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Summary of the Reno County Commission Meeting Sept. 24th
Commissioners Richard Winger, left, Ron Hirst, Don Bogner, Randy Parks and Ron Vincent.
Summary of the Reno County Commission meeting at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, September 24, 2025.
Prayer and Pledge of Allegiance: Pastor Henry Blickhahn offered the prayer, thanking God for protection over the community and asking blessings for public servants, county workers, and citizens.
Public Comment: No members of the public came forward to speak.
Agenda Review: No additions or changes were made to the agenda.
Consent Agenda
The commission unanimously approved the consent agenda, which included:
Vouchers for county expenses.
Community Corrections Juvenile Behavioral Health Grant Budget Adjustment.
Setting the County Canvass Date for November 12, 2025, at 8 a.m. following the Nov. 4th General City/School Election.
Resolution 2025-28 & Planning Case #2025-09: Text amendments to zoning and subdivision regulations.
Sheriff’s Office Purchase of Forensic Computers:
The sheriff’s office will purchase two forensic computers for $10,200 each to improve digital evidence processing.
Costs are fully covered by a $25,000 grant from the Kansas Attorney General’s Office—no direct county tax impact.
Reno County Sheriff's Office Detective Keaton Berger talks to commissioners about the forensic computers they are loooking to purchase with grant funding.
Business Items
Appraiser’s Annual Report
County appraiser was not in attendance but had previously provided a detailed written report.
Key Points:
The department received a 100% compliance score from the Kansas Department of Revenue (Property Valuation Division).
There are no budget concerns, and operations are fully in compliance.
Commissioners agreed that no follow-up presentation was needed unless future questions arise.
Reno County Counselor Patrick Hoffman talks to commissioners about the MOU with Growth Inc.
MOU with Growth Inc.
Commissioners approved a Memorandum of Understanding with Growth Inc. to act as a sub-recipient of grant funds for road engineering and design.
Purpose:
Design and engineer three miles of road to serve the new Evergy plant project.
Roads will be upgraded from township roads to county roads built to state specifications.
Funding:
Fully reimbursable grant (county may front costs but will be reimbursed).
No net cost to taxpayers anticipated.
Next Steps:
Public Works will release RFQs for design services.
County will work with Evergy on a development agreement and future road maintenance cost-sharing.
Administrator’s Report
Monthly Department Reports:
All major departments (Aging, Public Works, IT, Clerk, DA, Solid Waste, etc.) are on budget and operating normally.
Financial Report:
Revenues: 98–99% of budgeted levels, exceeding expectations.
Expenditures: 57% of budget spent YTD, leaving a healthy fund balance.
General Fund: Increased from $17M to $20M, in good shape for the remainder of the year.
Several fund transfers (e.g., Youth Services, Public Health) are scheduled before year-end to balance accounts.
Mental Health and Tech funds will receive final allocations once enough tax revenue is collected.
Employee health insurance fund transfers will occur before year-end to cover costs.
Commissioner Reports and Comments
Budget Reflections: Commissioners discussed public concerns about department funding decisions, encouraging citizens to review meeting packets and contact the county for questions.
Cost Savings Recognized: Maintenance staff saved approximately $7,250 by completing a project in-house rather than contracting out. Commissioners publicly thanked staff.
Infrastructure Praise: Commended Public Works for significant improvements to county roads.
Legislative Concerns: Commissioners expressed concern about state property tax valuation cuts that could impact county revenues and discussed advocacy with legislators.
Transparency Discussion:
Commissioners addressed criticism alleging lack of transparency.
Emphasized that all meeting agendas, packets, and recordings are publicly available online.
Defended county staff and rejected accusations that employees or the board act “stupidly.”
Future Ideas: Suggested possible use of a vacant county building for vehicle inspections by the Sheriff’s Office.
Reno County Commissioner Chairman Don Bogner
Reno County Commissioner Randy Parks, right, makes comments during the comission report section of the meeting with Commissioners Ron Hirst, left, and Don Bogner.
Adjournment
The meeting concluded with no further business, followed by a study session.
The next Reno County Commission meeting will be Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at 9 a.m.
To view Agendas and Minutes of commission meetings, go to https://www.renocountyks.gov/agendas.
To watch videos of past meetings, go to Reno County's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@RenoCounty/streams
Reno County Administrator Randy Partington talks to commissioners with County Counselor Patrick Hoffman, left.