By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

After a misunderstanding, the Ellis County Attorney attempted to clarify comments made last week about his employees and the construction process at the Ellis County Law Enforcement Center at this week’s county commission meeting.

County Commissioner Dean Haselhorst told the commission last week that some county employees had been contacting the project superintendent at the Law Enforcement Center and jail and bypassing Haselhorst, who is serving as the construction liaison. Haselhorst said employees had been requesting changes be made to certain areas of the building, including the county attorney office’s breakroom.

Ellis County Attorney Tom Drees approached the commission about the comments and said he talked with Haselhorst about the requested changes. Drees said the request was for 3 extra feet of counter space in the breakroom, adding he talked with Haselhorst about the change and no one bypassed the commission.

According to the Drees, the money to pay for the change is not coming from his department’s budget, instead it is coming from the Diversion Trust Fund, and no taxpayer dollars are going to pay for the change. Drees said they also used money from that fund to move his department from the LEC to the NEW building.

Haselhorst said there was a miscommunication between himself and Drees. Drees apologized for the misinformation that was given to the commission. Haselhorst added it was “not a problem” and it had been “taken care of.”