Submitted by Dawn Boyles, County Clerk

The Board of Brown County Commissioners met in regular session Monday, June 13, with the following members present: Chairman Lamar Shoemaker, and Commissioners William Pollock and Richard Lehmkuhl via Zoom. Also present was Brown County Clerk Dawn Boyles. Shoemaker opened the meeting at 8:10 a.m. All recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Pollock led the meeting with a prayer.

Department Reports

Road and Bridge Secretary Tami Lehmkuhl discussed the belly dump trailer not able to hold hot patch. Lehmkuhl stated Rahe’s Welding is going out of business and Argabright Welding is not taking new customers until after their new shop is built. The board discussed contacting Fisher Welding.

Community Corrections Director Vicki Hubin and Community Corrections Assistant Director Chris Denner presented the Reinvestment Grant for the third year. The board approved Community Corrections to expend the Reinvestment Grant funds.

Hubin and Denner discussed the financial allocation of the FY 2022 funding for employee bonuses from the Kansas Department of Corrections. The commissioners approved the financial allocation of the FY 2022 funding for employee bonuses from the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Boyles presented a Property Use Application from the Hiawatha Chamber and Visitors Bureau requesting use of the courthouse square for a 5K Fun Run. The Fun Run will take place from 8:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. on July 2. The commissioners approved use of the courthouse square for the 5K Fun Run.

Also at the meeting:

The board approved the June 6 meeting minutes.

The June 13 month-end claims were approved as follows: General, $29,297.72; Road and Bridge, $154,974.29; Health,$32,500; Employee Benefit, $38.63; Election, $724.76; Appraiser, $134.21; Noxious Weed, $2,092.99; Diversion, $553.75; 911 SB50, $108.08; ACC, $1,102.45; JJA CORE, $1,682.19; Services for Elderly, $251.46; and Solid Waste, $168.91. The total was $223,629.44.

The commissioners agreed to amend the wage scale to reflect the increase in wages for Community Corrections. 

The board approved the FY 2023 budget to sustain the recent raises.

Representative Leah McPeak of the Teammates Mentoring Program discussed the program and what it has to offer.

The commissioners approved Bryan Gutierrez for an Emergency Lights and Sirens Permit. 

The board discussed a resolution establishing a moratorium and providing for the suspension of certain types of improvements on any land within the unincorporated area of Brown County; and directing that potential land use regulations for Brown County be developed. Commissioner Pollock questioned parts of the resolution he would like to discuss with County Attorney Kevin Hill at the next commission meeting.

The next regular meeting was held Monday, June 20. These minutes were not available at The Herald’s press time.