The Guthrie County Board of Supervisors convened yesterday for their second meeting of the week.

Guthrie County Sheriff Marty Arganbright began the meeting with an update from his department.  Arganbright says he’s been trying to find ways to prevent his office from losing tower communication during the next emergency situation that might arise in the area.

The Sheriff’s Office was without communication to other area first responders for about 10 minutes during the Mother’s Day Storm after their generator and backup battery both failed.  Arganbright says a stronger uninterrupted battery has been ordered.  He’s also looking into finding funds that would allow his department to purchase a new generator–the cost is around $20,000 but he doesn’t want to rely on the county for financing.

Next, the Supervisors approved an application and master matrix plan for the Fett Barn Site Hog Confinement in Union Township.  The site will be able to install a new nursery barn and increase the numbers in the three existing confinement barns.

County Engineer Josh Sebern then addressed the Board to ask for approval of a 2013-14 DOT budget amendment and an amendment to the county’s current five-year roads plan.  Both amendments pertained to including the asphalt overlay project on County Road F-63 in the current fiscal year.

This project is helping to fix the road after it sustained wind turbine damage earlier this year.

To conclude the meeting, Guthrie County Public Health Administrator Jotham Arber spoke with the Supervisors to give a monthly update from his department.

Arber says he has purchased an agency vehicle for public health, and that will be used by his nurses as part of a pilot project starting next month. The vehicle cost $4,500, though Arber says it will be a cost savings measure as he tries to get his department’s budget to under $100,000 within the next five years.