Commissioners note conceal-carry guns legal in Courthouse

By Ali Holcomb

Kansas residents with a concealed carry license will now be allowed to carry a handgun in the Jackson County Courthouse.

A new law passed recently by the Kansas Legislature makes it legal for a conceal carry handgun holder to carry into local government buildings as of July 1, it has been reported.

During a recent Jackson County Commission meeting, Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse discussed the new policy with the commission.

Morse explained that the new law allows the carrying of concealed- handguns into state, county and municipal buildings unless there are “adequate security measures” in place. Those security measures, he said, include metal detectors, metal detector wands or other equipment, as well as security personnel at each public entrance into the building.

If those “adequate security measures” aren’t met, then the governing body must allow the concealed weapons in the building and remove any signage prohibiting them, according to House Bill 2052. 

Morse said that commissioners can exempt the Courthouse from the new law until Jan. 1, 2014 by notifying the Kansas Attorney General, the sheriff’s office and the Holton Police Department by letter. 

To be exempt from the law for four years, the commissioners would have to develop and adopt a security plan for the Courthouse that would outline how the commissioners are taking steps to put the “adequate security measures” in place by 2017. 

The commissioners did not take any action on the issue.

In other business, according to the approved minutes, the commission: 

• Met with Randy Pool, road and bridge supervisor, to discuss the estimated amount of repairs for a dirt road that was torn up when it was muddy. 

• Accepted the low fuel bid of $27,365 from Jackson Farmers Inc. The other bid was $27,417 from Haag Oil Co.

• Met in executive session with Country Counselor Alex Morrissey and Jackson County Clerk Kathy Mick for 15 minutes to discuss a matter of attorney/client privilege. No action was taken in open session. 

• Met with Scott Misenhelter who thanked the road and bridge department for improving 214th Road between Q and R4 Roads. 

• Received a bid from Heartland Alarm of Topeka for a new fire alarm system. For $11,675 the company would install 34 new smoke detectors in the building, as well as test and program them. They have a one-year warranty. For an additional $3,600, the company would also replace the existing smoke detector stations. No action was taken on the bids. 

• Opened sealed bids for real estate that was acquired in tax foreclosure sales and published in The Holton Recorder on April 8. The commissioners received four bids for four separate parcels including $75 from Clint Brock for 422 Vermont Ave. in Holton, $500 from Dean Williams for 204 Searle St. in Whiting, $2,000 from Auswell Stauffer Jr. (Vinita G. Stauffer Trust) for 3472 118th Rd. in Delia and $200 from Ervin McKibben for parts of lots 45 and all of lots 47 and 49 in Denison.

The commissioners accepted the bids from Williams, Brock and Stauffer but questioned if the bid for the Denison lots would affect the fair market value of other lots in Denison. 

Jackson County Appraiser Larry Reynolds said that the bids are not considered valid sales in the property’s fair marketing calculations so the sale would not affect appraised values.

The commissioners did not accept the bid from McKibben for the Denison lots.

• Declared May as “Poppy Month” at the request of Sharon Spiker with the American Legion Auxiliary. 

• Learned from Sheriff Morse and Undersheriff Darrell Chapman that new software is being installed at the sheriff’s office and that prisoners are currently working on painting the multipurpose and booking rooms. 

• Met in executive session with Morrissey, Mick, Morse and Chapman for 15 minutes to discuss a matter of attorney/client privilege. No action was taken in open session.

• Met in executive session with Morrissey, Mick, Morse and Chapman for 10 minutes to discuss a personnel matter. No action was taken in open session.

• Met in executive session for 10 minutes to discuss a personnel matter. No action was taken in open session.

• Adjourned the meeting at 4:10 p.m. Commissioner Bill Elmer was absent.