By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Few governmental agencies were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic more than the Barton County Health Department. Tuesday morning, six months after the federal government declared the pandemic officially over, Health Director Karen Winkelman provided some good news to the Barton County Commission.
"In November 2021, we accepted funding from (the Kansas Department of Health and Environment) that was actual federal money that was to provide increased vaccine access and to address vaccine equity," she said. "We accepted that funding, which was $183,000. At that time, we were only allowed to lease vehicles instead of purchase."
The health department leased a 2022 Chrysler Pacifica Van and a 2022 RAM Laramie 1500 crew cab 4x4 from Marmie Motors in Great Bend. With the two-year leases on both vehicles coming to an end, KDHE granted permission to use the federal funding to purchase the vehicles.
"They worked out very well," Winkelman said. "The pickup actually has some good storage in the back part of the cab so we use it for outreach a lot."
The pickup is used to pull the health department's mobile trailer. The total residual amount to purchase both vehicles from the grant is $27,870.60.