Leavenworth County commissioners approve plat, service contracts and policies in unanimous votes

The Leavenworth County Board of Commissioners took a string of formal actions during the meeting, unanimously approving a final plat, service contracts and administrative policies.

Why it matters: The package includes land‑use approvals, vendor contracts that affect county operations and employee benefits, and an information‑management policy. Together they affect county finances, day‑to‑day services and records retention.

Final plat: Commissioners conditionally approved the proposed final plat for case DEV‑25‑023‑024, a two‑lot subdivision that splits roughly 1.5 acres around an existing farmhouse while leaving the remainder as agricultural land. The planning commission had recommended approval and granted exemptions for lot depth and nonconforming structures. The board’s motion approved the plat subject to the staff report’s conditions.

Natural gas services: The board approved an extension and consolidation of the county’s natural‑gas contract with Clearwater Enterprises, adding the Cushing building (previously on a different provider) into the same contract. County staff said last year’s use of Clearwater saved just under $30,000 compared with purchasing gas directly from other suppliers; consolidating providers is expected to roll additional savings into the Clearwater contract.

Employee health services: Commissioners approved a two‑year agreement with ModRn Health Inc. (presented as “MODRN Health Inc.”) to provide on‑site health and care coordination services for county employees. Staff told the board Blue Cross Blue Shield has agreed to reimburse start‑up costs for the first year; the annual ongoing cost was estimated by staff as roughly $183,000 after the initial period, with the provider covering start‑up costs the first year under the insurer’s incentive program. County staff said services will be located in the Cushing building, have no co‑pay for employees and include 24‑hour phone access to clinicians.

Data retention: The board adopted a proposed county data‑retention policy to journal and retain county email accounts for full‑time, part‑time and elected officials in accordance with applicable laws. Staff noted the policy does not supersede the county’s data access policy (effective March 1, 2018) and is intended to codify earlier decisions made in migrating email off server‑based storage.

Electronic health record: The commission authorized the chair to sign a sales agreement to replace the county’s current electronic health‑record system with a new vendor (referred to in staff remarks as Panagana/Patagonia software). Staff said the transition and five years of software costs are grant‑covered. The motion authorized signing the sales agreement.

Votes at a glance (each item was approved by motion and voice vote; minutes show unanimous board approval): - Case DEV‑25‑023‑024 final plat — outcome: approved (conditional). - Clearwater Enterprises natural gas contract extension (adds Cushing) — outcome: approved. - MODRN Health Inc. two‑year employee health services agreement — outcome: approved. - Data retention policy (email journaling/retention) — outcome: adopted. - Electronic health record sales agreement (Panagana/Patagonia) — outcome: authorized for chair signature.

What the record shows: Each motion received a second and passed without recorded dissent; staff presentations accompanied most items and commissioners asked clarifying questions about savings, location of services and contract costs.

Next steps: Staff will execute contracts and return any implementation details as required by county procurement and budget processes. The ModRn program will begin with the county’s benefits year in October; Blue Cross reimbursement of start‑up expenses is expected for the first year.