[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6595727,"mediaKeyId","3026049-21d4445f111a250cf0a2ebe735421363","parentId",3026049,"title","County communications chief: FOIA volume, news releases and joint information roles have expanded","audioSeconds",112,"startMs",3057000,"endMs",3169000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3026049-21d4445f111a250cf0a2ebe735421363&start=3057&end=3169","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3026049-21d4445f111a250cf0a2ebe735421363/thumbnail_3057000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6595727/Douglas-County/Kansas/County-communications-chief-FOIA-volume-news-releases-and-joint-information-roles-have-expanded","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6595727-484e9654f9b4e4b71a587378ed6e3abc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770991408&Signature=iXStdadlWPJfnCQUSEK22dKfIXkHynAE7jDtA2mdPQz3Bl5rzfQmul3GZ4dzmyp1z53kgV46eWbPNxMIbeHUai9UHd4VlJSxvU4H8zTwrDFMstUZ2cZx-w26NQj13mMv5YI3WuTfMCDPTj-dw5wGdV2m9jZNt4sufHGOtFtYU2A8R3~W1OgCA0fk4Snp7U5sKZgrC6kGUMKXjP2tTcXV86st~H8YKF5NfH-el1K3EbkUtWj7JDdqUKHHprCOQt1RqU9JW~8baslmwNcf~GAAOiMNWgVGLb7QoXf6s3F5~~-KIlcQR9PRcfN5IBS2kAwKndoVj-oP8CC9w4AC23noug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Douglas County, KS","date","2025-04-16T22:20:34.053Z","article","Carrie Bridal, the county’s media and communications coordinator, told commissioners she serves as the county’s Freedom of Information Officer and that the office responds to open‑records requests within three business days. She said the county received 73 open‑records requests in 2024 and had already processed 22 so far this year.

Bridal said communications issues include outward‑facing news releases, social media, an internal employee newsletter and coordination with other public information officers. She said the county issued 11 news releases last year and has already exceeded that number in the current year. She also said she co‑chairs the Douglas County Public Information Officer Group and helps operate a joint information center during major incidents like the tornado and historic flooding.

Bridal described other work such as web content management, social media policy development, outreach for county events (county government day) and support for elections and public information around construction and housing developments. She said communications helped distribute a mental‑health resource card developed with partner agencies and participates in strategic communications planning for the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

No policy changes were proposed at the session; communications staff described operational volumes, staffing needs and upcoming public events.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of County Commissioners Work Session on April 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The county’s media and communications coordinator summarized open‑records request volumes, news releases and joint information work for emergency response and elections.","taxTitle","Douglas County, Kansas","taxId",2887,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6595732,"County administrator reviews organizational changes, ARPA distribution and staffing challenges",341,2654000,2995000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3026049-21d4445f111a250cf0a2ebe735421363&start=2654&end=2995","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3026049-21d4445f111a250cf0a2ebe735421363/thumbnail_2654000.jpg","/articles/6595732/Douglas-County/Kansas/County-administrator-reviews-organizational-changes-ARPA-distribution-and-staffing-challenges","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6595732-461eb70e90103f2872bd9d75dda6c759/orig.mp4?Expires=1770991408&Signature=Q0bBudEFJDX-JQTrLIpRb6umpENn2rGwE3XAJa~2~qhxZgYYwnhJzg2kAwd2ewyhVPvuMFYpvnaZIM7VyzCEsitbjz6gv4zoTbJapZ3Z1bUtzqEOqir2DaVt6OTdOpPZRwv0EaF6fLL5Y9qlZ-43XN9qP5avhxNGpWHaKISQiXkI1qGFXe5Dx7asQpKGCnXOD8ypQ7W1ZfAJlukpLZqCGtF3T4eqmprCWpTKCu68toz5DoT2ZfJkZuZDvfV1-wcbCXhiBMKCkmaVY5liz7g97~n4IdRHeQ~ChCKFFu7cMmFdcaXSVLfxN8PdiEAIjj97ptXEZi2AqfyPBWPaAZDS4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sarah, the county administrator, presented an organizational chart and said the commission authorized a deputy county administrator position in 2024 and the county hired Sean Peterson for that role. She described program areas under administration including housing and human services coordination, capital projects, risk management and finance.

Sarah reported the county has invested \"over $128,000,000 in county facilities since the Public Works Building was built,\" and said the administration and finance teams distributed about \"$23,700,000 in ARPA funds to the community.\" She noted that federal awards rose from under $500,000 pre‑CARES to over $25,000,000 annually during recent years, increasing audit and reporting workload.

The administrator listed accomplishments — treatment recovery center opening in 2023, McGrath study implementation and supportive housing projects — and said challenges include space limitations and rising regulatory complexity. She said recent hires are adding capacity in finance and program oversight, and that some follow‑up information commissioners requested — for example a staff‑level comparison of administration size to similarly populated counties — could be provided in a future update.

No formal policy decisions were taken during the work session; the presentation was informational and staff said several topics (CIP, facility futures, supportive housing investment totals) will be addressed in upcoming meetings.","Douglas County’s county administrator summarized an organizational chart change, hiring of a deputy county administrator, $128 million invested in county facilities since the Public Works Building, and distribution of about $23.7 million in ARPA funds; she also flagged space and staffing pressures.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6595737,"Douglas County GIS manager highlights GeoPortal, address database and emergency mapping role",1186,1453000,2639000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3026049-21d4445f111a250cf0a2ebe735421363&start=1453&end=2639","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3026049-21d4445f111a250cf0a2ebe735421363/thumbnail_1453000.jpg","/articles/6595737/Douglas-County/Kansas/Douglas-County-GIS-manager-highlights-GeoPortal-address-database-and-emergency-mapping-role","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6595737-8ddabe2531daca51872d35545504a090/orig.mp4?Expires=1770991408&Signature=fCS-rTWZqBFGSL~HdwnDdLtKQmocRqvXIBPQAj5wywd-~DDSEf1a-~Y0EryA2OI-08tzrQmWgtZg35-yGoQS~bSffFZxVxT01gV8moZTMj8yxnUkBkaY7o7k8elvVURa2cJrTQ6bJgnu3C~TlvcvbZok5z7ymTVp5Gb2QlLQm58q-ynYMvt~kdikbEJeziV~nkhh0tYcZmbyxEtmpmPQBUEEyl8A~cfI~QqRODvmWDVk5VxwyqVmuDT1oeMjYZFdrCokAwfeYpmBiRWVleEVfczZEBIoEM6DLyAxf7q7-8hA7LmX7pXM9y1Td-wDrX-sl4I-mjduTCtRTefKPAQ4DQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tyler Fleming, GIS manager, told the commission the county’s GeoPortal (dgcoks.gov/geoportal) launched last summer and provides publicly available web applications and aerial imagery. He said the county has four full‑time GIS professionals and maintains an enterprise GIS with on‑premises servers and a cloud environment.

Fleming emphasized the operational data GIS maintains: he said the county keeps roughly \"62,000 address points,\" road centerlines and thousands of common places used by dispatchers. He explained that common places — named locations such as businesses or landmarks — allow 911 dispatch to route first responders when a caller gives a place name rather than a numeric street address.

On imagery, Fleming said Douglas County participates in statewide orthorectified aerial imagery collected every two years and buys out higher resolution imagery for local use; oblique photos are collected on a staggered schedule so the county receives new imagery annually in alternating products.

Fleming described GIS’s role in emergency operations: live Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) feeds and GIS dashboards help emergency management and public information officers track incidents, allocate resources and generate maps for public communications during events such as grass fires or tornado response. He said GIS tools were critical during the county’s response and recovery from an F4 tornado and are used by the sheriff’s office and fire district for response routing.

Commissioners and staff asked about planned overlays and future analytic work; Fleming said the GIS team will work with the county’s Power BI/data warehouse work to overlay socioeconomic, health and service data for decision support and to show how county dollars are being spent.

No formal decisions were made; the presentation emphasized data infrastructure and operational support for public safety and planning.","GIS staff described the county GeoPortal, address point database, aerial imagery schedule, and how GIS supports 911, emergency management and prosecutors during emergencies and recovery.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6595740,"Douglas County IT outlines cybersecurity posture, Power BI data projects and growing help‑desk demand",921,497000,1418000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3026049-21d4445f111a250cf0a2ebe735421363&start=497&end=1418","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3026049-21d4445f111a250cf0a2ebe735421363/thumbnail_497000.jpg","/articles/6595740/Douglas-County/Kansas/Douglas-County-IT-outlines-cybersecurity-posture-Power-BI-data-projects-and-growing-helpdesk-demand","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6595740-f8b34ed870e33374f2018c8c5f9fa842/orig.mp4?Expires=1770991408&Signature=bYCIo4y1a6Ibb6lWHs8E-UNH-SJkIODEctH9VKZ6o7ePfDtEH7oBz~UlWqOIHZNuGxqStya2M0FE4ymTea~WjMfeKnNdPOn99lqSgoA94C1kkhNCewQgwGq4S7FE1JkIPyS8E1SjItjsmNlfc8fpN~cnZ3RusxUaQ419M-Spmk5x0KbUAHnQDKSCXI3ybfsGxkNu0g1y7WJ07KCj3gTieafRCFeDJClPgmPXXzWljmkDAzuZ-gRLOHnliJqiiL8qxdTBWig20b3ygH37Goe9aUCt2bvLmAMhlUALraAkCH4mGrOPnhwePu3a1jNmwt7vJ-XUZ2t4HD1K58r6l2a6mQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Starla Jones, director of information technology for Douglas County, told the commission the IT office covers \"security, networking, the wireless infrastructure, our the website for the county software support, maintenance hardware, telephones, printers\" and more, and that her office has been working to \"use our tools to be more efficient and effective.\" She said IT has built an in‑house maintenance tracking solution and launched a data warehouse project connected to Power BI dashboards.

Security engineer Ben Aldridge gave metrics from the threat landscape, citing third‑party industry reporting: \"In 2018, it was 63 days. And in 2024, it was just 5 days,\" referring to the average time to exploit a known vulnerability before patching. He said breakout time for adversaries had fallen and that email phishing remains a persistent threat; Aldridge reported about \"30 phishing or spam emails that are automatically quarantined each day\" plus roughly 30 more daily messages that require manual reporting and remediation.

Aldridge described the county’s vulnerability management and testing practices: weekly and monthly CISA scans of external assets, an annual third‑party penetration test, and adherence to hardening guidance from CISA, CIS and DISA. He also explained recent security tools including a managed detection/response (MDR) endpoint product and a Web Application Firewall (WAF) deployed after a site migration. Aldridge said the WAF logged roughly 150,000 requests over seven days and blocked about 70,000 of them for malicious purposes.

Starla and IT staff said the data warehouse and Power BI work aims to standardize intake, create a single platform for multiple county datasets and provide flexible visualizations. They named ongoing projects pulling data from homelessness services, district court, behavioral health and the district attorney’s office. The county also plans dashboards that could show service‑agreement outcomes and, later, expenditure maps to make it clearer \"where their dollars are going,\" staff said.

Staff reported rising demand: Starla said IT completed about 50 projects last year and project counts continue to grow as the county adds new systems such as the Senior Resource Center. She noted partnerships with the City of Lawrence on fiber and with regional cybersecurity groups, and said IT is monitoring help‑desk ticket volume as it scales project management capacity.

No policy or procurement decisions were announced at the work session; staff described ongoing programs and preparations for further technical tabletop and recovery exercises.","County IT described cybersecurity measures, managed endpoint detection, web application firewall activity, a data warehouse/Power BI project, and rising ticket and project counts during the commission work session.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6595743,"Douglas County maintenance staff describe scope of work across 40+ county buildings",198,171000,369000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3026049-21d4445f111a250cf0a2ebe735421363&start=171&end=369","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3026049-21d4445f111a250cf0a2ebe735421363/thumbnail_171000.jpg","/articles/6595743/Douglas-County/Kansas/Douglas-County-maintenance-staff-describe-scope-of-work-across-40-county-buildings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6595743-79fb009dcc788ad492d039ed4c102c6f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770991408&Signature=D7p-vYDhcFLvWbS4EctQ2iWMpdkgYOZLTkrOxSPKX5no6K3JN2TBewisteb8EhcZG0YFoej0Vzx3DeqazRb9LyBmKN9tq2~XfjNCDMPm5QfyjxljHA1JUaMuRGa0l9-69XI7L6LZDuAwFK39qmT8CDBSljodehAPYtO1iff3hnCfnBDsRsvLX4IgRBLTJa6Iv3YkvFkAnanjSelPrkwmWIG2PTboASSReAfeHEg3Uv89dcyO7fiSdsoqxpBTweQ9m4kU09XtibyXO2IHCQdiKj33hjJnOlVpM~8R3sSY2-HhWPO~T7mildDLbqzdAW1xcDSYJbctxGTWmuIEuWf0hw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jimmy Wilkins, the maintenance department presenter, told the Douglas County Commission at its afternoon work session that \"The maintenance department maintains over 40 buildings around Douglas County.\" He said the department has \"14 facility and ground maintenance personnel, 1 admin person, and 8 custodians\" distributed countywide.

Wilkins described the county jail as the largest maintenance responsibility because \"since the jail never closes, it is by far our biggest maintenance issue\" and said maintenance staff are on call \"24/7/365.\" He also described maintenance work at the fairgrounds, noting the department recorded \"908 reservations\" in 2024 including an eight‑day rental for the National Junior Hereford Show.

The maintenance team also performs snow and ice removal, landscaping and HVAC work at tower base facilities. Wilkins said the crew maintains a downtown campus that includes the old courthouse and the law enforcement center, and that most other larger county facilities are serviced on a responsive, preventive and predictive maintenance basis.

In response to commissioner questions, Wilkins clarified that the county maintains the facilities at the base of communications towers and the HVAC systems inside those enclosures, but that tower work itself is handled by contractors or tower lessees. He said the county is maintaining the former Public Works building at a minimal level — heat is kept on in winter, water is shut off, and staff conduct monthly inspections to prevent pests and trespass — and that use of the building for occasional training will continue; he noted the commission will discuss the site's future during an upcoming capital improvement program (CIP) presentation.

The presentation included operational details and staff counts but did not propose any formal actions. Commissioners thanked maintenance staff for day‑to‑day operations and noted the department’s centralized role supporting other county projects.

Less critical details: Wilkins said maintenance is coordinating with the county sustainability department on new landscaping at the administration building once construction is complete.","Maintenance staff told the Douglas County Commission work session the department maintains more than 40 county buildings, handles on-call repairs for the jail and fairgrounds, and provides snow removal and landscaping services across the county.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County communications chief: FOIA volume, news releases and joint information roles have expanded

County administrator reviews organizational changes, ARPA distribution and staffing challenges

Douglas County GIS manager highlights GeoPortal, address database and emergency mapping role

Douglas County IT outlines cybersecurity posture, Power BI data projects and growing help‑desk demand

Douglas County maintenance staff describe scope of work across 40+ county buildings