Geary County commissioners approve repayment to sports-complex fund, reallocate CIP for public safety and equipment

Geary County commissioners voted Tuesday to repay money previously taken from the county’s sports-complex fund, reallocate capital improvement funds for public-safety equipment and vehicles, and approve several routine administrative items including the county’s household hazardous waste report and its winter road-salt supplier.

The most immediate actions approved were a repayment of roughly $65,004.75 to the sports-complex fund and a set of CIP (capital improvements program) purchases that the commission agreed to move forward immediately: replacement county handguns for the sheriff’s office (to switch brands for safety reasons), a county dump truck replacement, and a Zoll AutoPulse resuscitation unit for EMS. Commissioners also approved submitting the 2025 household-hazardous-waste (HHW) annual report to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and awarded the 2025–26 road-salt contract to the lowest bidder.

Why it matters: The repayment closes a multi-year accounting dispute about money that was taken from a dedicated tourism/sports complex account and used for other projects between August 2019 and September 2020. The CIP reallocations respond to an urgent public-safety concern raised by the sheriff about accidental discharges associated with one model of duty firearm and will change the make of the department’s duty pistols sooner than planned.

Repayment and accounting for the sports-complex fund

Tammy Robinson, Geary County finance director, presented a review of historical expenditures and told the commission that, excluding two chamber-of-commerce payments that might be considered CVB/CVV costs, the transactions taken from the sports-complex fund that are not directly sports-related amount to about $65,004.75. Robinson said the county’s records show multiple checks written from that fund in 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2020 and that the accounting needed to be corrected before adopting a new charter resolution governing the fund.

After discussion, a commissioner moved and a second followed to repay the county’s sports-complex fund for the items identified between August 2019 and September 2020 that were not sports-complex related. The motion passed on a voice vote; commissioners indicated their assent by saying “aye.”

Sheriff: deputies’ safety prompted earlier firearm replacement

Sheriff’s office representatives told the commission the department wants to accelerate replacement of its duty pistols because of documented unintentional discharges and national safety concerns with a common make carried by deputies. The sheriff described testing that showed a particular model could discharge in a holster or with very small trigger movement, citing national reports and an FBI evaluation that examined similar failures.

The sheriff said some deputies had expressed fear about carrying the current make of pistol. Captain McCork and Captain Gilbert (department firearms subject-matter experts) described field tests and national litigation and agency decisions that have led other departments to ban or restrict the model in question. The sheriff recommended switching to Glock handguns under the state contract to reduce risk and improve interoperability with nearby agencies.

Commissioners approved moving the Glock purchase forward now rather than waiting for the previously planned 2026 replacement cycle. County staff reported a total purchase-and-setup estimate of roughly $31,000 for the department’s full switch (holsters, optics, and buyback of older guns were included in staff estimates), plus modest training costs to certify instructors on red-dot optics. The commission voted to authorize the purchase and to rescind two public-works CIP projects (a previously proposed dump-truck replacement and a shop restroom/window/door project totaling roughly $225,000) to free funds and balance the CIP schedule.

CIP reallocations, dump truck and EMS equipment

Public Works Administrator Jeremy Myers asked the commission to prioritize a dump-truck replacement that was needed after an accident and to postpone other shop improvements. Commissioners approved replacing the totaled dump truck now (estimated $248,073) and agreed to defer the larger shop exterior and restroom projects.

The commission also approved funding for an EMS auto-resuscitation device (Zoll AutoPulse) with a county share of about $52,006.59 toward a total unit cost of roughly $78,009.88; staff said EMS would still confirm final priority and timing but the commission cleared the CIP funding allocation.

Household hazardous waste report and salt contract

Public Works staff presented the HHW 2025 physical-year report, which is due to KDHE by Sept. 15. Commissioners moved and approved submitting the report.

The commission also reviewed quotes for the 2025–26 road-salt season. Staff said they requested bids using a 1,500-ton estimate for planning; two vendors responded. Essential Salt submitted the lowest bid at $47.02 per ton; Independent Salt bid $48.24 per ton. The commission approved awarding the salt contract to Essential Salt at $47.02 per ton.

Community Corrections budget adjustments and outcomes

The commission approved fourth-quarter budget adjustments and year-end outcome reports for the county’s Community Corrections programs. The adult corrections fourth-quarter adjustments totaled $333,040.95; juvenile-program adjustments totaled $42,746.51. The commission also accepted the department’s year-end performance reports, which staff said showed strong quality-assurance results and high success rates on the measures the state requires.

Fire department updates and station design

Gary Burgess, Geary County emergency management and rural fire chief, gave the commission routine briefings: year-to-date fire calls were higher than the prior year; staffing and equipment upgrades are in progress; and the county had received a $2,500 grant from the Kansas Pipeline Association for four-gas monitors to improve firefighter safety. Burgess also sought and received approval to sign an architectural agreement to begin design work for Station 4 (architect fee revised to $14,000 with a $4,500 startup payment) so the county could continue once fundraising finished. Commissioners agreed to let Burgess sign the agreement after county-counsel review.

Other business and next steps

Commissioners approved routine minutes and procedural items, and staff said they will continue to reconcile the sports-complex charter resolution language to clarify what expenses are allowed going forward. Several items approved during the session will be reflected in the county’s upcoming budget work sessions and the CIP schedule; county staff said they would return to the commission with final purchase paperwork and grant confirmations as available.

Votes at a glance

- Repay sports-complex fund (items Aug. 2019–Sep. 2020 not sports related): motion to repay roughly $65,004.75; outcome: approved (voice vote, all in favor). - Authorize Station 4 architectural agreement signature (architect fee $14,000, startup $4,500): outcome: approved (motion and voice vote). - HHW 2025 physical-year report submission to KDHE (due Sept. 15): outcome: approved (motion and voice vote). - 2025–26 road-salt supplier: Essential Salt at $47.02/ton (estimated 1,500 tons): outcome: approved (motion and voice vote). - CIP reallocations: approve immediate purchase of Glock duty handguns and related equipment (~$31,000), replace dump truck (~$248,073), and purchase Zoll AutoPulse (county share ~$52,006.59); rescind two Public Works CIP projects totaling roughly $225,000: outcome: approved (motion and voice vote). - Community Corrections fourth-quarter adjustments and year-end reports: adult adjustments $333,040.95; juvenile adjustments $42,746.51; outcome: approved (motions and voice votes). - Minutes and routine approvals: outcome: approved.

Speakers quoted in this report were staff and officials who appeared in the commission meeting transcript and are identified below. Where amounts or dates were discussed and not fully resolved during the meeting, the article reports the figures county staff provided at the session.

Ending: County staff will prepare formal documents and vendor purchase paperwork for signature, reconcile the sports-complex charter language for future clarity, and carry the approved CIP changes into the next budget work session.