Lyon County commissioners toured the new Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center during Wednesday’s commission study session.
The Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center office in the south side of the old courthouse, 402 Commercial St., has been remodeled. The office was financed through supplemental funds and unexpended funds from the previous year, for a total of about $10,000, including furnishings and equipment.
The center is intended to serve as a calming place to keep children who are either in need of care or are taken into custody. Previously these children were taken to the Community Corrections office in the basement of the courthouse or to police or sheriff’s departments. Their waiting time there often extends over a period of four to six hours.
None of those sites is equipped to handle children and teens, said Robert Sullivan, of Community Corrections. The new intake and assessment center has a futon, a beanbag, toys, television set and other items to keep children and teens conformable and occupied. Sullivan said the center will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and after 5 p.m. staff members will be on call.
“My staff worked really hard,” Sullivan said. “I didn’t do much of anything except secure funding.”
In other matters, commissioners were set to approve the FY 2009 budget for Community Corrections during today’s session. The revised budget Sullivan submitted is for $384,934 and the carryover reimbursement budget in the amount of $35,970.40.
Sullivan said the Kansas Department of Corrections has gone to a competitive grant process. Previously, grants were based on average daily population. This year, panels were formed and professionals scored grants against other community corrections grants around the state.
“We did not get 100 percent of our grant request, but got 98 percent,” Sullivan said, adding that they were able to make up the difference with the carry-over budget.
In other business:
F Commissioners discussed the purchase of 10 Actar D-fib CPR/AED mannequins from the Lyon County Red Cross for $770 and two lung/mouthpiece shields at $25 each for a total amount of $820. This equipment will be used to train county employees. Commissioners placed the item on today’s consent agenda.