The completion date for the new Leavenworth County Emergency Medical Services might now be closer than previously thought.
Commissioner Dean Oroke said in a meeting of the Leavenworth County Commission Monday that there was a lot of progress on the new station at 18th Street and Metropolitan Avenue.
“I was totally surprised,” he said.
The report came after a meeting earlier this month when County Administrator Heather Morgan speculated the station may not be finished until February. The original completion date was Oct. 29, although in a Nov. 20 meeting with the commission John Chapman of Trickle Construction said the facility would be done by Dec. 30.
Windows, doors and drywall have all been installed in the living quarters at the building, according to Oroke.
Besides some concrete pouring and other work, Oroke said one issue to be resolved is the floor in the vehicle bay closest to the living quarters.
He said moisture pools on the floor of the bay instead of running into a nearby drain. Commissioner J.C. Tellefson said the problem stems from the time of the year when the concrete was poured.
Though the commission also had the option of not repairing the problem, Tellefson said it was in the interest of safety to proceed.
“From an EMS or response kind of thought process, this is the absolute worst place it could be,” he said of the spot where the water has been collecting.
The architects for the station offered few solutions, Oroke said. He said they offered to repour concrete for a section of the floor to eliminate any pooling. Another option would be to fill in the area with an epoxy and cover the entire floor with a coating, which Oroke said would cost the county extra money for maintenance in the future.
Tellefson asked if Oroke thought the solution was worthwhile.
“Is there a chance, if we do this, that we cause more problems than we solve?” he asked.
Oroke said he did not think the solution would cause other problems.
The commission approved a measure to correct the problem as recommended by Oroke, 3-0.
Also in the meeting:
* TRANSFER STATION — Tellefson said he visited the Leavenworth County Transfer Station Monday to inspect the facility and determine how well the facility is operating.
In the past few months, the commission has learned of numerous problems at the station, including non-functioning lights and broken scales.
On Dec. 18, director of county solid waste Jason Auvil turned in a letter of resignation after meeting with commissioners for more than an hour behind closed doors.
Tellefson said the scales are working again, although there are still other problems.
“Do we need to send one of our local professionals out there?” asked Commission Chairman Clyde Graeber, referring to whether the commission needed to send a crew to the site and take care of a problem with a trash chute at the facility.
“There’s just no way that you can push trash off the end and not have it miss the trailer the way it is right now,” he said of the chute.
The commission agreed to make the matter a priority.
* CLOSED DOORS — The commission met behind closed doors for a total of 15 minutes to discuss non-elected personnel and discuss the findings of an investigative panel. Upon returning to open session, the commission approved the investigative report, 3-0.
The commission also met behind closed doors for 30 minutes to discuss non-elected personnel.
Leavenworth, Kan. —
