During Tuesday’s Neosho County Commission meeting, commissioners were approached during public commentary about having a “Freedom Rock” placed near the corner of 1st Street and Main Street on county property.
Steve Richey said an Iowa artist, Ray “Bubba” Sorensen II, began painting large rocks in Iowa to honor America’s veterans. He began by painting rocks in each of Iowa’s counties and is now expanding his efforts nationwide through the 50 State Freedom Rock Tour, where he travels the country to paint patriotic monuments.
Richey said that many have pledged to donate to the cost, which would cost Sorensen’s deposit and travel costs to paint the rock, so he was only approaching the commission to seek permission.
Commissioners were agreeable to the idea. District 3 Commissioner Gail Klaassen said she would like to approve whatever design goes on the rock, which Richey said could be done, before commissioning Sorensen.
“It sounds like a good idea to me,” District 1 Commissioner Paul Westhoff said.
Approval of a formal proposal, including a design will follow in a future meeting.
Commissioners also learned of roof repairs that were necessary at the Neosho County Jail. According to Sheriff Greg Taylor, there has been hail damage that has gone unrepaired since 2019. The last repair took place roughly 15 years ago.
Commissioners also heard from Health Department Director Taylor Noyce who said they were seeking to purchase an electronic health records system for the eight employees.
Taylor said the department was seeking grants to fund this purchase, which amounts to $20,000 during the first year due to integration costs.
Naylor said grants for the 2026 fiscal year have not been approved yet. In other news, Naylor said that the department was outgrowing its current building and that she had looked into potential land purchases, building leases, and potential grants to cover such a project. While she knows it will take time, Naylor said that she wanted to begin having these discussions.
David Brake with Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center discussed the renewal of the Erie Ambulance Agreement, which was approved.
In other business, Maintenance Director David Burnett said that mold remediation at the jail was complete but also said that many copper plumbing pieces needed to be replaced. While replacing parts, Burnett also recommended that the system be switched from a pneumatic system. The current pneumatic system has cost an estimated $5000 in parts alone over roughly three years.
See COMMISSION, continued on page 4 A system upgrade would save an estimated $8,000 annually in water costs according to Burnett, who said the current system is inefficient and takes up a significant portion of his time to maintain.
An estimated system upgrade would cost $1,200 per cell, or just under $500,000 according to Burnett. Another reason to switch is due to the scarcity of parts for the pneumatic system, which are getting more expensive and more difficult to find.
Klaassen said that there were finding options available to fund such a project.
Other approved measures include two new employee policies to ensure employees return county property after termination and to streamline the time off request process. As well as a resolution outlining the procedure to address checks received with insufficient funds. Commissioners also approved to seek out temporary office space for the Road and Bridge Department.
County commissioners noted that they were still seeking to hire a county coroner. One of the stipulations is that they must also be a medical doctor, according to Klaassen.
The next Neosho County Commission meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 3, at the Neosho County Courthouse in Erie. For agendas or videos of meetings, visit https://www. neoshocountyks.org/164/Neosho-
