Missing county emails bring change

Allen County commissioners put Advantage Computer sleuths on the trail of missing emails Tuesday morning.
County Clerk Sherrie Riebel explained that for some time, and particularly this month, her office had failed to capture emails sent from the secretary of state’s office and other such official transmissions. Conversations with the company that hosts the county’s website, Netfirms, did not rectify problems, she said, and conversations only deepened frustrations.
“We were told to try ‘this,’” Riebel said, and when that didn’t work, “to try it again.”
She turned to Iola’s Advantage Computers for help, which has a history of working with the county. Steve Prasko, an ACE executive, assured commissioners his company’s technicians could restore email contacts and that going forward the county should have a better experience.
A difference is price. The current provider charges about $300 a year; ACE’s cost will be about $1,000, but might be less when it is blended with hosting services the company does with the sheriff’s office and 911.
While ACE’s cost is higher, Riebel allowed $300 “is not worth a dime if it doesn’t work,” and noted ACE “is just across town and a phone call away” if a problem were to crop up.
The decision to enlist ACE’s services was unanimous.
In other news:
— Kids Kingdom, local child care facility, was given permission to have the county courthouse as a place where children could be taken for refuge in event of an emergency.
— A payment of $45,000 to Murray Company, contractor for Allen County Regional Hospital, was approved. The payment leaves the county holding $105,000, which will be paid when the project is deemed 100 percent completed.
— Commissioners were introduced to Chris Petty, new Southwest Extension District livestock and forage expert. Petty will operate from the Bourbon County office and be in Allen County at least one day a week.
— A new set of truck scales for the landfill was purchased from WH Scales, Topeka, for $44,500. Bill King, director of Public Works, said the old scales had been in use 20 years and “are falling apart.”
— Kansas and U.S. flags and display poles were purchased from Iola Office Supplies for $120, the lower of two bids. They will be placed in the commission room.