Jan 23, 2020

🎥 Ellis Co. Commission approves fire department pickup purchase

Posted Jan 23, 2020 11:50 AM

The Ellis County Fire Department will soon replace a 1994 Suburban with a pickup as part of the 2020 Fire and Emergency Management budget.

Darin Myers, director of Fire and Emergency Management, told Ellis County commissioners Monday the vehicle replacement is also part of a plan to purchase an enclosed water supply trailer for the fire district with a federal Homeland Security grant of nearly $40,000.  The new pickup  will be used pull the trailer when it is purchased later this year.

Myers received two bids for a ¾ ton pickup from Shawnee Mission Ford at $31,754 and from Hays Lewis Automotive at $31,955.56.

Although the low bid came from Shawnee Mission, Myers asked the commission to approve the Hays bid, which was $201.56 higher. 

"It's in line with our county policy to try and stay local when we can," Myers reminded them. "It's only $201 more, and I think it's a good precedent for us with that minimal amount of difference."

Chairman Butch Schlyer and Commissioner Dustin Roths agreed.

"I appreciate you doing the bid process just to make sure we're getting competitive bids and that we're in line with what this should cost us," Roths said.

"But I believe $201.56 is well worth us staying with Lewis Automotive. Just the security of using a local dealership is well worth that. It's something I would do in my personal finances."

"I concur," Schlyer said. "I think that $201 is money well spent at home."

In October, the commission approved transfer of title of the 1994 Suburban to the Ellis Fire Department once the new vehicle was received.

In other business, the commission:

* Agreed to begin the hiring process for a new county administrator

* Approved Jason Kennedy, EMS director to represent Ellis County on the Northwest Kansas Homeland Security Council for a two year term

* Approved the appointment of Colleen Nieman to the Munjor Improvement Board

* Heard from Hays resident Larry Dreiling, who introduced himself as a senate candidate for the state's 40th district

* Announced Feb. 17 as in inservice day for all county employees

* Met in a 20-minunte executive session to discuss personnel matters. Also attending were Mike Leiker, director of Information Technology; Bill Jeter, county attorney; and Darin Myers, interim county administrator. No action was taken.

Commissioner Dean Haselhorst was absent from the meeting.