Pratt County Commission approves server-room AC, salaries, bank signatories and other routine business

At a Pratt County Commission meeting, commissioners approved a set of routine operational items by voice vote, including equipment purchases, contracts, salary resolutions and personnel actions.

Key votes at a glance

- Server-room air conditioner: The commission approved purchase of a mini-split air-conditioning unit from Intergreen Services for $5,955 for the county server room. Staff described the current window unit as beyond useful life and said the quoted Mitsubishi mini-split carries a 12-year warranty. The motion carried by voice vote.

- Legal-services contract (public defender/court): The commission approved a contract for legal services for the court with a monthly compensation amount of $3,348.62. The motion to sign the contract carried by voice vote.

- Salaries for elected officials: Commissioners approved salaries for elected officials as listed during the meeting (commissioner chairman $24,500; county attorney $127,588; county clerk $66,399; county treasurer $63,585; register of deeds $59,084; sheriff $76,681; and commissioner's base noted as 23,5 in transcript text). The transcript records that most elected officials received a 3% increase as discussed during a prior budget study session; the commission motion carried by voice vote.

- County employee raises: The commission approved a 3% raise for county employees (with the landfill excluded because it received a larger raise last year and with commissioners not receiving the increase). Motion carried by voice vote.

- Designation of registered agent: The commission designated Sasha Hoffman as a county agent for accepting service of papers and took the corresponding motion (motion carried by voice vote).

- Bank signature cards and depositories: Commissioners approved adding Morgan Trinkle to signature cards at Legacy (referred to as Legacy), Peoples and Fusion Bank, and designated Legacy, Peoples and Fusion as county depositories for 2025. Motions carried by voice vote.

- Road crossing permit: The commission approved a road-crossing permit for Morningstar Farms at Northwest 20 (legal land descriptions recorded in the transcript). Motion carried by voice vote.

- Annual NOCTUS lead eradication progress report: The commission approved the 2024 NOCTUS lead eradication progress report as required by KSA 2-13-16; the motion carried by voice vote.

- Annual management plan: The commission approved an annual management plan for 2025 (transcript wording: "now after suite 20 25 management plan" — recorded as approved in meeting). Motion carried by voice vote.

- Personnel actions: Commissioners approved hiring Tricia Clark as deputy clerk at $17 per hour and Lori Voss as part-time clerk at $25 per hour. Motions carried by voice vote.

- Minutes and vouchers: The commission approved minutes from Dec. 30, 2024, and approved payment of vouchers dated Jan. 6 and Jan. 8 (dates as recorded in the meeting). Motions carried by voice vote.

Procedure and voting notes: Most motions were taken by voice vote with commissioners saying "aye"; the transcript does not record roll-call tallies or individual yes/no votes. When a roll call or numeric tally was not recorded, the meeting minutes reflected motion carries or "motion is carried." No defeated motions were recorded in the transcript.

Why it matters: The approved items cover routine county administration (contracted court services, payroll/salary policy, equipment for critical IT infrastructure, bank signatories, permitting and personnel), and they set operational authority and spending on multiple small-dollar items and recurring contracts.

What was not decided: No final procurement beyond the server-room unit and the court-services contract were approved for larger capital projects during this session, and several agenda items (noted in the transcript) were administrative or procedural.