HUTCHINSON, Kan. — In what can only be described as a way to keep personal wishes and agendas from interfering 
with the regular order of business, a change has been made to the weekly county commission agenda as it is written.
It has to do with the part of the agenda that allows commissioners to add items to the agenda for discussion or even action. But with the recent events surrounding commissioner Dan Deming and his wish to put some type of slogan behind the name of the Reno County Jail, the change has been made. Deming’s idea of trying to put a catchy phrase to the jail was shot down by nearly everyone involved with the jail including Sheriff Randy Henderson, various department heads and fellow commissioners James Schlickau and Brad Dillon. Deming fumed at the defeat of his idea and was seen by several county employees storming out of the court house after the meeting. The matter came to a head at the last commission meeting because all of the discussion regarding the naming of the new jail was done without Sheriff Henderson’s input.
At one time, Deming said that Henderson had no say so in the naming of the jail which brought criticism from both fellow commissioners who told Deming that Henderson had everything to do with the success of the jail project and has plenty of say so in the name or anything else that has to do with the project. Henderson wants to name the jail the Reno County Correctional Facility. Deming didn’t like the name, saying it was too politically correct and would be confused with Hutchinson Correctional Facility just down the street. But again, Schlickau and Dillon sided against Deming, giving the final decision to the Sheriff. From now on, any additions to the agenda will have to be a matter that comes up after the agenda is published and an item that cannot be deferred to a later date. That would allow anyone involved to participate in any discussion.
The change is reflected in next Tuesday’s agenda for the Commission.
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