Commissioners approve $5.5 million in vouchers and a series of contracts, including Lehi Trail resurfacing

Shawnee County commissioners on Jan. 16 approved $5,504,613.84 in vouchers and a series of contracts and procurement actions covering audit services, road materials, park improvements and equipment purchases, officials said.

County financial administrator Jennifer Sauer presented the annual audit contract with Forbus LLP (contract C12-2025) and said preliminary work has begun; the board approved the contract 3-0. County staff listed several notable voucher payments in the period, including $116,193.35 to Axon Enterprise for the sheriff's office annual body-camera and auto-tagging payment; $220,771.46 to Axon Enterprises for TASER certification; $91,272.02 to KBS Constructors for the Kansas grant portion of monthly construction costs for the Department of Corrections mental-health addition; and $2,666,814 to Allianz Insurance Services for county insurance renewal.

In procurement votes, the board awarded a bid to Potter's Industries LLC of Malvern, Pa., for up to 44,000 pounds of glass beads used in reflective traffic paint and approved a contract with Ham Incorporated, doing business as Buildix LLC of Lawrence, Kan., for up to 4,000 cubic yards of lightweight aggregate used primarily in chip seals. Public-works staff said both awards reflected modest price increases this year.

The board also approved a contract (C13-2025) with the city of Topeka to provide one inmate work group and one supervisor from the county Department of Corrections for city code-compliance work; the county will invoice the city monthly. Joe Rucker, Department of Corrections, said inmates on the crew will be paid $8 per day while assigned to the program.

Commissioners approved a sole-source contract (C16-2025) with Coordant Health Solutions for a Century Collin drug-screening system at a cost of $71,000, funded by a grant from the Kansas Governor's Grants program, the Department of Corrections said. The board approved the facilities-management contract C14-2025 with PKMRHTK for phase 1 of the courthouse restroom renovation, with phase 1 estimated at $459,000 to be paid from the courthouse renovation capital improvement project fund.

Parks and Recreation staff asked to move forward with B & T Construction LLC on the Lehi Trail resurfacing (contract C15-2025). Jess Reikstra said the work covers about a 3.2-mile stretch from the Westgate Bridge east to Tyler Street and includes a Tyler Street approach to the levee. The project is expected to cost about $151,000; staff secured a $102,000 Recreational Trails grant from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and said the remainder will come from the department’s building maintenance fund. Commissioners and staff discussed surface details — a gravel base with crushed limestone topping — and confirmed permissions and a memorandum of understanding with the city for work on the levee.

Other approved actions included issuing an RFP for replacement pumps and motors at Cypress Ridge Golf Course (to be paid from the golf-course revolving fund), authorizing Emergency Management to issue bids for capital outlay projects approved in recent budgets, and renewing the county’s tax-administration software support contract (C20-2025) with Computer Information Concepts for $63,895. All motions recorded in the meeting passed 3-0 unless otherwise noted.

Votes at a glance

- Vouchers approval: Total $5,504,613.84 (motion to approve; mover: Commissioner Mays; second: Commissioner Cook). Outcome: approved 3-0. - Correction orders: approved (motion by Commissioner Mays; second Commissioner Rippon). Outcome: approved 3-0. - Acknowledge K-9 retirement correspondence (Drago): approved (motion by Commissioner Mays; second Commissioner Rippon). Outcome: approved 3-0. (Also covered in separate item.) - Contract C12-2025, Forbus LLP (audit services): approved (motion by Commissioner Cook; second Commissioner Rippon). Outcome: approved 3-0. - Bid award, Potters Industries LLC (glass beads, up to 44,000 lbs): approved (motion by Commissioner Rippon; second Commissioner Cook). Outcome: approved 3-0. - Bid award, Ham Inc. dba Buildix LLC (lightweight aggregate, up to 4,000 cu yd): approved (motion by Commissioner Cook; second Commissioner Mays). Outcome: approved 3-0. - Contract C13-2025, city of Topeka (inmate work group): approved (motion by Commissioner Mays; second Commissioner Rippon). Outcome: approved 3-0. Noted inmate pay: $8/day while assigned. - Contract C16-2025, Coordant Health Solutions (Century Collin system): approved (motion by Commissioner Mays; second Commissioner Cook). Outcome: approved 3-0. Funding: $71,000 from Kansas Governor's Grants program. - Contract C14-2025, PKMRHTK (courthouse restroom renovation phase 1): approved (motion by Commissioner Cook; second Commissioner Rippon). Outcome: approved 3-0. Cost: $459,000 from courthouse renovation CIP fund. - Contract C15-2025, B & T Construction LLC (Lehi Trail phase 1 resurfacing): approved (motion by Commissioner Rippon; second Commissioner Mays). Outcome: approved 3-0. Cost estimate: $151,000; grant $102,000; remainder from Parks & Recreation building maintenance fund. - RFP approval for Cypress Ridge Golf Course pump/motor replacement (paid from golf-course revolving fund): approved (motion by Commissioner Mays; second Commissioner Cook). Outcome: approved 3-0. - Emergency Management: authorized to issue bids for capital outlay projects approved in FY 21-24 and FY25 budgets (motion by Commissioner Cook; second Commissioner Rippon). Outcome: approved 3-0. - Contract C20-2025, Computer Information Concepts (tax administration support renewal, $63,895): approved (motion by Commissioner Rippon; second Commissioner Mays). Outcome: approved 3-0.

The board had limited debate on most items; staff provided procurement and funding details as part of each request. Several presenters noted small, routine price increases (for example, a roughly 3% rise in aggregate and glass-bead costs and a 4% increase in the audit contract) that county staff said will be reflected in budget planning.