Riley County commissioners approve contracts and licenses, hear staff updates on communications, WIC move and purchasing policies

The Riley County Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 23 approved a series of contracts, a liquor-license-type permit for a coffee shop and a coroner-services contract amendment, and received staff briefings on communications, the WIC clinic move to Fort Riley and proposed revisions to the county's purchasing and gift-card policies.

The decisions came during a regular meeting in which commissioners also approved routine personnel actions and meeting minutes and recessed briefly to convene as the Board of County Health and the Board of County Insurance.

County public works supervisor Ron Ellerman presented a design proposal from Baker McMillan for remodeling county IT/GIS space vacated when emergency management and fire relocated. Ellerman told commissioners the staff proposal referenced a design fee figure of about $78,008.50 and said, if approved, staff would return with a standard contract for signature. During the motion to approve the proposal commissioners referred to amounts of $78,077 and $78,850 at different times in the meeting record; the commission approved the item as presented and staff said they would prepare the formal contract for signature.

The board also approved a contract agreement for repairs at the county transfer station (tipping floor and chute repair) and approved change order No. 2 for the elevator modernization project, an increase of $11,485.64 to the elevator contract attributed in the record to rising material costs.

On administrative items, commissioners approved a cereal malt beverage license for Snagull Coffee Club and approved employee action forms submitted at the meeting. They also moved and approved the minutes from the Oct. 20 commission meeting.

County counselor Jacob Hansen explained two related coroner-services agreements. Because a prior vendor, Peterson Labs, had provided notice that it was discontinuing coroner services after being acquired, the county is transitioning to pay District Coroner Dr. Susan Speaks directly and to follow the statutory process to nominate a permanent district coroner later in the year. Commissioners approved Amendment No. 2 to the coroner-services agreement as presented.

Staff briefings included a monthly communications update from Public Information Officer Vivian Leyva, who reported web traffic and social-media follower counts ("we had a total of, almost 57,000 total page views" for September 2025) and outlined plans for a modest website refresh and standardized county email signatures. WIC supervisor Caitlin Speth told the commission the Fort Riley WIC clinic had completed a move into Building 210 and that Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) had notified the county that an MOU would be required for licensing; Speth said clinic services continued and that administrative funding projections showed the program would need supplemental funds in October (a shortfall reported as a little less than $10,000) and were projecting about $86,000 for November.

Budget and finance officer Britney Phillips presented proposed revisions to the county's gift-card and purchasing-card policies. Commissioners and staff discussed allowing Community Corrections to continue using receipt books as acknowledgment for gift-card distribution, requiring that personal reward points not accrue to individuals when purchasing county gift cards, and prohibiting the use of personal email accounts for county Internet purchases; Phillips said she would incorporate the changes and return the policies for final approval at a future meeting.

Votes at a glance - Approve contract agreement with NF Instruction (transfer station tipping floor and chute repair): approved (motion moved and seconded; vote recorded as "Aye"). - Approve cereal malt beverage license for Snagull Coffee Club: approved (motion moved and seconded; vote recorded as "Aye"). - Approve requested employee action forms: approved (motion moved and seconded; vote recorded as "Aye"). - Approve minutes of Oct. 20 meeting: approved (motion moved and seconded; vote recorded as "Aye"). - Approve Baker McMillan proposal for IT/GIS remodel (design services): approved (staff presentation referenced $78,008.50; motion language in the record included differing figures of $78,077 and $78,850; staff said they will return with a standard contract to document the final amount). - Approve change order No. 2 for elevator modernization (materials-cost increase): approved; increase reported as $11,485.64. - Approve Amendment No. 2 to coroner services agreement (paying district coroner Dr. Susan Speaks directly and related autopsy-service language): approved.

Why it matters These routine approvals advance several county facility and infrastructure projects (transfer station repairs, elevator modernization, and an IT/GIS remodel design) and ensure continuity of coroner services after a vendor change. The WIC funding projection and KDHE licensing requirement may require follow-up funding decisions. Proposed changes to the purchasing and gift-card policies would affect how departments use P-cards and distribute gift cards to clients.

Details and context - The Baker McMillan item will return to staff as a standard contract for signature; the record contains inconsistent figure references during the meeting, and staff committed to prepare the formal contract. - The elevator change order was presented as a materials cost increase tied to tariff-driven price changes for column materials; the meeting record cites a total change order of $11,485.64 across three elevator units. - The coroner-services amendment includes autopsy-service arrangements; Hansen said the county will follow the statutory nomination process (through the local medical society and county appointment) to put a district coroner in place before the start of the next year. - WIC: staffing and move logistics were completed and clients are being served by phone and in person as the new site transitions. KDHE asked the county to complete needs assessments for administrative funds; the county submitted a request for October and a projection for November.

What's next Staff will return with finalized contract documents for the Baker McMillan design work and with the revised purchasing and gift-card policies for formal adoption. The county will continue weekly KDHE calls regarding WIC funding during the state-level shutdown and will bring the coroner nomination process to the commission before year-end.

Ending Commissioners recessed at times to meet as the Board of County Health and as the Board of County Insurance; the meeting adjourned following routine business and the board scheduled follow-up as needed.