Atchison County commissioners set 2025 organizational rules, approve budget calendar and culvert contract

Atchison County commissioners met in special session Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, and approved a slate of organizational items for the year, including leadership roles, committee assignments, financial-authority limits for department heads, travel and reimbursement rates, and a contract award for a road culvert replacement.

The board, during the organizational portion of the meeting, nominated and approved its 2025 leadership and committee assignments, adopted a schedule of regular meetings and workshops, and set administrative policies intended to standardize county operations for the year. Commissioners also passed two resolutions, one waiving certain GAAP preparation requirements for county financial reports and another authorizing participation in the state Rural Opportunity Zone student loan repayment program.

Those actions, the board said, are intended to create predictable timelines for county business, align local expense and reimbursement rules with state practice, and provide a framework for county participation in state matching programs meant to help local employers recruit professionals. On a separate agenda item the board accepted the recommendation of the road-and-bridge superintendent and awarded the Ottawa Road Phase 1 culvert-replacement contract to Tonks Construction of Cameron, Missouri, for $175,000.63.

Most organizational items were approved unanimously. The board approved workshop and meeting times for 2025, keeping a department-head workshop at 9 a.m. Tuesdays followed by the regular meeting at 10 a.m. until business is finished. It approved the 2025 holiday schedule as presented and set a Columbus Day employee training day for Oct. 13, 2025. The board named Exchange Bank and Trust, UMB, and Union State Bank of Everest as eligible depositories and accepted a formal recommendation from Treasurer Connie Ellerman naming Exchange Bank and Trust as the county's main depository for 2025.

On personnel and purchasing rules the board set department-head spending authority at $2,500 and raised the road-and-bridge superintendent's limit to $7,500 (the latter change reflects the absence of a permanent public-works director). The board decided to follow the State of Kansas mileage rate of $0.67 per mile for 2025 and approved a daily meal-reimbursement total of $59, allocated as 15% breakfast ($8.85), 35% lunch ($20.65) and 50% dinner ($29.50), matching the state's breakdown.

The board approved a cell-phone reimbursement policy—reimbursement rates described in the meeting were $30 per month for voice-only service and $60 per month for voice/text/data plans—and adopted fees for public-records requests under the Kansas Open Records Act: $0.50 per one-sided page for copies, $5 per quarter hour for research, and $7.50 per quarter hour for review.

On financial reporting the board adopted Resolution No. 2025-1547, waiving the requirement that county financial statements be prepared under GAAP and directing that statements be prepared on a cash basis adjusted to show compliance with state cash-basis and budget laws. The board also approved Resolution No. 2025-1548 to allow Atchison County to participate in the Rural Opportunity Zone (ROZ) student loan repayment program; the resolution states the county may match state and sponsor payments but allocates $0 from the county general fund for the program in 2025 and sets the maximum county/state match per qualified individual at $15,000 over five years.

In other business the board updated administrative procedures: it approved a revised commission meeting agenda template that moves public comment to the start of meetings, set rules and deadlines for agenda submissions, adopted an organizational chart (the selected format was approved 2–1), repealed a 2013 inclement-weather resolution (replaced by personnel policy provisions), approved a wage-matrix policy that requires department heads to remain within personnel-service budget lines and seek board approval for pay adjustments that would exceed those lines, and adopted an elected-official handbook acknowledgment form.

The board also set administrative election-related dates for 2025: there will be no regular commission meeting on Election Day (Nov. 4, 2025) and the county canvas of city and school general-election results will occur at the regular meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025 (Veterans Day observed).

Contract award: Road-and-bridge superintendent Joe Snyder presented the bid results and recommended awarding the Ottawa Road Phase 1 culvert-replacement contract to Tonks Construction of Cameron, Missouri, as the lowest bidder. "That'd be my recommendation to award to Tonks Construction out of Cameron, Missouri. They are the lowest bidder of $175,000.63," Snyder said. The board approved the award by voice vote, 3–0.

Votes at a glance - Nomination and approval of chairperson for 2025: approved, 3–0. - Nomination and approval of vice chairperson (Commissioner Eric Knoll): approved, 3–0. - Approval of committee-board assignments (listed at the meeting): approved, 3–0. - Renew Memorial Hall trustee / advertise for letters of interest: approved, 3–0. - 2025 holiday schedule: approved, 3–0. - Columbus Day employee training (Oct. 13, 2025): approved, 3–0. - 2025 workshop (Tuesdays 9–10 a.m.) and regular meeting schedule (Tuesdays 10 a.m. until adjourn): approved, 3–0. - Organizational meeting date for 2026 (second Monday, Jan. 12, 2026): approved, 3–0. - Eligible depositories list (Exchange Bank and Trust, UMB, Union State Bank of Everest): approved, 3–0. - Accept treasurer recommendation naming Exchange Bank and Trust as main depository: approved, 3–0. - Department-head spending authority ($2,500) and road/bridge superintendent $7,500: approved, 3–0. - Mileage reimbursement set to State of Kansas rate ($0.67/mile): approved, 3–0. - Daily meal-reimbursement total $59 (15% breakfast, 35% lunch, 50% dinner): approved, 3–0. - Cell-phone reimbursement policy (rates as presented): approved, 3–0. - Public-records fees (copies $0.50/page; research $5/quarter hour; review $7.50/quarter hour): approved, 3–0. - Resolution 2025-1547 (waive GAAP requirement; prepare on cash basis): approved, 3–0. - Authorize county participation in KAC Local Government Day (Jan. 22, 2025): approved, 3–0. - 2025 budget calendar (dates dependent on revenue-neutral determination): approved, 3–0. - Resolution 2025-1548 (participation in Rural Opportunity Zone / student loan repayment program; county allocation $0/year; max $15,000/qualified individual over five years): approved, 3–0. - 2025 city and school general election and canvas schedule (no meeting Nov. 4; canvas Nov. 11): approved, 3–0. - Morgue removal and transportation charge set at $350: approved, 3–0. - Modify commission agenda template and rules (public comment at start, deadlines for items): approved, 3–0. - Adopt organizational chart (selected format): approved, 2–1. - Repeal 2013 inclement-weather resolution (replace with personnel policy procedures): approved, 3–0. - Wage-matrix language requiring budget-line compliance and board approval for pay changes that exceed personnel lines: approved, 3–0. - Elected-official handbook acknowledgment: approved, 3–0. - Contract award — Ottawa Road Phase 1 culvert replacement to Tonks Construction (Cameron, MO) for $175,000.63: approved, 3–0.

The meeting included two attorney–client executive sessions; no actions resulted from those sessions that were reported in open session. The board adjourned after completing the published agenda.

Ending Minutes and formal resolutions approved at the meeting will be published in the county's official newspaper and included in the county records. Several items—most notably the county's participation in the Rural Opportunity Zone and the culvert contract—carry implementation steps (state forms or contractor paperwork) that county staff said they will complete in follow-up work.