Dr. Steve Cohen outlined his plan to develop a policy manual, job descriptions, performance appraisal process, and wage and salary structure over the next 6–8 months, with each element taking approximately 6–8 weeks to complete. ↗️ 11:11

Dr. Cohen recommended using an outside payroll firm to provide stability regardless of personnel changes, noting it would take a minimum of 90 days to implement and would require commission approval for expenses over $1,000. ↗️ 14:00

Laura Holdridge, Register of Deeds, requested changing the Christmas holiday schedule to give employees December 25–26 off instead of December 24–25, as Christmas falls on a Thursday and many employees would take vacation on Friday anyway. ↗️ 20:22

Holdridge requested $18,500 be returned to her tech fund, stating she contributed this amount but is not receiving adequate IT services, which led to discussion about network security concerns if her department were to operate independently. ↗️ 25:45

Eric Bailey announced that Dustin Hall rescinded his resignation and would return to his position at Public Works, and Bailey confirmed he would continue mentoring Hall until Bailey’s departure. ↗️ 42:06

Bailey reported that Kansas Department of Emergency Management would hold a virtual kickoff meeting on Friday at 9:00 AM regarding the May 19th storm damage, and that internet issues at the landfill had been resolved through collaboration between Stronghold and New Wave. ↗️ 45:48

Bailey addressed safety concerns at Public Works, presenting documentation of safety meetings, training records, and weekly tailgate sessions, emphasizing that safety is taken seriously despite recent characterizations in commission meetings. ↗️ 48:02

Dallas from Cloud Communications presented a phone system proposal costing approximately $30 per month per phone plus a one-time $150 per phone purchase, potentially saving money compared to the current system by eliminating server maintenance costs and providing additional features. ↗️ 01:01:05

The commission approved the formation of a planning commission by resolution, with Bob Johnson advising that a planning director position was not necessary at this time as the commission would primarily be making recommendations rather than implementing zoning. ↗️ 01:59:54

The commission approved the five-year solid waste plan committee consisting of the three commissioners, Dustin Hall from Public Works, and Joseph Smith. ↗️ 02:20:16

Commissioner Milburn reported that Stronghold Data had proposed a project to clean up the county’s computer system, update Windows 11 computers, and resolve ongoing issues in the Treasurer’s office, with a detailed document to be provided before the next meeting. ↗️ 02:23:49

Commissioner Beerbower proposed updating the county’s sanitation code from the 1998 version to align with KDHE’s 2023 standards, requesting a future work session to review changes with the current sanitation inspector. ↗️ 02:26:38

Commissioners discussed the challenges of balancing employee benefits with taxpayer burden, acknowledging that potential changes to the benefits structure may be necessary based on Budget Committee recommendations. ↗️ 02:36:54