The Atchison County Commission meet Thursday, June 19, 2025. Present were: Presiding Commissioner Curtis Livengood and North District Commissioner Jim Quimby, who both traveled to Sullivan County to attend the Northwest Commission meeting.
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The Atchison County Commission met Thursday, June 26, 2025. Present were: Presiding Commissioner Curtis Livengood, North District Commissioner Jim Quimby, and Susette Taylor, Clerk of the Commission. South District Commissioner Richard Burke was absent.
Minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved.
Bills were reviewed and approved for payment.
The 2024 financial statement for the Rock Port Rural Fire District was reviewed, approved, and certified.
Treasurer Tasha Zach was present to request amendments to the Atchison County Investment Policy and the Treasurer’s Internal Control Policy.
The commissioners reviewed the Atchison County Investment Policy to remove retired Treasurer Debbie True and add Treasurer Tasha Zach and voted to update the policy as needed.
The commissioners also reviewed the Atchison County Treasurer Internal Control Policy to remove retired Treasurer Debbie True and add Treasurer Tasha Zach, along with a few updates related to the payroll process. The commissioners voted to approve the amendments.
Clerk Taylor, Treasurer Zach and the commissioners reviewed the current financial condition of the county. Treasurer Zach will continue to investigate the best rate options for county funds.
Presiding Commissioner Livengood inquired if Mrs. Zach would be open to having an assistant who would be able to sign checks in her absence with specific guidelines established by her office. Mrs. Zach agreed to investigate options and report back to the commission.
The commissioners reviewed Ordinance #001-2025 to authorize the application for awards from the opioid cases related to Sandoz decisions.
ORDINANCE NO. 001-2025
WHEREAS, Atchison County supports commerce, safety, and the public health by maintaining order over all controls over opioid cases related to class actions in which Atchison County is determined to be an awardee; and
WHEREAS, Atchison County recognizes legitimate concerns raised by the Sandoz case class actions concerning opioid matters as to the county; and
WHEREAS, Atchison County desires to gain its part of a class action award; and
WHEREAS, Local governments have historically been able to regulate controls over opioid impacts on the county; and
WHEREAS, the Atchison County Commission acts to control opioid matters and obtain class action awards from the Sandoz litigation.
Now therefore be it ordained by the Atchison County Commission:
That the Atchison County Commission acting under the authority granted to counties to be involved in litigation and property and health protection does adopt and order implementation of this Ordinance; and that this ordinance does ordain, adopt, and implement the following:
Section 1 – Purpose
Atchison County adopts this ordinance designed to empower the county to obtain any awards that are due to the County from the Sandoz opioid class action litigation, while protecting and promoting the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens.
Section 2 – Development of Application for Award
The County Commission directs and delegates the authority to the Atchison County Clerk to make appropriate applications to obtain any and all awards available to Atchison County resulting from the Sandoz class action related to opioid issues of all kinds.
Section 3. Effective Date
This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after 26th of June 2025 and the Atchison County Commission directs the Atchison County Clerk to publish this ordinance as may be required.
That this ordinance is adopted on this 26th day of June 2025, by action of the Atchison County Commission, to become effective as of June 26th, 2025.
Following review, the commissioners voted to approve Ordinance 001-2025 authorizing the application to Sandoz.
The commission then reviewed the Sandoz Subdivision Participation Form Case No. 1:17-md-2804 Exhibit C. Following review the commissioners voted to approve and sign the participation form. Clerk Taylor will submit the form to Brown & Greer as required.
Sheriff Riley was in to discuss department matters. He provided a list of guns that have been donated and turned over to a local gun dealer who will dispose of all at an auction, handle all the necessary paperwork and donate all proceeds from the auction to the Sheriff’s Office to be used to assist with a school resource officer.
Assessor Rochelle Long requested the commission review and approve a map use agreement for non-resale and non-transfer for PDF maps for her office. Following review, the commissioners voted to approve the agreement as presented.
Clerk Taylor presented Ordinance #002-2025, Guidelines for Grant Use, outlining the policy, application and guidelines for tracking all grants.
Following review, the commissioners voted to approve Ordinance #002-2025 as presented.
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The Atchison County Commission met Thursday, July 3, 2025. Present were: Presiding Commissioner Curtis Livengood, North District Commissioner Jim Quimby, South District Commissioner Richard Burke, and Susette Taylor, Clerk of the Commission.
Presiding Commissioner Livengood called the meeting to order.
Minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved.
Bills were reviewed and approved for payment.
Month-end department reports were reviewed and approved.
The commission reviewed a liquor license application for a One Day Caterer’s License for Sherlock Enterprises, LLC, d/b/a River Rock Lanes, for a temporary concession stand and designated concession at the Community Hospital-Fairfax Dueling Pianos Event. After review, the commissioners voted unanimously to approve the application.
Rhonda Wiley, Emergency Management/E-9-1-1 Director, was in to discuss department matters.
Additions and abatements to the June 2025 tax book were approved as follows:
Personal Property – Additions to the tax books: 2024, $2,239.99; 2023, $204.82. Abatements to the tax books: 2023, $97.51.
There were no additions or abatements to the June 25 tax books for real estate or ag rock.
Matthew Fazio, Bridge Team Leader with Great River Engineering, emailed a project update.
He reported they are making steady progress on BRO-R003001 X Avenue over Little Tarkio Creek and will start digging into structural design next month while trying to finish up utility coordination and prep for ROW Acquisitions. Some schedules have been shifted around due to project reprioritizations, and the construction date has been updated to indicate projected construction completion not construction beginning. Contractors will likely be bidding for construction efforts in late summer to fall so that would be his best guess as to when this project will get into construction.
Other project updates included:
• BRO-R003(25) Kirby Bridge and BRO-R003(24) Ranch 11 Bridge – Fazio has given these to the construction inspection team who are prepping for bidding. Either they or Fazio will reach out about nailing down a bid opening date.
• BRO-R003(26) Opp Bridge – They are preparing the last round of responses for USACE to complete the 404-review process, and they will be having a call with them in the next week or so.
• New Projects: They are working on preparing the contracts but he has been delayed in preparing them.
He inquired if the county has any bridges that would be a good candidate for the BEAP program. Great River could perform an analysis for sizing a bridge or culvert that could be used for the county to handle in-house or just bid out for a soft match project or even for determination of deficiencies and proposed repairs like how they are handling the new contracts with the county. He noted that his program typically comes at no additional cost but is just more limited in what its capabilities are.
The commissioners will discuss this with Supervisor Wallace and report back to Great River.
