By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Inventory is never a fun project. Over the past many years, USD 428 staff has done an in-house inventory on all the property owned by the Great Bend district. With some personnel changes, the board of education voted on Monday to outsource this year's inventory to Fixed Asset Inventory for $24,300. Assistant Superintendent John Popp explained the problem.
"At the end of this last summer, the person who ran it who left, engaged all the people who were part of the inventory crew to see if they would like to take over and run it," he said. "None of them were interested in running it. Matter of fact, almost all of them stated they don't necessarily don't want to continue with the inventory crew."
Fixed Asset's inventory will be good for three years. Popp said paying local staff approximately $7,500 a year would nearly equal the cost to pay Fixed Asset, and the hope is to get a professional inventory done while local staff tags along as training. The inventory is important for insurance and replacement purposes in the case of a disaster or other loss.
Board President Jacquie Disque said, with the district making moves into the former CUNA Mutual Property and the new facilities on east 10th Street, a professional inventory is not a bad idea. That helped Board Member Chad Burroughs change his mind to a yes vote.
"Why can't we have our own people do this as part of their job?" he asked. "But I do agree with Jacquie saying, with us moving around into new buildings, a very good, thorough (inventory) by somebody who does this would be beneficial as we move into our new buildings. After that, maybe we can look at having that done in-house."
Popp said Fixed Asset prefers to work during the school year, and Spring Break might be a good time.