By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette
During the Dec. 30 meeting of the Guthrie County Board of Supervisors, discussion was again held regarding the county’s interest in pursuing EMS as an essential service. Supervisor Steve Smith shared his opinion that the supervisors should allow the EMS committee (once it is formed) to handle most matters, including the specific makeup of an ad hoc committee.
“This is the committee’s task, not ours,” Smith said. “Number one, we’ve got to decide how many should be on the committee, and number two, make sure that everybody has some kind of representation. And, after that, it’s like, it’s yours.”
No formal action was taken at this time.
Supervisor Brian Johnson explained Mike Webb’s inquiry about purchasing Parcel 0000711800, which is adjacent to Webb’s property. The parcel is .63 acres. Supervisor Mike Dickson suggested County Engineer Josh Sebern should be consulted to see if there is any expected need, such as widening the adjacent roadway at some point.
“We’ll check with Josh,” Johnson said.
No action was taken at this time.
County Auditor Dani Fink shared data on the county property valuations and outlined the fiscal year 2027 budget process. Fink shared that while Guthrie County supervisors have traditionally held a second weekly meeting during budget season, some counties have the budget meetings all within one or two weeks. After discussion, the supervisors plan to hold budget meetings with department heads the week of Jan. 26. The meetings will be scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon.
The supervisors discussed how best to hold performance reviews for county employees. Smith shared his opinion that if the review includes only one or two supervisors (rather than all five), employees are more likely to engage in productive conversation. Chair Maggie Armstrong agreed.
“I think changing it to just two people leads to more fluid conversation,” Armstrong said.
The supervisors suggested getting feedback on this idea from department heads. Armstrong will contact department heads to ask their preference.
The supervisors will hold a special meeting on the first business day of the new year, Jan. 2 at 9 a.m. The supervisors meet regularly on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. The public is welcome to attend in person or via remote technology. To join remotely, call 323-792-6123, then use meeting code 547029216#