Meeting Information
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF DOUGLAS COUNTY, KANSAS
Public comment will be taken for each regular agenda item as each item is discussed. Individuals will be limited to one comment per agenda item. Individuals are asked to come to the microphone, sign in, and state their name. Speakers are asked to sign in so that the spelling of names is correct in the minutes of the meeting. Speakers should address all comments/questions to the Commission.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2019
4:00 p.m. WORK SESSION
-Cemeteries in the Unincorporated Area and County responsibilities (Jan Shupert-Arick, John Nichols, Cammy Owens and Amy Roust)
5:30 p.m. BUSINESS MEETING
-Proclamation for 4-H Week (Kaitlyn Peine)
CONSENT AGENDA
(1) (a) Consider approval of Commission Orders;
(b) Consider approval of the 2019-2029 membership for the Douglas County Emergency Management Board, and nominate the members to the State Emergency Response Commission as the Local Emergency Planning Committee for Douglas County (Robert Bieniecki)
(c) Consider approval of County Resolution appointing Robert Bieniecki as Emergency Management Director for Douglas County, Kansas; (Robert Bieniecki)
(d) Consent Agenda approval of KDOT Cancellation of Agreement No. 183-05 (Keith Browning);
(e) Consider approval of contracts for highway purposes for Projects No. 2018-53 (Structure No. 09.00N-19.19E)-(Keith Browning);
(f) Consider approval of the minutes for August 28, September 4, September 11 and September 18, 2019; and
(g) Consider approval of accounts payable.
REGULAR AGENDA
(2) General Public Comment
General Public Comment will be at the end of each meeting with a limit of one comment per person and keep their comments brief. Individuals may not give unused time to other speakers. As a general practice, the Commission will not discuss/debate these items, nor will the Commission make decisions on items presented during this time, rather they will refer the items to staff for follow up, if necessary.
(3) Committee Reports
(4) Commissioner and/or Administrator Miscellaneous
(5) Adjourn
October 2, 2019
Derusseau called the Work Session to order at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 2, 2019 with all Commissioners present.
WORK SESSION 10-02-19
The Board received a presentation on cemeteries in the unincorporated area of Douglas County.
Attendees: Commissioners Derusseau, Thellman and Kelly; Jan Shupert-Arick, Heritage Coordinator; John Nichols, County Clerk’s Office; Cammy Owens, Budget Director; Amy Roust, GIS; and Sarah Plinsky, County Administrator.
Staff provided background information on what constitutes a cemetery. According to State Statute 19-3106, a cemetery is made up of three or more human bodies that have been interred. An abandoned cemetery is one not cared for, for a period of at least five years.
Highlights included:
• Districts are established to care for any non-profit cemetery within its boundaries that has conveyed all property to the cemetery district.
• A cemetery board may choose to care for other abandoned cemeteries inside its district.
• Douglas County has eight cemetery districts.
• The Douglas County Budget Office assists cemetery districts with the annual budget submission to levy taxes in compliance with state budget laws.
• There was discussion on how to set up a Cemetery District.
• There are 57 cemeteries in Douglas County; 11 that are tax supported and 19 considered lost cemeteries.
• Care of abandoned cemeteries go to the township.
• Abandoned private burying grounds go to the County Clerk, who in turn will file a lawsuit against the property owner.
• Five cemeteries of concern include: Franklin Town Cemetery, Lewis Crowder African American Cemetery, Kennedy Cemetery, Adams Cemetery USD 497, and Blue Mound Cemetery.
• The County GIS Mapping Department has created a GIS data-layer map for Zoning & Planning and Public Works showing the location of all cemeteries.
• The National Park Service is offering Cemetery Conservation Workshops to owners, property managers, administrators, in-house maintenance staff, and volunteers on how to preserve grave markers.
RECESS 10-02-19
At 5:08 p.m., the Board recessed until the 5:30 p.m. Business Meeting.
BUSINESS MEETING 10-02-19
The Board reconvened at 5:30 p.m. for their regular Business Meeting.
PROCLAMATION 10-02-19
The following 4-H Members: Reid Plinsky, Lone Star 4-H Club; Kimber Reusch and Erik Dallman, Clinton Eagles 4-H Club; Justin Leonard, 4-H Ambassador Leader; and Kaitlyn Peine, K-State Research and Extension for Douglas County, discussed their 4-H achievements.
Thellman read a proclamation declaring October 6-12, 2019 as National 4-H Week in Douglas County.
CONSENT AGENDA10-02-19
Kelly moved approval of the following Consent Agenda:
► Membership of the 2019-2020 Douglas County Emergency Management Board, and nominated the members to the State Emergency Response Commission as the Local Emergency Committee for Douglas County follows:
Functional Groups
Member
GOVERNING BODIES
Appointed by Governing Bodies
Bob Newton, appointee of Douglas County Commission
Rob Culley, appointee of Baldwin City Council
Truman Waugh, appointee of Lawrence City Commission
Ken Keiter, appointee of Eudora City Council
Wayne Riley, appointee of Lecompton City Council
EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTIONS
Agency Head and/or Appointee
Transportation ESF#1
Richard Haig, Lawrence Municipal Airport Advisory Board
Lane Sekavec, Union Pacific Railroad
Emergency Communications ESF#2
Tony Foster, Emergency Communications Center
Kevin Oneslager, ARRL Emergency Coordinator
Public Works & Engineering ESF#3
Keith Browning, Douglas County Public Works
Tina Rakes, Douglas County Zoning and Codes
Fire ESF#4
Mike Baxter, Fire Chiefs Association
Emergency Management ESF#5
Andrew Foster, University of Kansas Public Safety
Human Services/Mass Care ESF#6
Sarah Wickham, American Red Cross
Resource Management ESF#7
TBD
Health & Medical ESF#8
Sonia Jordan, Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department
Teri Smith, Lawrence Memorial Hospital
Pat Deaver, Visiting Nurses
Amy Lurken, Heartland Community Health Center
Search & Rescue ESF#9
Shaun Coffey, Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical
HazMat ESF#10
Shaun Coffey, Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical
Agriculture/Natural Resources ESF#11
Midge Grinstead, State Animal Response Team
Utility/Energy ESF#12
David Bellinder, Black Hills Energy
Vince Avila, Westar Energy
Law Enforcement ESF#13
Ken McGovern, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office
Trent McKinley, Lawrence Kansas Police Department
Mike Pattrick, Baldwin City Police Department
Chris Keary, University of Kansas Public Safety
Public Information ESF#15
Porter Arneill, Lawrence Communications Manager
Bob Newton, Douglas County Emergency Management
Chemical Preparedness
Joseph Baranski, Hallmark Cards
Cary Mans, Chemtrade
Kay Johnson, PROSOCO
Alfred Lugo, United States Public Health Service
Community Group/Social Service
Steve Devore, Headquarters Counseling Center
Nicole Rials, Bert Nash CMHC
Kim Murphree, LDS Church
Mathew Faulk, Bert Nash CMHC
Education
Ron May, Lawrence Public Schools
Mike Russell, University of Kansas
Steve Splichal, Eudora Public Schools
Derek Bland, Baldwin Public Schools
Josh Woodward, Perry Lecompton Schools
Gary Goombi, Haskell Indian Nations University
Facility / Industry
Chris Lesser, PROSCO
Gordon Leong, ICL
Russell Epperson, API Foils
2019-2020 Officers & Executive Committee Members
Mike Russell, Chair
Kay Johnson, Vice Chair
Trent McKinley
Nicole Rials
Joseph Baranski
► Resolution No. 19-30 appointing Robert Bieniecki to serve as Emergency Management Director for Douglas County, Kansas;
► A Cancellation of Agreement with the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) for Project No. 59-23 K-7888-03 for grading, surfacing and seeding, dated June 1, 2006;
► Approval of acquisitions of easements for culvert replacement for Project No. 2018-53 with the following landowners: Larry E and Deborah L. Morgan, 1920 N 900 Road, Eudora for Tract No. 1; and Charles L. and Marcia J. Sansom, 866 E 1900 Road, Eudora, for Tract No. 2;
► Approval of the minutes for August 28, September 4, September 11 and September 18, 2019; and
► Accounts payable in the amount of $585,575.36 paid on 09/19/19.
Motion was seconded by Thellman and carried 3-0.
APPOINTMENTS 10-02-19- None.
GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT 10-02-19- None.
COMMITTEE REPORTS 10-02-19 – None,
COMMISSIONERS AND/OR ADMINISTRATIVE MISCELLANEOUS 10-02-19
Introductions:
· Sarah Plinsky, County Administrator, introduced Jay Zimmerschied, as the new Director of Capital Projects. He will be an advocate for the County construction projects.
Information Items
· The Register of Deeds reports for September 2019 are available online in the 10/02/19 agenda packet.
· Senior Resource Center (SRC) notes and minutes for July/August 2019 are available online in the 10/02/19 agenda packet.
· On August 28, 2019, the Board of County Commissioners approved a Disaster Relief Tax Abatement Program, under KSA 79-16-13, as recommended by the County Appraiser. Since August, the County Appraiser has received an additional 13 applications. The Appraiser has recommended approval of 12 of the applications. In accordance with the Board’s action on August 28, the 12 applications will be approved as recommended. All applications are available in the Office of the Appraiser.
Open Board Appointments
· Douglas County Food Policy Council (Local food system/Ag Producer) - (2) positions open
· JAAA Advisory Council - (1) position open
· JAAA Board of Directors - (1) position open
· Lawrence-Douglas County Advocacy Council on Aging - (10) open positions
· Joint Economic Development Council – (2) positions open
· Public Building Commission – (1) position open
Derusseau adjourned the meeting at 5:42 p.m.
____________________________ ____________________________
Michelle Derusseau, Chair Patrick Kelly, Vice-Chair
ATTEST:
__________________________ ____________________________
Jamie Shew, County Clerk Nancy Thellman, Member
Time and Date
Additional Meeting Time: 05:30 pm