HUTCHINSON, Kan. – During Tuesday mornings Reno County Commission meeting, Commissioner Dan Deming brought some good news for the county budget.
He told his fellow commissioners as they get ready for their budget process that the county will have a 10% reduction in their health insurance premiums, which means a savings of as much as $327,000. That could reduce the premiums employees pay or reduce the mill levy. Deming credits the employees for being consumer smart when it comes to using health insurance.
All of the items of the agenda were approved by the commission during their meeting which started with the Ulster Project kids being in the meeting where a proclamation was read naming July as “Ulster Project” month in Reno County.
They approved the retirement celebration policy for the county which would include an employee who has been with the county for at least 10 consecutive years or one who is eligible to retire under the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System. Other would include police and fire or under Social Security.
They also approved the revision to the workplace violence policy. The revision consist of a change in state law that prohibits the county from keeping copies of an employees concealed carry license, something they have done in the past. Human Resource Director Renee Harris told the commission that they have already shredded the ones they had on file. The new law also allows employees to carry concealed weapons in all county buildings with the exception of the Reno County Courthouse. They received a four year exemption for the courthouse that would end on January 1, 2018. However, they expect to have a new entrance and deeper security in place at the courthouse once the new jail is complete, so even though the exemption is for four year, that could change sooner then 2018.
They also approved the letter of support for a grant application to the Kansas Department of Transportation to provide bike shelters at various locations throughout the city of Hutchinson.
County Administrator Gary Meagher also told the commission that they’re currently at $502,400 for collections of the Mortgage Registration Fees. He says as it stands now, they are on target to match what they had budgeted for the year.
The county will begin taking up their 2015 budget for next year when they meet next week.