST TO GET IT PLATED TO GET UP AND DOWN.
I MEAN, IF A FARMER CAN COME AND DO IT FOR ME, THEN THAT'S ALL WE'RE ASKING.
THAT IT, IT'S BLADED, YOU KNOW, I DON'T CARE ABOUT A ROAD BEING PUT IN.
I JUST WON'T BE ABLE TO GET UP AND DOWN IT.
HOW LONG HAS IT, HOW LONG HAS THAT ROAD BEEN LIKE THAT? I'VE BEEN THERE 17 YEARS AND IT HASN'T, IT'S BEEN, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD FOUR WHEEL DRIVE BEFORE MY HUSBAND HAD THAT WRECK.
SO LIKE I SAID, I HAVE A RECORD OF ALL THE RAIN WE'VE GOT THIS YEAR RIGHT HERE.
AND WE'VE GOT AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF RAIN THIS YEAR THAT WE, WE'VE NOT HAD.
AND UH, I THINK THAT WAS PART OF IT.
BUT WE JUST NEED IT BLADE ONCE IN A WHILE.
YOU KNOW, I ACT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT MARY JANE ROAD OR THE ONE OUT WEST? JANE, JANE ANN AND WHITE LAKE RIGHT AWAY.
THERE'S NOT EVEN A SIGN THERE NO MORE.
[01:40:01]
HAD LOOKED AT THAT ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO AND UM, PART OF THE, PART OF THE PROBLEM IS ON THE, ON THE REAL LOW SPOTS WHERE WATER JUST STANDS, THAT'S WHERE YOU RUN INTO THE PROBLEM.AND IF YOU DON'T, IF WE DON'T GO IN AND BUILD THE ROAD UP TO GET THE WATER TO GO SOMEWHERE, THERE IS REALLY NO WAY THAT WE'RE GONNA SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF, OF WATER STANDING IN THE, IN THE BIG LOW SPOTS.
10 YEARS AGO, I HAD ACTUALLY WENT OUT THERE AND LOOKED AT IT.
I THINK TONY AND RANDY AND I WENT OUT THERE AND I ACTUALLY FELT LIKE WE SHOULD HAVE JUST WENT IN AND TRIED PULLING IT UP, GET THE ROAD PULLED UP AND, AND START WORKING ON IT.
UM, I AM IN FAVOR OF DOING THAT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT'S MORE WORK ON A ROAD AND BRIDGE.
I UNDERSTAND THE TALK ABOUT THE DEVELOPER SHOULD HAVE DONE IT.
UH, BUT, BUT THE DEVELOPER DIDN'T DO IT.
AND UH, AND SO IT, IT IS A PROBLEM.
NOW THE OTHER OPTION, I MEAN, WE HAVE A LOT OF AREAS THAT ARE, ARE THIS WAY.
WE PROBABLY HAVE, WE PROBABLY HAVE 10 DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE THIS WAY.
AND, UH, EVEN OUT ON ANDREW LANE, THEY'VE DISCUSSED WITH ME, THEY'VE, THEY'VE DISCUSSED WITH ME, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, NOW THAT THEIR MAINTAINERS BURNT DOWN AND IN THE FIRE AND, AND YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE MORE PROBLEMS. UH, FIVE STAR DEVELOPMENT, WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.
UM, AND, AND I THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB OF REQUIRING OUR, THE PEOPLE WHO DEVELOP THESE LOTS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB OF SAYING, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO, BEFORE YOU REALLY SELL ANY LOTS OR BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING, WE REALLY NEED, YOU NEED TO BRING THE ROADS UP TO COUNTY SPECIFICATIONS SO THAT, SO THAT IT CAN BE HANDLED.
UH, THEN, AND, AND, AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, HINDSIGHT, HINDSIGHT'S IS FINE, BUT, BUT, AND, AND, BUT IT, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE, UH, MORE, UH, RETICENT ON REQUIRING DEVELOPERS TO GET THEIR ROADS UP INTO GOOD CONDI OR AT LEAST GET 'EM BUILT UP TO COUNTY STANDARDS BEFORE ANY HOUSES GO IN.
'CAUSE IF IT, WHEN IT STARTS GETTING BELIED OUT AND YOU GET EVERYTHING BELIED OUT AND WATER STANDS, THEN THAT JUST CREATES, YOU HAVE SCHOOL BUSES GOING THROUGH IT.
YOU HAVE PEOPLE GOING THROUGH IT.
YOU HAVE UPS TRUCKS GOING THROUGH IT, YOU KNOW, FEDEX GOING THROUGH.
AND EVERY TIME WHEN YOU HAVE WATER, IF, IF WATER'S STANDING THAT DEEP IN THE ROAD, EVERY TIME A VEHICLE GOES THROUGH, IT JUST SLOSHES MORE OUT.
AND IT MAKES, IT MAKES IT A DEEPER RUT.
AND, AND, AND DOES THE WHOLE THING.
THE ONLY WAY, THE ONLY WAY THAT THAT'S IS GOING TO GET SOLVED IS IF, IF, IF, I MEAN THE, THE EASIEST WAY TO DO IT IS IF YOU HAVE DI DIRT IN THE DITCHES, SAND IN THE DITCHES THAT YOU CAN PULL THE DITCHES UP AND PULL THE, PULL THE SAND AND UP TO THE, YOU KNOW, UP, UP.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IN SOME SPOTS, IN SOME SPOTS, IF IT, IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH IN THE DITCHES TO GET YOUR ROAD BUILT UP, THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAUL, A PERSON'S GONNA HAVE TO HAUL DIRT IN.
SO I THINK IT, IT IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE HAVE, UH, BROUGHT UP.
I THINK WE ARE GOING TO REALLY HAVE TO LOOK AT IT STRONGLY.
YOU KNOW, WE MAY HAVE TO, UH, JUST BITE THE BULLET AND SAY, YOU KNOW, YES, THE DEVELOPER SHOULD HAVE DONE IT.
UH, THE ONLY OTHER WAY TO DO IT IS IF EACH PERSON, UM, AND, AND I CHECKED ON A BID TO, TO PULL UP, UH, TO PULL UP A LITTLE OVER A QUARTER OF A MILE OF ROAD AND IS GONNA RUN AROUND $16,000.
SO THE ONLY, THE ONLY OTHER OPTION IS IF, IF THE, THE LANDOWNERS WOULD WANT TO, UH, PAY THEIR AMOUNT, CERTAIN AMOUNT AND THEN GET IT PULLED UP.
BUT AS, AS WE KNOW, THE ECONOMY IS REALLY TOUGH RIGHT NOW.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE MAY HAVE TO, WE MAY JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT BITING THE BULLET AND START WORKING ON IT.
YES, WE DO HAVE A PROBLEM LIKE ON DAN NOON ROAD, UH, WHERE WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT IT 10 YEARS AGO, THAT IF WE PULLED THE ROADS UP
[01:45:01]
AND, AND DIVERTED THE WATER SOMEPLACE ELSE, THAT, THAT WE MAY FLOOD SOMEONE OUT.AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT.
BUT, UH, WE ARE GOING TO ADDRESS IT.
UH, IT'S, WE'RE, WE'RE, IT'S ON OUR WORKSTATION TO ADDRESS THIS.
I THINK IT IS SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT.
UM, WE MAY HAVE AND, AND PROBABLY JUST HAVE TO BITE THE BULLET AND JUST SEE WHAT WE CAN GET DONE.
BECAUSE I UNDER, I UNDERSTAND, UH, IT'S NOT, I'M NOT, I'M NOT GONNA BLAME ANY OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS THAT, THAT IT HAPPENED, BUT IT'S HAPPENED.
AND SO WE MAY, WE MAY JUST HAVE TO WORK ON IT, LOOK AT IT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN GET DONE.
SO THE HOUSES THAT ARE GONNA GO UP FOR SALE, MC THE COUNTY, POTENTIALLY BUY THEM BACK, JUST TEAR 'EM ALL DOWN.
THE ONES THAT ARE DIDN'T PAY THE TAXES.
BASICALLY WHAT THE OPTION THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO IS IF WE GO IN, IF WE GO IN AND IF THE COUNTY WOULD DO THE, DO THE DIRT WORK, PULL 'EM UP, WE COULD ASSESS, WE COULD ASSESS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY EQUALLY TO ALL OF THE LANDOWNERS AND IT WOULD JUST GO UNDER THEIR TAXES.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN THEN? WHAT WOULD HAPPEN THEN IF SOMEONE DIDN'T PAY THEIR TAXES? THEN WHEN IT CAME AROUND FINALLY TO THE TAX SALE AND, AND ESPECIALLY THE, THE ONES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE ON, ON, UH, GREEN, GREEN GREENLEAF, GREEN HILL.
GREEN HILL GREEN, GREEN HILL, GREEN HILL, THE ONES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE ON GREENHILL ACTUALLY ON THOSE, WE PROBABLY, IF WE WOULD'VE PULLED THEM UP AND ASSESSED IT TO THE LANDOWNERS, THEN IF THEY, IF THE LANDOWNERS DIDN'T PAY, IT WOULD JUST BE A TAX ASSESSMENT AGAINST THEM.
AND THEN IF THEY DIDN'T PAY THE TAXES, THEN THEY WOULD PROBABLY JUST GO INTO A, A TAX SALE.
AND YOU KNOW, A PERSON DOESN'T LIKE DOING THAT.
A PERSON DOESN'T LIKE DOING THAT.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE HAVE A PROBLEM.
WE HAVE A PROBLEM ON ANDREW LANE AND, AND I'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR 10 YEARS AND THEY'VE GOT A WATER PROBLEM OUT THERE WHERE, UH, THEY'VE GOT A COUPLE OF OWNERS OUT THERE ON ANDREW LANE THAT THEY DON'T HAVE SHUTOFF VALVES FOR THEIR WATER.
THEY DON'T HAVE SHUTOFF VALVES FOR THEIR WATER BEATERS.
SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF, ONE LANDOWNER OWES ABOUT $18,000 AND ONE OWNS ABOUT 12,000 AND THEY CAN'T SHUT THE WATER OFF 'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S A COMMUNITY.
WELL, AND, AND THEY HAVE NO SHUTOFF.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I TOLD 'EM 10 YEARS AGO, I SAID, YOU KNOW, GUYS, WE NEED TO WORK A DEAL THAT WE CAN PUT A VALVE ON EACH HOUSE, AND IF THEY DON'T PAY THEIR WATER BILL SHUT IT OFF UNTIL THEY PAY IT.
AND, BUT THEY, THEY HAVEN'T DONE IT.
AND THEN THEY, FIVE YEARS LATER, I TOLD THEM, AND THEN THE WATER, WELL QUIT ON THEM, UH, THIS, THIS SPRING AND THEY WENT ABOUT A WEEK WITHOUT ANY WATER.
BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE, THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX THE WATER.
WELL, BECAUSE OF THE, OF THE PROCEEDS.
SO, UH, SOME OF THIS STUFF, SOME OF THIS STUFF IS SELF-INFLICTED.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE SHOULDN'T TRY TO DO SOMETHING.
I'M NOT REALLY, I'M NOT SAYING THAT THE ROAD SITUATION OUT ON, ON WIDE AWAKE LANE IS SELF-INFLICTED, BUT THERE'S SOMETIMES, THERE'S SOMETIMES THINGS ARE SELF-INFLICTED AND, UH, WE, WE TRY TO WORK TO GET THING, GET 'EM TO DO, DO THINGS AND THEN IT, IT DOESN'T GET ACCOMPLISHED EITHER.
SO, BUT IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS JUST DRAGGING UP THE SAND OUT OF THE DITCH.
NO, YOU NEED A DRAINAGE STUDY AND THAT AS PER P AND Z, THERE'S ALSO REGULATIONS.
YOU GOTTA HAVE GRAVEL ROAD HAS TO HAVE A GRAVEL BASE HAS TO BE SO WIDE.
AND YOU SAID STRUCTURES HAVE BEEN BUILT ON THE RIGHT WAY.
I MEAN IT'S, IF YOU, IF YOU DO HAVE GRAVEL IN THE, IN THE DITCHES THOUGH, YOU CAN PULL SOME OF IT UP AND THAT WOULD ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE PROBLEM.
DID YOU LOOK AT THE P AND Z SPECS PER COUNTY ROAD? I KNOW THE DEVELOPER PUTTING IT IN HAS TO BE A GRAVEL BASE.
SO COMMISSIONERS, UM, I, THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT HAS COME TO MY OFFICE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS IN THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS, IS THE RESIDENTS OF SEWARD COUNTY HAVE COME TO MY OFFICE BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN FELT LIKE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN HEARD.
THEIR MATTER IS A WET HEN BECAUSE, UM, THE ROADS ARE PAYING TAXES ON THEIR ROADS.
THEY'VE BEEN PAYING TAXES, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN MAINTAINED OR THEY HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED, UM, AS LOW MAINTENANCE ROADS.
AND THEN THEY'RE TOLD THAT THEY'RE NOT COUNTY ROADS.
[01:50:01]
RESEARCH, UM, I THINK PERSONALLY, I'M GONNA THROW THIS OUT THERE IS THE EMOTIONS HAVE BEEN SAID AND ALSO, UM, HEARSAY HAS BEEN, AND I THINK THAT AS A COMMISSION YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THE TAXING STRUCTURE, THE SURVEYS, AND YOU ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT THE STATUTES AND WHAT THEY SAY, AND THAT'S WHAT IT NEEDS TO GO OFF OF BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY HAVE A LEGIT CRY.UM, I'VE HEARD THEIR STORIES AND I'VE HEARD THEM COME INTO THE OFFICE.
AND EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE KNOCKING THAT MAYBE THAT THEY'RE TRAILER HOUSES OR THEY HAVEN'T PAID THEIR TAXES, THEY'RE STILL CITIZENS OF SEWARD COUNTY AND THEY'RE MAKING, THEY'RE PAYING WAGES HERE.
SO I THINK IN MY OFFICE WE'VE HEARD THAT THEY HAVEN'T HEARD, BEEN HEARD.
WE HAVE NOT MADE ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HOUSE.
NO, BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT I THINK THAT BETWEEN REAL ESTATE AND PERSONAL PROPERTY, I PULLED THAT REPORT AND I HAVE, UM, GIVEN IT TO APPROPRIATE PEOPLE THAT THEY HAVE A LEGIT CRY.
OH, OH, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION ALWAYS TO DETAIL, BUT WE DON'T DIS DISPARAGE ANYONE HOW, UH, I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE A 10 STORY MANSION.
IT'S NOT A HOME UNTIL YOU MAKE IT A HOME.
SO WHETHER THAT'S A TINY HOUSE, WHETHER THAT'S A MOBILE HOME, IT IS A HOME.
AND SO I DID SIT DOWN AND LOOK AT THE DOCUMENTS THAT YOU PROVIDED, AND I ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE CONCERNED CITIZEN.
AND, UH, WE ARE HERE TO FIND A WORKABLE SOLUTION, NOT TO CAST OUT OR PUT BLAME ON ANYONE.
WE'RE ABOUT TRYING TO FIND SOLUTIONS THAT'S WORKABLE.
AND AS YOU, UM, CITED THE, THE STATUES, AND IT IS THE COUNTY'S RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE CARE OF THE ROADS THAT'S BEEN DESIGNATED AS A ROAD.
AND WHEN YOU GO BACK TO FOUL AND DOCUMENTATION 2007 AND THE ROAD, ESPECIALLY GREEN HILL ROAD, UM, ALLUDED TO THAT ROAD AT ONE TIME, THE COUNTY DID SERVICE THAT ROAD AND THEN IT WAS STOPPED.
AND SO WE GOTTA FIND OUT WHY IT WAS STOPPED.
AND SO, BUT WE NEED TIME TO DO THAT.
AND I, I, I'M, I'M ALL ABOUT FACTS.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE TABLE.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET TO A, A RESOLUTION THAT'S A WORKABLE RESOLUTION.
UM, WHERE THE CITIZENS ARE NOT PAYING DOUBLE TAXES.
UM, THE, THE STAY IN THAT AREA, THEN THEY HAVE TO PAY TAXES ON THE DIRT THAT THEY MAY HAVE TO BRING IN AND BUILD UP THIS ROAD OR WHATEVER THE CASE MIGHT BE.
AND SO I BELIEVE IT'S A WORKABLE SOLUTION.
WE JUST NEED ALL OF THE FACTS AND ALL OF OUR HEADS COMING TOGETHER TO FIND OUT WHAT'S THE BEST SOLUTION.
SO THE, THE PROPERTY TAXES THEY'RE PAID GO TO PAY FOR ROAD SERVICE ON, UM, COUNTY ROADS.
THE ROADS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE PRIVATELY OWNED PROPERTY AND ARE ARMED COUNTY ROADS, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
SAME WAY WITH THE WATER SYSTEM THAT CJ WAS REFERRING TO, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY A PRIVATE BUSINESS.
UM, WE HAVE ENOUGH PROBLEMS WITH THIRD COUNTY, LET ALONE TAKING ON PRIVATE BUSINESSES THAT CAN'T MAKE IT.
SO STEVE, THE CHALLENGE IS THE ROAD IN QUESTION.
AT ONE TIME, THE COUNTY DID SERVICE THAT ROAD.
IS IT A COUNTY ROAD? IT IS NOT A COUNTY ROAD.
THEY MAY HAVE SERVICED IT, BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A VALID MAINTAIN THOSE, UH, LOW MAINTENANCE ROADS.
I THINK WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND TOO IS THAT THE COUNTY HAS TO UPFRONT ANYTHING THAT WE DO.
SO WHILE YOU CAN ASSESS THOSE TAXES BACK TO PEOPLE, UM, THE REST OF THE CITIZENS HAVE TO KNOW THAT THE COUNTY HAS TO UPFRONT THAT MONEY.
AND THEN IF IT'S NOT PAID, THEN WE WERE OUT THAT MONEY AND ALL OF THE TAXPAYERS HAVE PAID THAT MONEY.
AND I JUST BROUGHT UP THIS SLIDE BECAUSE THIS WAS SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE WERE GONNA TALK ABOUT TONIGHT, BUT OFTENTIMES IN THIS ARGUMENT I'VE HEARD, WELL, THEY'RE PAYING TAXES.
UM, I HOPE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT TAXES AREN'T JUST FOR ROAD AND BRIDGE AHEAD.
UM, THERE'S A NUMBER OF ITEMS LISTED THERE.
YOUR EMS, YOUR SHERIFF, YOUR FIRE COMMUNICATIONS, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UM, ELECTION SERVICES, DISTRICT COURT SERVICES, I MEAN YOUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
THERE'S A LOT OF TAXES THAT ARE COLLECTED AND THEREFORE MANY REASONS NOT JUST ROAD AND BRIDGES.
YES, ROAD AND BRIDGES IS SOMETHING AS WELL, BUT AGAIN, UM, THOSE ARE NOT COUNTY ROADS.
AND JUST BECAUSE THERE'S A SECTION LINE DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN THAT IT'S A COUNTY ROAD EITHER.
I HAVE BEEN QUESTIONED IF WE WERE ASSIGNED AN ADDRESS, IT MADE IT A COUNTY ROAD.
[01:55:01]
YOUR ADDRESS DID NOT MAKE IT A COUNTY ROAD.UM, JUST BECAUSE A SCHOOL BUS GOES DOWN THAT ROAD DOES NOT MAKE IT A COUNTY ROAD.
THERE'S SCHOOL BUSES THAT WILL GO UP, PERSONAL LANES TO GET PEOPLE'S KIDS AS LONG AS THEY CAN GET TURNED AROUND.
I LIVED IN USD 4 83 AND THEY WOULD NOT PICK UP MY KIDS.
I HAD TO TAKE THEM TO A FEED YARD, UM, TO GET ON THE SCHOOL BUS.
IF, IF IT WASN'T WHERE THEY COULD GET TURNED AROUND.
MY, UH, BROTHER-IN-LAW HAD TO MAKE A TURNAROUND FOR THE BUS IF THE BUS WANTED TO COME AND PICK UP HIS CHILD.
AND SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS DON'T JUST MAKE IT A COUNTY ROAD.
UM, PART OF, AND NOT NECESSARILY AT WIDE AWAKE LANE.
BUT ANOTHER ISSUE THAT WE'VE HAD IS SOME OF THESE DEVELOPERS SOLD THESE LOTS AND CARRIED THE NOTE FOR PEOPLE.
SO THEY WERE PAYING THE DEVELOPER DIRECTLY FOR THIS LOT.
WELL, GUESS WHAT? NO DEED EVER EXCHANGED HANDS.
NOTHING WAS EVER FILED IN THE REGISTER OF DEED'S OFFICE.
WE DON'T SHOW WHERE THAT PERSON EVER EVEN OWNS THAT LOT AT THAT POINT.
UM, AND THEY WANT THE COUNTY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
AND UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S A LEGAL ISSUE THAT THE COUNTY CAN DO NOTHING ABOUT.
AND I FEEL TERRIBLE FOR THOSE PEOPLE.
THEY PAID SOMEBODY FOR A LOT, THEY PAID THAT MONEY.
UM, THEY WEREN'T EDUCATED ENOUGH TO KNOW WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO TO FILE THE PROPER PAPERWORK.
UM, SOME OF THOSE THAT CJ IS REFERRING TO THAT ARE OUT ON ANDREW LANE AND THIS WHOLE WATER ISSUE, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS A LOT OUT THERE.
UM, SO WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THE PROPER OWNERSHIP RECORDS.
AND THEN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TAXES AREN'T BEING PAID AND THEY'RE DELINQUENT, IT'S BECAUSE THOSE WHO WE ARE STILL SHOWING AS THE OWNER OF THAT PROPERTY DIDN'T PAY THE TAXES AND THEY GOT THEIR MONEY FROM THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING THERE NOW.
AND THEN IT'S UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE THEN IT GOES TO A ATTACK CELL AND THOSE PEOPLE ARE OUT.
SO THIS IS CALLED A PRIVATE ROAD THAT I'M ON AND IF I HAVE PICTURES FOR THE WHOLE YEAR, WHAT THE ROAD LOOKS LIKE? MM-HMM.
AND IF SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN TO ANYBODY DOWN THAT ROAD EMERGENCY WISE AND A MEDICAL UNIT COULD NOT GET DOWN IT, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN SUCH TO SEWARD COUNTY? I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE A LEGAL COUNSEL QUESTION, BUT AGAIN, IF IT'S NOT A COUNTY ROAD AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES COULDN'T GET THERE, I MEAN, THEY'RE GONNA DO THEIR VERY BEST TO GET THERE.
UM, AND I'VE HAD A COUPLE OF THESE PEOPLE, NOT NOT IN YOUR AREA, BUT ON SOME OF THE OTHER ROADS THAT CAME AND SAID, WELL, SO AND SO HAD A HEART ATTACK AND EMS COULDN'T GET THERE, AND SO THEREFORE THIS PERSON IS DECEASED.
WELL, I'VE VERIFIED THAT WITH EMS AND TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED.
UM, WE ALSO KNOW THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE THAT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION ABOUT A GUNSHOT VICTIM, UM, THAT, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT COULDN'T GET THERE.
I SPECIFICALLY TALKED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THEY ASSURED ME THAT THEY DROVE DIRECTLY TO THE SCENE OF THAT INCIDENT AND THEY WERE THERE, THERE, IT WAS NOT TRUTHFUL THAT THEY HAD TO WALK IN AND THAT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO RESPOND.
SO A I MEAN, MOST OF THE TIMES YOUR EMERGENCY PERSONNEL ARE GONNA DO EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER, UM, TO GET TO YOU.
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO ANSWER THAT OTHER THAN IF YOU'RE ASKING WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IT IS.
AND WOULD WE BE LIABLE IF THEY COULDN'T GET TO YOU UP YOUR PRIVATE DRIVE? I, I MEAN, THAT'S GONNA GO TO LEGAL COUNSEL.
I'M, I CAN'T REALLY ANSWER THAT.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO TACKLE THAT QUESTION.
THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE SETTLED IN THE COURTS.
BUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO ANSWER HER QUESTION IS DO SEEK LEGAL COUNSEL WHEN, UH, NATHAN COMES BACK TO GIVE US A GOOD ANSWER.
SO WE'LL HAVE A RESPONSE FOR HER AND ABSOLUTELY.
AND OUR LEGAL COUNSEL HAS DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THIS, AND HE'S READY TO HAVE A WORK SESSION WHEN WE'RE READY TO SET THAT DATE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE? YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN GREAT.
AND IT'S EXCITING TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE WATCHING US BECAUSE I WAS TOLD WHEN THEY COULDN'T HEAR AND WHEN THEY FELT LIKE
[02:00:01]
THE BATTERIES WERE DEAD ON THE MICROPHONE.SO I KNOW PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE WATCHING.
UH, YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT THE WORK SESSION AND DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER, BUT WOULD YOU MIND, UH, ALSO DISCUSSING THE BLACKTOP, THE SATANA CUTOFF? AND IT'S NOT A LIFE-THREATENING ISSUE LIKE YOUR STORY IS, AND SO I FEEL LIKE I'M KIND OF PETTY EVEN ASKING IT, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO, TO HAVE YOU AT LEAST ADDRESS IT AND MAYBE A TIMELINE OR, OR SOMETHING ON THAT.
SO IF YOU WOULD JUST INCLUDE THAT IN YOUR WORK SESSION.
THERE'S A FEW OF US IN THE NORTH PART OF THE COUNTY THAT WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
SO THAT HAS ACTUALLY BEEN ADDRESSED AND WE'VE PUT IN AN ACTUAL GRANT APPLICATION FOR WHAT WE CALL HIGH RISK RURAL ROAD.
UM, AND WE'RE WAITING TO SEE IF WE'RE AWARDED THAT FUNDING FIRST TO PROPERLY ADDRESS THAT.
WE'VE GOTTA REDO THE CULVERT SYSTEM THERE AND EXPAND THE CONCRETE CULVERTS, UM, THAT NEED TO GO IN THERE.
AND THEN TO PROPERLY ADDRESS, UM, THE ASPHALT.
SO WE DO HAVE A 10 YEAR PLAN AND THAT SECTION OF ROAD IS IN THAT 10 YEAR PLAN TO BE RE ASPHALTED.
UM, WE'VE ALSO ADDRESSED MOST RECENTLY OUR NOXIOUS WEED DIRECTORS HERE THIS EVENING, AS WELL AS OUR ROAD AND BRIDGE DIRECTOR.
UM, WE HAVE SPRAYED THE GROUND TO ELIMINATE WEED CONTROL, BUT WE'VE NOTICED THAT SOME OF THAT EROSION HAS ALSO, UM, CAUSED SOME ISSUES OF EROSION AND IT'S WEARING OUT, UM, CLOSE TO THOSE ROADWAYS.
SO WE'RE REDEVELOPING WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN THAT AREA TO BE ABLE TO PRESERVE OUR ROADS PROPERLY, UM, BUT ALSO TAKE CARE OF WEED CONTROL SO THAT PEOPLE CAN, UM, SEE WHEN THEY COME TO INTERSECTIONS AND ALONG ROADWAYS AND STUFF AS WELL.
SO THAT ONE IS IN, UM, THE WORKS AND, UM, WE ACTUALLY DID A CORING SAMPLE OF ALL OF OUR ASPHALT ROADS IN THE COMMISSIONERS, ALONG WITH STAFF, HAVE PUT TOGETHER A 10 YEAR PLAN.
AND THEN AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH AND REPLACING THOSE ASPHALT ROADS, HOW WE'RE GONNA KEEP WHAT WE HAVE MAINTAINED ALL THE WAY THROUGH AS WELL.
WE HIRED KIRK AND MICHAEL, WHICH IS AN ENGINEERING FIRM TO HELP US DO THAT STUDY AND TO HELP US PUT THAT PLAN TOGETHER.
UM, AND LOOKING AT HOW WE'RE GOING TO BUDGET EACH YEAR, UM, TO BE ABLE TO GET ALL OF THIS DONE AS WELL.
WELL, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY, UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE CITIZENS THAT ARE IN THE CHAMBER, AS WELL AS THOSE THAT ARE LISTENING.
UM, WE TAKE YOUR CONCERNS AND, UM, UM, CHALLENGES, UM, SERIOUS.
AND WE'LL WORK AS BEST WE CAN TO ADDRESS WHAT WE CAN WITHIN THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE CAN DO WITHIN THE BUDGET OF WHAT WE CAN DO, SO THAT WE ARE FISCALLY, RE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME.
UM, THE INFORMATION THAT WAS PRE PRESENTED TO YOU TO TONIGHT IS AVAILABLE.
IF YOU WANT TO JUST EMAIL THE COUNTY OFFICE, THEY'LL MAKE SURE IT'S AVAILABLE TO YOU.