Elk Konnected Hand out at County Commissioners meeting on 4/25

[Ross]

County Commissioners Meeting
Open Forum
03/14/2016
Continued Part 3
and done.

My personal remarks are in parenthesis.

The Elk Falls City Councilwoman say's she understands, what I am talking about. In relation to the Wind Farm money (taxpayer dollars), but says we have been in a recession for about 8 years and I don't see it going away for 2 or 3 years. Yes, my suggestion was to help fund (with county taxpayer dollars) the smaller communities that need it. But also economic development, we need to bring business into this area, we have two major highways that run through our county and we also have 400 that is 12 miles north of us, that is a major interstate commerce passageway. We need to bring actual manufacturing business here (I could not hear what else she was saying at this point and it did not record either.) to help us with (something). And economic development in this county , we are the poorest county in state. If we don't change our ways, I've been here almost seven years and we are not going to continue surviving this way. I understand you have farms and ranches and all that, but that's not the only thing in life that we live on. As a taxpayer I am entitled to my opinion. An employee said bring a plan that tells us what it's going to do, how long it's going to take and how much it's going to cost and bring that to the board. And if enough taxpayers including myself can see that your plan can work, then we would probably be on board with that. Ms, Byrdee I totally understand and agree with you, there is just one thing in life there is no guarantee in anything, we don't even know if we will be here tomorrow. Byrdee, I understand that. There is no guarantee we would even get a 5% investment rate. Interest rates are basically 1/10 of a percent, like on a 5 month CD for the general public. Byrdie said, We can't do anything, we or the community can not do anything with out a plan. Excuse me I'm speaking, You can not do any kind of economic development without a plan. (Byrdie is so polite, nice lady.) (There is much more to investing than CD's and savings accounts.)

(The conversation moved on to our ex Economic Development Employee, remember the one that worked for Elk Kon nected ? Beginning to sound like Elk Kon nected, again, involved here, doesn't it ? Read on, please.)

The Elk Falls City Councilwoman said, "When it comes to the only Economic Development employee we had, for what ever reason, I don't know, if they were expecting a savings or what. When you fired Ms. Jennifer that put us in the hole even more. Now we have no one out there promoting our county. I believe it was Ms. Byrdee that said, I don't believe she was fired but that she quit. Elk Falls City Councilwoman (I believe she said} She was fired from her Youth Development Coordinator. An aiudiance member said, "The Youth Development Program was discontinue and besides that, we had an economic employee in this county for twenty, someone tell me how many years, 20 some years or 30 years. Who did absolutely nothing but draw wages. I hear these guys agree with me, I just wanted to be sure."

Kaminsi said, "I totally understand. I will say on this question, we discussed this a little bit at the last meeting, the projected population for the county between now and  2044  according to projections Elk County is suppose to lose 34% of it population. Today we are at about 2600 - 2665, we are suppose to be at 1781 by these projections. (She was pointing to two little pictures on the wall behind her. I assume they were maps of Elk County.) Kaminski continues, "So it will be more difficult to maintain County operations." I interjected, "All the more reason to save money, huh!"  Not sure but I think it was the Elk Falls City Councilwoman who said, "Or all the more reason to turn our fate around."  I said, "How about building  an industrial park, so if someone would wants to come in here." Kaminiska said (a couple of times), "Absolutely I'd love to do that."  I said, "Right there is  good place to spend the money you want to give away."  Audiance members said, "It takes a plan, while chuckling." Kaminski said, " I think it's a little bit hard to point a finger at one person, to ever suggest something and say why don't you develop a plan. Elk County City Councilwoman said, "Some one needs to come up with a plan." (Why do we have /county Commissioners, supposedly leaders?)

Someone said they have never seen an economic development plan. And Kaminska said, "We can't re-hash all that today."

Hebb said, The boat company in Nedesha was gonna come in here twice. Chamber of Commerce bugged them out of here. One deal was they wouldn't let them put a dock out at the lake. (That would have been a free development, wouldn't it?") The other was they would be raising wages and putting stuff in the river they didn't want in there." Another audiance member said,"I remember one wanting to come in here when i was in school and the City Councilman and all that stuff, they didn't want it, because they would have to pay their help more money to do it." Kaminska responded, " I don't really understand that, because it is a free enterprise system. It's like Dollar General, there were people that didn't want them in here, well, they are here and I don't know how a city council could stop that." Some one said, The water supply, they said the water supply wouldn't handle it."

(Well folks this is where I quit recording and had to leave because of a message to come home ASAP.
In closing many people don't recognize control of certain families or groups but Elk Kon nected did bring attention to the "Old Guard" which is what I really believe Elk Kon nected to be only I see it as "The Old Guard in a New Dress" LOL

I was  told and I do believe the City of Howard refused to provide water and  possibly other services to Dollar General effectively stopping them the first time around. Apparently Dollar General has more power than the Howard City Council does. I believe this is what scares the locals. By that I mean, they would lose their power of control. If there were a large manufacturing company to move into Elk County along with it would be possibly a lot of outsiders and people with much higher wages. And owners and managers with more money than the locals. Money is power. And that scares the local. A large or even a medium size company would have a great deal of influence, political and other wise, in the county. These are the main factors that prevent Elk County from growing.

As far as I am concerned, I don't care if it grows or not, I am retired and possibly to old to ever hope to work again. That is why, I am happy on my little farm, I am busy all the time. I enjoy working. I'm crazy --- I know!

I just don't like seeing taxpayer money given away, because they want to call it Wind Farm money. That is very deceptive. And you read above what Kaminski said during an open County Commissioners Meeting. The county population is predicted to drop to 1781 people making it difficult to maintain county operations. A major reason to save every dollar they can and invest it, so it can pay the county an income and keep property taxes from increasing.

The cities, each have their own governments and they tax their citizens for the purpose of taking care of their own cities. Apparently, they don't have people educated in budgeting for street repairs, sewer repair and replacement, etc. Apparently, they don't have people elected to do long range planning and requesting City block Grants. Apparently they have elected incompetent officials.

Apparently the Konnected Kounty Kommissioners don't recognize a lot of this information. Another thing the cities ekected ofiiciaks and the Konnected Kounty Kommissioners don't recognize is that not everything has to be done at once, that is what long term planning is about. Corporate Welfare is no different than the people that get on welfare and stay there because they have gven up. That is why the Konnected Kounty Kommissioners plan to continue giving away free taxpayer dollars again next year and the next year. Also, because they can not recognize the importance of saving the money for when the population has dropped to the 1781 population they have been warned about.

You know, I haven't heard Oak Valley mentioned even once for free tax dollars, and I wonder why? Is it because their little village isn't incorporated? But might they want something or need something special for their little village just the same? Maybe some infrastructure they can't afford? Did anyone ask them if they could use some free taxpayer dollars? They are not incorporated so, it would not be Corporate Welfare, right?

What is fair about giving more free tax dollars to Howard than to Moline? That crap about based on population is not fair to the smaller cities. Why? Because the smaller cities have a smaller city tax already and things in their communities will be just as expensive as in Howard, leaving them with less money to work with. Just give each city an equal amount of the free taxpayer dollars to be more fair. Howard seems to always get the better deal. Or better yet save the money and invest it for harder times ahead. Let the cities be responsible for them selves. They already recieve enough financial help from the ?County government.

I have tried to keep this as accurate as possible and I have had my say. I know I am not making friends with elected officials,  but that is okay. I am not a politically correct person.

Okay, I'm done with this County commissioners Meeting!
So once again good night folks.)
Good night folks.

[Ross]

[Ross]

ELK COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA
March 28, 2016

Regularly Scheduled Meeting
1:00 p.m. - Call to Order
          Minutes Approval – March 14th Regular Meeting
                                    
1:10 p.m.    Public Forum
          
1:20 p.m. – Department Reports
(Department Head meetings:  8 AM; Thursday before each Commissioner Meeting)   

Old  Business:
   Wage Scale
   Handbook Changes
      
   
New Business
1:45 p.m. –  Larry Sharp KCAMP Insurance Review
2:15 p.m. –
2:30 p.m. – Resolution 2016-02, Automatic Aid Agreement with the City of Howard
2:45 p.m. – CIC Annual Peopleware Agreement
3:00 p.m. – 
Abatements:  PP:  2016-57
Presentation of Claims
Other
Adjournment

WAGE SCALE WORK SESSION IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING COMMISSIONER MEETING.


Future Events:  April 14: SEK District Meeting at Franklin Co Courthouse, Ottawa, KS

**********************************************************************************

Is that like Foreign Aid
NO
More like Automatic WELFARE to Howard.
at the expense of all Elk County Tax Payers
Year after Year without Review.
A federal Government type of move.
Got to wait and see

.

[Ross]

Do we need Higher Property Tax Rates for West Elk
OR
Do We need a More Efficient Administration
And
School Board that pays Attention
To Efficiency
?

This is probably information West Elk USD 282 would probably prefer you don't know.
Remember the Superintendent said it cost something like $8,000 per student?
I was guessing more like $13,000, boy was I wrong ! But then I don't have acccess to all the school's financial books.
There will most likely be excuses made for the lack of efficiency and it should be expected.

2014-15 AMOUNT PER PUPIL 1000-2100-2200 SERIES COMBINED COSTS
Low to High with Cooperative Districts Highlighted -- taken from KSDE SF16-010
(If it was high to low
We would be Number ONE in the State
instead of last on the list)

 
                                                                  No. of                     2014-15              2014-15       
                                                                Students                 Expenditures         Amount
                                                                                                All Funds              Per Pupil
D0282   West Elk Elk                                     318.8                 5,599,644            17,565
D0113   Prairie Hills Nemaha                     1,092.5                8,135,085              7,446
D0446   Independence Montgomery          1,950.2              13,902,973              7,129
D0392   Osborne County                               287.6                 2,356,396              8,193
D0460   Hesston                                           803.3                  5,668,020              7,056
D0381   Spearville                                        340.8                  2,483,670              7,288




You can verify this information by going to: http://kslegislature.org/li/b2015_16/committees/ctte_spc_2015_special_committee_on_k12_student_s_1/documents/testimony/20151110_04.pdf

All School Districts in Kansas are listed in this PDF form.

[Ross]

ELK COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA
March 28, 2016

2:30 p.m. – Resolution 2016-02, Automatic Aid Agreement with the City of Howard

I could not make it to the meeting yesterday, but i did find out that the resolution was not approved.

Because it only named for Howard and left out all of the other communities so it has to be re-written.

Still my question is why?
Why a resolution?
Is it to prevent any new commissioners from canceling the Welfare, oop's aid ?

I am curious to see the resolution and see who is promised what aren't you ?

[Ross]

Funding Facts For Teachers

As teachers, we need to be more activw in attaining information and questioning selective data provided to us. As teachers, we impart to our students how important it is to think critically. We should do the same with school funding,.

Don't take anything at face value.
Ask questions. Demand answers.
Knowledge is Power!
Isn't just for kids.

https://kansaspolicy.org/teachers-guide-education-funding/

Shouldn't the above information apply to tax payers as well?

The deeper I dig the worse it sounds, but there may be some relief for property owner taxpayers in the new HB 2741 if it passes.

***********************************************************************

Funding Per Pupil Database

Per-pupil funding from taxpayers at the state, federal and local levels.  State-mandated 20 mills of property tax for school support had been erroneously reflected as Local aid until it was corrected by the Legislature in 2015; on average, the 2015 transition increased State aid and decreased Local aid by roughly $1,200 per pupil.

Year       USD #   District Name   County      State              Federal        Local     Total
2015    282      West Elk                 Elk         $12,182         $5,271       $7,597   $25,049

Apparently the $17,565 I posted earlier did not include the $7,597 dollars per child from local property taxes.[/b]

Check it out at: http://www.kansasopengov.org/kog/databank#report_id=35&Year=2015&USDNumber=282&DistrictName=West%20Elk&County=Elk

******************************************************************************

KANSAS LEGISLATURE INTRODUCES TRANSFORMATIVE NEW SCHOOL FUNDING SYSTEM

Dave TrabertMarch 29, 2016Education

To the surprise of many legislative observers, a brand new school finance system was proposed last week in House Appropriations with an effective date of July 1, 2017.  The unique approach set forth in HB 2741 includes a new method of equalizing capital outlay aid and eliminates the need for Local Option Budget equalization by providing all funding needed to meet the adequacy test through the state budget.

The new system retains some elements from the old system but it is largely a new approach that seems reasonable calculated to give school districts the funding needed to meet expected outcomes while requiring more efficient use of taxpayers' money, which is the Supreme Court's constitutional test on adequacy.  It is not the Court's role to determine the actual amount of funding, but as they specified in Gannon, to determine whether the funding provided is "...reasonably calculated to have all Kansas public education students meet or exceed the standards set out in Rose and presently codified in K.S.A. 2013 Supp. 72-1127."  The test is whether funding is reasonably calculated (how the Legislature arrived at the decision) rather than whether they selected a particular level of funding.

The plan is also much easier to understand than the old byzantine formula and should dramatically streamline the budgeting process as well as providing a great deal more predictability to local school boards.

Taxpayers should appreciate the first-ever efficiency requirements built in to the plan; our recent statewide market search study found that 88 percent of Kansans believe local school boards should make efficient use of taxpayer money and 73 percent believe there should be some efficiency requirements included in a school funding formula.  But there will also likely be considerable pushback on this plan since it's not the 'blank check' that some would like to see provided.

Read much more at:  https://kansaspolicy.org/kansas-legislature-introduces-transformative-new-school-funding-system/

[Ross]

Are you by chance following and reading about the Socialist Liberals that approve of
Kon nected Kounty Kommissior giving away FREE MONEY as in taxpayer dollars in the fashion of Socialism.

Go to, to catch up.
http://www.cascity.com/howard/forum/index.php/topic,17745.0.html

One reader and poster doesn't seem to think Elk Konnected is worth speaking of.
Isn't that just hilarious?

[Ross]

Have you heard about the new Elk County Economic Development Program?

I visited Howeird this morning and heard about it!

The New Dollar General Store is open and because, I had read here on the forum that they would not be like
other Dollar General Stores and would be carrying big items like appliances I wanted to see for myself.

Boy was that bad information, I saw nary an appliance.

What I saw was like every other Dollar General Store.
Lots of groceries, soda's, Gatorade, you name it  and Drug Store over the counter stuff and again you name it.

The Economic plan i was talking about ! 
If you shop there you stand a good chance of being threatened ! 
How's that for an economic development plan.

The story goes on to say people are trying to shame the people that have accepted jobs there !
Now that is plain shameful - if true .
Shouldn't people be encouraged and congratulated for getting a job?
I find it completely Shameful to try to shame people willing to work, instead of being stuck on Socialism's welfare.

It was said, the people doing the threatening happen to be the ones that go to Walmart and other stores outside of Elk County to do their shopping.

Sure it's rumor but, I happen to believe my source, who shall remain anonymous.
After all he doesn't need to be threatened, does he?
where this thread has been
Rumor also has it we will have a very wet weekend.

How about buying votes during this election year in Elk County?

Food for thought! I posted on anther thread but I'm gonna quote it over here.
Why you may ask? Because that thread my go away some day soon!may stay that way for another very long time.     
Where as this thread has been active for a long time (5years) and may remain active for another very long time.

I thought i understood what all the Elk Kounty Welfare and SOCIALISM was about !

Boy I was wrong. And I got corrected this morning!

IT IS AN ELECTION YEAR ?

DO YOU GET IT ? 

POLITITCS !

The Kon nected Kounty Kommissioners didn't go Socialist with taxpayers money as FREE MONEY last year did they?

This year is different, I was informed the Kon nected Kounty Kommissioners are using their positions to buy votes !

Oh yea, I believe that!     But I hope the voters are smarter than to be bought so cheaply?

Of the two Kon nected Kounty Kommissioners Liebau of District 3 has the seat that is up for vote. And I have been informed they are very concerned about an honest man competing against Liebau.

Try to recall what happened the last time Liebau ran. They convinced a third man to run for the seat.
Most likely to cause the vote to be split hoping to insure the re-election of Kon nected Kounty Kommissioner Liebau. And it worked.

Now I am not asking any one to believe any thing I post. I only ask that you think about it and discuss it.
I don;t even care if you cuss me, but please discuss this information.

[Jane]

That is sad to think people in Howard would shame someone for want to work.

[Ross]

That is sad to think people in Howard would shame someone for want to work.

I agree with you Jane, I totally agree.

Just as sad, if people are threatening people for shopping at the Dollar General.