BY KEITH LIPPOLDT
klippoldt@gbtribune.com
The Barton County Commission on Tuesday awarded a Certificate of Appreciation to James Bingaman, owner of Mow-N, for his efforts to maintain the grounds at both Hillside and Golden Belt Cemeteries. He was also recognized for offering operational suggestions and ideas to both the county staff and to the Memorial Parks Advisory Committee. He was awarded the bid for mowing this past spring.
County Works Director Chris Schartz addressed the commissioners with details of this certificate.
“Earlier this year, the county awarded the bid for the mowing of Hillcrest and Golden Belt cemeteries to James Bingaman with Mow-N,” Schartz said. “I’d just like to say, since that time, he’s actively contributed to the beautification of the cemeteries. He’s come up with great ideas of what we could do out there. He checks frequently with me to make sure he’s doing a good job. And I don’t ever have to tell him to go do something, because he does it without being asked. So I’d just like to give him a public thank you for all he does for the cemeteries and the mowing and making it look out good out there, because it’s a tough job. It’s a big cemetery, and there’s a lot of stuff out there, and I look forward to working with you for many more years, hopefully.”
Commission Chair Barb Esfeld added more praise to Bingaman and the results he’s achieved.
“Having just been out for the ceremony before Veterans Day, it did look awesome,” she said. “And not only that, what impressed me the most, and I think Commissioner (Donna) Zimmerman, who had a chance to visit with you, she’ll agree too. It was your passion. You’re not just mowing. You have the passion. You care. You have great ideas. And that’s something that’s a rare find. I mean, we can find anybody to mow out there if that was the situation, but it’s so much more for you. And so that’s one of the reasons I’m glad that Mr. Schartz is is here to recognize you today, and bringing this to us.”
Commissioner Tricia Schlessiger made a motion to award the Certificate of Appreciation to Bingaman and it was seconded by Commissioner Shawn Hutchinson. The motion passed 5-0.
In other business Tuesday, the commissioner:
• Approved the Accounts Payable Register from County Clerk Bev Schmeidler for the period of Nov. 5 through Nov. 19. Hutchinson motioned to accept the register and he was seconded by Zimmerman. It passed 5-0.
• Heard County Administrator Matt Patzner’s Request for Proposal for Audit Services for calendar years 2024, 2025 and 2026. According to the meeting agenda, all County funds, including grants and state pass-through funds, are to be audited each period.
Patzner said he had received a bid from Adams-Brown, the current county auditor, in the amounts of $36,070 for 2024, $37,150 for 2025, and $38,265 for 2026.
Zimmerman made the motion to accept the bid from Adams-Brown and the motion was seconded by Schlessiger. It passed 5-0.
• In ending business, heard a recap of Commissioner Esfeld’s day with the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) classes at Great Bend High School.
“They asked good questions - what’s the average pay for a county employee? What are the benefits? So I was really impressed that her students knew that much,” she said. “It was fun to tie into the difference how the city overlaps us, our terms being four years and their terms being two years, and the different wards and our districts and how that’s broke up. I told them about each of us five (commissioners) and what we bring to the table. And their instructor (Danielle Ricklefs) said that’s really impressive, that you guys are so diverse. I told her how well we work together because of that. I had a good time with those students and look forward to them coming to visit us. They’ll be with us on Dec. 10 as ‘Commissioner for the Day’. They’ll actually be setting up here with us as we work. And then we’ll have an item for them to look over as well, and something that they’ll be interested in, that they can vote on as a mock item.”
