[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":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":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6548139,"mediaKeyId","3382551-6110c613f74daa1876e202f50786c703","parentId",3382551,"title","Geary County health director: KDHE funding cuts slow some services; measles not detected locally","audioSeconds",1122,"startMs",3671000,"endMs",4793000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3382551-6110c613f74daa1876e202f50786c703&start=3671&end=4793","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3382551-6110c613f74daa1876e202f50786c703/thumbnail_3671000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6548139/Geary-County/Kansas/Geary-County-health-director-KDHE-funding-cuts-slow-some-services-measles-not-detected-locally","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6548139-f3514890e5495dc392b760d356b4f80a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771128817&Signature=FiSO7I0t36~2-JCIimeZKAYBe0GDYMP7hGgFi6SIzVWyCRAz75e394iFjTEFvnLbiF~Z90wD~6SUd3dbnLd2Nwj1vwdlyFTUnjHHRawm7kFYYFm4EP70xmtSRKOyku7Nt4TA-fKdvRs6YA5JCgSWbC-HuNTnPddvpOM2HLM4zycLcw24zlGJfO9jI2ErRjToeL6MEajpycuflC8~VJCoGJIaWzNe1BpQ~F-j1pBiJnk-CIpyS51u35FOTNrFZmOAW5~bQzNo3fm0diRlE4HbeKLQzfM-QvPEKoU6DNb9JcHA5xT-pmZj07VwrDZo2Fkb0hpawAWgmt0ZnXVxficDbw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Geary County, KS","date","2025-05-19T15:33:53Z","article","Charles Martinez, director of the Geary County Health Department, briefed the board on staffing, disease surveillance and clinic operations during the May 12 meeting.

Martinez said the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has lost federal funding that led to staff reductions and will slow some services such as lab processing and technical assistance. \"It's not that we can't function,\" Martinez said, \"it's just going to be slower and a more painful process.\" He said the health department is adjusting workflows and coordinating with partners to maintain services.

Clinic staffing is tight: Martinez said the department is short nursing staff and has temporarily used its WIC coordinator (an RN) to provide limited clinic coverage on specific days. He said appointments were canceled where necessary and that the department has been referring urgent vaccine needs to partner clinics until staffing is restored.

On disease surveillance, Martinez said measles has not reached Geary County and that Kansas reported 56 cases statewide; he said rising vaccination rates locally make a county outbreak less likely in the near term. Martinez reported no RSV cases in the emergency room since March and that COVID-related ER visits remain very low; influenza was described as minimal and gastrointestinal illness that spiked last month has subsided.

Sexually transmitted infection reports have improved compared with last year: Martinez said gonorrhea and chlamydia case counts were down from prior months. The department filled a front‑desk clerk position and promoted a clerk to a biller role but is still recruiting for a registered nurse and a dietitian; Martinez said regional pay levels and competition may be a factor.

Martinez also described minor facility maintenance and ongoing administrative work, and noted the department is adapting to new electronic signature and billing processes that have caused some operational friction statewide.

The board took the update as informational; no formal health-policy action or funding vote occurred at the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Geary County Commission 051925 #2","oneSentenceSummary","Charles Martinez, director of the Geary County Health Department, told commissioners that state (KDHE) federal funding reductions have cut staff at the state level, slowing lab and technical assistance; the local clinic is short on nursing staff and the health department is prioritizing WIC and vaccination access via partners.","taxTitle","Geary County, Kansas","taxId",63542,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6548142,"Commissioners approve facility and road purchases, direct staff to seek KDOT study of high‑school intersection",903,904000,1807000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3382551-6110c613f74daa1876e202f50786c703&start=904&end=1807","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3382551-6110c613f74daa1876e202f50786c703/thumbnail_904000.jpg","/articles/6548142/Geary-County/Kansas/Commissioners-approve-facility-and-road-purchases-direct-staff-to-seek-KDOT-study-of-highschool-intersection","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6548142-00cab89eb5971833c9e7d4c0488ce397/orig.mp4?Expires=1771128817&Signature=RtJRw5Pah4L0UyJ3iG5yoz0gWp7O929r~bnlDtJtTcibkJpqPKDvHljeY0Ppxtjxfwp6vGy1Ht1phqRhjT0QM3DclSjYdd3wU5MKvg-xWPa4eylSwPcO6NF2JWzhPyKNFhKu08UAXcEZGOpk2SF7f0hIr-AK3xtw2aqGt-d909MHNsOASyNEQAdeIxg9mjuay9cgfIbeAc3qYbYO5uw7NN4WAXxAoJyAqLaIVgMYipHKo1t~ONv-22T4jq87iVKdQSLic04ZgzHT9v76Ysj~09b2wzmcixUybTyQpU0L0tySXcDVZlxTmwQXNOVMv0yCnKuVPn5byUXbWrEkrfKe9w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Geary County public works staff and the board approved a series of facilities and road-related purchases during the May 12 meeting and discussed options for a potentially hazardous intersection.

Jeremy Myers, public works administrator, reviewed contract renewals and capital maintenance needs. The board approved annual preventive-maintenance contracts with the county's HVAC vendor for June 1, 2025–May 31, 2026; Myers said one campus (Cloud County Community College Building D) carried an unexpected increase of $1,068 because the building had not been previously accounted for on that contract. Commissioners agreed the preventative maintenance is important to extend equipment life.

The board also approved replacing one of two HVAC units serving the sheriff's administrative area because the original unit had failed. Myers said the cost is $9,883 and that the expense will be paid from the facility fund. The motion to approve replacement carried unanimously.

Public works presented a pest-control proposal after staff reported termite evidence in the HR office. Ram Pest Control proposed a spot treatment and building bait stations for $2,640 with a $385 annual maintenance fee; the board approved the proposal and directed funding from facilities.

For road work, Myers recommended replacing two corrugated metal culverts on Skidi Road with reinforced concrete pipe for longer service life. Old Castle in Topeka submitted a low proposal of $7,035; a second bid from McPherson Concrete was $9,254.12. Because combining the two purchases reduces shipping, Myers asked the board to waive the purchasing policy to allow a single combined purchase; commissioners approved purchase through Old Castle with funds charged to the Road & Bridge culvert line.

Myers briefed the board on an intersection at Munson Road/Rucker Road and K‑18 where the sheriff's office reported six accidents between 2023 and 2025 and parents and school-board members had expressed safety concerns. Myers said he would file an application for a Traffic Engineering Assistance Program (TEAP) study through KDOT; commissioners supported pursuing a KDOT review and asked staff to bring the matter to the next TAC meeting. No formal vote was taken to obligate funds for engineering at this time.

Myers also updated commissioners on flood-damage mitigation at the Kansas Falls roadside location that remains closed after a June flood last year. He said staff had met with FEMA and that FEMA mitigation might be available; Myers cautioned the board he would confirm details but said he believed mitigation could cover up to $200,000 for work at that site. Myers warned that environmental permitting and the span of the location could push a low-water crossing into a structure that would then fall under the county's bridge inspection inventory.

Facilities staff had requested an exterior painting project for the Emergency Management building. Riley Construction was the lowest bidder at $16,342, and the project was previously approved in the CIP for $15,000; the board approved a CIP amendment of $1,342 to cover the difference and awarded the work to the low bidder.

Also on fleet and equipment, Rhonda from Community Corrections asked to trade two vehicles: the department proposed trading a Fusion for a Chevy Trailblazer from Jim Clark and trading a 2018 Chevy Malibu to Home Automotive (for another Malibu). The board approved the Home Automotive recommendation first (unanimous approval). The Trailblazer purchase from Jim Clark was approved in a separate motion and carried with one abstention (Commissioner Trish). Myers said vehicle purchases are timed late in the fiscal year to ensure available funds.

Myers closed with routine public-works updates: chip-seal hauling progress, culvert and sign installations, right-of-way mowing, staffing levels (29 current employees with four vacancies) and ongoing recruitment efforts.

The board approved the listed contracts and purchases during the meeting; Myers will return with cost details or contract amendments as needed for items that remain pending.","Geary County commissioners approved multiple contracts and purchases for HVAC, preventive maintenance, pest control and culverts, and discussed applying to KDOT's traffic engineering assistance program to study the Munson/Rucker Road and K‑18 intersection near a high school.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6548146,"County finance director presents April reports, shows mill-levy illustration of tax changes",2336,616000,2952000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3382551-6110c613f74daa1876e202f50786c703&start=616&end=2952","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3382551-6110c613f74daa1876e202f50786c703/thumbnail_616000.jpg","/articles/6548146/Geary-County/Kansas/County-finance-director-presents-April-reports-shows-mill-levy-illustration-of-tax-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6548146-63132513d46f9c96c3cd4f86ae8193cb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771128817&Signature=EKbmoLZ1cmWHI6Fo0aYpEvNiwj5mwkXfj9aJik9Is5oIopgw50yKcZGVK9jMF7A2brFg9mndfZog2XcTzILvpFnFhY2i7LKg8TEx-7F1Ouo47t9JmQznWhF1kUo7s9DRJI8~FrCG1~KhVVWVILQfAv2a5GhQ1xG1rv0VvjcxuwVm89E-6r-EIuQcTtdj~J0GXb3FtjuXYXW91tWOp674OyLxDdZ~BpiUjyoGZ2ijWmzE1UUJNsBgcKKHYqZhINaM9mWH5uQKOoV13A83JCwvZJM3wvFrdSqk5WjnALX~ATbUynC1a3e5kH-IuBMv4DUdOfQdGMUtrm-pc75ky~uVxw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Robinson, the county finance director, told the Geary County Board of County Commissioners that the county's April financial reports reconcile with the treasurer's duplicate statement and reviewed expenditure and revenue activity ahead of budget season.

Robinson said the April cash balances reconcile with the county treasurer's duplicate statement (reference number 3961979337). He also noted the county is 33.33% through the fiscal year and highlighted budget lines that have exceeded that percentage, including portions of the general fund, transfers made at the start of the fiscal year, insurance and workers' compensation, the library, economic development and the fire district. Robinson explained some departments exceed the benchmark because of timing—transfers, one-time payments or reimbursements—rather than sustained overspending.

Robinson presented a multi-year illustration comparing actual mill rates with a scenario in which the county had kept the 2022 mill rate constant through 2025. \"If our mill rate had been kept flat from 2022 through 2025,\" Robinson said, \"the levy would have been materially higher each year.\" He explained the illustration shows roughly $3 million in additional levied dollars in 2023, about $4 million in 2024 and about $5 million in 2025 that were avoided by changing the county's mill rate as valuations changed.

Commissioners asked for clarification on specific line items. One commissioner asked where costs related to reissuing tax statements and postage would be charged; Robinson said those postage costs will be absorbed by general services and training costs were paid from the clerk's tech fund. Robinson also offered to present the mill-levy illustration to the public and use it as an explanatory tool during budget season, noting the graphic is useful but may need explanation for lay audiences.

Robinson closed by reminding the board the reports were provided for information and discussion ahead of formal budget decisions later in the year.

The county did not take a formal budget vote during the presentation; Robinson said the materials were for information in advance of the upcoming budget cycle.","Geary County Finance Director Robinson told commissioners the county's April financial reports reconciled with the treasurer's records and presented an illustration showing how keeping the mill rate flat would have increased the county's levies by millions in 2023–2025.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Geary County health director: KDHE funding cuts slow some services; measles not detected locally

Commissioners approve facility and road purchases, direct staff to seek KDOT study of high‑school intersection

County finance director presents April reports, shows mill-levy illustration of tax changes