Two more 2024 budget requests were considered by the Ellsworth County Commission Monday during the weekly meeting.

Ellsworth County Health Department Director Kerianne Ehrlich requested a 2024 budget of $409,009, up $11,585 from the $397,424 she requested for 2023.

OCCK President/Executive Director Shelia Nelson-Stout requested $22,600 for 2024, a 7 percent increase from the $20,599 requested in 2023.

In other business:

• Approval was given to a request by Brad Kratzer, who is retiring from the county landfill soon. He will get to keep the flip cell phone he has used while working at the landfill. Landfill Director Teresa Shute said she was just going to end service on the phone and put it in a drawer anyway.

• County Treasurer Geneva Schneider received permission to accept the $500 offer from the company who built a cabinet in her office years ago to remove the cabinet from her office.

• The commission was briefed by officials from the North Central Regional Planning Commission in Beloit and Marvin Contractors regarding language for the drone corridor that will be placed in the county’s comprehensive plan. The drone corridor, which is above 4,000 feet in the northeast part of the county, will be used by the U.S. Army at Fort Riley for up to 20 training flights per year of the Army’s Gray Eagle drone.

County Attorney Paul J. Kasper raised questions on whether it is the county or the landowners in the corridor who are responsible for contacting Fort Riley regarding any new building on their property, and what restrictions, if any, there will be.

The county will await an answer to that question as well as upgraded language to consider the matter further.

• After two executive sessions totalling 20 minutes to discuss matters pertaining to attorney client privilege, approval was given to place $3,000 towards any road opening in the county.

• Approval was given to purchase the Stryker ambulance stretcher loading system at a price of $33,332 in 2025 rather than wait until 2026. The system will be combined with the new ambulance the county already earmarked for purchase in 2026 from Osage Ambulance.

• Approval was given to have Lindburg, Vogel, Pierce and Faris assist with the preparation of the 2024 county budget.

The next meeting of the Ellsworth County Commission will be at 9 a.m. Monday, July 3, at the county courthouse.