Overall, Saline County's revenue performance is doing well in 2020. That's the word from today's Saline County Commission meeting.
During this morning's meeting, County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes, told commissioners that overall, revenue performance has been incredibly strong. "Nearly all tax receipts are on track to meet or exceed budgeted amounts. Expenditures are slightly behind last year’s pace," the county noted in a news release about the meeting. As of now, the elections office is the only county office expected to exceed its budget, the county reported. That overage was attributed to the cost of properly adapting to voting during the pandemic, the county noted.
After hearing that during the past two weeks the county has had 141 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19, with two additional deaths, the commissioners let stand for at least another two weeks the county's face mask mandate.
In a related matter, the commissioners heard that while there are no restrictions currently in place for Halloween, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued guidance concerning Halloween activities. That guidance can be found by this link: https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1468/KDHEGuidance-for-Celebrating-Halloween-PDF---92320.
Other matters dealt with by the Saline County Commission include the following as reported by the county.
●Commissioners accepted a $91,461 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant for community corrections. This grant will be used to cover the salary and benefits of one Drug Court intensive supervision officer, as well as for substance addiction and mental health crisis intervention services.
●Commissioners also accepted a $2,500 grant that will cover expenses for indigent care under the Saline County Health Department’s tuberculosis program.
●Commissioners approved several purchases today for county projects that were submitted through the direct aid plan for expenditures of the coronavirus relieve funds. Those purchases are as follows.
-Five new digital recording systems for the five district courtrooms for a total of $27,235.
-Purchase of a 2021 Ford Explorer for $28,675.30 for the Department of Senior Services to provide delivery of commodities, Meals on Wheels, and other necessitates to seniors.
-Implementation of a web-based platform for environmental health for $10,000. This platform will be used for all service requests, inspections, and other services that are performed by the department in their four county service area.
●Commissioners also passed an amendment to Resolution 20-2308 appointing two additional citizens to the Public Building Commission. Doug Alt was appointed by Commissioner Monte Shadwick and Bruce Wyatt was appointed by Commissioner Mike White.
●Andrew Pellant provided a quarterly update to the commissioners on the pre-trial program. For the months of July through September, 56 clients were placed on pre-trial services. As of the end of September, 126 clients were actively being monitored through this program, 14 are in custody, 254 clients have had their charges dismissed or have been sentenced, and a total of 140 have had their pre-trial bond revoked.
●Commissioners also heard Smith-Hanes' weekly update, including the status of the expenditures of the Coronavirus Relief Funds. Roughly 30 percent of the funds have been expended during the first third of the period allotted to spend the funds. Smith-Hanes noted that of the $2.7 million that was awarded to the Chamber of Commerce Foundation, only $522,500 has been expended. For-profit businesses are encouraged to apply with the Chamber Foundation. These businesses do not need to be Chamber members, as the funds are for any business in Saline County. Check it out here: www.salinakansas.org/grants.html.
●Smith-Hanes also provided commissioners with an update on the Public Building Commission (PBC), which met for its first meeting on Oct. 13. The PBC members elected their officers and then issued the notice of intent to issue bonds. This notice is required to be published twice. After the notice has been published, a second meeting will be called, he reported.