Commissioners appoint Armando Villarreal to veterans committee

Armando Villarreal has been appointed by the Chase County Commissioners to replace David Kahle on the county’s Veterans Service Committee.
Commissioners Jacci Brown, Duane Dinnel and Dennis Kunnemann met with members of the committee during the commissioners’ June 28 meeting.
The committee will still be a member short as Marvin Teply has declined another term. Villarreal will serve until June 30, 2023.
Members of the committee would also like their own water system for the grass in the middle of the memorial on the courthouse lawn, but will have to wait until the commissioners can visit with Jerry Mastin, who takes care of the current sprinkler system.
Fair board members Ryan Stromberger, Alex McNair and Scott Way updated the commissioners on fairground improvements. The group also discussed the fair board’s continued budget request of $60,000 plus $500 per month for utilities.
Chase County Transit driver Diane Mathews joined the meeting to talk about how the switch to Hitch and Hay Transit dispatch has gone.
With dispatch information coming through electronically, Mathews said she’s spending too much time entering information into a tablet, especially with multiple kids being picked up and dropped off at daycare. With the coming school year, Mathews says it will be too much to keep track of and still get everyone where they need to go on time.
Mathews also doesn’t like that the next day’s ride schedule can only be accessed after the current day has been closed out and that the times are listed in Central Time.
For the time being, the commissioners asked Mathews to fill out paperwork and keep using the tablet.
Work on the Champion bridge began last week. Part of the bridge has been torn out and one culvert has been placed.
The commissioners decided to take the bridge planks that are in rough shape to the dump and keep the good planks for future use.
The commissioners also discussed security for the upcoming Kevin German trial with Sheriff Kevin Mueller.
Mueller said it’s been tough trying to find extra help for the trial with other departments in the area shorthanded, as well.
Mueller expects his department to accumulate overtime hours and he has hired private security for the trial.
The next regular meeting will be July 12 at 8 a.m. in the courthouse.