[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6103621,"mediaKeyId","2794104-67aa4b11fe0b55c854d84eea9c3a13ec","parentId",2794104,"title","Votes at a glance: Douglas County Commission, March 26, 2025","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",179000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2794104-67aa4b11fe0b55c854d84eea9c3a13ec&start=179&end=179","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2794104-67aa4b11fe0b55c854d84eea9c3a13ec/thumbnail_179000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6103621/Kansas/Votes-at-a-glance-Douglas-County-Commission-March-26-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6103621-ca85db587140a73239a1ce9f5041c4c4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770890369&Signature=KTi6iYMl2VbhIAb0IvYCINOUATYmUxwGWd8GWo~o-INFiJZ096ovcVFpUUubEM~PyfcaZhAyDQ-ol5pRFXy2GOhxGT3bBV-zZa-lymRs6z6hcBMkk6my-430lNVLWeyQoil55WTi53EVDIdexqsxcK4FRTsZPgiQMDtzpFM3qlHtBXFT1IsHtGxJMPAqRLAe86w0~o6pU6qLXDp31RPCqHeb7jjKvi~iTtmx9zYnS1U5RvErmTQCGk3JRBIbHv82LINW1qWciwdvNh-d0W8cBHfS4WXdtireR35ldErQUXa9bh7M2t80zeDQdAPbGhJ0QVWXUQDTqalVt6I9z6Gp3Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Douglas County, KS","date","2025-03-27T14:39:43Z","article","The Board of Douglas County Commissioners recorded the following formal actions on March 26, 2025. Where the transcript did not record individual roll-call votes, the commission used voice votes and outcomes are shown below.

- Consent agenda: Approved (motion to approve by Commissioner Reed; passed 5-0). The commission previously removed item 1.8 for separate consideration.

- Item 1.8 — Temporary business use permit renewal (Dan C. King) to allow open burning of trees and brush, 1289 East 1750 Road: Approved with minor language changes to conditions (motion moved and seconded; passed 5-0). Staff and the commission discussed compliance with haul-route conditions, burn-ban days and updating condition language to specify CFD 1 and the Douglas County Burn Hotline.

- Veterans Treatment Court grant authorization: Authorized county court staff to accept and expend federal grant funds to support a Veterans Treatment Court; county-projected reimbursable expenditure $348,390 over four years (motion moved by Commissioner Reed; second Commissioner Dorsey; passed 5-0). Reimbursement is contingent on OJA drawing down federal funds.

- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) readiness: Approved GFOA consulting services to support ERP readiness and procurement, amount not to exceed $145,000 (motion passed 5-0).

- Flexible Housing Pool program: Authorized the county administrator to sign a one-year MOU with the Lawrence Douglas County Housing Authority and Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center to support the Flexible Housing Pool (to begin calendar year 2025) (motion passed 5-0). Initial funding will serve approximately 22 households.

- Revised bond structure for Judicial & Law Enforcement Center and Public Safety Building: Directed staff to prepare bond sale materials reflecting an increased cash contribution (from $20M to $25M) and a reduced bond issuance ($55M); commissioners cited estimated interest savings and reduced annual debt service (motion passed 5-0).

- Appointment — Palmyra Township trustee: Kelly Holder appointed to the Palmyra Township trustee position (motion and vote passed 5-0). Commissioners described a multi-step selection process that included interviews and a rubric-based review of five applicants.

All motions passed by commission voice vote unless otherwise noted; specific roll-call vote records were not provided in the meeting transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Douglas County, KS, Commissioners Meeting on March 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A quick summary of formal actions taken by the Board of Douglas County Commissioners on March 26, 2025, including motions and outcomes.","taxTitle","County Commission, Douglas County, Kansas","taxId",69828,"location","Kansas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6103625,"Commission directs staff to use revised debt structure for Judicial & Public Safety project, increasing cash contribution by $5 million",360,7982000,8342000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2794104-67aa4b11fe0b55c854d84eea9c3a13ec&start=7982&end=8342","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2794104-67aa4b11fe0b55c854d84eea9c3a13ec/thumbnail_7982000.jpg","/articles/6103625/Kansas/Commission-directs-staff-to-use-revised-debt-structure-for-Judicial-Public-Safety-project-increasing-cash-contribution-by-5-million","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6103625-74bd4cb78c34f861156b41b33e06d530/orig.mp4?Expires=1770890369&Signature=RYdP9ynx0i5qJ~7OPOBjmyK1HR8T9mGsVvMX35lqey5zQhm1uMorWJUeB7Zs6UukcnzSydwxj0Ulx6yvBVPi~AymunOpA7KkNYVCGQN44idOM-0wqFfiNRiXoGxfB2N7k1xXS-gYjySM73VR-sopVCKyT09TglajKUzkPqM26J~5yLoi6JEeP8VIMNd4RbgyVoWH6MFmdCqlzgd4D6o0xzQO5e~NDyJhlu4rdAsUSiXXiM2lLdB36~8J3y6rRV6HmEe7hv0I5PQGiqXty7kHCRhY1t0FZ0RihyxwdsOqM-UKaTzds6zsuOTQebTsZxF~E8FF63sHADvMatNrMDuYCA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Board of Douglas County Commissioners on March 26 directed staff to prepare a bond sale using a revised debt structure for the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center renovation and expansion and a new Public Safety Building.

County staff advised the commission that adding $5 million in year-end cash to previously planned cash funding would increase the project’s upfront cash from $20 million to $25 million and reduce the debt issuance from $60 million to $55 million. Staff and the county’s financial adviser estimated the change would save nearly $1.3 million in interest costs across the life of the bonds and lower annual debt service by approximately $200,000.

Commissioners discussed the timing advantages, the contractor mobilization already underway and the value of reducing long-term interest expense. Staff noted that $4 million would remain in the county’s capital improvement program (CIP) for additional project needs, including interior fit-out of the public safety building. The administration said it will return with additional documents to support a bond sale planned for April.

A motion to direct staff to proceed with the revised debt model passed 5-0.","The commission directed staff to prepare a bond sale that uses an additional $5 million in year-end cash to reduce the bond issuance for the Judicial Law Enforcement Center renovation and Public Safety Building from $60 million to $55 million, projecting interest savings of about $1.3 million and annual debt-service reduction of $200,000.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6103630,"Commission authorizes one-year MOU to launch Flexible Housing Pool to house chronically homeless",2079,5194000,7273000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2794104-67aa4b11fe0b55c854d84eea9c3a13ec&start=5194&end=7273","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2794104-67aa4b11fe0b55c854d84eea9c3a13ec/thumbnail_5194000.jpg","/articles/6103630/Kansas/Commission-authorizes-one-year-MOU-to-launch-Flexible-Housing-Pool-to-house-chronically-homeless","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6103630-72cb29cb884c12a082c79bfc720ef1ab/orig.mp4?Expires=1770890369&Signature=Ejr8QGXHOcWifOT65u-GlsGLUuDMxRD5ah-QzkXTV3msQzCRtdcXAFMXnJSHQg1HZfDcsXAodK9ebM7rwzGXNYBUz5kklJXb6XVoR6bA~7aiEc0UPqpFvvskhGeivZL3OYejiT6tq5rSPXpNWJgtFKQOL9-Q06p7e5L9J3NpLS7aqW26Bnxn1GFBKDwPYi~7NPoiBdYrg~YnEoKnc57w4oFnSiqvSHFd8CMMt3h9GP2UoWDuMB-Zw9IOyo5Dmdftp3JJKk84NLjsw9JXFig13M5kGb9tM0W6ln7h5UUOb8SupkvW7pT8nYU4HCiX9~RCQC1CCeBnGPVbge~elOdrjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Douglas County commissioners on March 26 authorized the county administrator to sign a one-year memorandum of understanding with the Lawrence Douglas County Housing Authority (LDCHA) and Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center to launch a Flexible Housing Pool, a locally administered voucher program aimed at serving people experiencing chronic homelessness.

Joe Jolicker, assistant county administrator, said the Flexible Housing Pool (FHP) was a recommendation from a 2022 needs assessment by the Corporation for Supportive Housing and was funded in the county’s 2025 budget. The program is intended to create immediate housing access while the county and partners continue to expand permanent supportive housing stock.

Matthew Falk, director of housing at Bert Nash, told commissioners that the target population will be high-acuity, chronically homeless individuals who typically have underlying mental-health or substance-use conditions. Falk said the housing authority will operate the program as a voucher model that depends on recruiting private-market landlords; he noted landlord recruitment and initial unit onboarding will be the most difficult operational task.

County and partner staff described program design elements intended to ease landlord participation: a risk-mitigation reserve, case management through Bert Nash, and close coordination with the coordinated entry system. Commissioners were told the county’s current allocation of flexible pool dollars would initially fund housing for up to 22 households. Staff noted the LDCHA recently closed its transitional housing voucher wait list, increasing urgency for local flexible resources.

The commission approved the MOU by voice vote (passed 5-0). The authorization directs county staff to finalize contracts and program structure for calendar year 2025. County staff said outcome tracking will include housing retention, avoidance of eviction, and interruption of cycles of emergency services utilization; a homelessness dashboard is slated to go live in the coming weeks to show inflow/outflow metrics and referral sources.

Moved and seconded; the motion passed 5-0.","The commission authorized a one-year memorandum of understanding with the Lawrence Douglas County Housing Authority and Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center to launch a Flexible Housing Pool (local voucher) aimed at serving chronically homeless individuals; initial funding will support up to 22 households.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_46":105,"_48":106,"_50":107,"_52":108,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":109,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":110,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6103635,"Commission approves $145,000 GFOA contract to guide enterprise resource planning readiness",1451,3817000,5268000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2794104-67aa4b11fe0b55c854d84eea9c3a13ec&start=3817&end=5268","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2794104-67aa4b11fe0b55c854d84eea9c3a13ec/thumbnail_3817000.jpg","/articles/6103635/Kansas/Commission-approves-145000-GFOA-contract-to-guide-enterprise-resource-planning-readiness","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6103635-8ef524c3deb035466fee98cd5be70214/orig.mp4?Expires=1770890369&Signature=QVELuHbAZHnrBHEnjurKTX76nyCzNrkrg7qTWoci3HrKdBdp0TGa23z2YqU9fvo~i~~~Oa27xMMbMacy7VB7tRgU8DQo54~CaQBLHYWvBHdWht5zG6yH-weuuTu~ePt4f~JjLwfPyTZsMlR0wUowwS2nHSNH9LdQ4E0uBBgiBKPuYXxbhuH06cnlgrzJZBQZ7hDBIBEr0KfdBtbGqSM9YBAj3pcmgfoHUPVh7yc4cyYfsMT3NOyjACIvxECc8shP~UesY4RV7K~sXU03jjTy5X0rRvJKDxkX7Q1mXtLGf6vXUjMeiekoNzakPt9Go~nlu8o-1heD-Bf5ywBcI5VoFA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Douglas County commissioners on March 26 approved a consulting agreement with the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) not to exceed $145,000 to conduct a readiness assessment and prepare procurement materials ahead of a future enterprise resource planning (ERP) procurement.

Russell Schlapper, the county’s project and IT software manager, said the readiness work will document and analyze current finance, HR and payroll processes, create a centralized repository of process documentation and translate the county’s future-state requirements into procurement specifications. Schlapper told commissioners the county’s existing ERP (implemented about a decade ago) suffers from limited vendor support, fragile upgrade processes, and a lack of modern APIs, and staff want GFOA help to define a position-by-position, process-by-process procurement requirement.

Jamie Schuhr, county clerk, summarized the county’s last ERP effort (2015 implementation) and said the scope this time includes finance, budget, HR/time entry and procure-to-pay processes. He described GFOA as a nonprofit professional association that produces many current best-practice guides and said the association will provide workshops, gap analysis versus best practice and contract negotiation support.

IT Director Starla Jones and Finance staff said cybersecurity and business continuity will be addressed; Jones noted the current system is on-premises and that modern cloud-based options could improve resilience. Commissioners discussed the likely need for temporary staff to backfill subject-matter experts during readiness and implementation phases.

The commission approved the GFOA proposal in a recorded vote that passed 5-0. The readiness work is scheduled to begin with a project kickoff and staff workshops in April 2025, continue into 2026, and support procurement planning for a vendor solicitation expected in the second half of 2026. Implementation of a new ERP is projected to begin in 2027.

A vote to approve the GFOA contract concluded the item; the commission directed staff to schedule a kickoff and return with implementation and resource plans as the readiness work progresses.","The commission authorized consulting services from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) not to exceed $145,000 to lead a readiness project ahead of procurement for a new county enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_46":117,"_48":118,"_50":119,"_52":120,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":121,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":122,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6103639,"Commission authorizes county court to spend $348,390 in expected federal funds to start veterans treatment court",2637,1199000,3836000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2794104-67aa4b11fe0b55c854d84eea9c3a13ec&start=1199&end=3836","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2794104-67aa4b11fe0b55c854d84eea9c3a13ec/thumbnail_1199000.jpg","/articles/6103639/Kansas/Commission-authorizes-county-court-to-spend-348390-in-expected-federal-funds-to-start-veterans-treatment-court","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6103639-5f76f3d7a7087ede3873064a3f38ff04/orig.mp4?Expires=1770890369&Signature=dBAnnsgz-BcFlfzZwABeKJ0wO5upulZ9AErr9Z3PSkttM665IOPxyyVflvn6MpqWCFtWZttiECtk0Ic1V0MKgUQCn2HaPz7hr5CmNTSkKJSTwx6xIU6WymA5CPBEAORoU4FfpbX4EQ9Sl7MXGVf8WJZVWwNiSfFNCmebevi5G9ckOJnkrsXk4MfZK3I8HxvooJaEPC~tBWHu~qZEyX-f5H5MEGX-X2YERdM-yC~qxno725W7eYkWBuOe9rPcgGByeymAb8fRwbQgN7zZeDCifBTOWd0Et3778B1JI1stfizMkb7Pyhxmabg9Z7v3JhkORJcDwiGd7uOtY-KrCwzgyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Douglas County Commission on March 26 authorized county court staff to accept and expend federal grant funds to support a Veterans Treatment Court (VTC), approving a projected county expenditure of $348,390 over four years.

Judge Amy Hanley, Douglas County District Court judge, told commissioners the program’s mission is “to promote public safety and reduce recidivism by specifically targeting the unique challenges facing veterans who suffer from mental health and or substance abuse issues that are related to their military service and to provide them a treatment strategy.” She said the court will emphasize early intervention and intensive treatment and partner with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and local providers for services and mentoring.

The grant award — $1,000,000 from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) — is held by the Office of Judicial Administration (OJA). OJA will act as the federal award recipient and pay many program costs directly; Douglas County’s share is the smaller, reimbursable portion Judge Hanley presented: roughly $348,390 over four years, a figure that includes a 15% contingency for unanticipated costs.

OJA staff described the grant as a reimbursement-model award: the county will submit invoices and documentation for expenditure and OJA will draw down federal funds to reimburse the county. Amy Deckard, OJA chief financial officer, said reimbursements are processed when the county submits invoices; the county intends to submit monthly requests to reduce timing risk.

Commissioners pressed for details on who the VTC will serve and how the program will be evaluated. Hanley said an October 2024 District Attorney report identified 56 defendants flagged by the VA as having military service and that monthly jail bookings showed between five and 20 veterans per month; court services currently supervises six veterans on probation. Dawn Huddleston of OJA described standardized performance indicators the state is using with other Kansas VTCs and said OJA will collect and can share the metrics. Hanley added that OJA has also pursued funds for a statewide evaluator to assist with performance assessment.

Commissioners also discussed the county’s near-term cash flow and the reimbursement risk if federal funds become unavailable. OJA and county staff told the commission that the program would pause if federal drawdowns stop; county expenditures already made would be subject to reimbursement availability. Hanley emphasized there is no obligation for the county to provide funds beyond the four-year award period.

Moved by Commissioner Reed and seconded by Commissioner Dorsey, the motion to authorize acceptance and expenditure of the grant passed 5-0.

The county will now proceed to hire a grant coordinator under the OJA structure and finalize protocols for eligibility, reporting and local service-provider partnerships. OJA and judge Hanley said they will provide more detail to the commission on evaluation measures and on any health-care cost metrics that can be tracked locally via VA or partner data.","Douglas County commissioners authorized court staff to accept and expend up to $348,390 over four years for a Veterans Treatment Court program after a presentation by District Court Judge Amy Hanley and representatives from the Office of Judicial Administration.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Douglas County Commission, March 26, 2025

Commission directs staff to use revised debt structure for Judicial & Public Safety project, increasing cash contribution by $5 million

Commission authorizes one-year MOU to launch Flexible Housing Pool to house chronically homeless

Commission approves $145,000 GFOA contract to guide enterprise resource planning readiness

Commission authorizes county court to spend $348,390 in expected federal funds to start veterans treatment court