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Finney County commissioners approve rezoning, annexation, EMS fees, Hootsuite subscription and health-plan changes
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Summary
At its Sept. 15 meeting the Finney County Board of County Commissioners approved a rezoning at 3850 Dahl Road, consented to annex county land into Garden City, ratified EMS MOU and current EMS fees, approved a Blue Cross renewal with a ResultsRx formulary, and authorized a Hootsuite subscription; several other budget and personnel actions were also adopted.
The Finney County Board of County Commissioners met Sept. 15 at the Finney County Administration Building and approved a series of formal actions across land use, public safety, employee benefits and county operations.
The board adopted Resolution 26-2025 to rezone 3850 North Dahl Road from agricultural to rural residential to permit a single‑family home on a roughly 6.29‑acre parcel, following a Planning Commission recommendation for approval. Mackenzie Phillips, development and administrative coordinator, told the board the property currently contains a manufactured home and that the manufactured home must be removed within 10 days after construction of the single‑family home is complete.
The commission also voted to give permission and consent to annex a county‑owned parcel into the City of Garden City to enable planning and infrastructure work for the Northwest K‑156 development; Interim County Administrator Gary Meager said Kansas State University, which leases the parcel, raised no objection in a written letter.
On public‑safety items, the board approved a memorandum of understanding establishing a flat charge for some flight‑service transfers and ratified the EMS billing rates currently used by the county. Kenny Smith, director of Finney County EMS, said the county handled more than 200 flight transfers in the first half of 2025 and that the MOU formalizes charges when an ambulance is used without a transported patient.
In procurement, the board approved accepting the low bid from Shawnee Mission Ford for two three‑quarter‑ton pickup trucks after a divided 3–2 vote. The motion passed with two commissioners recorded as dissenting; the commission discussed local‑dealer support versus the lower price offered by the out‑of‑town vendor during the debate.
On employee benefits, the commission approved a Blue Cross Blue Shield 2026 renewal that includes a shift to a ResultsRx formulary option and revised prescription copays; consultants said the change would reduce a no‑change renewal from roughly a 10.6% overall increase to about 7.3–7.4% by changing the pharmacy structure and sharing the increase with employees. Presenters noted unusually high stop‑loss claims in 2025 — cited at approximately $945,000 in stop‑loss claims versus $391,000 in premium paid — as a primary driver of the renewal increase.
The board also approved a two‑year Hootsuite subscription to centralize county social‑media posting and social listening, authorized agreements for outside agencies funded in the 2026 budget, amended the delinquent accounts exhibit for Seward District No. 1 and placed those accounts on the tax roll as revised, and approved several personnel and administrative items including a health‑officer appointment and multiple FY25 budget items and outcomes.
Votes at a glance (selected formal outcomes): - Adopted Resolution 26‑2025 (rezoning 3850 Dahl Road): approved. - Becky's Trail Addition parcel plat: approved. - Waiver of $2/ton municipal waste fee for fall cleanups: approved. - Donation of 12 fairground dividers to USD 457: approved. - Consent to annex county parcel into Garden City: approved. - JA‑100 certification for the 25th Judicial District (budget): approved (amount as stated in the record). - Adopted Resolution 28‑2025 (appointed Dana Lynn Ontiveros, RN, County Health Officer; Anna Aleks, Deputy): approved (recorded one nay). - Approved FY25 youth services budget adjustment: approved. - Accepted FY25 year‑end outcomes for youth and adult corrections: accepted. - EMS MOU for flight services and EMS fee schedule: approved. - Public‑works pickup purchase (Shawnee Mission Ford): approved, 3–2 (Commissioners Baskin and Schulz recorded dissent). - Adopted Resolution 27‑2025 (certify delinquent Seward District No.1 accounts) as amended: approved by roll call. - SDSI agreement: approved ($97,500, Intellectual Disability Services Fund). - Russell Child Development Center agreement: approved ($112,500, Intellectual Disability Services Fund). - Hootsuite subscription (2 years at $14,240/yr): approved. - 2026 Blue Cross renewal with ResultsRx formulary and contribution approach: approved. - DCAP (dependent care) annual limit increase to $7,500 effective 2026‑01‑01: approved. - 2026 county holidays and building closures: approved. - Partial‑day closure for mandatory training (Nov. 12, 8 a.m.–1 p.m.): approved.
Several items were informational and enacted by motion; an executive session on attorney–client matters took place later in the meeting (20 minutes) and the board confirmed no action followed. The commission adjourned after concluding business.
