OSWEGO — Labette County commissioners on Monday failed to reappoint three members to the Great Plains Industrial Park board, including one who has been involved since the park’s transition from an ammunition plant.
Great Plains is a 14,000 acre property east of Parsons that now serves as an industrial park. Day & Zimmermann Inc., a weapons manufacturer, maintains a footprint in the park after its time as the plant’s contract operator. The Army announced the closure of the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant in 2005; since then county officials and businessmen have worked to acquire the plant property from the Army for use in industrial development.
On Monday, Commission Chairman Vince Schibi made separate motions to reappoint Gary Beachner, Dan Manners and Linda Proehl to the GPIP board for new three-year terms. Each motion died when neither Commissioners Terry Weidert nor Tom Barrett seconded the motion.
The terms for Beachner, Manners and Proehl are expired, but they can continue to serve on the board until the commission names their replacements.
Schibi said the GPIP board, which has nine members, has done nothing wrong and that the commission must support the industrial park.
Weidert said the commission has not received any financial information about the park for three years. GPIP director Brad Reams issued a release that had some details about 2024 being a good year for the park. But the release didn’t say how the park made the net surplus of $1.1 million.
Schibi said he understood Weidert’s concerns. He said he visited with Reams and told him the commission wasn’t impressed with his last report about the park.
County zoning administrator Mel Hass, during his report on zoning issues and energy projects, told commissioners he tried to get information from Reams about the energy projects going on at the park, including Evergy’s solar plant, but was told that a non-disclosure agreement prevented him from saying anything.
In other matters on Monday, commissioners:
— Agreed to purchase 10 ballot counter machines and software from Election Systems and Software at a cost of $77,923. The county will consolidate polling locations from 15 to nine as part of this process.
— Agreed to purchase a copier from McCarty’s Office Machines in Parsons for $3,779.51 for use in the 911 and sheriff’s offices.
— Agreed to purchase a backup radio for 911 dispatch from L3Harris for $6,175.
— Agreed to offer a step increase to a part time employee of 911 dispatch.
— Approved the Health Department’s grant application for program funding from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for $170,000. Commissioners also approved contracts with Dr. Sonya Culver, as medical director, and Tracy Gilmore, as pharmacist in charge.
