WESTMORELAND, Kan. – County treasurer’s offices throughout the state of Kansas could absorb a hit in funding for their new DMV Modernization Project.
The new system is designed to streamline the record-keeping process while simultaneously eliminating the Kansas Driver’s License, Vehicle Information Processing, and Kansas Vehicle Inventory systems. The burden associated with maintaining the systems could soon fall to the county level.
“There’s a bill out there with the state legislature on potentially sweeping some funds from some of the treasurer’s monies that they use for motor vehicle and driver’s license,” Robert Reece, County Administrator, said.
The total statewide impact is estimated to be roughly $6.2 million. That money is allocated to each county to make the payment on the new system plus to pay for the annual maintenance on the software.
The financial impact to individual counties is not yet known.
“Just one of the things that the treasurer’s office (up here) at the county is monitoring and keeping the commissioners up to date on as we begin that budget process,” Reece said.
The Pottawatomie County Treasurer’s office will be open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 5. The change in hours is due to the statewide system performance test for the new DMV system that will be implemented in May 2012.
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Verizon users could soon be seeing better cell coverage in Pottawatomie County.
The cell service provider came to the Pottawatomie County Planning Commission and asked permission to install a new tower in the southwest portion of the county.
Zoning Administrator Gregg Webster says the tower could be up as soon as two to three months after the hearing is finalized.
The Planning Commission will vote on the issue at its next meeting, which will be held in the Sunflower Room of the Pottawatomie County Office Building on Thursday, April 19 at 7:15 p.m.
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Pottawatomie County Health Administrator Leslie Campbell wants to hear what citizens have to say about how public health concerns are being addressed.
The Pottawatomie County Health Department has partnered with Community Health Systems-Onaga for a community health assessment. Over the next month, surveys will be mailed to a random sampling of 800 homes throughout the county.
“We’ll be having some town hall meetings to obtain more public input during the month of May,” Campbell said. “We want to get a good idea of what the health concerns are in Pottwatomie County beforehand.”
Citizens who don’t receive a copy of the survey can still voice their opinions by visiting pottcounty.org and filling out the survey online.
