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Mitchell County Commissioners Meeting May 8

 

Mitchell County Commissioners

 

May 8, 2017

 

By Terry Bailey

 

 

 

The Mitchell County Commissioners conducted their regularly scheduled weekly meeting at the Courthouse Monday morning, May 8th. All Commissioners were in attendance as well as the County Clerk. Also present for the meeting was Beloit City Manager, Jason Rabe.

 

First on the agenda was Mitchell County Sheriff Tony Perez and County Attorney Mark Noah. Sheriff Perez started the conversation by saying, “We are here to make sure we all are on the same page with the recent autopsies and the questions you might have about them.”

 

Chairperson Jim Marshall replied, “We understand there are situations when an autopsy is mandatory. We were concerned about who ordered the autopsy and for what reason. Money is tight and getting tighter and we hate to spend money unnecessarily.”

 

Perez responded, “Any unattended death or a death with questionable circumstances usually requires an autopsy. Dr. Kimple is the official coroner of Mitchell County but usually the doctor on call serves as the coroner. The coroner has the ultimate authority to order an autopsy to be performed.”

 

At this point there still uncertainty into who ordered the autopsy of Sean Cooper. Perez said, “It could be that the Kansas Highway Patrol and the local coroner got together and decided an autopsy was necessary. At this time, I do not know.” The question of who ordered the autopsy will be further investigated.

 

Commissioner Marshall then went on to question expenses for items to be used as giveaways when the sheriff and his deputies perform public relation activities, particularly with children. Perez said the goal of the giveaways is to build positive relations with children and to create a more favorable relationship between the law enforcement officers and the young people. He also reported that most of the items purchased were done so with KDOT grant money.

 

Next up was Dale Housh, Superintendent of Public Works. He reported that traffic to the landfill was not heavy during the weekdays last week but Saturday was very, very busy with people taking advantage of the no-fee dumping. Housh said, “On Saturday we had a long line at the landfill. A long, long line.”

 

Housh reported that about one-half of the $20,000 grant money was used up last week. After discussing possible options, the Commissioners voted to extend the free dumping, beginning on Saturday 13th, and then continuing from Monday May 15th through Saturday May 20th or until the money runs out.

 

Housh and the Commissioners discussed a bridge drainage problem on a bridge south of Tipton. Evidently the ditches have filled up and the water had backed up filling the bridge with sediment. House will check on ways to create a more successful drainage pattern.

 

Director of the Solomon Valley Transportation, Tammy Kimminau, was present along with Harold Heidrick president of the Board, to have a proclamation signed by the Commissioners declaring the week of May 14 through May 20 as National Transportation Week in Mitchell County. The Commissioners voted unanimously to sign the proclamation.

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