The Kansas Statehouse in Topeka.

The Douglas County Commission spent much of its second day of 2017 budget discussions hearing appeals for new spending that stemmed from decisions made in Topeka.

After listening to funding requests from partnering agencies Tuesday, the County Commission heard requests Wednesday from county department heads and office holders. Commissioners heard appeals to fund 18 new positions, of which 16 would be full time. Funding for two of the requested full-time positions — a juvenile service officer for youth services and research clerk for the Douglas County District Court — was needed to replace the loss of state funding or to do work the state mandates but doesn’t fund.

Additionally, Douglas County Treasurer Paula Gilchrist requested her first additional staffer in 10 years to help process work that the state has passed down to the county level.

Wednesday’s requests came a day after commissioners heard requests from Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center and Cottonwood Inc. to provide additional support to offset the loss of state dollars. Those requests were not included as part of the recommended 2017 budget.

County Administrator Craig Weinaug said $400,000 in the proposed 2017 budget that he presented to commissioners last week reflected state-level changes. If commissioners were to fund all requests from county departments or partners stemming from state-level funding reductions, it would cost county taxpayers $800,000, he said.

The influence of decisions from the Statehouse also affected the proposed budget in less direct ways. Weinaug said he didn’t recommend including Sheriff Ken McGovern’s requests for five additional correctional officers at the Douglas County Jail, one additional transport deputy and four patrol deputies because such positions were exempt from tax lid legislation that goes into effect with the 2018 budget. Except for such exempt spending, proposed property tax-supported spending greater than inflation as measured by the consumer price index in next year’s budget would have to be approved by a countywide vote.

McGovern said his request for additional patrol officers was in anticipation of the South Lawrence Trafficway opening this fall and the traffic that would add to Kansas Highway 10. The sheriff’s office is assuming a greater role in working accidents and enforcement on highways as the Kansas Highway Patrol cuts back its presence with state funding issues, he said.

One new full-time position recommended for 2017 that grew solely from local needs is a $70,000 fairgrounds coordinator position. Assistant County Administrator Sarah Plinsky said the employee would supervise janitorial services of fairgrounds’ facilities and work with those renting facilities “to ensure they had a good experience.” The county would look for someone with a background in hospitality or facilities management, she said.

The county was reviewing rental rates as new facilities open with the ongoing fairgrounds renovations and to help provide revenue to offset additional expenses, Plinsky said.

One project made its appearance for the first time on the county’s road and bridge five-year capital improvement plan in part as an attempt to influence Topeka. Last month, Douglas County Public Works Director Keith Browning told commissioners that a plan to extend Wakarusa Drive from K-10 south to Route 458 would signal to the Kansas Department of Transportation that the county was serious about the need for a new K-10/Wakarusa Drive separated-grade interchange. That interchange could be built before the K-10 west leg was expanded to four lanes, he said.

Browning has slotted the $8.9 million Wakarusa Drive extension for 2021 on the capital improvement list. The entry shows the county paying $4.9 million for the project and the city of Lawrence providing $4 million.

In response to a question from Commissioner Nancy Thellman, Browning said he hadn’t discussed that breakdown with the city, but there was general agreement on the need for the project and the need to share costs.

The extension would provide Lawrence the benefit of greater access to the city’s Youth Sports Complex, Eagle Bend Golf Course, the adult softball complex, dog park and other recreation facilities either on or planned for the 1,515 acres the city leases east of Clinton Dam, Browning said.

The big road project slated for next year is the $3.4 million reconstruction of Route 458 from East 800 Road to the vicinity of its intersection with North 1150 Road, Browning said.

Commissioners took a big-ticket facilities project that stemmed from new state legislation off the capital improvement list, but agreed they needed to start planning for a related improvement. Removed from the list was a $1.25 million plan to provide security improvements to the Douglas County Courthouse, which was considered with passage of a measure allowing concealed carry in public buildings. Commissioners agreed the cost was too great and the proposed modifications too damaging to the building’s historic character.

Commissioners did agree the county would have to start planning with the city of Lawrence to provide upgraded security at the Community Health Building, which is shared by Bert Nash, the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department and the Douglas County Visiting Nurses Association.

Douglas County Commission Chairman Jim Flory said he was disappointed the county needed to consider such measures.

“I don’t like it that the Douglas County Courthouse has less security than a Dodge City open saloon of 100 years ago, but that’s the Kansas we live in,” he said.

Commissioners will start making decisions on the 2017 budget at an 8:15 a.m. meeting Tuesday at the Douglas County Courthouse.