Progress continues in county EMS office
Requests for encumbrances are made by departments
Staff reporter
Marion County Commission was told Monday the county's emergency medical services office was making good progress but would not meet the deadlines set prior to the reorganization of the department.
Scot Loyd of Swindoll, Janzen, Hawk & Loyd reported the EMS department will not meet the Dec. 15 deadline for completing claims but was making progress.
Loyd said of the 200 paper claims employee Deanna Olsen had to complete, 50 to 60 had been completed. He added the training of a part-time person was taking time.
Woody Crawshaw and Olsen attended training in November in Indianapolis, Ind. Loyd said the training went well. Crawshaw had downloaded the county's program and took it with him to the training class. The instructor noticed inconsistencies in the data base. When Crawshaw returned, he spent several weeks making the recommended changes to the data base.
The first run was posted Dec. 3. Runs have been completed through April 2004, Loyd said. He added that personnel was "headed in the right direction."
Loyd said his original contract with the county for his services has run out. He presented an addendum not to exceed a $2,500 additional payment to finish the assistance. During a later portion of the meeting, the commission approved the addendum as presented.
While Loyd was at the meeting, Wetta requested and received a five-minute executive session with Loyd to discuss identifiable personnel. The meeting reconvened with no decisions.
EMS director Darryl Thiesen and Crawshaw attended the commission meeting at a later time.
The date of Jan. 31 was the anticipated completion date when the department was expected to have all back work caught up.
Commission chairman Leroy Wetta asked Crawshaw if the deadline will be met. Crawshaw answered "no." Crawshaw reminded the commission the Jan. 31 deadline was for work through October.
Thiesen said the county will start seeing payments. He added that thanks to a generous donation, he was able to purchase new CPR mannequins.
Commissioner Howard Collett asked Thiesen when an emergency medical technician training class was to be held. Thiesen said he was "looking at mid-January" to begin a class.
Wetta requested and received a five-minute executive session with Thiesen to discuss personnel. The meeting reconvened with no decisions.
In other business:
— County clerk Carol Maggard distributed information from Great Plains Computers & Networking regarding costs for additional computer equipment, software, and installation. The total cost of $24,332 would be distributed between the treasurer, 911 funds, and courthouse funds.
— The commission reviewed a letter from Kansas Department of Health & Environment regarding closure of the county's former landfill.
— David Brazil, county zoning director, distributed minutes of the November planning commission meeting.
He submitted a list of encumbrances from the 2004 budget to be spent in 2005. The list included $16,000 for mason work and painting of the transfer station, $900 for an air jack for the transfer station, and $1,500 for printing county regulations. The commission approved the request.
The commission discussed the condition of the transfer station and planned roof repairs for 2005.
— Deanna Carter-Frantz, county appraiser, requested a $3,000 encumbrance toward a new CAMA (Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal) system, and $1,000 transferred to the 2005 budget for education for a new employee.
She said a remainder of $8,000 of funds not spent in 2004 could go toward a mapping project, previously discussed. If the mapping project is not approved by the commission, Carter-Frantz said the funds could go toward the new CAMA system the state will require in a few years.
The commission approved the encumbrance requests.
— County park and lake superintendent Dale Snelling reported actual revenue that was collected will be close to the projected revenue. In the 2004 budget, $105,000 in revenue was projected. Snelling said he anticipated $102,000 will be collected in revenue by the end of 2004.
The budget carry-over, however, will not be met. A total of $33,400 was to be carried over from 2004 to 2005 but $4,200 was the amount Snelling projected would be available for carry-over.
Lakes in the area have been experiencing a decrease in revenue, Snelling said. Reasons that were given was annual camping groups are aging, so not as many are coming to Marion to camp, and the cost of fuel this past summer.
Snelling also reported he received a bid of $2,000 for a dam inspection. The inspection needs to be completed before April so a report can be sent to the state by April 30. The bid was good through April. He said the state had not yet established compliance requirements.
— Michele Abbott-Becker, director of communications and emergency management, reported Homeland Security grant funds were used to purchase a cargo trailer for hazardous materials (HAZMAT) purposes.
The county fire chiefs chose the item and want it available for countywide use. County will own the trailer and tag it, Abbott-Becker said. A storage location was to be determined.
Abbott-Becker requested and received permission from the commission to have floor covering replaced in the dispatch room at the county jail. Two bids were taken by the department from County Seat of Marion for $1,051, and Baker Furniture of Peabody for $950.
Abbott-Becker requested the bid from the County Seat be accepted because of the "comfort level" she had with the business. The floor covering would have to be removed and replaced with dispatch personnel working the entire time. She said she was concerned about Baker's bid, reflecting the project being completed in one day. The County Seat was willing to assist with furniture moving and seemed to understand the situation, Abbott-Becker said.
The commission approved the higher bid with County Seat, 2-1, with Collett opposing it.
Carpet will be removed and a vinyl floor will be installed.
Water had ruined the carpet, Abbott-Becker said. Maggard will have a roofer inspect the building to determine the cause and repair.
— Abbott-Becker reported emergency communication statistics for November. There were 2,545 incoming calls, 265 were 911, and 730 were from cell phones.
— The commission approved a pay raise for Marvena Cheevers of emergency management department. Half of a planned pay raise was given to Cheevers in June with the other half for December.
— Transport fuel bids from Cardie Oil Company of Tampa were approved for a total of $11,267 for 5,000 gallons of diesel and 3,000 gallons of unleaded fuel. Cooperative Grain & Supply also submitted a bid for a total of $11,556.
The commission will meet at 9 a.m. Monday in the courthouse.
