Sheriff will check options for countywide law agency
Joint purchasing power also discussed
Staff reporter
When Marion County Commission met Jan. 16, a light agenda was the order of the meeting.
Commissioner Dan Holub asked Sheriff Lee Becker's opinion about community policing, one law enforcement agency within the county or an area.
Becker said he was familiar with the concept that would divide into quadrants. Individual police departments would not be eliminated but be a part of the county agency.
The agencies and community/county leaders would need to come to a consensus of how the operation could work.
Becker was instructed to research other counties and bring the information to a future commission meeting.
Holub said if a combined agency wasn't feasible, maybe the agencies could work together in other areas such as purchasing vehicles and equipment.
In other business:
— Sheriff Becker was instructed to obtain bids for two patrol vehicles. Becker informed the commission that an extra patrol car, a 2000 Chevrolet Impala with 201,842 miles, being used on Thursdays for a part-time deputy to deliver court papers, had a small leak in the motor. The cost to repair the leak could be between $500 and $1,000 and Becker said he wasn't sure if the car should be repaired or not.
A second car, also a 2000 Chevrolet Impala with 240,000 miles, currently is being used by the county appraiser's office. Becker asked if that vehicle should be officially transferred to the appraiser's office, with the insurance paid from the appraiser's budget. The commission agreed.
Becker also asked if the commission wanted some of the older sheriff's department vehicles to have liability insurance only instead of full coverage. The cost savings would be $117 per car per year.
Commission chairman Randy Dallke said he was not in favor of doing that because of the high day-in-day-out usage the vehicles received.
It was determined to sell the Impala with the oil leak through a car auction instead of soliciting sealed bids from residents.
The purchase of two vehicles are in the sheriff's budget for 2007.
— A $2,500 design and bidding fee to county consultant Jack Chappelle was approved for the drilling of a water well. Following the county's first water sample from the former landfill, Kansas Department of Health and Environment determined there needed to be another water well drilled because one of the three required wells was dry. Holub asked the commission why this was determined now and not when the other plans were finalized.
County clerk Carol Maggard commented that the wells had been in place for many years and not utilized on a regular basis.
— The Lumberyard Inc. of Hillsboro had the low bid of $997 for 104, 4x4x12-foot wood posts. Other bids were Seacat Do it Best of Marion, $1,066, Kropf Lumber Inc. of Hesston, $1,160, and J&A Traffic Products, Blue Springs, Mo., $3,135.
— Twenty cents was the difference between two bids for five Stihl chain saws. Deer Trail Implement Inc. of Marion had the low bid of $2,129.20 and G&R Implement Company of Durham had a bid of $2,129.40 for the five saws.
— A copier with printer and scanner capabilities from Business Systems Inc. of Wichita was approved for the emergency management office at a cost of $3,225. Two other bids for $2,300 and $3,975 were submitted but the mid-priced copier was the better buy.
— A homeland security purchase agreement was approved by way of resolution. Marion County Emergency Management Department has agreed to be the fiscal agent for a grant for the South Central Region of Emergency Management. The county will be paid $40,215 for providing the service. The resolution will allow the use of state contracts and necessary policies to obtain bids for the grant.
