Commission approves storm‑siren license, discusses courthouse filming policy and possible Strong City fire‑station acquisition

On Oct. 13 the Chase County Board of Commissioners approved, in substance, a license agreement allowing the county to locate a storm siren on the Strong City rodeo grounds and authorized administrative corrections to the agreement’s named organization if needed before signing.

The board also discussed policies about video recording inside and outside the courthouse. County counsel told commissioners public areas are generally difficult to restrict from filming and noted the district judge (referred to as Judge Larson in the transcript) has authority to limit filming in courtrooms. Commissioners said they support the judge’s courtroom restrictions and generally prefer exterior filming where feasible; counsel cautioned that preventing filming in publicly accessible areas can be legally fraught and recommended caution.

Separately, commissioners discussed taking an agenda item to Strong City to discuss possibly acquiring the Strong City fire station and property. Commissioners requested more detailed logistics, staffing and usage information before moving forward. The matter was discussed in open session and later included in executive‑session scheduling for preliminary discussions related to real property; minutes recorded multiple executive sessions with the attorney and clerk present and noted 'no action taken' after closed sessions.

The storm siren license passed by voice vote during the meeting; other infrastructure items were discussed at a preliminary stage with follow‑up requested.