BY KEITH LIPPOLDT
klippoldt@gbtribune.com
With the noon, June 2 deadline looming in the not so distant future, now is the opportunity for interested citizens to step up and throw your name in the hat for the 2025 City/School elections. With several seats up for election in the cities across Barton County, there is likely to be some change in the local leadership.
Commissioner Shawn Hutchinson, during the Discussion Items segment of the Barton County Commissioners meeting Tuesday, commented on the importance he feels for the local elections.
“I’ve realized over these last four years of being a County Commissioner how important the local elections are,” Hutchinson said. “How much the local officials actually affect our day to day lives. It seems like probably even more than the state or the federal government. And we have our elections every year, but these off-year elections don’t have quite the turnout – or quite the number of candidates. Quite honestly, this is pretty important. And the message I’d like to get out there is that if you’ve been sitting on the fence and thinking, ‘you know, someday I’m going to step up, I can make a difference in my community,’ right now is that time.”
Hutchinson provided information detailing the positions that are open and will be voted on in November in each respective community, noting this is a non-partisan election.
“In Great Bend, the mayor and four city council positions are open. That’s a majority of the entire city council,” he said. “Hoisington, same deal. Mayor and four city council positions. Ellinwood has the mayor and two city council positions. Claflin has three city council positions.
“Maybe next week I can talk more about the school board positions and the college, that if you wanted to get involved, you really could get involved to make a difference. Right now would be the time. Again, the filing deadline is noon on June 2.”
County Clerk Bev Schmeidler added, “I want to stress noon, because if they come in (on June 2) at 12:01, we can’t accept the file. The deadline is noon.” She noted off-year elections typically have a much smaller turnout. However, as her staff tried to impress upon students when they visited the high school, “the city/school elections, these are the people that touch their everyday lives. And people don’t get out and vote.”
Hutchinson responded, “Right! That would be part two. Let’s get out and vote.”
Other Business
In other business Tuesday:
• The commissioners Passed Resolution 2025-09: A resolution adopting the Kansas Region E Hazard Mitigation Plan and rescinding the previous plan adopted on January 6, 2020.
Barton County Emergency Management Director Sean Kelly explained that the mitigation plans are on a five-year cycle to be updated. They work with participating counties to the south, as well as additional entities from Barton County, to create an updated plan.
“We had a pretty extensive list, which we usually do,” Kelly said. “One of the big things about the Hazard Mitigation Plan is you have to have an adopted and approved plan through FEMA in the state if you want to try and receive Hazard Mitigation grant funding – that’s pre- and post disaster funds. So that’s why we do this. The state has helped us out by doing more regionalized, because it’s pretty labor intensive when it comes to demographics, economic information, and weather stuff that you have to get into these plans. We have a company called Blue Umbrella that helps do some of the legwork for us, and wheels and deals with FEMA a little more than we have to. Hazard Mitigation is after reducing risk to people and property from natural hazards. Barton County Emergency Management and other Barton County entities have participated in the development of a Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan. The plan identifies hazards associated within the region and qualifies participating entities for additional pre- and post disaster grant funding.”
Hutchinson made a motion to accept the new 421-page plan that was seconded by Commissioner Duane Reif. The motion carried 4-0. Commissioner Donna Zimmerman was absent.
• Approved out-of-state travel expenses for Kelly for The Incident Management Team Association training in Columbia, South Carolina June 23-27.
“They do a big conference every year, and now they’re doing these summer academies where they offer a host of classes. This year they’re offering one June 23-27 in Columbia, South Carolina. The benefit to us, team member and the sponsoring organization, is that Homeland Security funding for the region sets aside training dollars, which reimburses registration fees, travel expenses like airfare, hotel, and rental car. So those expenses, that we would pay up front, will be reimbursed back to us for going to this training. I’m looking to take area command training and an effective team command and coordination for IMT Leaders training. It’s national level certification training taught by national level trainers. So it’s really invaluable training, honestly, to bring back to not only the state, but our county.”
Reif applauded Kelly’s willingness to attain additional training and education.
“I would commend you for pursuing this, because I think it’s a very good benefit for Barton County, and I appreciate that,” he said. “And you do have to spend some time away from your family, so we also appreciate that, too.”
Commissioner Barb Esfeld made the motion to allow Kelly to travel this summer and it was seconded by Reif. The motion carried 4-0.
• Kelly also reported that the generator that was installed at the Courthouse during the HVAC project was tested last week and worked as it was supposed to. Hutchinson asked Kelly if a natural disaster was to hit Great Bend would the Courthouse still be functional. Kelly responded, “Yes. And we now know some areas where we can cut back if we needed to, but overall there was room to give and everything functioned. It was a nice update that we did when we did our renovation and it worked pretty flawlessly. We had to troubleshoot the elevator a little bit but, luckily, the guys that wired the elevator were there on site with us, so they were able to troubleshoot it and we got it going. It was pretty impressive that it it didn’t pull too hard on that generator.”
• Approved the Regular Accounts Payable Register for the period of April 22 through May 6.
Esfeld motioned. Reif seconded and the motion carried 4-0.
