By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
The Ellis County Commission approved an increase in per-pound fees for disposing of household hazardous waste during its Tuesday meeting.
Justin Craig, county environmental services director, said the change applies only to individuals or businesses disposing of more than 55 pounds per month.
The commissioners expressed concerns higher fees could lead to illegal dumping.
"This won't affect the average citizen in Ellis County. They could still bring up to 55 pounds every month for free," Craig said.
Entities that exceed the monthly limit must use a commercial disposal service. The new rates take effect Jan. 2.
Vaccine purchase to finish 2025
Melissa Miller, the county’s health director, received approval of a $53,500 purchase order to fund the remaining 2025 vaccines.
"This is a completion of that contract termination that we had with VaxCare," Miller said.
Myers said leaving VaxCare reversed the decline in vaccine revenue and shifted from annual losses under the program to strong revenue growth under direct ordering.
"Kudos to our health department for turning things around and making a positive impact on the budget," Commissioner Nathan Leiker said.
A previous purchase order covered the first half of 2025. The new order will be paid from the health department’s end-of-year budget.
Ellis County Library board update
Jennifer Teget and Kylie Honas of the Ellis County Library Board provided an update on the board’s work throughout the year. Since the board was formed too late to prepare a 2025 budget, the commission had previously approved $10,000 in startup funds.
"So far, we have spent just a little over $1,500. I have some outstanding invoices that need to be paid that total just under $1,000," Teget said.
Darin Myers, county administrator, said the current Central Kansas Library System mill levy in unincorporated areas brings in about $300,000, but only about $100,000 of that is returned to the county.
He said the county library board could begin a two-year process to withdraw from the system, which could free up more funds for local libraries.
Wheatland Avenue road maintenance
Property owners spoke with the commission about Wheatland Avenue, which runs north of Fort Hays State Tech North Central to 27th Street.
The discussion centered around who is responsible for maintaining the road.
Commissioner Michael Berges said the county has been discontinuing maintenance of private roads to ensure fairness to taxpayers and focus on public roads.
"This falls in line with that and [Whealand Avenue] ultimately has been a private road," Berges said.
The commission said the county will smooth and stabilize the 27th Street entrance one final time, but will not continue regular maintenance from now on.
Public Works Enterprise Asset Management solutions
Brendan Mackay, county public works director, received approval to award the bid for a new Enterprise Asset Management system to OpenGov, replacing the county’s outdated system.
The system will improve workflow across public works divisions under a proposed five-year contract. The roughly $176,490 cost would be covered using the department’s remaining 2025 budget allocations.
Other business
Fort Hays State University President Tisa Mason shared updates on the university and reported that fall enrollment increased across FHSU and FHSU Tech North Central.
The commission approved the annual review of the Ellis County Solid Waste Management Plan, which included minor updates.
The Gemini Juniors 4-H club received permission to decorate the trees just North of the Hays Public Library. This continues an annual tradition.