Finney County commissioners approve grants, deny subdivision waiver, appoint indigent defense attorney and set RFQs; votes at a glance

The Finney County Board of Commissioners on March 3 took a series of administrative and program actions: it denied a waiver for a proposed subdivision that would create a lot under two acres, approved recommendations for alcohol-tax and parks-and-recreation grants, signed local health grant application materials and a sliding-fee schedule for maternal and family planning programs, accepted noxious-weed reports and a 2025 weed-management plan, approved an indigent-defense panel appointment, and authorized requests for qualifications (RFQs) for an organizational review and an executive search for county administrator.

Dante Thompson, planner with Neighborhood and Development Services, presented a waiver request for property at 906 and 908 West Maple Street that would have created three lots, including one of about 1.6 acres intended for CDL truck-driver training. Staff recommended against the waiver and commissioners said the board should see a plat and any required rezoning before deciding. A motion to deny the waiver request carried.

On grants, LiveWell Finney County and staff offered recommendations for distribution of alcohol-tax (AFAC) funds. The board approved LiveWell’s recommended awards for the larger-grant portion and later approved staff recommendations for smaller awards managed by staff; the county’s share of recommended awards was described in the packet as 10% (about $5,000) with the City of Garden City responsible for 90% (about $45,000) of the recommended allocation. One commissioner recorded a nay on the first AFAC vote; the motion carried.

The commissioners approved the Parks and Recreation grant committee’s recommendations, and the Finney County Board of Health signed the state grant-application signature page supporting applications the health department will submit to KDHE, including a new pregnancy-maintenance initiative application. The board also approved a sliding fee schedule for the family-planning and maternal-and-child-health programs effective July 1 to ensure compliance with KDHE grant requirements.

Gary Hahn, Finney County noxious-weed director, presented the 2024 annual weed report and the 2025 management plan; the board approved both documents, which are required by the Kansas Department of Agriculture.

Laura Blake Bores, representing the county’s indigent-defense contract panel, introduced Heidi Farnsworth as the panel’s sixth attorney to replace a prior resignation. The board approved Farnsworth’s appointment and authorized the chair to sign an addendum to the contract, with her appointment to be permanent effective April 1.

Interim County Administrator Gary Meagher presented RFQs: one for a county organizational review (a “scan”) and another to hire an executive-search firm for the county-administrator vacancy. The board approved both RFQs, set response timelines, and appointed commissioners to review committees: Commissioners Mike (last name not specified) and Kevin Baskew will serve on the organizational-review committee (Mike to chair), while Commissioners Vasquez and Gherman will serve on the administrator-search committee (Vicki to chair the search committee). The board also discussed scheduling and other staff reports; two executive sessions were held for personnel and attorney–client privilege, and the board announced no action was taken on those matters when it returned to open session.

The board scheduled a ceremonial groundbreaking for the county health/EMS building for March 24 at 11 a.m. and heard an informational presentation from KCAMP about a counties’ property/liability insurance pool; that presentation drew no formal action.