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County
to advertise for
emergency preparedness director
Wayne White
Managing Editor
County commissioners have appointed Osage County Sheriff Laurie
Dunn as the county’s emergency preparedness director until
the position can be filled. Commissioners took the action due to
the resignation of Sheila Dale from the part time job Oct. 13. Dale
retained her positions as land use coordinator and county sanitarian.
During discussion Monday with Dunn, the commission decided to advertise
the vacant position before filling it.
Osage County Commissioner Carl Meyer pointed out that county policies
do not require advertising vacant positions. Osage County Commissioner
Larry Woodson noted the policies do require positions to be posted
in the courthouse.
“If you don’t advertise, you run the chance of people
being upset,” Woodson said. “It’s just not good
policy.”
With Woodson’s motion, Meyer and Osage County Commissioner
William Prescott agreed. Dunn and Osage County Clerk Rhonda Beets
were requested to develop a job description for the 19-hour-per-week
position. Beets was to place ads in The Osage County Herald-Chronicle
and The Topeka Capital-Journal for two weeks, with a cut-off date
for applications on Nov. 17.
In other business, the commission:
• heard Ernie Johnson’s concerns about the railroad
bridge over U.S. Highway 75. Commissioners assured Johnson that
no decision had been made regarding removal of the bridge.
• approved a radio advertising package in the amount of $1,750
with radio station KOFO, at the request of Osage County Economic
Development Director Stephanie Watson. The 60-second commercials
will run from April to September. Watson also updated commissioners
on economic development efforts, including a new billboard on U.S.
75, a revised brochure featuring the county, and a list of trade
shows she expects to attend over the next year.
• approved a public hearing to consider closing an alley
in Vassar. The hearing will be 9:30 a.m. Nov. 24 in the commissioners’
room.
• approved a resolution stipulating that all registered family
day care homes in the county will be inspected annually by the Osage
County Health Department as a requirement to obtain a certificate,
and setting the fee for inspection at $60.
• discussed the possibility of employing an outside vendor
for information technology support for all offices at the courthouse.
• accepted three bids from county employees in the amounts
of $76.50, $82.50 and $53.50, for soon-to-be unneeded window air
conditioners. The air conditioners are being removed from the courthouse
due to ongoing energy renovations. Commissioners allowed county
employees first opportunity to bid on the units.
• heard concerns from Paul Vowell, who complained of an unsafe
railroad crossing between Scranton and Burlingame on the Burlington
Northern Santa Fe rail line. He said the crossing is obscured and
dangerous due to the angle in which it crosses the county road.
Vowell also questioned the county’s animal protection procedures,
saying he had requested assistance from the sheriff’s office
for an underfed, chained dog. He said the sheriff’s office
declined to respond and he fed and watered the dog although he had
to enter private property to do so. He said he believed the county
should have policies and procedures to handle animal cruelty complaints. |
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