May 15, 2008

Elected officials, commissioners

agree to meet regularly

A handful of elected officials and the Adams County Commissioners met for the first lunch forum on April 21 at the Public Works conference room.

Sitting in a roundtable format, Commissioners Roger Hartwig, Jeff Stevens and Rudy Plager joined Treasurer Laura Danekas, Superior Court Clerk Susie Kirkendall, Prosecutor Randy Flyckt, Assessor Dave Anderson and Sheriff Doug Barger in an open format with no agenda.

Attendance is not required, and officials will join the monthly meetings as time permits.

Two proposed ballot issues opened the April 21 discussion, with talk moving toward the ongoing problem of not enough space in the courthouse.

Although no decisions were made, the group spent about an hour talking about different options available to meet constant space requirements, including expansion, relocation and construction.

Commissioner Stevens said that a large portion of future discussions about space constraints would focus on what is needed within the county today as well as needs in the future.

The meeting was set on April 7 when a group of elected officials met in the chambers of the Adams County Commissioners to discuss reinstating a practice that ceased around 2002.

Until that time, elected officials, county commissioners and the court system met the first Monday of each month to discuss the operation of county government in an open, unstructured format.

“I don’t think any of us are here to ask for anything,” Prosecutor Randy Flyckt said on April 7. “I think it’s more of an invitation… to make our system more efficient.”

He explained that the regular, informal meetings would provide an opportunity for more communication between departments and with the county commissioners as well as more understanding between the legislative, executive and judicial branches of the county.

“The purpose of us getting together and meetings… is to just work together, talk and try to have open communication,” Flyckt added. “I think it would do the county a great service.”

“I think it’s a good idea. I think communication between all the elected officials is needed,” Commissioner Jeff Stevens said. The commissioners agreed by consensus to start meeting on a regular basis.

The next meeting is tentatively set for Monday, May 19, at noon in the conference room at the Public Works Building on Alder Avenue. The meetings fall under the Open Public Meeting Act and will follow a workshop-style format.

“I think this will be a good thing,” Flyckt said. “I think it will forge an even better relationship between all of us.”