A formal emergency declaration is now in place following action by Lyon County Commissioners Friday morning.
During their weekly action meeting, commissioners approved signing the formal declaration, which was issued verbally this past week in response to the flooding incident that developed after torrential rainfall June 3-7. The primary reason for the declaration is due to the impacts on public-owned infrastructure, namely the county’s road network, which saw numerous closures during that time.
The declaration is the first step in potentially seeking federal reimbursement for repair work to said infrastructure. According to Lyon County Emergency Manager Jarrod Fell, the financial threshold for the county to qualify for said reimbursement is just over $151,800.
The state of Kansas’ threshold for assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is just over $5.5 million. Final numbers are still pending; however, initial financial impacts for the county, including emergency protective measures and road repairs, are estimated to exceed $200,000.
In other business, North Central Flint Hills Agency on Aging Director Julie Govert Walter submitted the agency’s 2026 appropriation request of just over $270,000, a decrease from the prior year’s request of slightly over $288,000.
Separately, commissioners held discussions on a previous fence viewing from Wednesday, as well as a proposal for agenda and minutes management software for county meetings presented by Public Relations Director Vici Smith. Commissioners took no action on Smith’s request as they are awaiting additional information, including potential bids for other software options.
Lyon County Commissioners will reconvene for their regular action meeting Thursday inside the Lyon County Commission Chambers.
