Commissioners close October
by Derek White
October 31, 2025
The Thomas County Commissioners met Friday morning, October 31, at the courthouse to close out the month’s business, addressing a slate of routine fiscal approvals alongside community concerns about highway safety and landfill operations.
Chairman Mike Baughn called the meeting to order at 9 a.m. with members Brad Flipse and Brian Luedke present, joined by County Attorney Chris Rohr and County Clerk Keesa Mariman. The session opened with a review of county sales-tax receipts. August collections totaled $119,944.91 from the half-cent sales tax and $59,972.45 from the quarter-cent tax, figures that continue to reflect steady local economic activity.
Traffic study north of Colby
During public comment, Rohr announced the county had finalized its contract with PENCO Engineering for a long-awaited traffic study along K-25 north of Colby. The study will evaluate traffic flow, speed, and safety conditions in the residential stretch north of the city limits where residents have voiced concerns about semi-trucks using engine brakes near homes.
Several property owners along the corridor attended to describe daily noise and safety issues. Commissioners agreed the public should have an opportunity to hear directly from PENCO once the firm begins its work, and Rohr said he would coordinate a public discussion when the initial data collection process is underway. Enforcement of the existing engine-brake ordinance was also discussed, with follow-up planned with the sheriff’s office and Kansas Highway Patrol to increase patrol presence along the corridor.
Request for county equipment use at hospital site
Road and Bridge Director Clair Schrock relayed a request to use a county motor grader to smooth an acre of ground on the west side of the new Citizens Medical Center site. The work would take roughly half an hour, and the hospital contractor suggested the county could receive a quantity of gravel or fill material in exchange. Commissioners Luedke and Flipse asked for more details about the value and amount of material that could be traded before authorizing the use of county equipment. The item was eventually dismissed as the situation had changed.
Landfill special-waste discussion
Landfill Director Tom Fischer presented a proposal, working with McCarty Dairy, to dispose of approximately 250 tons per year of spent activated carbon media. The material, Fischer explained, has been tested and cleared by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for use as an alternate daily cover at the landfill, potentially reducing the county’s use of dirt cover.
Fischer recommended lowering the county’s special-waste fee from $65 per ton to $35 for this specific material, since it could offset operating costs. Commissioners questioned whether adjusting the rate would set a precedent, referencing a previous request from a local co-op that had been denied. Rohr suggested reclassifying the carbon media under a new category rather than discounting the standard special-waste rate. Commissioners agreed to keep the current $65 per-ton rate in place for now and requested additional information from KDHE and Dominion representatives before making a final determination in November.
Executive session and fiscal business
The board entered a 15-minute executive session with the county attorney and clerk to discuss non-elected personnel in the appraiser’s office. No action was taken upon return to open session.
Commissioners approved a line-item transfer of $620.03 from the Emergency Management fund to correct a miscoded fuel purchase, and approved tax-roll corrections including abatements totaling $3,778.80 on 2024 oil valuations. Minutes from the September 30 and October 6 meetings were accepted with a correction noting a one-year, rather than three-year, term in a previous motion.
Accounts payable and payroll totaling $513,036.12 were approved for payment to close the month.
The meeting adjourned at 9:52 a.m. The next regular commission meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 12, 2025, at the Thomas County Courthouse.