Jail inmates
may create dividends
County commissioners voted Monday to allow Sheriff Loren Anderson to negotiate with a Dallas company that wants to glean the county's jail census for untapped federal funds.
Justice Benefits Inc. proposes to take a 22 percent cut of any money it recovers.
Company officials said that last year the company was able to earn from $40,000 to more than $200,000 for counties of similar size to Douglas County.
Anderson said the company is set up to find money sources his department doesn't have the expertise to uncover. For instance, he said, the county can be reimbursed for each day it houses people who are in this country illegally.
Commissioner Tom Taul said he was skeptical about the free-money arrangement.
"There are always strings attached," Taul said.
Anderson said the four-year contract can be canceled at the end of one year and won't cost the county anything if no money is recovered.
"It doesn't cost us anything to try," Anderson said.
County to purchase
cruisers, other vehicles
Douglas County Commissioners Monday approved spending about $230,000 on seven sheriff cruisers, four pickup trucks and a sport utility vehicle.
The vehicles will be used by the sheriff's department, the planning and zoning department and Eudora, which will buy one of the cruisers from the county.
The county will try something new with the nine vehicles being replaced.
Rather than trade the vehicles in to the dealerships or try to sell them on its own, the county will auction them through Nationwide Auction in Kansas City, Mo.
The company has provided estimates of what the county might get for the vehicles. If they prove true, the county would receive about $10,000 more than the trade-in value, said Jackie Waggoner, county buyer.
The county will be able to set its minimum sale amount for each vehicle and would pay the auction company a commission only if the vehicles sell for more than that.
Public road
to become private
County commissioners agreed Monday to allow a farmer to put gates up to close off a portion of North 100 Road just west of East 1550 Road.
William Hey said he wants to keep people who don't have business in the area from tearing up the dirt road, particularly when it is wet.
There are only a handful of gated roads in the county, said Keith Browning, director of public works.
"Typically it's for a roadway that is not used by the general public," Browning said. "A lot of these roads are just needed for access to fields."
The county recently allowed a gate across East 900 Road north of Clinton Lake Park. The road was a dead end and, despite signs, people were driving there and having trouble turning around, Browning said.
Keys to the North 100 Road gate will be given to Palmyra Township officials, the county sheriff and any other citizen who needs to drive to the area.
County seeks
new road grader
County commissioners voted Monday to allow the county's public works department to go out for bids to replace a 1976 road grader.
The cost of a new one is estimated at $155,000 to $170,000.
The county will trade or sell six pieces of equipment to help defray the cost.
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