Woods County commissioners approve appointments, membership renewals, surplus disposals and routine agreements

Woods County commissioners on Tuesday approved a slate of routine personnel appointments, membership renewals and equipment surplus actions during a meeting at the county courthouse.

The board approved the appointment of deputy first assistants for each commissioner district, renewed the county'wide survival-flight and AirMed membership subscriptions, authorized the county to submit a grant application for rescue tools, signed an interlocal cooperative agreement with Circuit Engineering District No. 8, and approved multiple surplus and junk disposals from county inventory. Commissioners also discussed a courthouse campus bid change, a fiscal-year contract renewal request related to community sentencing, and the use of the courthouse lawn for a May 30 concert.

The actions were presented as individual agenda items. The board approved the appointments of Damien Starks (District 1), Gina Smith (District 2) and Dow Kimbrell (District 3) as deputy first assistants. Commissioners approved the annual renewal of the Survival Flight membership program (also carrying the county'wide AirMed subscription), which the clerk presented as $60 per household and a total membership cost of $4,560; district shares were listed in the record as $660 (District 1), $540 (District 2) and $600 (District 3). The clerk indicated the county general fund would contribute a larger share, the precise notation in the record was unclear.

The board moved and approved a request from an emergency-services applicant for rescue tools in the amount recorded as $32,060; the application paperwork and supporting documents were accepted in the meeting record. The board also approved signing Interlocal Cooperative Agreement No. 2024-8 with Circuit Engineering District No. 8 and completed routine ministerial motions to remove multiple items from county inventory as surplus or junk, including vehicles, farm implements and electronic equipment. A sale referenced in the record showed a Packard Forks item (ID d322-004) sold under bid number 18-19-13 on May 20, 2019; the board approved removing that item from the county inventory list.

Other agenda business discussed included a bid (FY24-25-03) for courthouse campus electrical work in which staff requested a change of location for an electric block; staff reported checking whether a state E-rate contract for schools and libraries applied to the county and said auditors indicated it did not. The board discussed a FY26 contract renewal packet involving community sentencing and the Department of Corrections; staff described early submission by the vendor and the contract was placed on the agenda for review. The board also approved a two-hour use of the courthouse lawn for a May 30 concert.

Motions on the record typically passed by voice vote of "Aye"; the meeting transcript records motions and seconds throughout the agenda and repeated voice approval for the routine items.

Votes at a glance

- Item 5: Appointments of deputy first assistants (Damien Starks, Gina Smith, Dow Kimbrell) — approved by voice vote. - Item 6: Permits related to utility work near the Electric Cooperative (parcels referenced 82314 and 172314; a $500 natural-gas item discussed) — motions carried for the individual permits as presented. - Item 7: Renewal of Survival Flight and AirMed memberships — approved; membership cost recorded as $60 per household, total $4,560; district contributions recorded as $660 (D1), $540 (D2), $600 (D3); county general fund contribution noted in the record but the written figure was unclear. - Item 8: Bid FY24-25-03 (courthouse campus electrical work) — staff reported a location change for an electrical block and advised the board that a school/library E-rate state contract does not apply to county purchases; the item remained under staff review in the record. - Item 9: Rescue-tools grant/application for emergency services — application for $32,060 recorded and the packet approved for submission. - Item 10: FY26 contract renewal involving Department of Corrections/community sentencing — discussed; packet submitted early by vendor; no separate formal action beyond discussion recorded in the transcript segment provided. - Item 11: Use of courthouse lawn for a two-hour concert on May 30 — motion made and seconded on the record. - Item 12: Interlocal Cooperative Agreement No. 2024-8 with Circuit Engineering District No. 8 — motion carried; board signed the agreement. - Items 13'18: Multiple surplus and junk disposals (Packard Forks, John Deere backhoe reference, jump transit, Apple laptop, 1986 GMC pickup, computers, tank trailer) — motions carried to remove items from inventory and declare surplus/junk as listed on the agenda. - Item 19: Appointment/requisition matters for District 3 (Julie Barker and Adi Don Kosickes, requisition officer) — motion carried. - Item 21: Approve/disapprove lien purchases — motion and second recorded; the item moved forward in the meeting record.

Why it matters

Routine approvals and inventory management are regular county functions, but they also reflect how local government funds emergency services, manages capital assets and coordinates with regional engineering districts. The membership renewals keep air-transport coverage available to county residents; the rescue-tools application would supply emergency equipment to first responders if funded.

What's next

Staff committed to follow up on the courthouse campus bid details and to provide further invoices or contract language as needed. The clerk will file the interlocal agreement and add surplus disposal results to the county inventory history, including final sale destinations and bid receipts where applicable.