Coffey County commissioners used part of their Nov. 11 meeting to hear volunteer interviews and to handle routine maintenance and staffing motions.

Board applicants: The commission interviewed a slate of volunteers for openings on the Planning & Zoning Board and the Housing Authority. Interviewees included Doug Burke (planning and zoning applicant, who described three decades at Wolf Creek and experience in emergency planning), James Higgins (Housing Authority candidate, former hospital COO with interest in rehab and home construction for low- and moderate-income residents), Dustin Bluma (planning and zoning applicant) and other phone-interviewed candidates including Bill Parker, who discussed long-term service on the Housing Authority Board and rehabs/demolition efforts. Commissioners ultimately moved to table nominations for those boards to the next meeting to allow additional vetting.

Recycling equipment and staffing: The recycling coordinator reported repeated binding of the facilityardboard horizontal baler and presented an estimate from HWI Equipment Incorporated for roughly $11,665.64 in repairs, including track replacement and welding. The coordinator proposed using an available aluminum-can account advance and then reimbursing the general fund. The commission approved a motion to authorize the recycling coordinator to contract with HWI Equipment Incorporated to provide necessary maintenance on the horizontal baler not to exceed $14,000, with funds to come from the general fund equipment reserve and to be reimbursed from the Coffee County recycling aluminum-can account; motion carried by voice vote.

Personnel: Following an executive session to discuss a resignation in the Noxious Weed/Recycling department, the board approved advertising to recruit a light equipment operator to fill the vacant position.

What remains: Commissioners said they will finalize appointments at the next meeting and asked staff to obtain more detailed inventory and rehab counts from the Housing Authority for questions raised during interviews.