Lyon County and Flint Hills Community Health Center have formally approved the county’s public health contract.
County Commissioners approved the contract Wednesday morning during their weekly action session following two months of proposals, offers and discussions on the topic. Lyon County Commission Chair Rollie Martin explains how the contract will operate.
The agreement is similar to the previous contract between the county and FHCHC, however, that contract was only a five-year deal, whereas the new contract has no definite cutoff date. Per the agreement, the Health Center will receive $650,000 per year with no major changes to the previous agreement.
Commissioners chose not to renew the previous agreement with FHCHC earlier this year and placed the contract out to bid in October. Both FHCHC and Newman Regional Health submitted bids with FHCHC being awarded the contract last month.
At this time, the county is in the process of searching for a new Public Health Officer after the current officer and FHCHC CEO Renee Hively announced she will be stepping away from the position effective Dec. 31.
KVOE has reached out to Hively for comment on the agreement.
In other business, commissioners approved a request from District Court Administrator Ruth Wheeler for a number of expenditures. The list included backpacks, handheld sanitizers, tablets and mounting equipment for the jail, multipurpose printers, webcams for courtrooms and offices and for employees to telework, and wall adapters.
The total cost of the request $26,790.55 to be paid for through SPARK funds. Commissioners approved the request unanimously.
In other business, County Counselor Marc Goodman presented a request for the abatement of taxes for properties sold during the County’s tax sale on Nov. 18. A total of eight properties were sold, however, only two had taxes that required abatement.
Because the taxes weren’t paid on the properties, the titles return to the county. In order to sell the properties, the titles need to be cleared hence the abatements.
Commissioners also approved this request unanimously.
The Lyon County Commission will reconvene for its weekly action session next Wednesday at 9 am inside the Lyon County Courthouse.
