Commission ups charge card limit for public works head, bids on cabin remodel received

The Linn County Commission on Monday, March 9, received bids on remodeling one of the older cabins at Linn County Park. (Journal file photo)

MOUND CITY – At Linn County Clerk Chasity Ware’s request on Monday, March 9, the Linn County Commissioners increased the credit limit on Public Works Administrator Jesse Walton’s credit card from $5,000 to $10,000.

Ware said Walton was not asking her to do this but that she was asking because his credit limit is currently $5,000.

“He (Walton) is over seven departments,” Ware told the commissioners. “And if he purchases two things that happen to be $2,100 each for one department or the other, or puts hotels on his credit card, or whatever the case may be, he is already above his limit. It’s not that I mind, but it’s just more time that he has to call over and say, ‘Hey, either can I borrow your credit card or can you raise my credit limit for a short amount of time.’

“I feel like he’s limited at $5,000 as if it was just him and his department. But he’s truly over seven departments, and I realize that you’re still going to see all those claims and he knows and he’s the only one using that credit card.

“He knows that he can’t spend more than $5,000 on a particular thing without getting approval. It just puts a little bit of a bind with things running smoothly. So, I’m asking that you raise that to at least $10,000.”

Commission Chair Alison Hamilton asked if other departments had limits over $5,000.

Ware said that her limit was $25,000, Information Technology Director Chris Martin’s is $30,000 and everyone else’s was $5,000.

Commissioner Jim Johnson asked Walton if $10,000 would  stop him from having any issues.

“I think so,” Walton said.

Johnson replied, “I don’t have an issue with that.”

Hightower said that he did not have an issue with that either.

Johnson commented that the commission would see the bills anyway.

Ware agreed, “That’s where I was coming at too. You’re going to see everything. He knows the rules and knows that he has to be approved for anything over $5,000."

Hamilton asked Ware,”What’s the most you’ve seen come in in a day for him?”

Ware said that a while back he needed to spend $2,400, which with the current balance but the total over the credit limit and resulted in an additional charge.

“We’re just trying to eliminate all of those and if, like I said, if he has all seven departments even if each one of them needed a $1,000 we’re over our credit limit and then that’s an additional $39.”

Hightower made a motion that the commission allow the credit card for public works administrator to be raised to a $10,000 credit limit.

Commission receives bids on cabin at county park

The commission also reviewed bids for remodeling cabin No. 6 at the Linn County Park by Linn County Park manager Sheri Loveland. The bids were:

Jimmy Lawson, who bid $14,500 plus an extra $800 if he could not cover the plywood on the floor. Broken down, the bid was $10,000 for the inside ( sheetrock, flooring, kitchen cabinets, kitchen sink, faucet, table, bunk beds, paint and trim and some other things),and then adding $800 if they could not go over the plywood, $1,500 for the mini-split HVAC unit, and $3,000 for the lean-to.

The other bid was from Darren and Jamie Shackleford was $16,112.61. Shackleford had bid previously on cabin No. 7, but the commission decided to remodel No. 6 first.

Walton told the commissioners that what he asked them to do is go in and do a couple of different things on there. Go in with a bunk bed system in there also, redo the flooring, change some lighting, cabinets, and sinks. He said that he also asked them on that bid to do an awning on the outside of that building over the picnic table on the side.

Walton told the commissioners, “So, when you read through those, if there’s a bid there for the awning, that’s what that’s for, whether we decide to do it or not.”

Hamilton asked if the two contractors that originally bid did not come back.

Loveland said that Shackleford did but the Miller Brothers did not. She said she called them.

Walton and Loveland will qualify the bids and bring them back next week.

In other business, the commissioners:

• Approved paying Destiny Fletcher $1,599 for putting on the Youth Entreprenuership Challenge (YEC). The amount included $1,500 for her time and the rest was for providing lunch and miscellaneous items. Ware said that Fletcher did an amazing job. According to Ware, Fletcher the business teacher at Pleasanton High School spearheaded the event at Pleasanton where 10 student businesses were involved, including four or five from Jayhawk-Linn.

• Approved the request of Linn County Counselor Jacklyn Paletta to move the discussion about the vicious dog laws to March 30.

• Went into executive session with Linn County Treasurer Joannie Reed for job performance with the three commissioners, Paletta and Ware for 10 minutes

• Went into executive session for 10 minutes with the Ware, the three commissioners, and Paletta for job performance and job duties.

• Learned from Ware that the appraiser’s part of the lot split for the airport was completed and after she reaches out to the title company, it can be filed with the state. The commission some time ago approved dividing off the farm land from the land used for the airport.

• Heard from Ware that Elections Systems and Software (ESS) will be there on March 10 and through the week to update the election machines.

• Learned from Walton that the hay lease/bids will go out to the paper on March 11 and will be due back on March 27.