Kacie Robey and Carl Bettels met with the Commission to discuss the contract from Ulrich for the new software. Carl said they are waiting to hear back from Gene with Governmentor to find out what the cost will be to get out from under him. Sam with Ulrich has also contacted Gene. John stated he had a concern about what Ulrich will charge us to retrieve our data if we ever change from them. Kacie said we have been with our current company for 30 years and Carl said he doesn't for see having an issue with Ulrich. Kacie said that Ulrich will come in for three days and train the employees and also has the ability to toggle into the computers. John asked about the legalities of putting another elected official in debt by signing a 3- or 5-year payment plan. Kacie asked why this was just now being brought up. Jami stated that she just saw the proposal yesterday and questioned that. Jami thought there was a statute that states one elected official can't put another elected official in debt. For instance, if a payment plan is signed for a 3 or a 5-year term and Carl or Kacie are not re-elected, then it's not legal for that to happen. When Jami purchased her new election equipment, she did it in the first year of her term and paid for it over 3 years. Which was legal because it was paid for before her term ended. Jami also stated that this may be different because it is software. She urged the Commission to reach out to their legal counsel before signing the contract. Jim stated he would contact their attorney and Kacie is also going to research it.
After Carl and Kacie left the Commission discussed Carl's budget with Jami. They looked at each line item in his budget to see if he budgeted enough. Jami stated that they also had to look at his cash on hand and whether or not he could afford the new software and continue to pay his expenses. Carl has to have enough money in the bank to back up the budget. Jami also reminded the Commission that they should reach out to Shane Balk with Inetvisions to have him review the contract.
Approved invoices.
Jami Page shared a picture with the Commission of one of the three benches that are being built for The Wall That Heals from an anonymous donor. There will be a bench made for each of the three service members from Bates County whose names are engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. Jami said that Tyler Bohannon is sponsoring the cost of having the benches powder coated. The Commission has agreed to have the benches installed around the courthouse once The Wall That Heals exhibit leaves Butler.
Jim told Jami that Kacie had reached out to other Collectors and they said they didn't know of any such statute regarding putting the next elected official in debt. Jami said she may have been wrong, but that was what she had always been told. Jami told the Commission she was not trying to stop the other offices from getting their software. If she was then why would she have contacted Ulrich herself about getting the software for her office and also getting a contract for the Commission to sign. She understands their frustrations with the current software, but she just wants to make sure everything is done correctly and legally because this is going to be a huge expense for the taxpayers. She also doesn't want another problem with the Auditors.
March 16, 2026 The Bates County Commission met with Presiding Commissioner Jim Wheatley, Northern Commissioner John Gray and Southern Commissioner Trent Nelson present.
Kacie Robey came in and discussed the Software they are wanting to change to. John went over the Contract and seen some things that concerned him, making him rethink his previous vote on the matter. John states that he is all for new software and is not trying to stop them, but he doesn’t see a price cap, and he feels like Kacie’s bid should not have been under the same one of Carl’s that was posted in the paper. He is nervous about settling on this one bid when there is a loss of $30k that’s been put into trying to get the SB190 to be workable over the last year and a half.
Kacie is more than frustrated because she cannot do her job to the best of her ability with the software she has now and the Commission has already voted to get the ball rolling. So, John taking a step back and finding issues after they had already voted has made things even more difficult for Kacie.
The meeting was then paused and will be picked up after Kacie calls the recommendations that John has given her and will reconvene when she has collected more information and contacted other offices about other software.
Chad Anderson came in and spoke over any questions and concerns the Commission might have had about the Blue Sheild Grant. There were very few, so, Trent made a motion to recommit to the Blue Sheild Program. John seconded the motion. All were in favor. Motion passed. No opposition.
Chad gave them a heads up that they will see some increases due to more medications being given and sent with the inmate after release. As well as a decrease in other areas where the FCC has now made it a guideline that inmates cannot be charged for their phone calls, effective April 1st, 2026. Chad says that there are certain things he will be applying for through the Opioid Board for Reimbursement, like medications and such, and have also been looking into Good RX to keep the cost down.
Chad also made sure to point out that he is proud of Amy Fishbaugh for the Health and Wellness classes that she has been conducting. There have been 17 people that have lunged into this class headfirst, and Chad is very proud of them all.
Dennis, Brenda and Jim with EMA sat with the Commission and discussed the Overpass/Bridge Project that will last approximately 166 days. Walmart, EMS, Fire Department and BCSO are all aware of alternative routes and the conditions. Jim said he might reach out to the school to make sure they are aware of Bus Routes, if any.
Kacie came back to finish the discussion over the Software Bid issue. She had sent emails, called lawyers and other County Collectors and gathered up any information she was missing and asked questions about what all she should be doing and she concluded that there is nothing else she can do to help ease Johns concerns. There is not a statute saying anything against what she has been doing to try and switch to this software and has some confusion as to why she needs the Commissions signatures in the first place.
Trent reminded everyone that John had some concerns about the amount not having a cap on it and John agreed that his concerns still stood true. Kacie asked John what he had done and who he had reached out to for information about these concerns and if he had gathered any information but there was no response.
Trent asked if any other Counties use Ulrich and what they think to which Kacie let him know there wasn’t a single bad review. Kacie said she isn’t necessarily thrilled to have new software, but she cannot keep having these issues and mishaps limiting her job skills and duties. She made sure to investigate the possibility of no re-election along with the three-year payment plan, making it to where the next Collector can switch software if they feel the need to. She is unsure of what Gene is going to charge to convert the data.
Kacie claims that this new system will make it to where Bates County can now pay online and it’s more efficient than the system they have now. She feels she has done all she can do to try and get the Commission on board and is awaiting their response regarding what they are going to do that way she can move forward.
John made a motion to send a letter and the $2000.00 to Soil and Water Conservation District. Trent seconded the motion. All were in favor. Motion carried. No opposition.
On 03/09/2026 John seconded Trent’s motion for a three-year payment agreement for Ulrich Software for the Collector/Treasurer and Assessors office. Considering the concerns that have surfaced since that vote, John is retracting his seconded to that motion until the concerns are resolved. The yearly maintenance fee is an issue, discussed who will own the data in Ulrich and how much it will cost to convert that data. John also has issues with the Assessor’s Office putting out the bid for the Collector’s Office and Jim agreed they should have made their own bids. John is under the impression that an Elected Official can only sign a two-year contract with the option for a third year and is waiting for a call back from another Assessor and Attorney to make sure that information is correct. Jim states that he is going to speak with Ulrich and John agreed he should, that is the point of Contract negotiations.
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