Wasinger will serve as Ellis Co. Commission chair after reorganization

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

The Ellis County Commission approved reorganization for 2017 at Monday’s meeting naming Barb Wasinger chair and Marcy McClelland vice chair of the commission.

The two will serve in those positions through the annual reorganization in 2018.

Among the reorganization the commission also approved the commissioner appointments to various committees, appointed Fair Board members, Fire District Company Chiefs, designated meeting days and times and the Ellis County Kansas Public Building Commission Directors.

The commission members serve as the Public Building Commission (PBC) Directors. Wasinger was appointed as the chair of the PBC and Dean Haselhorst the vice chair.

The commission also adopted a resolution setting the commission districts. Under state statute, county commissions are supposed to look at changing the commission districts every three years based on population changes.

But according to County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes because the city of Hays is the major population center it is not possible to divide the county into three equal districts without doing so by precinct lines.

Even though the state releases new population figures every year, they do not break down the population at the precinct level, that is only done every 10 years in the annual census. The last census was conducted in 2010.

“There’s only a basis for changing your commission districts every 10 years, when we have that precinct level population from the U.S. census,” Smith-Hanes told the commission.

Smith-Hanes said there are some other counties that have changes more frequently and the state law applies to those counties.

The next census will be held in 2020 and Smith-Hanes estimated it would be 2022 or 2023 when the figures are released and the commission can redistrict.

The commission also approved the 2017 noxious weed agreement with the Kansas Department of Transportation. County staff sprays Interstate 70, Highway 183 and KDOT yards in Ellis County. Under the agreement Ellis changers KDOT $30 per hour for labor, $32 per hour for ¾ ton spray truck and $36 per hour for the 2.5 ton spray truck.

Gary Haas, county Weed Control Supervisor said over the last four year they have averaged 56 hours per year. He estimated the new rates could bring in $3,696.

Corrected to clarify title changes. Hays Post apologizes for the error.