Franklin County approves transfer‑station door repair, engineering design and personnel appointment

Franklin County commissioners on Dec. 18 approved several operational and procurement items, including an after‑hours contract for the transfer station, an engineering design agreement for a recurring flood site and the formal appointment of a certified noxious‑weed director.

Peg (transfer station manager) presented two bids to replace or service the transfer station’s overhead doors: Omega Door’s $39,656 bid would require a shutdown, while DH Pace offered a $26,846 option to work overnight (6 p.m. to 6 a.m.) and keep the facility open. Peg recommended DH Pace to avoid losing customer hours and revenue; commissioners approved the DH Pace contract. Peg and staff emphasized that the work will be paid from the solid‑waste ‘‘special caps’’ fund (tipping fees), not general tax revenue. “This would keep us from losing over $15,000,” staff said when describing weekday revenue implications of a daytime shutdown.

The board also approved an agreement with Cook Flat & Strobel Engineers for a design contract to address repeated flooding on a stretch of Colorado Road south of Pomona. Staff described the $47,000 design agreement as intended to “harden” the roadway and prevent future flood damage.

Separately, the commission voted to appoint Rob Olsen as the county’s Noxious Weed Director, noting the appointment is required under Kansas law and that Olsen possesses the necessary certifications. A staff member explained the appointment “allows us to continue with the program” without changing the current service structure.

All three actions carried on roll call votes as presented. The transfer‑station contract and the noxious‑weed appointment were framed by staff as routine operational steps to maintain services and comply with statutory requirements; the engineering contract was described as a targeted investment to reduce recurring road damage and county costs.