ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
Housing, flooding, safety and public health are all essential needs, and the topics were part of the discussion at the recent town hall meeting hosted by the Seward County Commission.
Housing wise, Administrator April Warden talked about a joint housing study recently conducted by the county, the City of Liberal and the Seward County Development Corporation.
“It’s to help shape the future of housing in Seward County by sharing your experience,” she said.
Survey responses were taken through March 21, and Warden said feedback was quite valuable in helping address housing needs and opportunities.
The study was completed in partnership with Bobbi Pettit of FIVE RULE Rural Planning (FRRP) of Kearney, Neb.
In a recent press release, FRRP said SCDC recognized the critical role housing plays in improving lives of all residents and supporting economic growth.
“The study aims to identify key housing projects that will create the most immediate and impactful benefits for both current and future residents of Seward County,” the release said.
Next, Warden talked about work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency on a flood insurance map for the county. She said FEMA is currently validating a draft of a flood insurance rate map, also known as FIRM.
“That database for Seward County is out there, and it includes the flood risk information for the unincorporated areas of the county,” she said. “We’ll make sure we get this information put out on our Web site and Facebook page.”
Warden said this allows county leaders to review the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s online mapping platform and to see how KDA has redone much of the planning, zoning and GIS mapping in all of the county.
“They’ve worked very hard to get them to look at our floodplain areas,” she said. “The city has done a lot of work to put in better drainage systems. They have done a lot of the ponds and water together to try to help some of the flood issues we have and to make a difference for those that are having to purchase insurance, but also for the new developers in the city as well.”
With the recent approval of a safety manual for the county, Warden reminded constituents employee safety comes first in everything the county does.
“We want to create a zero accident culture,” she said. “The goal is to eliminate workplace injuries and illnesses by identifying hazards of any size and suggestion and how to prevent them. That’s top of mind.”
Warden said prior to submitting the manual to commissioners for approval, work had been with department heads to finalize the county’s safety policy.
“Bottom line, we have a goal to reduce our workers compensation claims to get our insurance costs down on that, but top of mind is safety for our employees,” she said. “When they arrive at work and they go home at the end of the day, everyone does so safely.”
Measles has been making many local headlines recently, and with large amounts of information already circulating, Warden reviewed what is known thus far.
“I’m sure everybody’s been seeing the press releases and the information about measles,” she said. “At first, you were hearing all of the talk about measle cases in Texas. We had our first measles case in Stevens County, and we have three reported in Morton County.”
Warden said much information has been put out jointly through Southwest Medical Center and the Seward County Health Department.
“It’s understanding the symptoms, and a lot of it is making sure you’re vaccinated,” she said. “If you have received one vaccination, you’re 93 percent covered from getting the measles. Kids above age 4 usually have had their second round of the measles vaccination, and they’re 97 percent covered under those vaccinations.”
Warden, though, did say there has been some worry about people born prior to 1953.
“The information does tell those people were probably exposed to measles and had it at some point in their lives, but if anybody is scared about that, you can receive your vaccinations,” she said.
Warden likewise said a test is available to let patients know if they have had the measles or need to be concerned about getting vaccinations.
“I encourage everyone to go out and look at the Seward County Health Department Facebook page and our Web site,” she said. “Southwest Medical Center has also put out information with them, and the health department is set up to answer any questions that anyone has regarding the measles. They are staying on top of it, and they’re pushing out information to the public as soon as they get it.”
Since the town hall meeting, more measles cases have been reported in Southwest Kansas. Last Wednesday, Satanta District Hospital (SDH) posted on its Facebook page that four cases had been identified in Haskell County.
The SDH post said measles is highly contagious, and vaccination remains the best protection against illness and spread.
“If you or your family are unsure of your vaccination status, now is a great time to check,” the post said. “Confirm you and your family members have two doses of measles vaccine. MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) is routinely given at 12 to 15 months and again at 4 years old.”
The post said due to active measle cases, the Centers for Disease Control approved MMR given to infants 6 months or older.
“Measles can linger in the air for up to two hours, so if you believe you’ve been exposed or have symptoms such as fever, cough and rash, call your health care provider,” the post said.
If a person develops symptoms, SDH has the following recommendations:
• Isolate immediately by staying home. Do not go to school or work, and avoid contact with others. People can be contagious four days prior to a rash developing through four days after a rash appears.
• Call before going to a clinic or hospital so they can prepare for your arrival to prevent the virus from spreading to others.
“Let’s work together to keep our community safe and healthy,” the post said.
Last Thursday, Cottonwood Pediatrics of Newton posted on its Facebook page that there were now 23 measles cases in six Southwest Kansas counties, including Grant, Morton, Stevens, Haskell, Gray and Kiowa.
“Of those 23 cases, only two are adults, and 20 of them are in unvaccinated persons,” the post said. “Harvey County’s MMR vaccination rate is about 90 percent, which is much higher than the counties currently involved, but still short of 95 percent, the level scientists say is necessary to prevent an epidemic.”
Cottonwood Pediatrics reminds people to give careful consideration before traveling to an outbreak area or internationally, especially if a family has members who are not fully immunized.
Cottonwood Pediatrics was founded by Jon Jantz, MD, a pediatrician, who grew up in Liberal, KS, and graduated from Liberal High School. He remembers his roots.
All the best to all of the community in dealing with this issue.