BARTON COUNTY, Kan. — Barton County Commissioners have approved providing Rural Water District 2 $65,000 in support of building a new well for the district that serves several subdivisions north of Great Bend including Bissell’s Point and a number of other entities.
The district has one existing well that has seen increases in nitrate levels over the past decade and also has an interconnection with Barton Community College’s private wells. RWD 2 had earlier acquired a new water right and has converted it to domestic use and has obtained a grant to cover the estimated $980,000 cost of the project, which will also replace existing meters and enlarge a main into the Walnut Subdivision to allow a fire hydrant to be installed there.
A $527,000 bid for an asphalt overlay project on NE 30 Road east from Barton Community College to K-156 was accepted. County Engineer Barry McManaman said the only bid on the project came from Venture Corporation, and will include a 1.5-inch overlay, milling, rock wedge edges and pavement marking. This will be an extension of an earlier project from NE 30 Avenue west to US 281. Venture expects to do this project in July.
The Commission approved an additional just under $250 for mailing of valuation notices for this year. County Appraiser Wendy Prosser said when the bid for mailing from The Master’s touch was accepted, this was just an estimate as the number of notices to be mailed was not exactly known at that time.
Commissioners approved a letter on behalf of Central Kansas Community Corrections seeking additional funding. CKCC, which covers a five-county area and over four thousand square miles, is the 4th largest Community Correction district in terms of size and has the seventh largest caseload per intensive supervision officer but has the 4th lowest per-client funding of the 31 Community Corrections offices in Kansas.
At the start of Tuesday’s meeting the county recognized various employees for years of service, ranging from five to 40 years, the 40-year recognition going to Sheriff’s Department employee Warren Peterson. Awards were presented by Employee Engagement Committee Chair Judith Castro. Following the recognition Commissioners appointed the members of the committee for 2025.
