Barton County Commission meeting at a glance
Here is a quick look at what the Barton County Commission did Tuesday morning:
• Approved a Voice Products service maintenance agreement for the 911 Department, The cost is shared with the County Attorney’s Office.
• Named commission Chairman Shawn Hutchinson as Kansas Association of Counties annual conference voting delegate. Commissioner Barb Esfeld was named first alternate and Commissioner Tricia Schlessiger was named second alternate.
The KAC will hold its Annual Conference from Dec. 5–7 in Wichita. Each year, the commission designates a voting delegate and first and second voting alternates for the meeting, said County Administrator Matt Patzner.
• Approved the updated Barton County non-discrimination policy and recipient policy statement:.
In 2020, the commission adopted the non-discrimination policy relative to state and federal grant requirements. The policy has been updated to assure compliance with current guidelines, County Administrator Matt Patzner said.
Following the agenda meeting, the following appointments were scheduled:
• Great Bend Economic Development Inc. update with President Sara Arnberger.
• Area chambers of commerce have been invited to update the commission.
• On-line access to documents with Glennda French, register of deeds.
• Update of high resolution imagery with Bj Wooding, cartographer.
• Regular business discussion with Matt Patzner, county administrator.
• HVAC project overview with OSE and DMA Architects with commissioners and administrative staff.
Noting its value to both Barton County emergency operations and criminal prosecutions, the County Commission Tuesday morning approved the renewal of a service maintenance agreement for the voice logging system used by the Communications Department. As the maintenance contract ends Nov. 30, it was extended for another year with Communications and the Attorney’s Office sharing the expense.
In 2018, Communications partnered with the County Attorney’s Office to purchase a voice logger. The logger creates audio recordings from telephones, radios, microphones and other sources that improve emergency services and aid in criminal matters, said 911 Director Dena Popp said.
“This logger is used to create audio recordings from telephone and radios throughout the Communication Center,” she said. “The information provides emergency services recordings that could be instrumental to the investigations that they do.”
And, “this is very beneficial to the County Attorney’s Office as well,” Popp said. “I can sort through the recordings to any incidents that they need.”
She can then electronically transmitted to CAO investigator Casey Hubbard. This saves time for both departments.
In that first year, the cost included the maintenance contract. “Since then, we’ve been on an annual basis for renewal,” she said.
The cost is $9,553, up a mere 5 cents from last year. Of that, Communications pays $7,822, which will come from the department’s 911 tax fund, and the County Attorney’s Office will pay the remaining $1,731, out of the general fund.
“It makes sense to me,” said commission Chairman Shawn Hutchinson, District 3.
