The Mitchell County Commissioners met on Monday, April 9, 2018 at the Mitchell County Courthouse. The Commissioners approved a Neighborhood Revitalization Grant for temporary tax abatement for Eric and Lisa Dunstan in USD 273 on a new commercial, owner occupied building at a cost of $50,000 for materials and labor.
Mitchell County EMS Director Eric Hamel was on hand to provide the monthly EMS statistical report for the month of March. The EMS conducted 50 runs during the course of the month. There were 38 in and around Beloit, eight in the Glen Elder area. One run each were responded to in Cawker City, Tipton, Hunter, and Downs.
The busiest average day for the service was Fridays with 14 runs made on those days. The average patient age was between 60 and 69 years of age. The EMS also conducted patient transfers to Salina Regional Health Center and Via Christi in Wichita. The department billed a total of $46,856 for the month.
The commissioners approved a lease purchase agreement on a new ambulance for Mitchell County EMS with Guaranty State Bank at an interest rate of 3.405 percent. Hamel said the new unit is on order and should be delivered in about six months.
County IT Specialist Jeff Roberg presented a potential GPS program for the county to track and trace county vehicles such as law enforcement, EMS and others. This could potentially assist with helping find locations of calls. It could also be used to track law enforcement patrol areas and at what frequency when it is questioned how often and where regular patrols are being conducted. The cost of the program is about $20 per vehicle. The commissioners reviewed the information, and Roberg is supply them to EMS Director Hamel and Sheriff Tony Perez.
North Central Regional Planning Commission representative Nicole McDaniel appeared to discuss ongoing work to acquire funds to perform an external refurbishment of the courthouse. Grants recently applied for were not awarded. The county is now considering applying for tax credits to help fund the project. The consensus seemed to be to apply for tax credits and reapply for grants through the state next cycle. Commissioner Tom Claussen said they need to work on acquiring funds to address some pertinent issues such as water leaks from an undetermined location which is impacting the courthouse basement.
The commissioners are next scheduled to meet on Monday, April 16 at 8:30 a.m. at the Mitchell County Courthouse in Beloit.
