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# Cowley County Commission Summary
- URL: https://www.citizenjournal.us/cowley-county-commission-summary-11/
- Published: 2026-07-24T12:31:15.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-24T12:31:15.000Z
- Description: Week of July 23, 2026
- Author: Cronkite
- Tags: avcj, #summary, dnn

# Commissioners table landfill fee hikes, demand higher rates for out-of-county waste

# Board pushes to restrict new transmission lines to existing routes

# County approves juvenile housing agreement with Sedgwick County

# Lucy Herlocker appointed as board legal counsel

# Silverdale Township Trustee Brett Martin resigns following resident threats

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### Commissioners table landfill fee hikes, demand higher rates for out-of-county waste

COWLEY COUNTY, Kan. — The Cowley County Commission tabled a proposed increase in landfill fees after directing staff to draft a steeper pricing tier for out-of-county dumpers. County Administrator Lucas Goff presented a proposal to raise municipal solid waste and construction demolition fees by $1 per ton in both 2027 and 2028 to help offset a 14.7 percent increase in disposal costs. However, the commission pushed back after learning the county is inundated with cheap out-of-county dumping, including a recent influx of hundreds of semi-truck tires from Wichita. The commission requested a revised proposal that includes a 20 percent to 30 percent surcharge for out-of-county customers who do not have established accounts.

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### Board pushes to restrict new transmission lines to existing routes

COWLEY COUNTY, Kan. — The commission provided staff with strict directives to advocate for utilizing existing lines for the newly proposed Buffalo Flats to Delaware electrical transmission route. Reviewing revised route options from Evergy, the commission agreed that keeping the infrastructure on the existing right-of-way would be best for local landowners and should be the county's official stance. Public hearings on the transmission lines are scheduled for Aug. 10 at Cowley College and Aug. 11 at Sedan High School.

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### County approves juvenile housing agreement with Sedgwick County

COWLEY COUNTY, Kan. — To help control the escalating costs of juvenile incarceration, the commission unanimously approved a housing agreement with Sedgwick County for legally detained juveniles. County Administrator Lucas Goff explained that recent legislative changes tied to House Bills 2444 and 2349 have made juvenile incarceration significantly more expensive since July 1\. The agreement provides a financially viable alternative for housing youth who must be legally detained or placed in special facilities.

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### Lucy Herlocker appointed as board legal counsel

COWLEY COUNTY, Kan. — The commission unanimously approved a professional services agreement to appoint Winfield-based attorney Lucy Herlocker as the new county counselor. County Administrator Lucas Goff recommended Herlocker, who is a licensed lawyer practicing in Cowley County, after meeting with several attorneys in the area to find a suitable legal representative for the board.

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### Silverdale Township Trustee Brett Martin resigns following resident threats

COWLEY COUNTY, Kan. — Silverdale Township Trustee Brett Martin resigned from his position, citing the demands of his full-time job and other businesses, though county officials reported he also told them a resident came to his home and behaved in what he described as a threatening manner. Martin indicated he would not subject his family to such encounters for an essentially volunteer position. The commission appointed Casey Kromminga to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term, which runs through January 2029 following the next township elections in November 2028.

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