Meeting Information
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF DOUGLAS COUNTY, KANSAS
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2015
4:00 p.m.
-Recognition of KAC Service Awards
PROCLAMATION
-Declare Jasmy Mavilla as the National Winner of the Uncle Ben’s Beginner’s Cooking Contest (Nancy Thellman)
CONSENT AGENDA
(1) (a) Consider approval of Commission Orders
(b) Consider approval of the Douglas County 2016 Holiday Schedule (Sarah Plinsky)
(c) Consider approval to adopt the Public Records Policy (Sarah Plinsky)
REGULAR AGENDA
(2) County Commission to consider a request from Menard, Inc. for a County grant to aid in establishing manufacturing facilities on 90+ acres at Lawrence VenturePark. Receive PIRC recommendation(s) and if appropriate, authorize a County grant of $200,000 to be paid annually in equal payments over a 10-year period.(Britt Crum-Cano)
(3) EDC Economic Development Report for 2015 (Larry McElwain) (no backup)
(4) Receive report on Market Match participation in the Kansas-Missouri Nutrition Incentive Collaborative application to the USDA FINI program and authorize signing the Core Partner Letter of Commitment for the grant application (Eileen Horn)
(5) Consider approval of Joint City/County Fiber Optic Network Connection to Jail and Fairgrounds (Jim Lawson)
(6) (a) Consider approval of Accounts Payable (if necessary)
(b) Appointments
-Board of Construction Codes Appeals (1) position
-Fire District No. 2 – (1) position expires 12/15
-Food Policy Council (1) position
(c) Public Comment
(d) Miscellaneous
(7) Adjourn
December 9, 2015
Flory called the regular meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 9, 2015 with all members present.
PROCLAMATION 12-09-15
Commission Thellman read a proclamation honoring Jasmy Mavilla, a fourth grader at Raintree School, as the national winner of the Uncle Ben’s Beginner’s Cooking Contest.
PRESENTATION 12-09-15
The County Commissioners honored the following employees with Kansas Associations of Counties Service Awards:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
Kari Wempe – 40 years
IT
Beverly Gardner – 40 years
MAINTENANCE
Doug “Guy” Miller – 16 years
David Sparkes – 16 years
PUBLIC WORKS
Brad Ayres – 16 years
Melvin Hurrelbrink – 16 years
Noland Packard – 16 years
Keith Browning – 24 years
Larry Wilson – 32 years
Howard Hemphill – 40 years
SHERIFF
Vincent Gonzalez – 8 years
Brett Larue- 8 years
Daniel O’Hare-8 years
LeRonda Roome – 8 years
J. Black Winner – 8 years
Betty Anderson – 16 years
Kelvin Bellinger – 16 years
Lisa Brown – 16 years
Fred D’Ercole -16 years
Jason Grems – 16 years
Michael Hladky – 16 years
Jeremy Kline – 16 years
Jay Shaw – 16 years
Kimberly Smoots – 16 years
TREASURER
Cindy Monshizadeh – 24 years
YOUTH SERVICES
Matthew Pool – 8 years
CONSENT AGENDA 12-09-15
Flory moved approval of the following Consent Agenda:
► Commission Order No. 15-046 (on file in the office of the County Clerk);
► Douglas County 2016 Holiday Schedule as follows:
Douglas County 2016 Holiday Schedule
New Year’s Day Friday, January 1
Martin Luther King’s Day Monday, January 18
Memorial Day Monday, May 30
Fourth of July Monday, July 4
Labor Day Monday, September 5
Thanksgiving Thursday-Friday, November 24, 25
Christmas Monday, December 26
Two (2) Personal Discretionary Days
Motion was seconded by Thellman and carried 3-0.
Pulled from the Consent Agenda:
Flory moved to approve a Resolution 15-31 providing policies and procedures for open records requests with added language that nothing herein creates additional rights or obligations beyond those established in the Kansas Open Records Act. Motion was seconded by Thellman and carried 3-0.
TAX ABATEMENT REQUEST 12-09-15
The County Commission considered a request from Menard, Inc. for a county grant to aid in establishing manufacturing facilities on 90+ acres at Lawrence VenturePark, receive PIRC recommendation(s) and if appropriate, authorize a county grant of $200,000 to be paid annually in equal payments over a 10-year period. Britt Crum-Cano, Economic Development Coordinator, presented the item.
Scott Nuttleman, Real Estate Representative for Menard, Inc., is proposing to build a warehouse/distribution campus in Venture Park. Menards, unlike other retailers, manufacture a lot of the products found in their stores. This center would support Menard’s stores throughout Kansas, western Missouri, greater Kansas City and later Oklahoma and other states as the company continues to grow. The campus would manufacture concrete blocks and pavers, wooden roof trusses and would provide small distribution third-party manufactured merchandise distributed to other stores, which would provide better customer service, quicker turnaround time, and cut down on truck miles reducing transportation costs. Supplies would also be brought in by rail. There would also be a wood recycling facility to turn wood into mulch and wood fuel.
Crum-Cano, stated the 184,000 square foot facility would sit on 90 acres make the project a $15 million real estate investment. Menards is requesting 10-year 50% tax abatement. The production facilities are anticipated to support 100 full-time, permanent new jobs with starting wages averaging $14.61 per hour and annual average wages of $17.30 per hour. The City requires several criteria points to qualify for tax abatement. The City Commission feels Menards meets this criterion. There is infrastructure to support this type of project. Crum-Cano stated of all the parcels in the Venture Park campus, staff thought this parcel would be the hardest to market because it is in the back of the park and it has a unique topography.
Craig Weinaug, County Administrator, stated action today would be intent to participate and approval of the incentive request. Details would be worked out with Menards and brought back before the City Commission and County Commission for contract approval.
Flory stated he has no hesitancy to commit $20,000 a year for 10 years to secure this type of facility as the anchor tenant in Venture Park. He intends to support this project.
Thellman added the City has worked years to make Venture Park possible. It’s exciting to see a first anchor tenant that we have confidence in.
Gaughan said a project that brings in at least 100 jobs that pays a good wage and offers benefits has his support.
Flory opened the item to public comment. No Comment was received.
Flory moved to express as a Commission the intent to complete our portion of the tax abatement at 50% over a 10-year period at $20,000. Motion was seconded by Gaughan and carried 3-0.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 12-09-15
Larry McElwain, President of The Chamber, made a presentation to the Board on the annual 2015 Economic Development Report.
SUSTAINABILITY 12-09-15
Eileen Horn, Sustainability Coordinator, made a presentation to the Board on the Market Match participation in the Kansas-Missouri Incentive Collaborative application to the USDA FINI program, and asked the Board to authorize the signing of the Core Partnership Letter of Commitment for the grant application.
Flory asked for the fiscal impact of the Market Match on Douglas County. Horn said the money match was fundraised and there was no cash out. It was a win-win for low income families who received healthy food with a cash match and the items came from local farmers.
Gaughan asked the goal for the market match. Horn responded the specific goal is to go from six markets to 15. She is looking to hear back from a grant using Gene Heartland Foods as a pilot program in Eudora. A SNAP recipient would scan a card for a $25 match. This project is a first of its kind. Nowhere else in the nation has anyone found a way to establish the market match in small grocery stores.
Thellman moved to sign the co-partner Letter of Commitment for Core Partner. Motion was seconded by Gaughan and carried 3-0.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY/FIBER OPTICS 12-09-15
Flory moved to approve the utilization of the existing City of Lawrence contract and agreed to pay the City of Lawrence for the County’s share of the projects upon completion in an amount not to exceed $77,420, and authorized the County Administrator to approve change orders up to 5% over this amount. The Commission also authorized the County Administrator to sign addendums 5 and 6 as part of our Fiber Optic Network with the City of Lawrence. Motion was seconded by Gaughan and carried 3-0.
PUBLIC COMMENT 12-09-15
George Ulbrick, Douglas County resident, asked the Board to consider reviewing regulations for landscaping businesses that operate under rural regulations. He feels landscape businesses in the county have grown and are conflicting with the land use restriction with some companies being in violation of the codes.
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE 12-09-15
Flory moved to approve accounts payable the in the amount of $297,833.04 to be paid on 12/10/15; and payroll in the amount of $886,233.03 paid on 11/27/15 and $955,488.80 to be paid on 12/11/13. Motion was seconded by Thellman carried 3-0.
Gaughan moved to adjourn the meeting. Motion was seconded by Thellman and carried 3-0.
____________________________ ____________________________
James E. Flory, Chair Mike Gaughan, Vice-Chair
ATTEST:
________________________ _____________________________
Jamie Shew, County Clerk Nancy Thellman, Member
Time and Date