County approves recommendation for law enforcement consolidation
By Brandy Nance
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Lyon County commissioners voted today 3-0 to approve the recommendations from the joint city-county study group regarding the Law Enforcement Consolidation Task Force.
The vote came during today’s Lyon County commission action session.
Commissioner Bob Davis made the motion to approve the document which included four questions the group is to answer as well as other recommendations. Davis read the entire document into record this morning.
The recommendation document also included seven names of people to serve on the task force — only two of those people live in the county. No discussion took place regarding that fact.
The list of names to serve on the task force includes Julie Johnson, Emporia city commissioner; Marshall Miller, Lyon County commissioner, second district; Marc Goodman, Lyon County attorney; Dale Davis, member of the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau; Philip Winter, former Lyon County counselor; Nathaniel Terrell, chairman of criminology/social psychology at Emporia State University; and Paul Cassidy, mayor of Hartford.
Discussion did take place about the money the city-county study group asked each government to allocate for the group. The study group asked for $2,500 from each entity. The county’s share will come out of the county general fund, said Commission Chairman Marshall Miller.
Once the recommendations were read into record, Commissioner Scott Briggs seconded the motion and it passed 3-0 with no further discussion.
Also during today’s meeting:
• Commissioners voted to accept the roadway evaluation for access to Westar Energy’s proposed peaking power plant near Roads 200 and S about six miles northeast of Emporia near the company's existing Lang Substation. Miller moved to accept the road evaluation and Davis seconded the motion. The motion passed 3-0. Briggs and County Engineer Chip Woods were appointed to move forward with the planning phase.
• Commissioners passed a resolution authorizing stop signs at the BNSF Railroad crossing on Road Z at Reading until gates can be installed per instructions from the Kansas Department of Transportation.
• Commissioners authorized the collaboration of the Fifth Judicial District Department of Corrections and the Mental Health Center of East Central Kansas to provide adolescent drug and alcohol treatment program housed in the Lyon County Courthouse and personnel furnished by MHCECK.
• Commissioners accepted the resignation of Melvin Hartig and appointed Ronald Nurnberg to serve at Pike Township treasurer.
johnsie (anonymous) says...
I'll bet if Van Gundy were still on the County Commission, there would have at least been some discussion about rural representation on this task force!
February 8, 2007 at 7:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
siamesefred (anonymous) says...
I'm sure each town in the county that gets its law enforcement services from the sheriff's office would like to have a representative on the task force. There may be good reasons for consolidation, but it still seems like city folks telling us county folks what to do.
February 8, 2007 at 10:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
4_Emporia (anonymous) says...
What do county folks have an inferiority complex? It's not our fault that the Sheriff's Deputies would rather stay in the city where the action is. Besides if I am not mistaken city police will respond to crimes everywhere. And the last time I knew, I pay for city and COUNTY TAXES. Not mention did you read the same article. Several people are county represenatives.
February 9, 2007 at 9:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )