Franklin County commissioners reorganized leadership and approved a slate of appointments at a Jan. 12, 2026 meeting. Commissioners elected Sabrina Maynard as chair and confirmed Rod as vice chair in roll-call votes, retained the current schedule for regular meetings and study sessions, and approved appointments to a range of county and regional boards.

The board opened the reorganization meeting and completed an initial roll call before proceeding to nominations. An unidentified motion-maker moved to nominate Sabrina Maynard for chair. That nomination was seconded and approved on a roll-call vote, with individual commissioners recorded as voting in the affirmative.

Commissioners then nominated and approved Rod as vice chair. The board discussed meeting logistics and agreed by motion to keep study sessions and regular meetings at the same scheduled times.

A longer portion of the meeting addressed commissioner appointments to outside boards and regional bodies. Staff/readback presented a proposed assignment list that the board approved by motion. The readback listed the following proposed assignments as read at the meeting: East Central Kansas Area Agency on Aging (Colt), East Central Kansas Economic Opportunity Corporation (ECAN) (Sabrina), Kansas Workforce Development (Ian), Lake Region Solid Waste (Rod), Neighborhood Revitalization (Rod), Ottawa Chamber (Sabrina), FCDC (Sabrina), Ransom Memorial (Don), RC and D (Don), Wellsville Chamber (Don), Franklin County Food Policy Council (Ian), and Prairie Paws (Colt). Commissioners moved to approve those assignments and the motion carried on a roll-call vote.

The board also considered naming an official county newspaper. A commissioner noted that state statute limits which publication may serve in that role, and the board voted to designate the Ottawa Herald as the official county newspaper.

Before adjourning, public works staff asked that commissioners join a short field study session and road tour to review potential chip-seal projects and strategic uses of road funds; staff emphasized that the site visit would be informational only and that decisions would be discussed at a subsequent meeting. The meeting adjourned after a final motion to close the session.

Actions taken at the meeting were procedural and organizational: selection of chair and vice chair, confirmation of meeting times, approval of multiple external-board assignments, designation of the Ottawa Herald as the official county newspaper, and scheduling of an informational road tour. Several roll-call votes were recorded during the meeting; the transcript records commissioners responding in the affirmative when asked during each such vote.