ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
Much improvement was seen in 2024, and more will continue to be seen in 2025 with the Seward County government entity.
Administrator April Warden said the roof remodel, along with remodeling to the rest of the courthouse was just the start of work for county workers, and that project is still ongoing at this time.
“We did implement quarterly town hall meetings, and we always do one in the city of Kismet,” she said. “We do quarterly strategic planning sessions. We revamped our employee handbook.”
In 2024, the county also hosted an auction which allowed for the disposal of assets and inventory no longer in use to help put some revenue stream in the budget to purchase new equipment and use for other needs.
The fueling system Fuelman was implemented countywide, and kalwall window replacement was done in the Activity Center. The county likewise started a public relations campaign, part of which includes stories in the Leader & Times.
The last items for 2024 included a revision to the county’s purchasing policy and the implementation of a delinquent tax recovery program. Warden said more changes are coming in 2025.
“We do quarterly strategic planning,” she said. “We are doing the Restlawn Cemetery digital directory and kiosk building. If you travel out to Restlawn Cemetery right now, that building’s been framed. You can see progress on that.”
Landscaping at the courthouse and the building’s remodel will be completed this year, and Warden said maintenance and weatherization at the neighboring Law Enforcement Center too will be done.
“That is ongoing, but for the most part, it is pretty much completed,” she said. “We’ll also have the completion of the bleacher project at the rodeo arena.”
Replacement of the roof and concrete work at the grandstands at the Seward County Fairgrounds is scheduled for 2025, as is completion of a new safety manual. Warden too said a living document of the county’s five and 10-year plan for Road and Bridge will be done this year.
“That will be updated on a regular basis as well,” she said. “We have hired a new Road and Bridge director.”
Marc Johnson was scheduled to start as the new Road and Bridge director in late February, and this comes at a time when two county roads, O and P, are likewise scheduled to be completed.
“Road O is almost completed,” Warden said. “They lack just half a mile with that, and then they’ll be starting on Road P.”
A new budget committee and processes have also been implemented to explore the budget more, as well as ways of implementing changes in the process to help the county see improvement there.
“We’re going to be doing an energy efficiency review,” Warden said, adding this was an item of importance to Commissioner Steve Helm.
Lastly for 2025, commissioners are looking to develop a better partnership with the Seward County Fair Association, and Warden said the commission is looking forward to seeing what develops with that after the association’s membership drive in early February.
Warden too said safety has been a big part of the discussion in the commission’s strategic planning process, and county leaders would like to see a significant improvement in workers compensation claims, as well as a capital improvement plan.
This year, Warden added, will also bring the county’s public relations campaign further.
“It’s very important for us to educate the constituents on things we have going,” she said.
While she feels county officials are always transparent, Warden did say it is important to let constituents know the process of how things work in the county government entity and why things have to happen the way they do, whether that be because of state statute or a service that is required to be provided and passed down from either state or federal leaders.
Warden said she also feels the county needs to do a better job with that and other areas.
“It’s important for us to be reviewing our departmental fee structures to make sure we’re in line with what we should be charging, what the cost is to us, what other counties are doing throughout the state, etc.,” she said.
Warden said these are some of the highlights of what is to come in 2025, and she expects more will come as the commission meets quarterly for strategic planning.
As far as challenges go for the current year, Warden said those mainly lean toward the county’s budget constantly changing, and she said this includes finding more things to add to the tax roll or making significant changes.
“You never know what valuation’s going to do,” she said. “That changes each year. We’re having to take a look at stuff and see where we can make changes, bring new ideas for, be open to listening to people’s ideas, their concerns, their recommendations, and really taking a look and listening to what we have before us.”
Warden said county officials are trying to improve processes, including for the budget, but in the meantime, they need to make sure to take care of its biggest assets – its employees.
“Our biggest asset is the people who are working for us, and we have to take that into consideration,” she said.
County leaders recently finalized a list of projects allocated for money from the $4.16 million the county received from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. Warden said without those funds, some of the projects would have still been done eventually, but they would have to have been prioritized and fitted into different budget years.
“I think it allowed us to be able to get some much needed maintenance and upkeeping issues taken care of, some deteriorated infrastructure we had and address some needs we would not otherwise have been able to address,” she said.
As for what could be looked at in future years, Warden said infrastructure is a constant need and a difficult one to fulfill.
“Oftentimes when you’re going through the budgetary process, that’s where it’s easy to make cuts or hoping and being optimistic there may be a change in the future where you can address those,” she said. “With Road and Bridge infrastructure, that’s where we got to the position we’re in today, not to mention the change in economics and how much more the labor workforce is, how much more parts are, materials, the lack of being able to get certain things also attributed to that. I think oftentimes, we really need to take a look at that, and that’s where me talking about a capital improvement plan comes in and being able to review those fee structures.”
Warden emphasized the need to look at infrastructure in the coming years.
“I would say things that aren’t being looked at right now, but will still need to be looked at, I think we’re still going to have to look at our infrastructure, really focus on what we have and how we can maintain that and upkeep that and keep that sustainable where we can continue to do that,” she said.
Overall, though, Warden said the near future looks good for Seward County.
“There’s been a lot of changes, and sometimes when there’s change, it’s hard on morale or people coming around to the change or being accepting of the change or understanding the change,” she said. “I think the things we’re trying to implement are to improve county function and those of the citizens.”
Commissioners recently approved the sale of $6.1 million in bonds to help with road projects in the county, and Warden said she felt the process was a good one.
“I feel Seward County got a very favorable rating with Standard & Poors and showed we are trying to be fiscally responsible and while there’s always concerns and you try to do the best you can, letting people know we are on the right track,” she said.
