The Greenwood County Commission met Monday, Jan. 5, to begin the 2026 calendar year with reorganization and the approval of several routine matters.
As part of the reorganization, the commission heard motions to appoint Preston Evenson as the new chairman and Judd Everitt as the new vice chairman.
The commission also reviewed and approved its bank depository designations, keeping the same approvals in place for the new year. Approved bank depositories for 2026 include Citizens State Bank of Hamilton, Community National Bank of Eureka, Emprise Bank of Eureka, Fall River State Bank (owned by First Neodesha Bank), Home Bank & Trust Co. of Eureka, and the State of Kansas Municipal Investment Pool. Home Bank & Trust Co. will remain the Treasurer’s main depository checking account, while Emprise Bank will continue to serve as the warrants and payroll account.
The commission also approved both county newspapers, The Eureka Herald and The Madison News, to continue as the official newspapers of record for Greenwood County.
In new business, County Fire Chief Glen Collinge requested approval for a pay raise for part-time mechanic, Josh Gudde, increasing his hourly wage from $18.56 to $20. The raise is scheduled to take effect with the Jan. 26 paycheck.
The commission held three executive sessions, all for 10-minutes regarding personnel; however, no justification was provided for any of the sessions. Per the Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA), a motion to recess into executive session must contain both a subject and a justification. The KOMA was amended in 2017, clarifying the definitions to ensure specific, rather than generic, descriptions of why a body is closing a meeting.
The first executive session was with Health Director Jayme Lewis and County Counselor Paul Dean. The second session was with Treasurer Stacie Pearse, County Clerk Deann McCaffree, Payroll Clerk McKenzi Butler and Dean. The final session was with Maintenance Director Greg Rawlings and Dean.
Clinton Laflin, Agriculture Extension Agent, officially began his duties on Jan. 5 and re-introduced himself to the commission. Additional details about his role and background will be included in next week’s edition.
The Dec. 31, 2025 meeting minutes were approved as presented. The commission also approved the 2026 GAAP Resolution; Resolution for Court Reserve Accounts (as previously discussed); special payables for Jan. 5, totaling, $12,557.37; regular payables for Jan. 9, totaling $183,827.57; regular payroll for Jan. 9, totaling $170,642.98; and dues for the Kansas Association of Counties (KAC), totaling $2,222.85.
The commission also met on Dec. 31 for their final meeting of 2025. See related article.
The next Greenwood County Commission meeting is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 12, at 9 a.m.
