By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Ellis County Commission will consider appointing a new appraiser on Tuesday.
Ellis County Appraiser Lisa Ree is set to retire Dec. 23. The commission will consider appointing Deputy County Appraiser Eugene Rupp.
Rupp started with Ellis County on Oct. 30, 2001, and was promoted to deputy county appraiser on Jan. 5, 2014.
If Rupp is appointed, he will take over the appraiser's position on Dec. 24 and fill the remaining portion of Ree's four-year term, which will be up on June 30, 2025.
Neighborhood Revitalization Plan
The city of Hays will give a presentation to the county commission on its proposed expansion of its Neighborhood Revitalization Plan.
The Neighborhood Revitalization Plan provides tax rebates to property owners who make improvements that raise the appraised value of residential or commercial properties within a designated area.
Jail expansion
The commissioners will consider hiring a detention consultant to analyze the feasibility of expanding the Ellis County Jail.
As the city of Hays prepares to move out of the Law Enforcement Center in 2026, the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office will plan to move into the space occupied by the Hays Police Department.
The vacated space could be used to add jail cells. The jail has a capacity of 72 inmates, but that depends on the demographics of the inmates, levels of crimes, COVID and if they are male or female.
When characteristics of the inmate population are taken into consideration, the jail can only house about 70 inmates. The county has 14 inmates housed out of county for a total population of 84 inmates.
Housing those inmates out of county costs the Ellis County taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. There are daily housing fees to other jails, medical expenses for those inmates, fuel, the cost to purchase and replace vehicles to transfer those inmates back and forth when they have court, as well as personnel costs to transfer those inmates, according to information provided in the commission meeting packet.
The basic needs assessment contract is $36,570. The full assessment contract is $75,145.
If the basic contract is approved, funding to pay for this service will be paid out of the administrator's contingency. If the commission approves the full assessment, half of the contract will be paid out of the contingency fund, and the other half will be paid out of the sheriff’s remaining 2023 operating budget authority.
At the Dec. 12 commission meeting, the commissioners approved using a lease-purchase agreement for the purchase of two new fire engines in Ellis and Victoria. The documents were signed and approved.
However, after being reviewed by the bank, the bank found some errors in their signature lines and dates. No rates, fees or terms have changed, but the bank is requesting new documents be completed and signed by both parties.
Other business
• The county commissioners will hear reports from Fort Hays State University President Tisa Mason and State Rep. Ken Rahjes.
• Buckeye Wind Farm will present a donation to Ellis County.
• The commission will consider applying for a grant from the Kansas Revolving and Assistance Fund to purchase EMS equipment.
• The commission also will consider vehicle repairs, the replacement of the county's access control system and the purchase of security software.