By Terry Bailey
The Mitchell County Commissioners conducted their weekly meeting at the Courthouse on Monday, October 24th. All Commissioners and the County Clerk were present. With the renovation work having been completed in the Treasurer's office and the Treasurer's office now back to business as usual, the Commissioners met in their meeting room as they had in the past.
The item of most interest to all attending the meeting was the new ambulance. It was ordered in October of 2021. Last week Eric Hamel, EMS director, went to the factory in Linn, Missouri and drove it back to Beloit. The new ambulance carried a hefty price tag at $189,000 but it is equipped with all the state of art equipment. The ambulance in Tipton will move to the care of the Water Rescue unit and one of the current ambulances will be move to Tipton. The new ambulance will be the number one ambulance in service out of the Beloit location.
Hamel requested a ten-minute executive session to discuss non-elected personnel. No action was taken as a result of that closed session.
David Dohe, Emergency Management Director, reported on several items to the Commissioners. He said he is trying to organize a Firefighter I school somewhere in Mitchell County. Getting the minimum number of students is the biggest concern. The school will be taught by instructors from the University of Kansas. Dohe met with the Fire Chiefs and told them about possible scholarship money for First Responders to attend trainings. Dohe discussed the 15-million-dollar settlement centered around the helicopter crash with Kobe Bryant and fellow passengers. It appears that First Responders took pictures of the crash site and posted them on social media. Activities of this sort should be highly discouraged.
Dohe asked for a ten-minute executive session to discuss non-elected personnel. No decisions were made as a result of that closed session.
The Commissioners approved a letter to be sent in support of the Solomon Valley Transportation program. This is an annual letter of support.
Becky Snook, Mitchell County Communications director, asked for a fifteen-minute executive session to discuss non-elected personnel. No action was taken as a result of this closed session.
Having addressed all the items on the printed agenda, the meeting was adjourned.