All posts by Loretta George

Fort Scott Community College

FSCC Heads Into Next Century

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Fort Scott Community College has been a part of the community for over 100 years and it is looking to help future generations find their career path.

“Even though we are in an era of declining enrollment in Kansas colleges and universities; I am very positive about the future of FSCC due to the fact we have great faculty and staff that make student learning and student success their mission,”  FSCC President Alysia Johnston said. “We are also extremely fortunate to have an incredibly supportive community and Board of Trustees, which is greatly appreciated.”

On January 13, the spring semester at the college began.

To see the college calendar, click below:

http://www.fortscott.edu/calendar/month/2020-01

A recent 2019 Annual Report Centennial Edition gave glimpses of events throughout the years and named current offerings as well.

Thirty-seven fields of study are available to students: agriculture, art, biological science, business, certified medication aide, certified nurse aid, chemistry, computer science, construction trades, cosmetology, criminal justice, education, emergency medical technician, engineering, English, environmental water technology, farm and ranch management, Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Technology, heating-ventilation-air conditioning, history, home health aide, John Deere Technology, mathematics,  manicuring, masonry, music, nursing, phlebotomy, physical education, physical science, physics, political science, psychology, sociology, speech, theater, and welding.

FSCC’s John Deere Progam has been recognized as a College of Tomorrow awardee by John Deere, Inc. The honor was earned because of program excellence, instructor development, internships, and facilities, according to the annual report.

The college marked 15 years in partnership with Harley-Davidson Motor Company. FSCC offers technician training in a hands-on Harley Davidson approved environment, equipping students with both knowledge and soft skills.

FSCC’s Nursing Program was ranked 2nd in Kansas because of its overall affordability and exemplary NCLEX pass rates after evaluating 36 nursing programs in the state.

In the college’s annual report, much has been accomplished in just the last year.

In 2019 FSCC initiated its eSports program, joining in a nation-wide growing collegiate sport: competitive video gaming. The FSCC eSports team helps students improve their gaming performance, social and leadership skills, according to the annual report.

 

Also, last year the college added onto the Burris Building, which gives FSCC agriculture program room for future growth.

Burris Hall on the campus of FSCC was expanded and the old section updated in 2019.

FSCC welcomed the new director of the Gordon Parks Museum, Kirk Sharp, after being a part of the Gordon Parks committee for over a decade. Kirk will work to advance the legacy and memory of visionary artist Gordon Parks.

Gordon Parks Museum Executive Director Kirk Sharp, center, looks over donated photos of the film “The Learning Tree” with onlookers during the Gordon Parks Celebration in Oct. 2019.

Sports Added

Women’s golf and track and field programs were added to the college in 2019.

 

New Board of Trustees Members

Two new board of trustees were elected in Nov. 2019: Dave Elliott and Kirk Hart. A third trustee Bill Meyer was selected to fill the vacancy of his wife, Liz, who died at the end of 2019.

 

2020

 

“The expectation for 2020 is to continue to meet the needs of our students, community, faculty, and staff, as well as all of our stakeholders,” FSCC President Alysia Johnston said.

FSCC retiree Carolyn Sinn, from left, and FSCC Centennial speaker Gina Shelton, help FSCC Class of 1941 graduate Esther Sewell cut the Centennial Celebration cake while President Alysia Johnston, along with centennial speakers Mark Muller, Marcel Normand and Jim Barrows watch in the background, in September 2019.

Some of the events in 2020 include:

Bailey Hall

The fundraising for the renovation of Bailey Hall at the college continues.

“We have a plan for Bailey Hall renovation with a price tag of around one million dollars,” Johnston said.  “However, until we have more money we will not begin the project and we have no timeline for now.  We hope to use the money donated by Mr. and Mrs. Bailey as seed money to receive more dollars.”

“All gifts would be greatly appreciated and people can contact our Chief Development Officer, Jeff Tadtman, 620 223-2700 ext. 5830 [email protected]”

 

Men’s Golf

The college will start a men’s golf program in August 2020.

 

 

Accreditation

“Accreditation is critical to the college as it allows us not only to ensure we are Title IV eligible (federal student financial aid), but we maintain high quality and transferable courses and programs,” Johnston said. “Accreditation is a peer-review, self-regulatory process by which non-governmental associations recognize educational institutions or programs that have been found to meet or exceed standards and criteria for educational quality. ”

“Accreditation also assists in the further improvement of the institutions or programs as related to resources invested, processes followed, and results achieved.”

” We will have our first Assurance Argument due this June under the Higher Learning Commissions (HLC) Open Pathway accreditation, and we have a committee that has been working on documentation and narrative for the Assurance Argument for at least a year.”

“We were fortunate to be placed in the Open Pathway accreditation model when we received our 10-year accreditation from HLC in 2016. The Open Pathway is a less prescriptive model for accreditation and allows us to determine our own path of continuous improvement.”

 

Nursing Program Evaluation

“The Nursing Program is scheduled for a comprehensive evaluation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN),” Johnston said. “ACEN is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) as a specialized accrediting agency for nursing education programs located in the United States and its territories.”

 

 

Bourbon County, Schools

Uniontown FFA Places 4th at National Contest

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Photo from L to R: Logan Geiger, Maddie Ard, Clay Brillhart, Braden Griffiths and Coach Scott Sutton.

 

The Uniontown FFA Meat Evaluation team recently brought home 4th place honors at the National Western Roundup Meat Evaluation contest held in Fort Collins, Colorado. Uniontown earned the opportunity to represent the state of Kansas in the contest with their state runner-up finish this past May.

 

The contest consisted of placing classes, beef grading, retail identification, questions, meat formulation problems and a written exam. After completing all of the above on Saturday, January 11th on the campus of Colorado State University, the team ranked 3rd in Beef Grading, 4th in Placings, 6th in Retail Identification and 4th overall.

 

Clay Brillhart led the team individually with a 7th place finish overall. He also ranked 8th in the placing category and 8th in the retail identification division. Maddie Ard finished 17th overall, Braden Griffiths was 5th in Beef Grading and ranked 21st overall, and Logan Geiger ranked 24th in Retail Identification. The team is coached by Uniontown FFA Advisor Scott Sutton.

 

Bourbon County, Business, Government

Bourbon County Commissioner Answers Questions on Raises

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Lynne Oharah, District One Bourbon County Commissioner. Submitted photo

Bourbon County Commissioners are trying to close the gap in wages for its’ elected officials, according to chairman Lynne Oharah.

Recently the commission raised four elected officials earnings with a combined total of $46,000.

At the Dec. 17, 2019 county commission meeting Ohara made a motion to approve a salary resolution for elected officials effective Dec. 15, 2019, according to commission minutes. This raised the clerk and treasurer’s salary to $47,248 annually, the register of deeds to 44,821 and the sheriff’s salary to $60,000. Commissioner Jeff Fisher seconded and all commissioners approved.

Ohara then made a motion approving a wage resolution for Bourbon County employees changing the following: the salary for the correctional center captain, the emergency preparedness director and the deputy county appraiser were raised to $35,568 annually to comply with the U.S. Dept. Of Labor standards for salaried employees. A Maintenance 5 position was added at a rate of $17.47 per hour.  Commissioner Nick Ruhl seconded and all were in favor of those changes.  The economic development director’s salary was changed to $70,000 a year on the same resolution.

Jeff Fischer, District 2 Bourbon County Commissioner.

Ohara made a motion to approve changing her salary to $70,000. He said that if Bourbon County gets an administrative fee from Phase 2 of the Healthy Bourbon County Grant then part of the $70,000 salary would be subsidized from the grant, Fisher seconded this motion, Ruhl voted against this motion,  and the motion passed.

Nick Ruhl, District 3 Bourbon County Commissioner.

The following is an interview with Bourbon County Commissioner Lynn Oharah.

He started with a  history of the raises.

“In 2015, Sheriff Martin contracted an agency to do a wage study to compare Bourbon County wages with other comparable counties because he thought there was a large wage disparity between Bourbon County employees and other like counties,” Commissioner  Oharah said. “The county commissioners also accessed Kansas county wage information from the ks.gov website. The results indicated that Bourbon County wages were significantly behind our peers. The commissioners resolved to address these wage disparities and devised a plan to increase FTE (Full Time equivalent) positions first and address the next positions that had the most wage disparity, which happened to be the elected officials. Along with this effort we wanted to incentivize employees to continue working for the county and we did this by approving a $100 per year of service longevity pay increase.”

Where did the money come from to give the raises?
“We gave four elected officials raises when combined totaled $46,000.00. This money came from most of the departments managing their budgets and workforce which created a carryover from the 2015 and forward budget years. These wage increases did not increase the mill levy and this carryover gave us the resources to create a competitive wage with our peers although Bourbon County wages are still on the low side.”
What is the justification for the doubling of the earnings of the Bourbon County Economic Development Director?

 

“This position was initially created to see how the position could help the county,” Oharah said.  “It was created with a minimum of 20 hours of work per week at $35,000 annual salary and we would look at the performance and scope to see if we needed to increase the hours and wages.”

“Our economic developer has been a great asset and for the first six months spent a lot of time helping get the Bourbon County Ambulance Service up and running along with the other duties.”

“Since then all Bourbon County businesses and government entities have been contacted and surveyed to address their needs and identify what’s important to them.  Also, new businesses have been guided through the process of starting a business, grants have been written, the County NRP program has been implemented and coordinated under economic development.  Meetings and plans regarding healthcare are ongoing with economic development highly involved. This is just naming a few projects that are ongoing and the time spent well exceeds what was required.”

“Based on the need, the commission voted to increase the economic development salary and scope. The salary was based on what was being paid to other economic development directors in our surrounding market and the Bourbon County Economic Development budget is still lower than most of our competitive counties.”

 

“Bourbon County needs to grow and prosper and we cannot get there by doing the same thing that we have been doing for the last 100 years,” Oharah said.
The commission meets on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. at the courthouse.
To contact Ohara: 620-223-3800, ext 110; Fisher at ext. 112 and Ruhl at ext. 111.
Ascension Via Christi, Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott, Health Care

Via Christi Opens Clinic in Downtown Fort Scott Jan. 13

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Dr. Katrina Burke, courtesy of Ascension Via Christi.

Dr. Katrina Burke’s first day at the new AscensionVia Christi Medical Clinic in downtown Fort Scott is Monday, Jan. 13.

She will be accepting new obstetrics and pediatric patients.

Burke will also see previous patients but is accepting no new adult patients, according to her receptionist Kristal Farmer.

Dr. Burke said that the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK), her previous employer, did not send out letters, telling of the change to her patients when she left on Dec. 31. She had given CHC a 90 days notice of her intent to leave CHC/SEK.

Hours for the clinic, located at 109 S. Main (north of the Liberty Theater) are 8 a.m to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and Friday.

Thursday afternoon she is out of the office, but is in the office in the morning, according to her receptionist.

To contact the office call 620-223-7008.

109 S.Main is the new location of Ascension Via Christi’s Medical Clinic in downtown Fort Scott. A new sign will be up soon.
Ascension Via Christi employee Niki Bishir mans the desk of the new medical clinic on Jan. 9. She was temporary, while the employees were in an orientation meeting, she said.
Dr. Katrina Burke has already added her personal touches to the new clinic: a hallway lined with a photo of her family and framed degrees she has earned during her career as a medical doctor.

New clinic employees are Farmer, Registered Nurse Rachel Judy, and Medical Assistant Chelsea Harrison.

For more information about the clinic, visit
viachristi.org/ftscott-clinic.

Bourbon County, Fort Scott

Free Parenting Classes Offered at The Health Department

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The Public Health Department, located on 6th Street, between Lowman and Horton Streets, Fort Scott.

“Parenting the Love and Logic Way”, a free parenting class, will be conducted by Jan and Dave Elliott, with class pre-registration beginning next week.

Jan and Dave Elliott. Submitted photo.

The Elliotts are independent facilitators of the curriculum.

Classes are presented in six sessions beginning Jan. 23  at 6:00 P.M. at the Health Department. Other sessions will be Jan. 30, February 6, February 13, February 20, and February 27.

There is no charge for participation in the sessions but space can be limited.

The new site for the health department is located at 524 S. Lowman St., 6th and Lowman Streets in Fort Scott.

Please pre-register at the health department by calling 620-223-4464.  The deadline for sign up is Jan. 16th.  The target audience is individuals that have children or take care of children.

 

The curriculum was developed by Jim Fay, Ph.D., and Foster W. Cline, M.D. of the Love and Logic Institute Inc. in Golden, Colorado.

“The goal of the program is to provide parents the opportunity to gain practical and proven tools for raising respectful, responsible, and happy children,” Alice Maffet, RN, said.  “The program will teach responsibility and character, how to lower your stress level, have immediate and positive effects and up the odds that you will enjoy lifelong positive relationships with your children and grandchildren.”

For more information, click below:

https://www.loveandlogic.com/

 

 

Bourbon County, Schools

Mentoring Program to Support Youth at USD235

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Meaghan Russell meets with a student for lunch on Jan. 7 in the conference room at West Bourbon Elementary School, Uniontown. Russell is a school counselor and facilitator of the district’s mentoring program, TeamMates, that will be starting soon.

USD 235 staff have been working on the details of a mentoring program for the district’s students since August 2019.

 

On January 15, the school district will implement the program with training for mentors.

 

Mentors and mentees will meet during the student’s lunch period to eat and talk. There is a conference room available should the mentors/mentees want a little quieter space to talk.

 

Permission slips will be sent home with students for parents to agree to their child having a mentor.

 

“Once the forms come back signed, we will begin to match mentors with mentees, and the program will officially be up and running,” Meaghan Russell, one of the TeamMates USD 235 facilitators, said.

 

“We work with Michael McCambridge out of Greenbush (Education Service Center),” she said.

 

“We also have an advisory committee consisting of… Mike Reith (JH/HS principal), Vance Eden (elementary principal), Bret Howard (superintendent), Jeanne Camac (JH/, HS counselor), Marty DeWitt (Uniontown Baptist Church pastor), Chad Holt (banker), Sally Johnson (city clerk), Jeff Feagins (HS business teacher and pastor of Marmaton Church),” Russell said.

“The TeamMates Coordinators are out of Nebraska, and they will be here on January 15th to conduct the training,” she said.

 

The following is an interview with Russell:

What is the purpose of the program?
      “The purpose of the program is to build interpersonal skills in our students by having them talk with an adult from the community at lunch once a week.  This should not only help to build their communication skills, but also their confidence in talking with adults and having to get to know someone new.”
If one becomes a mentor, what are the expectations?
   “Mentors must be 18 years of age, willing to provide three references, able to pass a background check, and willing to attend a one-time, two-hour training.  After that, it just comes down to making the commitment to come and eat lunch with a student once a week.  We are very much in need of mentors, so if you are someone that has a flexible lunchtime, and you could sit with a student for twenty to thirty minutes once a week, we would love to have you participate!  Our students can easily keep you entertained as they are full of stories!”
Who is paying for the program?
  “This year, the school has paid the initial fees to get this program started.  That money covers the cost of the background checks, training, and all communication and support provided by the TeamMates coordinators and Greenbush.”
Initially, Third Through Fifth Grade
   “The TeamMates program recommends third through twelfth grade have mentors and trying to get as many students matched as possible.  This program is not intended for a certain demographic of students.  Initially, the plan is to begin with third through fifth-grade students, but then add grades as the program grows and expands.  Mentors will be matched with the same gender of students, and the matching will be based on interests and hobbies as much as possible.  One of the aspects that makes this program special is that all communication between the student and the mentor is to be done through the school.”
Why start a mentoring program?
   “When students leave our district, we want them to be as prepared as possible for what lies ahead for them.  We may not know what they are going to face, but we do know that relationship will be a part of it.  Any skills that they learn from talking with adults will definitely be beneficial to them in the long run.  Also, from a social/emotional perspective, we want to ensure that all students have connections to people.  Life has ups and downs, and it is nice to have a slightly larger circle of people to help listen to you in good times and in bad.  The benefit of going through the TeamMates organization to start this program is that they have already completed the research to successfully implement this in different schools, and they are a great support system to help launch this here at USD 235.”

Mentors are needed for the program.

 

If interested, go online to www.teammates.org/become-a-mentor or they can contact Russell for more information.  Her school email is [email protected] and the school phone is (620)-756-4335.

 

For more information about this program:  www.teammates.org.

TeamMates Mentoring Program began in 1991 with the vision of the University of Nebraska Head Football Coach Tom Osborne and his wife Nancy.  Osborne felt that the athletes in his program could make an impact on the middle school students, and twenty-two football players began meeting with middle school students in the Lincoln Public Schools. Of the 22 original mentees, 21 went on to graduate from high school while one left school early to pursue a successful Motocross career. Eighteen of the original mentees also obtained some form of post-secondary education.

The program has changed quite a bit since then. Now thousands of boys and girls across the Midwest are served, and mentors come from all walks of life. One thing, however, remains the same-mentors just have to be there. It’s that simple.

Fort Scott, Government

New FSFD Chief: Dave Bruner

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Dave Bruner

Dave Bruner, 46, is the new Fort Scott Fire Department Chief, effective Jan. 6, 2020.

 

Bruner has worked 25 years fulltime in the FSFD.

 

“He’s got all the training and certificates he needs for the position,” Fort Scott City Manager Dave Martin, said of Bruner.

 

“I began with the department as a reserve firefighter in 1992,” he said.  “I was hired full time in May of 1994. I was promoted to Lieutenant in 1999, then promoted to Deputy Chief in 2014.”

In addition to numerous firefighter, rescue, and fire officer certifications, Bruner is an Advanced EMT, and hold certifications as a Fire Investigator II, Certified Public Manager (CPM), and Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS).

 

“I am a member of the MERGe team, Kansas Region VI EMS Council, Fire Marshal’s Association of Kansas, and the Kansas Chapter of International Association of Arson Investigators,” Bruner said.

 

Bruner received his Associates of Science from Fort Scott Community College in  1994 and also earned a Fire Science Degree from Hutchinson Community College.

 

He is following in his father’s footsteps.

 

” My father was a firefighter with the department for five years before taking a full-time position with the National Guard,” Bruner said.  “After he left the department, he remained in close contact with many of the members.  As a child, I would go to the fire station often with him to visit and over the years developed an interest in the fire service.”

 

For Bruner, the best thing in being a firefighter is helping people, he said.

 

Some of the challenges of the job?

 

“The constant changes in the fire service,” he said.  “Changes from equipment, firefighting techniques, as well as rescue and EMS services will always be challenging.”

 

“The department has worked hard the past few years to update equipment,” he said. ” I want to continue that project in order to have the tools and equipment needed so that our department can continue to operate safely and effectively.”

 

Bruner has bee married to Michelle for 22 years and has a daughter Kylie, 21, and a son Dylan. 15.

 

“Michael Miles will be the new deputy chief,” Martin said. “We will find a replacement for Michael as a firefighter.”

 

Paul Ballou retired as FSFD Chief on Jan. 3.

 

Fort Scott, Government

Fire Chief Paul Ballou’s Retirement

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Paul Ballou with some of his family at his retirement reception. From left: Lisa Chaplin, daughter; Able Chaplin, grandson; Cheryl Ballou, wife; Ballou and Madalyn Ballou, granddaughter.

The City of Fort Scott gave a come-and-go retirement party for retiring Fire Chief Paul Ballou on Jan. 3 at Buck Run Community Center.

Ballou started as a rural firefighter in May 1990 before coming to work for the City of Fort Scott’s Fire Department.

A luncheon, along with cake served the many well-wishers who came.

A few of the well-wishers attending the retirement reception of Paul Ballou.

Displayed on a table as one entered the gym of Buck Run Community Center were photos of the fire department with Chief Ballou at the helm and a firefighters hat to hold cards for Ballou from the community.

A firefighter hat filled with cards from well-wishers.
A photo of the Fort Scott Fire Department, with Ballou front and center, was on display.

In addition to fire chief, Ballou was also made assistant city manager last year by Dave Martin, Fort Scott’s City Manager. He oversaw the city’s dispatch division and occasionally helped the city’s code enforcement department, he said.

Dave Bruner was named the new Fort Scott Fire Department Chief and assumes duties on Jan. 6.

Image may contain: 1 person, standing and text
A photo of the Fort Scott Fire Department in 2016. Center, right is Paul Ballou; center, left is Dave Bruner.
Business, Fort Scott

New Bakery in Town: Moe’s Breads

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Melissa McCurrey and her husband, David McCurrey, are co-owners of Moe’s Breads, 20 W. Wall St.

Melissa McCurrey, Fort Scott, worked at 5-Corners Mini Mart before opening her new business, Moe’s Breads.

A random request from a customer started a new career for her.

“I was eating zucchini bread, from my Grandma Baguss’ recipe, at 5-Corners and a random customer asked if I could make a loaf of it,” McCurrey said. “It got bigger from there. I started baking two years ago. A year ago we were selling muffins at 5-Corners. On Dec. 18th I opened at the new storefront at 20 W. Wall Street.”

“Darcy Smith (5-Corners owner) encouraged me to start,” McCurrey said.

David, her husband is the co-owner.

Every morning she makes homemade biscuits and homemade gravy and starts selling it and other breads, cookies, muffins along with hot and cold drinks at 5 a.m.

There is a lounge area in the bakery with a couch, table, and chairs in an adjacent room.

“This is where customers and relax and enjoy,” she said.

When one steps into the store, a display of Melissa’s food for sale is in full view.

The fruit loaves include banana, pumpkin, blueberry, and zucchini. They sell for $6. Apple cinnamon and caramel pecan swirl loaves are $7.

Cookies include banana chocolate chip, peanut butter, chocolate cream for $4 a dozen, no-bake cookies sell for $6.

Yeast bread orders must be placed 24-hours prior and start at $5: white, wheat, French, challah, jalapeno cheese, ciabatta, cinnamon rolls, and sourdough.

Coffee can be purchased for $1.25 and tea for75 cents. Soda, milk, orange juice, and energy drinks are also sold.

Hours are from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.  Saturday and Sunday hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

To place an order, call 620-768-8009.

 

Moe’s Breads bakery is located at 20 W. Wall, just around the corner from Boiler Room Brewhaus at 10 S. National.
Entertainment, Exercise, Fort Scott, Government

Jon Kindlesparger Retires As Golf Course Superintendent

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Jon Kindlesparger stands in front of the cake that his employer, The City of Fort Scott provided for his retirement reception.

Jon Kindlesparger, 66, retired as the Woodland Hills Golf Course Superintendent as of Dec. 31, 2019.

In his 8.5 years at the golf course, Kindlesparger has seen an improvement in the course that is owned by the City of Fort Scott.

Jon Kindlesparger answers the clubhouse phone.

“The city has put some money into it,” he said. “It takes a ton of money…It was a three to four-year challenge…from not very good to playable.”

The course has been improved from “pretty downtrodden”, Kindlesparger said. “To a decent golf course now.”

“All the turf is better and in playable condition,” he said. “There is a new clubhouse and new cart shed and also playing, membership and revenue has increased.”

Golf carts that can be rented are lined up near the entrance to the Woodland Hills Golf Clubhouse.

“Jon made a ton of difference in his time,” Rex Hall, a member of the golf course and attendee at Kindlesparger’s retirement reception Dec. 30, said.  “He made it actually look like a golf course.”

Following his retirement, Kindlesparger said he will be seeing ” a lot of golf courses and a lot of lakes to fish.”

Jon Kindlesparger looks at the gift card the City of Fort Scott gave him at his retirement reception on Dec. 30 at the clubhouse.

The Fort Scott Human Resources Director Deb Needleman presented a gift card to Kindlesparger during the reception.

Woodland Hills Golf Course, 2414 S. Horton, Fort Scott.

 

Elections, Fort Scott, Government

Special City Meeting Sends Reponse To Kansas Attorney General

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Fort Scott City Attorney Jeffrey Deane speaks to the press following the special meeting of the city commission on Dec. 30.

The Fort Scott City Commission had a special meeting on Dec. 30 to sign off on a  letter to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

This was in response to local citizen Michael Hoyt’s protest alleging Kansas open meetings violations by the commission.

The Fort Scott City Commission, Dec. 30, 2019, during a special meeting. From left: Commissioner Randy Nichols, City Clerk Diane Clay, Commissioner Cheryl Adamson, Mayor Jeanie Parker, Commissioner Jolynne Mitchell, Commissioner Cindy Bartlesmeyer, City Manager Dave Martin and City Attorney Jeffrey Deane.

 

“I wrote on behalf of the city and commission in reply to an inquiry from Lisa Mendoza of the Kansas Attorney General’s office,” Jeffrey Deane, Lauber Municipal Law, LLC, Lee’s Summit, MO, said in an email to FortScott.Biz.  Deane is the new Fort Scott City Attorney, replacing Burton Harding.

The city response letter was approved Dec. 30 by the commission and signed.

Hoyt’s Allegations

Hoyt alleged the city commission violated the Kansas Open Meetings Act when it prepared and signed a letter objecting to the candidacy of Kevin Allen, outside of an open meeting.

“It is now a public record and to save you the time of making a KORA request of us or the attorney general, I am providing this copy for information,” Deane said in an email to FortScott.Biz.

Hoyt sent a letter to the attorney general that a “notice of objection” was prepared and signed by each member of the Fort Scott City Commission on August 23, 2019.

The allegation is that the commissioners were acting together as a governmental body for the citizens of Fort Scott, in violation of the Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA), according to Hoyt’s complaint.

The KOMA violation form was dated 10-10-2019 and signed by Hoyt.

To view the complaint to the attorney general, click below:

AG complaint 20191211

The City Attorney’s Response

“This allegation is baseless,” Attorney Deane noted, “in that

1) the commission, as the governing body, lacked the legal power and/or standing to contest Mr. Allen’s candidacy;

2) the August Letter was executed by five individuals, qualified under law as registered voters to lodge the contest, and not as an action of the governmental body; and

3) the provisions of KOMA did not attach to the actions of the commissioners acting on power granted to them individually by law and not in their official capacity.

For these reasons there was no KOMA violation.”

The Fort Scott City Attorney’s conclusion of the issue is as follows:

“Mr. Hoyt’s allegations stem from a flawed reading of the laws that govern this issue,” Deane states in the response to the attorney general. “The KOMA requires meetings when the governing body is transacting the business or affairs of government. As the analysis sets out above, the power and standing to raise an election contest is a personal right reserved and granted only to registered voters. A governmental subdivision such as the city, even though its duly elected governing body, lacks the legal power to lodge a
contest. As a result, the August Letter, even though signed by the five individuals that are also commissioners, could only be the expression of the individual’s power and standing to contest.”

To view the complete response, click below:

20191229 Fort Scott Reply to AG letter Final

 

Course Of Action To Be Determined

Assistant Attorney General Lisa Mendoza, who is also on the Open Government Enforcement Unit, said in the letter that once a response from the city is received, a proper course of action will be determined.

This may include further investigation, closing the matter or seeking appropriate remedy for any KOMA violations.

As a remedy, Hoyt seeks the entry of a consent order, admission of a violation and a $500 fine per commissioner, according to the letter from Mendoza.

Background Of The Issue

From Attorney Deane’s response to the attorney general:

The November 2019 Fort Scott City Commission elections were passionately contested.

Fourteen candidates filed for the city commission seats held by Commissioners Cheryl Adamson, Cindy Bartelsmeyer, and Mayor Jean Parker.

The August primary elections pared the 14 candidates down to six for the general election.

Rumors were circulating about Kevin Allen, alleging that his primary residence was his home on Brown Street, which is outside the boundary of the city limits, according to the letter from Attorney Deane.  Allen used the address of Skitch’s Hauling & Excavating, Inc., his business address,  on East 20th Street as his residence.

City ordinance and state law require candidates for city office to reside in the corporate boundaries of the city where they will hold office.

The allegation that Allen lacked the residence to hold office in Fort Scott was generally known to the electorate, including the individual city commission members, Deane’s letter stated.

“Cheryl Adamson authored the August letter, as an individual contest of Mr. Allen’s residency to hold office, to which Cindy Bartelsmeyer, JoLynne Mitchell, Randy Nichols, and Jean Parker joined,” Deane said in the response letter.

The letter could only have been brought by individual registered voters under state law and not by the city commission acting in its official capacity, Deane stated

The August letter was accepted by the Bourbon County Election Officer and a board convened for a full hearing on the matter.

The election board determined that even though Allen had several conflicting addresses in and out of the boundaries of Fort Scott, his claim of legal residence at the East 20th Street business address was sufficient to support candidacy and the election continued, according to the Deane letter.

Bourbon County, Business, Government, Schools

Controversy Rises on Wind Farm Possibility In Bourbon County

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Photo from the Jayhawk Wind website.

The proposed wind turbine project in southwest Bourbon County has long term consequences for the economy of the area.

Jayhawk Wind, the wind energy company proposing the project, is looking to use 28,000 acres of land in the county to produce electricity in the region, including Bourbon and Crawford counties.

The Jayhawk Wind project is being developed by Apex Clean Energy.

Apex Clean Energy develops, constructs, and operates utility-scale wind and solar power facilities across North America. Their team of more than 200 renewable energy experts uses a data-focused approach, according to its website. Apex Clean Energy, Inc. is located at 310 4th St. NE, Suite 300, Charlottesville, VA  22902

To see the Bourbon and Crawford County’s  project analysis  and a Jayhawk Wind press release which was published recently on FortScott.Biz, click below:

Jayhawk Wind – Economic Development Report Final November 2019(2)

Jayhawk Eco impact report 12 2019(1)

 

Wind farm production in Kansas has helped to lower CO2 emissions, according to a National Public Radio (NPR) article.

Kansas’ lower emissions is largely due to the rapid adoption of wind energy and a slow move away from coal-powered electricity.

“With the fast growth of cheap wind-generated electricity in Kansas, it’s become less profitable to run coal plants,” according to the article.

Click below to view:

https://www.kcur.org/post/heres-why-kansas-co2-emissions-are-their-lowest-level-40-years?utm_medium=social&utm_term=nprnews&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=npr&fbclid=IwAR3kxuboA8mY22wFvsrDFLNxYuwkkGrtJYdjYB1Jym1vmpuCLo4wT5xU2bM#stream/0

Controversy

There is a local controversy building about the proposed wind energy project.

A meeting of opponents to Jayhawk Wind project is planned for  Bourbon and Crawford county residents, according to a press release.

The meeting is scheduled for  6:30 p.m. Thursday, January 9,  at Rodeway Inn, Ft. Scott, Ks.

On the agenda will be the organization of a formal opposition group, assistance from successful opponents of previous wind farms, and a discussion of potential and political avenues to stop the Jayhawk development.
Dane Hicks and Kim Simons will be speaking, according to Anne Dare, one of the concerned citizens who will be attending.
The meeting is open to the public.
Anyone concerned about the impact on home values and damage to the community’s natural rural vista by the project is asked to attend.
Contact: Kim Simons, 620-224-1215, [email protected]

 

Noise level and other issues have been questions the public has asked about the project.

 

Noise level is 50 dBa

 

Apex Clean Energy, says the noise is minimal.

“The majority of the sound produced from modern dynamic windmills will be limited to 50 decibels,  quieter than a refrigerator as measured at a nearby house,” according to Helen Humphries, Public Engagement Manager for Apex Clean Energy, Inc.

 

 

Other issues

To see community opinions on noise levels and other related issues at another wind farm site, view this Youtube from an Arkwright, NY wind turbine project controversy:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KhDrkoUVmc&fbclid=IwAR3YgITfI3VZriIVTHnVqVRgaMvxEE4Z-DNaZ7DtxPzOqrH6yP_5qSpoWks&app=desktop

 

There  are benefits

Some of the financial benefits go to landowners, schools and government entities, which are facing a decline in population and finances. The project will also provide some jobs: construction, operation, supply chain, and induced jobs.

Jobs

“Construction jobs only last during the construction of the wind farm,” Dr. David Loomis, professor of economics at  Illinois State University and co-founder of Center for Renewable Energy said in an interview with FortScott.Biz. Loomis is the author of the analysis. “Construction jobs last six months to a year, 318 jobs for the year (estimated). All estimates are full-time equivalency.”,

“Operational jobs…They last the life of the project,” Loomis said. “On-site wind turbine technicians, a site supervisor, some administrative support.”

“There will be supply chain jobs due to expenditures in the local economy…truck fuel, gravel, supplies, and other items.”

“The final category is induced jobs…spending, shopping, eating out, entertainment because of all other jobs created because people have more money to spend for that,” Loomis said.

“Induced long term jobs include landowners leasing their land, tax revenue going into the local economy, schools, county, so forth,” Loomis said.

Rural areas are hard hit economically.

“The agriculture sector has been hit hard over the last two cycles,” he said. “2005 was a great time to be on a corn or soybean farm, but they’ve gotten squeezed because of the rising costs of equipment and fertilization.  Oversupply caused a downturn.”

“Rural economies are hurting, individual farms are feeling this punch. This lease payment will take little land out of production but can help stabilize family farms. It’s a fixed payment to them.”

Currently,  Jayhawk Wind is leasing land from landowners in the area of southwest Bourbon County and northwest Crawford County,  Humphries said.

 

School District Benefits

“There is no revenue until 2032 due to the property tax exemption.,” Loomis notes in the analysis reports. “Starting in 2032, USD 235 will receive over $161 thousand annually for the general fund, over $225 thousand for the ‘Other’ Fund which totals to over $2.4 million and over $3.3 million respectively.”

Renewable energy facilities are exempt from property taxes for 10-12 years.

“Kansas recently changed the way that it taxes wind energy projects,” according to Humphries.” Before 2016, renewable energy generating facilities such as wind farms were exempt from property taxes according to K.S.A. 79-201. Since 2016, renewable energy generators are exempt from property taxes for only twelve years if owned by an independent power producer and ten years if constructed by a regulated public utility per K.S.A. 79-259. After this exemption period, the wind energy project will pay property taxes to all the taxing jurisdictions.”

 

Bourbon County Government Benefits

“Typically, wind developers in Kansas enter into a contribution agreement to voluntarily support the county during the 10 or 12 year exemption period, as we expect Jayhawk Wind to do,” Humphries said.  “Once the initial 10 or 12 year period as defined by state law concludes, the wind power project will increase the property tax base and create a new revenue source for education and other local government services, such as road maintenance, libraries, and cemeteries.”

To see other views on the school and local government issues, click below:

https://www.flatlandkc.org/farm-field/winded/