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Ellis County commissioners approve Special Olympics rental reduction, KDOT noxious‑weed contract and public‑works property sale
Summary
In a 3–0 vote the commission reduced a fairgrounds rental fee for the Special Olympics banquet and dance, approved the 2025 KDOT agreement to treat noxious weeds at state sites, and authorized the chair to sign closing documents for the public‑works facility sale ($605,000).
The Ellis County Commission voted on three formal items during its Jan. 21 meeting. All passed unanimously, 3–0.
Special Olympics: The commission approved a reduced rental fee for the Enron Building for the Special Olympics state basketball banquet and dance. Commissioners agreed to reduce the standard six‑hour rental fee from $500 to $100 to help the group host roughly 500–600 attendees on March 21, 2025 (the event date provided by the organizer). The commission noted the fairgrounds manager would still receive the standard manager share (20 percent of the original rental rate). Motion to reduce the fee carried 3–0.
KDOT noxious‑weeds contract (2025): The commission approved the county’s 2025 agreement with the Kansas Department of Transportation to treat noxious weeds on state rights‑of‑way, including I‑70 and U.S. 183, bridge guardrails, service yards and radio tower sites. The county proposed holding hourly rates steady for another year: $38 per hour for labor, $40 per hour for trucks, and $25 per hour for the UTV sprayer; a three‑year average revenue figure of about $9,345 was cited. The motion passed 3–0.
Public works property sale: The commission approved a resolution authorizing the chair to sign closing documents for sale of the old public works facility; the sale price presented at the meeting was $605,000. County staff said proceeds will be deposited to a capital fund to reimburse costs for the new facility and to support future projects. The resolution passed 3–0.
Vote tallies in all three cases were recorded as unanimous: Chair Michael Burgess and Commissioners Neil Younger and Nathan Leiker voted "aye." No votes against, abstentions or recusals were recorded in the meeting transcript.
