During Monday’s meeting of the Ellsworth County commissioners, Paul J. Kasper, county attorney, briefly reviewed a proposed road maintenance agreement with Enel North America for work planned at the Smoky Hills Wind Farm.

Enel plans to install new generators and blades in the wind turbines. Smoky Hills Wind Farm is in northern Ellsworth County and southern Lincoln County.

Kasper said Enel plans to utilize Interstate 70 and 12th Road to transport equipment to the wind farm.

Enel representatives will meet with commissioners Feb. 18 to review the plan. The courthouse will be closed Feb. 17 due to the President’s Day holiday.

In other business:

• Approval was given to a request by Kasper to approve requests for $500 each from the After Prom Committees at Ellsworth Junior-Senior High School, Wilson High School and Central Plains Junior-Senior High School in Claflin for this year’s After Prom gatherings. Before the vote, commissioner Dennis Rolfs asked why the county is sending tax dollars to an After Prom in Barton County.

Kasper said a good chunk of USD 112 is in Ellsworth County. He said the After Prom is designed to give students a safe drug and alcohol free place to go after the prom ends. In addition, at the After Prom gatherings, the students have the opportunity to win nice prizes.

The vote to provide the funding to the After Prom Committees was unanimous

• Approval was given to a $2,119.25 bid from Water Works to install new dampers and move the thermostat at the Ellsworth County Health Department to help regulate temperatures inside the building.

• Approval was given to a request by Kerianne Ehrlich of the county health department to write off $2,780.49 in unpaid bills from patrons for the years 2015-18.

• Approval was given to advertise for bids to dig a new pit at the Ellsworth County landfill. Wayne Scritchfield, an engineer with Kirkham Michael and Associates, said the pit will be just under 50,000 cubic yards.

• Scritchfield said L&M Contractors of Great Bend is moving equipment this week to the bridge on Old 40 Highway just west of Ellsworth. He said the installation of bridge piles should begin next week.

• Jeremiah Brown of the county EMS said the Food and Drug Administration will no longer support cardiac monitors with an AED built-in as of Feb. 3, 2021. Brown said the EMS has three such monitors, and he still owes $1,300 on them.

“It’s not the news I wanted to hear,” Brown said.“We’ll get it figured out. That’s all I know right now.”

• County clerk Shelly Vopat said Liberty National of Wichita is wanting to review supplemental health insurance with the county.

“We’ll keep it in mind,” commissioner Kermit Rush said.

The next meeting of the Ellsworth County commissioners will be at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, at the county courthouse.