By Charlene Sims, info@linncountyjournal.com
MOUND CITY – The Linn County Commissioners listened to two presentations from companies promoting their services to the county on Monday, Dec. 2.
CivicPlus representative Ryan McNally, explained how his company could set up a website for the county, and representatives of RenoDry USA, an Overland Park-based company that works on moisture in historical building basements, came back for a second time to discuss the importance of controlling the humidity in the basement of the courthouse.
Information Technology (IT) Director Chris Martin introduced McNally and explained that Commissioner Jim Johnson had asked him to contact CivicPlus about building a website.
McNally explained, “In discussions with Ali (Commissioner-elect Alison Hamilton) as well as Chris, we’re here to informally discuss what CivicPlus offers.”
McNally told the commissioners that CivicPlus has been around for 25 years and is headquartered in Manhattan, Kan. He said that the company’s bread and butter has been the municipal website and hosting services. He said that they worked with 10,000 plus customers in all 50 states.
McNally continued, “We have expanded our product over into a code ordinance software as well as social media archiving.”
Commissioner Jason Hightower said that another company was used for codes and building permits.
Johnson said, “We got another package that we’ve paid for another one on the codes enforcement but I don’t remember what the name of it is.”
McNally said that the thing about CivicPlus’ community development modules was that there’s five of them – permitting, licensing, code enforcement, planning and zoning and fire and life safety. He added that the county would not be required to have all of those, and they could chose the modules they wanted.
“Do you have the open records act?” asked McCullough.
McNally told them that a law was passed last year that gave the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) ability to seek compliance records accessibility, and that is a hot topic that will focus on larger local governments before trickling down to smaller local governments. He said in three years the DOJ was going to start doing random audits and they are going to start evaluating websites to see if they’re remaining compliant.
McNally told the commissioners that the cost of the website was around $20,000 to $50,000 the first year, and depending on what the county decided to do, probably about $5,000 to $10,000 yearly.
However, McNally suggested that the price might be negotiable since Chris Martin is directly related to the head of his company. Martin redesigned the county's website in 2022.
McNally explained that the plans were population-based, and if hired his company will run a page scrub on the county’s current site to see how much content can be migrated over.
He said that CivicPlus had three different models. The standard was the most economical version. The middle option is the most popular and is our premium option because it allows flexibility on the front end. And then the ultimate model that is top tier and the company’s most expensive package.
McCullough told McNally that the county was working with a reservation management company at present and asked what CivicPlus could do in that area.
McCullough also talked with McNally about the current notification system which has 44 people signed up. McNally said that’s not a lot of people. McCullough asked if the website could help with that.
McNally referred them to the Emporia, Kan., website that has the ultimate package and how their website has one button designed for alerts and notifications. He said how they have it worded really helps the residents understand what comes with it.
The commissioners made no commitment to CivicPlus, but are going to look at more information from them.
The county’s purchasing policy requires that purchases from $5,001 to $25,000 require at least three quotes, either written or verbal, if available. Based on those quotes, recommendations are made by responsible department heads or approved by commission. For purchases in excess of $25,000 a formal bid process is required.
Next, the commission heard from Don Brown and Michael Clancy from RenoDry USA. According to their website RenoDry USA offers specialized services to combat rising dampness and protect building foundations.
The RenoDry representatives originally approached the commission on Dec. 12, 2022. At that time they did an inspection of the courthouse and later provided a $20,000 estimate to provide their system. At the December 2022 meeting, McCullough said he thought it would be better to work on a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system before working on drying out the courthouse foundation.
Clancy and Brown explained that the unit that they would put in the courthouse would discharge all of the moisture out of the walls and in that process it also draws out the excess salts out of the walls so that disintegration will cease. They said that is what the county is running into in the basement of the courthouse.
Clancy said that the hydrometer test readings are some of the highest they had encountered. He said that there was an extreme amount of moisture present.
McCullough said that his concern was that the county was not taking care of the initial problem which is water infiltration into the building itself.
“I asked myself why would we put this product inside and still allow all this infiltration of water and everything to come into the building and continue to let our wall decay because there is always going to be water if we’re not taking care of the initial problem, which would be waterproofing of the foundation and getting the water away from the building,” said McCullough.
“With our system, you know below grade, we still dry out masonry all the time,” said Clancy.
Clancy said that they have been doing this for nine years and have a list of counties that the commission could check with. That wall which is about 24 to 30 inches wide may never fully dry out on the outside next to the dirt, but with the RenoDry system the inside of that wall fully dehydrates.
Brown told the commissioners, “We made a $20,000 estimate to you in 2022 and we will stick with that amount. It’s a one-time cost, there is no fee after that.”
Hightower asked where the water goes with their system.
Clancy explained that the system discharges electromagnetic energy out of the walls and that’s what is holding the moisture in the walls.
Brown said, “It’s a technology that is amazing.”
Clancy told the commissioners that every single courthouse where they have installed it, they would not let them take the system out.
“Every single customer we have is a reference for us,” said Brown.
Clancy told the commissioners that at the first of the year their prices were doubling because it is so effective and they have been charging so little for it.
“We are the only company in the United States that does this kind of work,” said Brown.
Hightower suggested that the commissioners would talk with Anderson and Woodson Counties and get back with them.
In other business, the commissioners:
• Decided to have the engineer, Chad McCullough come talk with them before concrete is poured again on 900 Road.
• Learned that Economic Development Director Chasity Ware and planning and zoning consultant Darin Wilson would be attending the lot split hearing for the airport that afternoon.
• Approved purchasing salt from Kunshek Chat & Coal Co. for $70.80 per ton for 26.5 tons for a total of nearly $1,900.
• Heard from Public Works Director Shaun West that he would work with Pleasanton and La Cygne on getting agreement about compactor contracts.
• Discussed swimming area at Linn County Park.
• Approved dumping assistance for 116 Elm Street in Blue Mound.
• Approved an assistance application for putting a roll-off dumpster at Linn Valley so they can remove the canopy shelter that fell on top of the mailboxes. Linn Valley will pay for the dumping fees.
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