ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
The Seward County Commission has chosen to stay with its current leader, but the board did choose a new vice chairman for 2025.
Friday, former Vice Chair Tammy Sutherland-Abbott nominated Chairman Scott Carr to remain in that position, and after Commissioner Presephoni Fuller seconded the motion, the board, including newly elected District One Commissioner Todd Stanton, voted unanimously to choose Carr for chairman.
In the vote for vice chairman, Carr then nominated Commissioner Steve Helm to fill the position, and after Sutherland-Abbott seconded the nomination, the commission voted unanimously to choose Helm as the vice chairman.
The meeting was moved to Friday due to both Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday and having some county leadership due to be in Topeka for the Pancakes at the Capitol event today, which would have created a lack of a quorum for the meeting.
After the commission reorganized its leadership, commissioners took action on two facility fee waivers for upcoming events, the first being Fiesta de Colores, a church retreat for Liberal’s St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church scheduled for Sept. 7 in the Activity Center.
Administrator April Warden said there is no charge for the event, and it is open to the public.
“They did put that it is to deliver a positive message and to help our community grow in their faith,” she said. “Based on the information that was provided to me, I do feel it does meet the public purpose criteria.”
The financial impact of the event to the county is $750, and Warden said this only represents the rental fee for the Activity Center.
“It doesn’t include all the costs for labor, setup, tear down, utility expense,” she said.
County Counsel Nathan Foreman, though, did urge caution about approving the waiver.
“You’re using funds indirectly of the county to support this cause would be, so it has to be for a public purpose,” he said. “When you’re using indirect public funds, you also have to consider what it’s for. This purpose is for a church retreat, and I would caution you would potentially be using money for First Amendment purposes for promotion of religion.”
Both Warden and Activity Center Director Linda Johnson said despite not paying for use of the building, measures are taken to take the county’s liability away for damages.
“They still sign contracts,” Warden said. “There’s just no charge on their contract, but they still have to supply us with the liability insurance and all of the other requirements of the contract.”
Fuller reminded those interested in using not only the Activity Center, but all of the fairgrounds facilities of the presence of security cameras at the fairgrounds.
“We’ve had some incidents,” she said. “If you say you’re using the room, walk in with integrity, and do what you say you’re going to do because our eyes are on you.”
Commissioners unanimously approved the waiver for the church retreat.
The second waiver request came from local resident Emmanuel Banuelos, who is planning to host a soccer tournament Feb. 15 for the Liberal Traveling Soccer Team, also at the Activity Center.
“I’ve been coaching for too many years here in Liberal, and I’m going to try to do a tournament at the Activity Center,” he said. “That’s why I tried to get the waivers to do my tournament.”
Banuelos said teams in the tournament come from area towns including Garden City, Dodge City, Ulysses and Perryton.
Carr asked how much the registration fee. Banuelos said the cost is $150 per team. Banuelos added the soccer ball for inside play is heavier and does not bounce like those used for outside play.
“It stays on the ground all the time,” he said.
Due to a lack of facilities in Liberal, Banuelos said games are played on a regular basis in Garden City.
“We don’t have anything to play in the winter time,” he said. “That’s why I’m trying to do something in Liberal for the other teams. We’ve got 10 teams to go to Garden City right because we don’t have anything here.”
Sutherland-Abbott asked if Banuelos had asked Liberal school officials if district gymnasiums could be used.
“Yes, but they don’t let me use it in the gyms or the Rec Center,” Banuelos said. “The only place we use to practice in the winter time is the Activity Center.”
Warden said the Liberal Recreation Department in the past had used the Activity Center for indoor soccer tournaments.
“Commissioner Carr had inquired whether or not that tears up our facilities in any way, and I don’t believe there were ever any issues with that,” she said.
Johnson said local baseball teams use the Activity Center for practice during cold weather, and safety precautions are taken.
“We’ve made some wood pieces that go above all of our extinguisher glass, but they won’t break it,” she said. “We do cover all that, and we have everybody sign a waiver when they come. They understand they have to pay for damages if there’s something done.”
Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the waiver for the soccer tournament.
