Budget requests for 2022 were once again on the agenda during Monday’s meeting of the Ellsworth County commissioners.

Stacie Schmidt, executive director of the Ellsworth County Economic Development, requested $75,000 for 2022. That is a 15 percent increase from the $65,000 she received for 2021.

Schmidt also requested — and the commissioners approved — renewing Resolution 2021R6. The resolution authorizes participation in the rural opportunity zone student loan repayment program for 2021.

In other business:

• Pamela Hays and Troy Soukup of the county conservation district presented a $35,000 budget request for 2022. The request is 9.4 percent higher than the $32,000 requested for 2021.

• No action was taken after a 25 minute executive session with Jeremiah Brown, EMS director, to discuss nonelected personnel (job descriptions).

• Commissioners met with Lori Miller and Lori Likes of Heartland Retirement and Benefits Consulting to discuss employee health insurance. Miller and Likes reviewed the coverage the county has now with Gallagher for Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Kansas, then reviewed possible coverage using just two options instead of four.

Miller and Likes will return in October with the rates for January 2022.

• After a 15 minute executive session with Brown to discuss nonelected personnel (the billing clerk/EMT and the reallocation of the assistant EMS director position) no action was taken on the billing clerk/EMT position, but the consensus approval was given to change the assistant EMS director from Stacey Jordan to Tim Korbe. The change is effective Tuesday, June 8.

From June 1:

• Sue Arensman, county register of deeds, presented a $103,880 budget request for 2022. That amount is 1.2 percent ($1,200) higher than the amount she requested for 2021.

• Commissioners agreed to pay $7,500 to the North Central Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging after meeting with Ron Etchison of the Ellsworth County Council on Aging. Etchison referenced the past due amounts for the Senior Care Act donations discussed at the May 24 commission meeting. Commissioners will pay the $7,500 contingent upon the county receiving the money and North Central Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging providing any required documentation needed.

• Andrew Bair, chief executive officer at Ellsworth County Medical Center, informed the commissioners Eastin Casey is a new doctor at ECMC. Bair said Sandy Robinson, who has been approved as a new hospital board member, received orientation. He then noted this will be his last meeting with the commissioners before he moves to West Virginia at the end of the month.

“It has been a pleasure to work with you,” Bair said.

• Schmidt said Sarah Goss, the county’s SPARK administrator, will not be taking the job of administrator of the American Rescue Plan. Schmidt said she is willing to administer the money with the help of county clerk Shelly Vopat. Commissioners accepted the offer with a motion.

ECMC makes an offer

During a June 4 special meeting, the Ellsworth County Medical Center board of directors approved offering Jim Kirkbride of Sierra Vista, Ariz., a job as the next chief executive officer of the hospital. The board also asked that Krista Bohnen, the hospital’s human resources director, call Kirkbride to negotiate financial compensation.

As of press time Tuesday, there was no official confirmation of Kirkbride’s acceptance of employment. Kirkbride would succeed Andrew Bair, who announced his resignation effective at the end of June.

Kirkbride, a native of Chapman, is a trained radiological technician currently in executive management at Canyon Vista Medical Center in Sierra Vista.

The board’s offer of employment came after a total of four executive sessions (one with Kirkbride via Zoom) to discuss non-elected personnel (the CEO candidate).

In open session, Kirkbride said he has been directing the radiology department at Canyon Vista for the last six months. In addition, during the last year with the COVID-19 pandemic, he was the hospital’s chief of logistics and planning.

Kirkbride said he went to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita for radiological school in the early 1980s.

“I wanted to be the best rad-tech ever,” he said.

During his long career, Kirkbride has experience as vice president (chief operating officer equivalent) in Kansas City, Mo., and as CEO at Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital in El Dorado.