Dickinson County commissioners approve event venue permit, vehicle and equipment purchases, contracts and a proclamation

The Dickinson County Board of Commissioners approved a conditional use permit for a rural event venue, authorized multiple equipment and vehicle purchases, adopted a county resolution defining administrator authority and proclaimed February 2025 as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month at its meeting on Jan. 30.

The actions move forward a private event business on county land, funding and repairs for highway and emergency-response equipment and short-term contract changes for public-defense attorneys, officials said. Commissioners also authorized a county commissioner to sign accounts payable while other commissioners attend County Government Day in Topeka.

Planning and zoning staff presented the conditional-use permit for an event venue called The Willows, located at 1245 Flag Road. Tim Hamilton, planning and zoning, told the commission that the planning commission reviewed the application Jan. 16 and recommended approval by a 6-0 vote. Hamilton said the planning commission placed conditions requiring that outdoor lighting attached to the building be shielded to prevent light encroachment on adjacent residences and that the applicants consult with environmental services, the fire district and county emergency management on well, septic and emergency response status.

Commissioners approved the conditional use permit for CUP 25-01. The permit includes a clause that it will expire if the property is sold or transferred to new ownership, and the applicants indicated they were working to resolve required items with the fire district before operating large public events. Applicant representatives estimated that the building could host roughly 240–250 people for large weddings and that parking for 40–50 vehicles would be handled on the site’s 28 acres.

Dalen Alexand…