Maranda Rebel, RNC OB, recently earned Certification for Inpatient Obstetric Nursing from the National Certification Corporation.
The certification is for nurses who demonstrate knowledge of biological, physiological, psychological, and sociocultural factors that influence the pregnant family, developing fetus, and newborn; identification of patient’s actual or potential problems/needs utilizing information received from the patient, the family, appropriate records and other health team members; development of comprehensive plans for individualized nursing care, including diagnostic, therapeutic and patient educational components; and application of current standards of practice, research findings and ethical/legal principles in providing nursing care to the normal and high risk antepartal, intrapartal and postpartal family.

Rebel is registered nurse in the obstetrics department at HaysMed and has been with the hospital since 2013.

Submitted

After a three-month search, the Heartland Community Foundation is pleased to announce Sandy Jacobs as the new Executive Director.

Jacobs retired October 1, 2014, from her position as Executive Vice President of Sunflower Bank, overseeing the Western Banking Division. Jacobs joined Sunflower Bank in 1990 and has worked in the financial services industry for more than 40 years.

Jacobs is a native of Hays, graduated from Hays High School and the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin. Jacobs is involved with several organizations and efforts within the Hays and Ellis County communities.

She is serving her 4th term on the Board of Directors of Downtown Hays Development Corporation which she was instrumental in forming for the purpose of redeveloping historic downtown Hays KS. Jacobs served as President of the Board of Directors of the Ellis County United Way, and two terms on the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, including one as President.

She has served as chair of the Retail Development task force for the Ellis County Economic Development Corporation and also the Mentoring Advisory board of the Chamber of Commerce. Jacobs also served as a member of the Site Council for O’Loughlin School, Advisory Board of the College of Business at Fort Hays State University, and the Ellis County Coalition for Economic development. She serves as a member Emeritus of the Ellis County Big Brothers Big Sisters Board of Directors on which she was an active member for 10 years. She also served on the steering committee for the recently completed City of Hays 20 Year Comprehensive Plan.

“It is not often one is presented the opportunity to champion an organization such as the Heartland Community Foundation. As I visit with friends, associates, mentors and leaders in this amazing community I call home, I am constantly reminded of the quality of life we must protect. We must be ready and able to make a difference every chance we can. That is exactly the reason for the Heartland Community Foundation’s existence – to enable donors to fulfill their charitable desires, to build permanent endowments, facilitate prudent management and care of funds and most importantly meet needs through grants, awards and scholarships,” said Jacobs.

Jacobs resides in Hays with her husband of 46 years, Dan. The couple has two children, Sarah Mitchell of Fort Lewis, WA, and Ryan Jacobs, Kansas City MO. She and her husband are the proud grandparents of Jacob, age 9, Samantha age 7, Gavin 5 and Connor 3.

The Heartland Community Foundation is a not-for-profit foundation whose mission is to build permanent endowments to benefit the people of Ellis, Rooks and Trego counties. The HCF is one of 12 affiliates of the Greater Salina Community Foundation.

On Monday, state Rep. Troy L. Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, who represents the 109th Kansas House, filed re-election paperwork at the Secretary of State’s office in Topeka, for the upcoming 2016 election.

“I am honored to serve the constituents of the 109th Kansas House. As your public servant, I will continue to represent the people in our district in Topeka,” Waymaster said.

The 109th Kansas House District consists of the entire counties of Osborne, Russell and Smith and portions of Barton, Jewell, Lincoln and Rush counties.

Waymaster has served the 109th District in the Kansas House of Representatives since 2013.

TOPEKA (AP) — Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s office is pursuing three new criminal cases against people it alleges voted illegally in Kansas and other states.

Kobach told a Kansas House committee Monday of the new cases. His office has filed a total of six cases since legislators enacted a law last year to give it prosecutorial power.

One new case is in Johnson County against Michael L. Hannum. He lives in Omaha, Neb.a, and said prosecutors’ offices both places told him they weren’t going to file cases.

Another case is in Ellis County. Defendant Randall K. Kilian lives in Castle Rock, Colo., and said he said he knew nothing about it.

A third new case is in Sedgwick County case against Ron R. Weems. He didn’t return a telephone message seeking comment.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The Hays Fire Department completed 140 pre-emergency building response plans last year.

According to Chief Gary Brown, the plans are a collaboration between the fire department and the building owners on how a fire should be approached.

“Firefighters check buildings to locate the gas shutoff, the main electric controls, how to best get into the building, and the type of roof construction to anticipate how long it would last before collapsing,” Brown said.

They also ask the owners what their priority is for protecting in the building.

“It’s usually the computer systems and business records,” he explained.

The fire department has about 800 principal building plans on paper kept in a binder notebook in the Command truck. “The plans were once computerized on a laptop, but took too long to download, so we’re looking at digitizing the pre-emergency plans with new software which will make it more effective to use in the field,” Brown said.

LOVE COUNTY, Okla. — Two people from Hays died in an accident just after 1 p.m. Sunday in Love County.

A 2012 Toyota Camry driven by Mary Younger, 73, was northbound on Interstate 35 six miles north of Marietta, according to Sgt. John Pierce with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

The vehicle left the road and struck a guardrail.

A passenger in the vehicle – Gary Younger, 29, Hays – was pinned in the vehicle for over 30 minutes and freed by the Marietta Fire Department, the OHP reported. He was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Harvey Douglas Funeral Home in Ardmore.

Mary Younger was transported to Mercy Hospital in Ardmore, where she died.

ELLIS–Ellis city council members want residents to understand the proposed sales tax to be voted on in April would replace the current sales tax that will sunset in September, 2016. Council members unanimously approved the resolution during their Jan. 18 meeting.

A new tourism task force has been appointed to develop a marketing strategy for the town’s attractions, and the city is looking at rehabilitating some streets, comparing the costs for bricks, asphalt and concrete.

The complete meeting minutes follow.

ELLIS CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING Minutes January 18, 2016

CALL TO ORDER
Mayor David McDaniel called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. Present were Council members Holly Aschenbrenner, Gary Luea, Heather Luea, Jolene Niernberger, Bob Redger, and John Walz. Also present were Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman, City Clerk Amy Burton, Police Chief Taft Yates, Fire Chief Denis Vine, and City Attorney Olavee Raub.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA
Mayor McDaniel requested multiple executive sessions to review personnel evaluations for non-elected personnel. Council member Gary Luea requested an executive session to discuss property acquisition.
PUBLIC PRESENT
Swede Swenson, Sharon Disney, Buck Driggs, Glen Keller, Cheryl Kinderknecht, Guy Windholz, Travis Kohlrus, and Dena Patee.
CONSENT AGENDA
Council member Jolene Niernberger moved to approve the consent agenda containing the Minutes from the Regular Meeting on January 4, 2016 and Bills Ordinance #1989. Council member Gary Luea seconded the motion. The Council approved the consent agenda 6-0.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
None
PRESENTATIONS OF AWARDS, PROCLAMATIONS, REQUESTS & PETITIONS (HEARINGS)
None
SPECIAL ORDER
Fire: Grant
Fire Chief Denis Vine reported the Department has submitted a grant to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for SCBA’s, bottles, and helmets in the amount of $84,252.60. Chief Vine requested authorization to compensate Fire Department Treasurer Tim Kohlrus for his time in assisting with the grant process. Council member Jolene Niernberger moved and Council member John Walz seconded a motion to authorize Fire Chief Denis Vine to compensate Tim Kohlrus, at the Chief’s discretion on amount, for assisting with the submission of the FEMA grant, such duty determined to be outside of his Department Treasurer duties. The motion carried 6-0.
Tourism: Committee
Travis Kohlrus and Glen Keller, representing a newly formed task force charged with promoting tourism in the City of Ellis, introduced the members present to the Governing Body and spoke on the goals of the task force. The group is looking to cross market many of the tourism places in Ellis and develop marketing strategies to unite the community and the local businesses. Mr. Kohlrus emphasized the need for all parties to work together. The task force meets monthly.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Water: Repair/Maintenance
Buck Driggs, Driggs Design Group, updated Council on the status of the Waterline Improvement Project. The design phase has been completed and pending final approval from the United States Department of Agriculture, is ready to let out for bids. Once awarded, the contractor will have 150 days to complete the project. Four of the five permanent easements on Dorrance Street have been acquired. The project will add fifteen new valves and six new fire hydrants to the area.
General Government: Financial
Council discussed a proposed resolution calling for a sales tax election in April 2016. Council member Gary Luea expressed concerns that the verbiage in the resolution sounds like the City is asking for a new sales tax, when actually it is renewing the current sales tax. City Attorney Olavee Raub stated she has little leeway in the wording of the resolution. Council discussed the importance of educating the residents that the proposed sales tax simply replaces the current sales tax that will sunset in September 2016. Council member John Walz moved to approve Resolution No. 520 calling for the sales tax election in April 2016. Council member Bob Redger seconded the motion. The motion carried 6-0.
Municipal Court: Fines/Fees
Council reviewed a proposed ordinance amending the court costs assessed in the Ellis Municipal Court. City Clerk Amy Burton reported that the cities of WaKeeney and Hays recently raised their court costs to $70 and $75, respectively. The proposed ordinance will raise the total municipal court costs assessed in Ellis to $75. Council member John Walz moved and Council member Gary Luea seconded a motion to approve Ordinance No. 1396 amending court costs assessed in the City of Ellis. The motion carried 5-1, with Council member Bob Redger voting opposed.
Streets: Repair/Maintenance
Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman presented a spreadsheet illustrating costs for needed street rehabilitation projects within the City. Mr. Scheuerman discussed the cost comparison of replacing brick pavers versus laying concrete or asphalt. Asphalt costs are much lower right now due to fuel costs; therefore, Mr. Scheuerman felt it would be beneficial to repair Dorrance Street from 13th Street through Lakeview, to take advantage of the lower pricing. Council members inquired about performing spot repairs rather than rehabilitating the entire street to save on costs. Council also discussed the historic value of maintaining the brick streets in town, especially Washington Street, although the cost for the brick pavers adds approximately $94 per square yard to the cost. Mr. Scheuerman reported there may be a grant available in two years that would help fund the cost of preserving the brick streets. It was the consensus of Council to revisit this item at the next Council meeting in order to have more time to review Mr. Scheuerman’s worksheet.
Street: Repair/Maintenance
Mr. Scheuerman discussed a possible solution for the drainage problem in the alley behind the City shop. The VFW is in agreement to allow the City to cut a 10’ wide channel through their parking lot from the alley drain to Jefferson Street. Any overflow from the drain would then travel through the channel to the street and follow the guttering to another drain. It was the consensus of Council to have the Public Works Department cut the trench to help alleviate the drainage in the alley.
NEW BUSINESS
Sewer: Financial
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has requested the City update the “Authorized Representative” stated in the KDHE loan documents for the wastewater treatment plant improvements. Resolution No. 504 named Mayor Lyle Johnston as the City’s authorized representative; therefore, the resolution needs updated for Mayor David McDaniel. Council member Gary Luea moved and Council member Jolene Niernberger seconded a motion to approve Resolution No. 521 naming Mayor David McDaniel as the authorized representative for the KDHE loan documents. The motion carried 6-0.
REPORTS FROM CITY OFFICIALS
Public Works
Water: Repair/Maintenance
Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman reviewed the inspection report from Layne regarding the City’s Water Treatment Plant. Many of the suggested items for improvement have already been completed or implemented. The City’s bond documents require a professional inspection of the Water Treatment Plant every five years.
Mr. Scheuerman also presented the Comparative Water Report for the period November 10th to December 10th.
Personnel: Entry
Mr. Scheuerman recommended the hiring of John Riley Deutscher for the vacant position in the Department. He would like to start him in the Sanitation department until Mr. Deutscher obtains his commercial driver’s license, and then he will be transferred to the Grounds department. Council member John Walz moved and Council member Jolene Niernberger seconded a motion to hire John Riley Deutscher as a General Public Works Employee I at a probationary wage of $13.17, effective January 19, 2016. The motion carried 4-2, with Council members Holly Aschenbrenner and Gary Luea voting opposed.
Sewer: Repair/Maintenance
Mr. Scheuerman reported that KDHE is willing to visit with Council regarding options for a sludge containment site. Council asked Mr. Scheuerman to set a meeting date of March 22nd at 7:00 p.m.
Street: Repair/Maintenance
A resident has complained about the weeds and trees on 15th Street from Monroe to the USD 388 bus barn. The ground is too rocky and steep to properly maintain. USD 388 Superintendent Bob Young has given the City permission to get on the ground to perform dirt work to try to improve the area.
Mr. Scheuerman requested approval to purchase asphalt patch material. Council member Gary Luea moved and Council member Holly Aschenbrenner seconded a motion to approve the purchase of asphalt patch material in an amount not to exceed $5,000. The motion carried 6-0.
Water: Acquisition
Council gave permission to Mr. Scheuerman to acquire bids for a new Metrotech for the Water department. The City’s waterline maps have not been reliable in locating the utility lines and the equipment will help the department find the utility lines more efficiently.
Police
Police Chief Taft Yates provided an update from his department. Council inquired if any of the applicants for the open position were already certified officers. Council then discussed the new patrol car and how the disposal of the obsolete equipment from the Dodge Charger will be handled.
City Clerk
Personnel: Entry
City Clerk Amy Burton requested the hiring of Verda Flinn to fill the Clerk II opening in the Clerk’s office. Council member John Walz moved and Council member Jolene Niernberger seconded a motion to hire Verda Flinn for the Clerk II position at a probationary wage of $8.26, effective January 19, 2016. The motion carried 4-2, with Council members Holly Aschenbrenner and Heather Luea opposed.
General Government: Zoning
The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on January 25th at 7:00 p.m. regarding an application for re-zoning property located at 112 W. 10th Street.
Personnel: Benefits
City Clerk Amy Burton presented the monthly health insurance summaries for November 2015 and December 2015. Claims of $8,772 were paid out of accounts payable due to inadequate reserves at the time of the claim.
The Catastrophic Sick Leave Bank for employees has a current value of $15,072.13 and is capped at $19,000.
General Government: Committee
Ms. Burton presented the annual Safety Report for 2015. City employees had fewer accidents in 2015 than the previous year.
Ms. Burton then presented the cost savings of utilizing the City car versus paying employee’s mileage costs for using their own vehicle. The 2015 savings totaled $4,431.78 with a cumulative savings of $16,003.03 from when the car was purchased in November 2009.
Attorney
City Attorney Olavee Raub reported the Certificate of Title required for the Wastewater Treatment Plant project is almost complete.
Ms. Raub has been in contact with various individuals regarding questions on the April elections. She believes the City has properly followed procedures to hold elections in November 2016.
Ms. Raub then addressed an issue on social media regarding a lawsuit filed against Police Chief Taft Yates. There was no settlement paid and the case was dismissed. The City incurred no financial liability.
Cassy Zeigler will observe at the next Council meeting as Ms. Raub will be absent for the February 18th Council meeting.
Mayor Update and Announcements
The City of Hays has provided an update on the R9 Ranch project.
Mayor David McDaniel reminded Council of the Work Session with the Trades Board on January 19th.
Local Government Day is January 27th in Topeka. Mayor McDaniel and Council members John Walz and Jolene Niernberger plan to attend.
EXECUTIVE SESSIONS
Mayor David McDaniel called for an executive session to discuss property acquisition. A 5-minute executive session was proposed starting at 9:12 p.m. Mayor McDaniel asked for a motion to recess. Council member Gary Luea moved and Council member John Walz seconded a motion to recess to executive session to discuss property acquisition with the City Attorney present. The motion carried 6-0. The Council returned to open session at 9:17 p.m. No action was taken in executive session.
Mayor David McDaniel called for an executive session for personnel matters of non-elected personnel. A 20-minute executive session was proposed starting at 9:19 p.m. Mayor McDaniel asked for a motion to recess. Council member Jolene Niernberger moved and Council member Holly Aschenbrenner seconded a motion to recess to executive session for personnel matters of non-elected personnel with the City Attorney and City Clerk present. The motion carried 6-0. The Council returned to open session at 9:39 p.m. No action was taken in executive session.
Mayor David McDaniel called for an executive session for personnel matters of non-elected personnel. A 15-minute executive session was proposed starting at 9:40 p.m. Mayor McDaniel asked for a motion to recess. Council member Bob Redger moved and Council member Gary Luea seconded a motion to recess to executive session for personnel matters of non-elected personnel with the City Attorney and Public Works Director present. The motion carried 6-0. The Council returned to open session at 9:55 p.m. No action was taken in executive session.
Mayor David McDaniel called for an executive session for personnel matters of non-elected personnel. A 15-minute executive session was proposed starting at 9:55 p.m. Mayor McDaniel asked for a motion to recess. Council member Gary Luea moved and Council member Bob Redger seconded a motion to recess to executive session for personnel matters of non-elected personnel with the City Attorney and Police Chief present. The motion carried 6-0. The Council returned to open session at 10:10 p.m. No action was taken in executive session.
ADJOURNMENT
Council member Bob Redger moved and Council member Heather Luea seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried 6-0. The meeting adjourned at 10:13 p.m.