By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

With construction winding down at the courthouse and law enforcement center, some Ellis County staff members and services will begin moving to their permanent home.

At Monday night’s Ellis County Commission meeting, Project Superintendent Mike Wilson with MW Builders told the commission the movers will be arriving Tuesday to begin moving court services from the former New building, where they have spent more than a year, to the renovated courthouse.

Commission Chairman Dean Haselhorst said the Hays Police Department and the sheriff’s department will remain at the New building until construction on the jail is completed.

Construction at the jail is expected to be completed close to the Feb. 1 ribbon cutting at both the courthouse and law enforcement center.

According to Wilson they received bids to finish the floor in the jail. They received bids on Monday with the low bid of $34,000. The finish will help to seal the new concrete floor in the jail. They are also waiting on cameras at the jail.

In other business:

• The commission approved a contract for solid waste disposal with Waste Connections and transfer hauling with Inner Circle Trucking.

• Approved a resolution adopting the Northwest Kansas multi-hazard mitigation plan.

• Rural Fire Chief Darin Myers presented the commission with an annual fire department report. Myers said they are looking into possibly paying the volunteer firefighters for training. Currently, the firefighters earn a stipend for every call they respond to, but they do not get paid for the two times a month they train. He said the move may motivate more people to continue their training.