Geary County approves Konza contract amendment for CDL background checks

Geary County commissioners voted to amend the county's contract with Konza to add streamlined background checks, driver's-license reviews, drug screening and FMCSA clearinghouse registration for employees who hold commercial driver's licenses.

The contract amendment, presented by HR Director Crystal Malchos, would enroll CDL employees in Konza's service that performs background checks, verifies FMCSA registration, and conducts the annual audit required by federal rules. Malchos told commissioners the service bills at $5 per person per month; she estimated the county's current unit would cost about $60 per month, or roughly $720 per year.

Malchos said Konza's process would be initiated when a hire is entered as "pending contingent upon successful background," and that payments stop when an employee leaves. "They do the background. They make sure that they're registered with FMCSA. They do their annual audit, and it's only $5 per person per month," Malchos said.

A motion to approve the contract amendment was made and seconded, and the chair asked for the vote. The meeting transcript records commissioners responding "Aye," and the board approved the amendment.

The contract change was presented as a budget-neutral item for the HR background-checks program; Malchos told the board the cost can be covered within her existing budget.

Background: FMCSA (the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) requires employers of CDL drivers to use the national clearinghouse and to maintain required screening and audit documentation. County staff described the Konza service as a consolidation of those compliance tasks.

The board did not attach additional conditions to the approval and did not record a roll-call tally in the portion of the transcript provided.