Commissioners tackle budget requests

Multiple Allen County department leaders presented their budgets for the coming fiscal year.

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June 30, 2021 - 10:32 AM

Nathan Fawson, director of the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center, talks with Allen County commissioners about budget requests for his agency in the upcoming year. Photo by Trevor Hoag / Iola Register

Budgets, budgets, budgets.

That was the theme of Tuesday’s Allen County Commission meeting, with multiple department heads and agency directors discussing funding for the coming year.

First in line was Bill Fiscus from Tri-Valley Developmental Services, a local agency that provides support for those with mental and physical disabilities.

Fiscus said his budget had remained static over the past four years ($70,000), but noted that Tri-Valley had recently doubled in size, growing from serving four counties to serving eight.

From left, Allen County commissioners Jerry Daniels, David Lee and Bruce Symes, listen to budget requests from local agency leaders and county department heads.Photo by Trevor Hoag / Iola Register

He also mentioned that 23 Allen Countians work for Tri-Valley, and that the agency serves about 76 Allen Countians.

Cindy Lane of the Area Agency on Aging said her budget also remained static, with Allen County providing $2,000 per year.

She mentioned that the AAA provides seven meals a week to local residents, in connection with Meals on Wheels, and that increased demand from the pandemic had not yet abated.

Lane pointed out other services the agency provides, including legal services and efforts to help keep folks from requiring nursing home stays.

Additionally, the AAA provides seniors with Farmers’ Market vouchers in the amount of $35.

Nathan Fawson, of the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center requested $156,660 in support for the coming budget year.

The SEKMHC has approximately 100 staff in Allen County, including most of the agency’s administrative staff, and has about 300 staff across the six counties that it serves.

Fawson also shared the good news that the SEKMHC had recently been awarded a grant from the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

In less fortunate news, however, he further pointed out that the agency was struggling to profit from psychiatric services, and said they often only break even when providing therapy services.

Other costs to the agency involved hiring a nurse practitioner to assist with medications, as well as expanding services into area schools.

At one point in the presentation, Fawson impressed upon commissioners the importance of providing emergency services, and became a little choked up when explaining how “when we meet with individuals in crisis, their lives are at stake.”

And indeed, Commissioner Bruce Symes responded by agreeing that, when it comes to allocating funding, “it’s certainly more than the numbers.”

Fawson invited members of the community to take advantage of the SEKMHC’s new meeting room space.

COUNTY appraiser Jami Clark requested a 4.7% increase to her department’s budget (to $424,520), and noted that one item they needed to purchase was a new copy machine.

Commissioner Symes noted the pivotal role of the office as well, saying “your work is important to us, getting that revenue.”

PUBLIC works director Mitch Garner said crews had been busy tending to wash-outs and other rain-related repairs, and noted that one of the department’s tractors was down and in need of service work.

Garner said that dust control measures had been postponed due to rain, but added that residents would not incur the cost of any dust control steps that might need to be redone.

Another item needing replaced, he said, was a 40-year-old above ground auto fuel tank that didn’t pass its most recent inspection.

The county’s rock crusher should be back at the landfill/quarry by the end of the week, but downtime on the machine will necessitate buying additional rock.

Commissioners impressed upon Garner the importance of having local crews perform the full range of necessary daily maintenance on the machine, in order to prevent future breakdowns.

Regarding the budget for public works, Garner noted a marked increase, and said that a major factor was a spike in oil and gas prices.

Other factors included airport repairs, possible building costs, special equipment, noxious weeds and explosives for blasting at the quarry.

CHELSIE Angleton, 911 director, said that she was figuring out how best to predict her department’s future costs, especially during her first year as director. She decided that calculating averages and average increases were the best methods.

Angleton talked about purchasing an additional dispatch console to put in the police department’s basement for disaster situations.

Her first bid for the project from TBS Electronics came to a total of $21,786.

Angleton said that she wanted to do real-time drills using the new console, in order that dispatchers be ready in the event of an emergency so severe that the regular dispatch center would have to be evacuated.

Commissioners seemed receptive, and commissioner Jerry Daniels shared how, back one day in November, much of the state’s 911 services were down temporarily, leaving folks without 911 services for almost four hours.

THRIVE Allen County’s economic development director, Jonathon Goering, spoke with commissioners about Rural Opportunity Zones (ROZ), which are sites across the state where newly-employed students can get college loan reimbursements just for living in certain areas.

State income tax credits are also available through the program.

Commissioners agreed to renew its commitment to the program. 

Krista Harding, horticulture agent and interim director for K-State’s Southwind Extension District, spoke with commissioners about finalizing paperwork on a Memorandum of Understanding for the new extension office on North State Street.

“We really appreciate it,” she said. “It’s a great facility.”

The courthouse will be closed on Monday, July 5, in recognition of the Independence Day holiday.

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