Allen County Commissioners discussed with 911 Director Chelsie Decker Tuesday morning the replacement of the county’s dispatch call recording system.
Decker recommended the county move forward with dispatch recording services from a company named Equature over Voice Products. After consulting with her team, Decker said Equature offers better long-term pricing and features such as cleaner audio extraction and enhanced timestamping, which will aid legal and internal reviews.
The proposed plan would include a $11,541 payment upon implementation, followed by four annual payments of $9,291.43 under Equature’s Premier Partnership Program.
“It’s user-friendly and gives a more realistic picture of what’s happening,” Decker said, adding the upgraded software will be helpful when courts request audio of dispatch calls. “It’s able to pull the audio and filter out the things that aren’t needed,” she explained. “It has timestamps and a visual, as well.”
Commissioners delayed a final vote to allow Commissioner David Lee — absent due to an emergency — to review the proposal.
PUBLIC WORKS Director Mitch Garner reported on a fire at the county landfill that occurred last Wednesday.
The fire scorched approximately 950 square yards, but thanks to the quick response of multiple agencies — including LaHarpe Rural Fire, Moran Rural Fire, Iola Fire Department, and Allen County Rural Fire — the blaze was brought under control within a few hours.
Garner and two others remained overnight to monitor and extinguish remaining hot spots.
“It wasn’t going to go anywhere,” he said, noting that the area had been heavily covered with dirt. The cause of the fire is unknown, but Garner speculated it was due to a battery or other combustible materials in the trash. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has been notified, and the incident has been officially reported and closed.
Garner also updated the commission on ongoing developments at the Allen County Airport.
A new property owner from Tennessee has expressed interest in building a 60-by-60-foot hangar. The county is working with him to identify a suitable location on the south end of the airfield. “It’s nice he bought land over here — we want to cater to him within reason,” Commissioner Jerry Daniels said.
ROAD AND BRIDGE Director Jeremy Hopkins reported that chip sealing is underway on several roads, including Petrolia Road, St. John’s Addition, and 1600 Street, as well as work near Mildred.
Daniels noted that 1600 Road “looks really good” after the recent application, and praised the results of chip sealing on Harper Road, which packed down quickly thanks to high temperatures and increased traffic.
Hopkins also shared updates on equipment status. A road reclaimer used on 600 Road has experienced turbo failure and is undergoing repairs at Berry Tractor. The repair will cost approximately $30,000–$33,000. A reclaimer is used to rehabilitate or construct roads by pulverizing the existing asphalt surface and mixing it with underlying materials to create a stabilized base for a new road surface.
A bucket truck is also in need of a new engine, with an estimated cost of $28,573. Hopkins suggested repurposing the truck bed for a future service vehicle.
Hopkins added that road crews received and trained on a new mower max, allowing the department to run two units for mowing and brush control. Hopkins said he had hired another employee that is set to begin mowing duties soon.
