By Charlene Sims, info@linncountyjournal.com
MOUND CITY – The most recent audit of Linn County’s 2023 finances found three irregularities. That was the report by the county’s auditor, Rodney Burns, to the Linn County Commission on Monday, Dec. 9. Burns is a certified public accountant from Chanute.
Burns told the commissioners that everything was about the same as the previous year’s audit. He did bring up a few items that were different. They were:
He said that the county had a few small checking accounts that needed to be included in the county audit. They included an account at the Linn County Park to keep track of funds received for fishing and other activities at the park, and the county’s health department has an account when they collect receipts.
He also said that the county appraiser’s budget went in the red at the end of the year in 2023 because several bills came in January and were charged back to 2023. He did note, however, that the money was immediately available in January 2024.
Burns also pointed out that a separate single audit was required to be submitted for the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. He said that whenever $750,000 or more of federal funds was spent a separate single audit had to be completed. The county spent $966,000 in federal funds in 2023.
Commissioners approved a contract with Burns for the 2024 audit for the price of $18,200 with an additional $3,000 for the single audit that will be required for spending federal funds.
In other business, the commissioners:
• Approved Linn County Offices closing on Christmas Eve at noon.
• Approved a zoning change from Agricultural to Residential for Douglas Sobba at 17288 Baskerville Road, Centerville. Planning and zoning consultant Darin Wilson explained that, because the purpose is to split off 2 acres to sell to family and Sobba will keep 6.29 acres, the tract will be rezoned as countryside.
• Approved the purchase of 90 tires from Goodyear Commercial for nearly $51,900. Public Works Director Shaun West told the commissioners that a late bid had come in from a company that often sold them tires, but apparently the person in charge of bidding was out of town when the bid was due. West said the bid was still sealed and recommended that since it was late, the commissioners leave it sealed and go with the Goodyear bid. They agreed.
• Learned from West that he had met with J.R. Kerr about the welding on the last compactor box which was in very bad condition. He told the commissioners that he had examined the compactor box and that the cost for the repair would be higher than the original bid.
• Learned from West that there was going to be a large pre-planning meeting about the Hell’s Bend bridge project with engineers, construction representatives, Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) staff, railroad representatives and other interested parties at Bunker Hill on Dec. 11.
• Approved the repair of an equalizer bar on the county’s D6R bulldozer for up to about $23,700 at Foley Equipment. County Road Operations Manager Jesse Walton told the commissioners that the bulldozer had 8,132 hours on it, and the county had purchased it in 2003 used with 5,800 hours.
Walton said that, after the repairs, the bulldozer would be worth $70,000 to $80,000. New ones cost about $99,000.
McCullough asked about leasing a bulldozer. Walton said that they were very expensive to lease.
• Learned that engineer Chad McCullough from Kaw Valley Engineering would be at the commission meeting next week to discuss the 900 Road project.
• Learned that West was planning on meeting with Mark Hagen, consulting attorney for the county, during an executive session about compactor contracts and the sale of the Parker Senior Center.
• Approved purchasing new heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems for the courthouse annex and the 4-H building. The annex cost will be $9,500 and the 4-H building cost $9,250. There are funds in both budgets to do these projects this year. The county will pay 75% down and the remainder upon completion of the installations.
• Approved the city of Parker keeping a police vehicle in the county’s rural fire station in Parker at the city’s own liability. The Parker fire station has a stall that is empty.
• Discussed going with the RenoDry USA system to remove moisture from the courthouse basement. Johnson said he had checked with two county officials from Anderson County, which has had the system for two years. He said they both were skeptical at first but the system has dried out the courthouse and removed the odors. Johnson will check with Woodson County officials and the commissioners will make a decision next week. Last week, the RenoDry representatives had given them a price of $20,000 for the project and said that price will only be good until the end of the year.
• Learned from Economic Development Director Chasity Ware that she was meeting with other website companies about revamping the county’s website. Those companies included one out of Louisburg, Social: Managed – Kansas City owned by David Alexander, and Red Logic owned by Matt Casner in Mound City. Ware said that she learned at the Kansas Association of Counties (KAC) conference that it will be required for county websites to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by April of 2027.
• Learned from Ware that she is working with a group, Linn County Together, to develop a Linn County calendar.
• Spent a total of 55 minutes in executive session for legal consultation with attorney Mark Hagen on the phone. Commissioners went into executive session for originally 40 minutes and extended for 15 minutes. Rodney Burns asked for 10 minutes; Lamb, 5 minutes; Wilson, 10 minutes; and West and Information Technology (IT) Director Chris Martin for the remainder of the closed door session.
• Approved a burial permit for Linn County Rural Water District No. 3 to put in water lines for an address at 5457 West 2100 Road.
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