By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The approval of the agenda is usually a mere technicality at the start of Barton County Commission meetings. During Wednesday's meeting, just a few days before three new commissioners are sworn in, the agenda vote turned interesting.
Outgoing Commissioner Kirby Krier asked for two more items to be added to Wednesday's agenda, and outgoing Commissioner Jon Prescott seconded the motion. The rest of the commission denied the move in a 3-2 vote. The agenda was instead approved as written with a 4-1 vote, with Krier as the "no" vote.
"Could I ask why you three voted 'no' for the discussion of these items, because they can be transferred over to old business," Krier told the other commissioners.
Listen below to the full discussion regarding Wednesday's adoption of the agenda.
Commissioner Barb Esfeld said she wanted to visit more about the proposed resolutions, to which Krier replied the resolutions had been introduced more than a year ago.
"I don't care whether it was brought up over a year (ago)," Esfeld said. "This affects all elected. It involves our treasurer, our county clerk, our register of deeds, and our sheriff. I have not had time to visit with them, and I feel like that is very much needed, so that's why I voted that way."
Krier asked if the items could be added under "Old Business" for the next commission meeting on Jan. 9. With clarification that new commissioners Duane Reif, Tricia Schlessiger, and Donna Zimmerman would be unable to vote on "old business," after being sworn in, Esfeld made the motion to add the two resolutions under "New Business" for the Jan. 9 meeting. That motion passed.
One proposed resolution will establish a salary policy for elected officials, and the other would establish "procedures for certain economic and community development expenditures." Krier said the one resolution does not involve elected officials and would save the county money, and asked why other commissioners were against it.
Commission Chair Shawn Hutchinson said there are significant legal challenges to the community development resolution. "The treasurer is not legally obligated by statute to hold funds just because we ask him to," Hutchinson said.
County Counselor Patrick Hoffman said he planned to further discuss the resolutions and potential issues in a later study session.
"There are a couple things in that resolution, as written, that I think are potentially confusing," he said. "And there are a couple things that might need to be tweaked to make sure they don't run afoul of state statute. That will be the same for both resolutions, honestly."
The next Barton County Commission meeting will be held on Monday, Jan. 9, at 9 a.m., at the Barton County Courthouse. New Commissioners Reif, Zimmerman, and Schlessiger will be sworn in after the conclusion of old business.