The Reno County Board of Commissioners approved nearly a half million dollars in contracts during its meeting Tuesday, including annual landfill groundwater and methane gas monitoring agreements for the landfill and eight pieces of new equipment for Public Works.

The contracts the commission approved included:

– An agreement with Baughman Company PA of Wichita for consulting services for preparation and update to the Reno County Comprehensive Plan at the cost of $15,000. The item was approved on the consent agenda after discussed the previous two weeks;

– Agreements with SCS Engineers for continuing Solid Waste Consulting Services, primarily groundwater monitoring and annual permitting, for $72,900, and a separate Air Quality & Gas Collection and Control System consulting services contract for $94,300.

SCS Engineers Vice President Monte Markley advised the commission that the company has reduced its fees for groundwater monitoring and compliance by 28 percent over the past four years, although its air compliance fees went up 7 percent this year.

Despite annual inspections and significant documentation inquiries by state and federal regulators, the landfill has gone four or five years without any violations or inspection issues, Markley said, crediting the competency of the landfill staff.

Purchases the board approved for Public Works included:

– One tandem axle truck chassis for a dump truck with 16-foot dump body, a 12-foot snowplow and a salt and sand spreader, sold as a package, from Kansas Truck Center, Wichita, for $145,062. An existing 2007 truck with some 214,414 miles and a plow package will be traded in for $23,000;

– Three 15-foot flex wing mowers from John Schmidt & Sons, Mt. Hope, for a total price of $46,665, replacing three 2010 mowers to be sold on the Purple Wave auction site;

– Two 2018 ½-ton 4x2 crew cab long bed pickup trucks for $45,490, a new ¾-ton 4x2 crew cab pickup truck for $24,602, and a ¾-ton 4x4 crew cab long bed pickup for $27,199, all from Allen Samuels Auto Group, Hutchinson.

The two half-ton trucks being replaced, 1997 and 2004 models, will be sold on Purple Wave. The ¾ ton is a 1998 model with 159,000 miles, while the long-bed pickup will be moved to the utility division to replace a truck that had engine failure last year.

The county sought bids from at least five dealers on each piece of equipment, but only two companies bid on each, advised Public Works Director Dave McComb. For at least two of those companies, McComb said, their bidders went on vacation without getting bids submitted.