On the agenda: Manhattan Board of County Commissioners Meeting — surveillance camera (Sep 10)

Final
115 N 4th Street
Manhattan, KS 66502
www.rileycountyks.gov

Board of Riley County
Commissioners
Regular Meeting
Minutes

Cindy Kabriel
785-565-6200

September 10, 2026
Commission Chambers
District 1 – John Ford, Vice-Chair

8:30 AM

8:30 AM
District 2 – Greg McKinley, Member

District 3 – Kathryn Focke, Chair

Call to Order
Attendee Name

Title

Status

Arrived

Kathryn Focke

County Commissioner

Present

8:30 AM

John Ford

County Commissioner

Present

8:30 AM

Greg McKinley

County Commissioner

Present

8:30 AM

Cindy Kabriel

Senior Administrative Assistant

Present

8:30 AM

Jacob Hansen

County Counselor

Present

8:30 AM

Vanessa Gray

PIO

Present

8:30 AM

Michael Hawthorne

Assistant County Counselor

Present

8:30 AM

Brittany Phillips

Budget and Finance Officer

Present

8:30 AM

Darrin Hobbs

Planning Compliance Specialist

Present

8:30 AM

Present

8:30 AM

Pat Collins
Michele Reid

Human Resources Manager

Present

8:30 AM

John Ellermann

Public Works Director/County Engineer

Present

8:30 AM

Gary Olds

Present

8:30 AM

Rob Voelker

Present

8:30 AM

Arturo Mauricio

KMAN

Present

8:30 AM

Alison Wheatley

3518 Limestone Circle

Present

8:30 AM

Gretchen Lewis

1229 Hudson Avenue

Present

8:30 AM

Marilynn Mock

3045 Geneva Drive

Present

8:30 AM

Lisa Worthington

517 Stone Pointe Drive

Present

8:30 AM

Elizabeth Dodd

2818 Tatarrax Drive

Present

8:30 AM

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Tyler Nelssen

2111 Prairie Glen Place

Present

8:30 AM

Barbara Gatewood

2921 Tatarrax Drive

Present

8:30 AM

Elke Lorenz

315 Valley Drive

Present

8:30 AM

Susan Adamchak

1000 Mill Valley Circle

Present

8:30 AM

John Watt

2208 Brooke Bend, Junction City

Present

8:30 AM

Isabel Call

2139 Prairie Lea Place

Present

8:30 AM

Present

8:30 AM

Andrew Frey
Al Terwelp

5911 Sharm Drive

Present

8:30 AM

Shirley Hobrock

2812 Stone Valley Drive

Present

8:30 AM

Brice Hobrock

2812 Stone Valley Drive

Present

8:30 AM

Russel Stukey

Emergency Management Director/Fire Chief

Present

9:00 AM

Pam Sexton

4596 Camphor Circle, Pottawatomie Co. Present

8:30 AM

Philip Nel

Present

8:30 AM

Margaret McGhee

Present

8:30 AM

Amber Starling

Present

8:30 AM

Marcia Deane Lehmann 2107 Prairie Lea Place

Present

8:30 AM

Michael Boller

Noxious Weed/HHW Director

Present

9:00 AM

Daryn Soldan

Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce

Present

9:44 AM

Christian Bishop

Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce

Present

9:44 AM

Pledge of Allegiance
Public Comment
Hansen presented the Riley County rules for public comment.
Starling said they oppose the RCPD grant and accepting of the funds. Starling discussed the
specifics of the grant.
Mock thanked the commissioners for their service. She is opposed to ICE coming to our
community and opposes accepting this grant.
Watt discussed the 287 agreement and CORE Civic. Watt said he opposes the grant.
Terwelp, organizer of DeFlock Riley County, said they oppose the grant. He presented five
reasons why.
A citizen said he is against the grant and surveillance cameras.
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Nel discussed three things: trust, cost, and control regarding the grant. Nel said he opposes the
grant.
Call, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship opposes the grant. Call said ICE has earned their
distrust.
Nelssen said RCPD has two accreditations for their discipline and honor following the rule of
law and we are going to join an agency with unlawful detention. Nelssen said he finds it hard
to uphold the accreditations.
McGhee a priest in town urged if the grant is awarded to not accept it.
Commission Comments
Ford's Comments:
Hopefully everyone had a wonderful Labor Day holiday and stayed cool and well as it finally
looks like fall may be finally coming around here in September.
Friday I did speak with Ben Ledo from MakeMyMove yesterday. He said the state is still
reviewing the second-round applications and that the good news is there were only 1.48
million in request with the 1.5 million allocated so were basically a shoe in at this point and we
will be fast tracked once the review is complete. So that should be coming at any point now.
Friday evening, I did take some time to walk around Purple Power Play downtown. Didn’t stay
incredibly long due to the extreme heat but it was fun and there seemed to be a lot of energy
for the start of the season. Also brings back memories from the first couple being downtown in
the early 1990s.
Saturday I attended a Town Hall discussion at the VFW in Randolph. Had a handful of citizens
there from the north county to discuss some of the issue and challenges facing us here in Riley
County including the budget, the county administrator position, personnel concerns, property
taxes and taxes in general, fairgrounds, and emergency services to name a few. Have to say it
was a spirted conversation but well worth the hour and half to listen to everyone, discuss and
answer some questions as well.
Saturday evening, I watched the first K-State from home. Ended up being quite the game as
the Wildcats won 71-3 over Nicholls on another hot evening. Glad to see the Collin Klien era
getting started off on a good foot and it looked like there was plenty of energy with the team
and with the crowd. Got a couple of 11 a.m. games coming up next.
Sunday and Monday I spent watching quite a bit of college football, there were some good
games and a couple a bad ones in the mix.
Also, on Monday I came down to office to do some work and go through some information on
several agenda items we will be working on over the next couple of meetings to get caught up.
Tuesday afternoon I listened to another National Association of Counties webinar discussing
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the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act that is a major bipartisan federal enacted in July to
help address the nation’s housing shortages and try and address the affordability issue. This
webinar also discussed two specific counties, Orange County, Florida and Fairfax County,
Virginia and they’re thinking outside the box to develop avenues to address these challenges in
their communities. Lastly there was Business After Hours hosted by the Manhattan Area
Chamber of Commerce out at the K-State Community Garden. It was a chance to discover
what more K-State has to offer with people from both McCain Auditorium and the Beach
Museum of Art
Also, throughout the week I’ve been responding to correspondence on several county related
issues on several different mediums including email. Looks like there’s a need to keep the
citizens updated and educated on the key issues as well. Something we definitely need to work
on.
McKinley's Comments:
No comments.
Focke's Comments:
Thursday, September 3rd there was a special meeting of the Law Board in the BOCC
Chambers. The meeting consisted of an executive session concerning personnel issues and the
following session was an attorney/client privilege session. The director was unable to attend
the first session, and another meeting is scheduled for Monday afternoon, September 14th.
Friday Commissioner McKinley and I took some paperwork to the RCPD Director for the
Monday meeting.
Saturday I attended the KSU vs. Nicholls State football game. It was a very hot evening, but a
great game with the Wildcats scoring 71 points.
Sunday & Monday I didn’t do much except some housework, shopping, and reading. I needed
some time to relax.
Tuesday, September 8th I had several doctor appointments and later went to the monthly
meeting of the Riley County Democrats.
Wednesday I put up some post lighting on my fence, went over today’s agenda and documents
and later went to hand bell practice at my church. I also did some water exercise and
swimming at a friend’s house.
Business Meeting
1.

2025 Audit Representation Letter
Move to approve the 2025 Management Representation Letter with James Gordon &
Associates CPA, P.A.

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RESULT:
MOVER:
SECONDER:
AYES:
NAYS:

2.

September 10, 2026

Passed
Commissioner Greg McKinley
Commissioner John Ford
Greg McKinley, Kathryn Focke, John Ford
None

Planning & Development Fee Schedule Resolution
Move to approve "Resolution No. 091026-43, A Resolution establishing Planning and
Development fees for Riley County, Kansas" adding fees for private well water
testing for STRs and ESEs and operating an STR without a license.
RESULT:
MOVER:
SECONDER:
AYES:
NAYS:

3.

Passed
Commissioner John Ford
Commissioner Greg McKinley
Greg McKinley, Kathryn Focke, John Ford
None

Certification of Unpaid Fees
Move to approve the Certification of Unpaid Fees and/or Charges for Utility Services
located in Terra Heights Sewer Benefit District, a special assessment shall be placed
in the amount of $1,283.80 against the Doreen M. Ray, Trust.
RESULT:
MOVER:
SECONDER:
AYES:
NAYS:

4.

Passed
Commissioner John Ford
Commissioner Greg McKinley
Greg McKinley, Kathryn Focke, John Ford
None

Riley County Employee Action Forms
Move to approve the requested Riley County Employee Action Forms.
RESULT:
MOVER:
SECONDER:
AYES:
NAYS:

Passed
Commissioner John Ford
Commissioner Greg McKinley
Greg McKinley, Kathryn Focke, John Ford
None

The Board of County Commissioners signed Riley County Employee Action Forms
for the following:
• Shanika Rose, for a Job Reclassification, as a Health Educator, in the Health
Department, at a Range 14.
• Camber Branstetter, a Public Health Nurse, in the Health Department, for
Separation from County Service, effective September 8, 2026.
• Delores Cobbins, an On-Call Juvenile Intake Officer, in the Community
Corrections Department, for Separation from County Service, effective
August 28, 2026.
• Evan Pringle, for a status change from As Needed to Full Time, as an EMT, in
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the EMS/Ambulance Department, at a Range EMT, at $18.33 per hour.
Review Minutes
5.

Board of Riley County Commissioners - Regular Meeting - Sept 3, 2026 8:30 AM
Move to approve the minutes of September 3, 2026 as presented.
RESULT:
MOVER:
SECONDER:
AYES:
NAYS:

Passed
Commissioner Greg McKinley
Commissioner John Ford
Greg McKinley, Kathryn Focke, John Ford
None

Review Tentative Agenda
6.

Tentative Agenda

Press Conference Topics
9:00 AM

Brittany Phillips, Budget and Finance Officer
7.

2027 Riley County Fire District #1 Public RNR Hearing
Phillips presented the resolution for the Fire District RNR.
Focke opened the public hearing.
P. Collins said fire protection is important but he thought with the consolidation that
the budget would go down.
Phillips said there is a cost savings but most of it is in the county general.
Focke closed the public hearing.
Move to approve exceeding the RNR and approve "Resolution No. 091026-44, A
Resolution of the County of Riley, Kansas to levy a property tax rate exceeding the
Revenue Neutral Rate of Riley County Fire District No.1" for the tax year 2027.
RESULT:
MOVER:
SECONDER:
AYES:
NAYS:

9:05 AM

Passed
Commissioner Greg McKinley
Commissioner Kathryn Focke
Greg McKinley, Kathryn Focke
John Ford

Brittany Phillips, Budget and Finance Officer
8.

2027 Riley County Public RNR Hearing
Phillips presented the resolution for the Riley County RNR.
Focke opened the public hearing.

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Olds said he thinks it is possible to be at a lower mill levy.
Focke closed the public hearing.
Move to approve "Resolution No. 091026-45, A Resolution of the County of Riley,
Kansas to levy a property tax rate exceeding the Revenue Neutral Rate" for tax year
2027.
RESULT:
MOVER:
SECONDER:
AYES:
NAYS:

9:10 AM

Passed
Commissioner Greg McKinley
Commissioner Kathryn Focke
Greg McKinley, Kathryn Focke
John Ford

Brittany Phillips, Budget and Finance Officer
9.

2027 Riley County Budget Hearing
Phillips presented the certificate for the budget for 2027.
Focke opened the public hearing.
Olds said the budget brochure is a great document.
Olds discussed the $1.5 million dollars. Olds discussed the COLA and step. Olds said
taxpayers can't afford it.
P. Collins said he agrees with Olds and lives on a fixed budget.
Focke closed the public hearing.
Move to approve and sign the 2027 Riley County Budget Certificate as published in
the amount of $108,293,317 and the Special District Funds Certificate totaling
$6,907,309.
RESULT:
MOVER:
SECONDER:
AYES:
NAYS:

9:15 AM

Passed
Commissioner Greg McKinley
Commissioner Kathryn Focke
Greg McKinley, Kathryn Focke
John Ford

Jacob Hansen, County Counselor
10.

Administrative Work Session
Hansen said he is working on the MOU for the fairgrounds.
Hansen said the MOU seems agreeable for the fairgrounds. Hansen said there are no
county tax funds being used.

9:35 AM

Budget and Planning Committee - Brittany Phillips, Budget and Finance Officer

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11.

September 10, 2026

Cash Flows
Phillips presented cash flow reports.

9:45 AM

Jason Smith, Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce
12.

Economic Development Update
Soldan presented an Economic Development update.
Bishop presented Fort Riley updates and the events that are going on.

10:00 AM

Michael Hawthorne, Assistant County Counselor
13.

EZ EMR Contract Extension
Hawthorne presented the amendment to the agreement for software for electronic
health records for the Riley County Health Department.
Move to approve the Amendment to the Agreement with Custom Data Processing,
Inc. to extend the agreement until December 31, 2026 for software for electronic
health records management for the Health Department.
RESULT:
MOVER:
SECONDER:
AYES:
NAYS:

10:05 AM

Passed
Commissioner John Ford
Commissioner Greg McKinley
Greg McKinley, Kathryn Focke, John Ford
None

Jared Tremblay, Flint Hills MPO Director
14.

Letter of Support
Tremblay presented a request for a letter of support for a grant for the proposed
project that will deploy Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies along
the US-24/Tuttle Creek Boulevard corridor. Tremblay said the city asked if local
partners would be interested in submitting a letter of support. Tremblay said they are
not asking for a match from the county.
Move to approve for staff to proceed with a letter of support for the proposed project
that will deploy Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies along the US24/Tuttle Creek Boulevard corridor in Manhattan.
RESULT:
MOVER:
SECONDER:
AYES:
NAYS:

Passed
Commissioner Greg McKinley
Commissioner John Ford
Greg McKinley, Kathryn Focke, John Ford
None

Hansen said he could draft a letter of support.
Adjournment
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Move to adjourn.
RESULT:
MOVER:
SECONDER:
AYES:
NAYS:

Passed
Commissioner Greg McKinley
Commissioner John Ford
Greg McKinley, Kathryn Focke, John Ford
None

Board of Riley County Commissioners

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