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Bo Co Agenda For August 7

Bourbon County Courthouse

210 S. National Ave Fort Scott, KS 66701 Phone: 620-223-3800

Fax: 620-223-5832

Bourbon County, Kansas

Nelson Blythe

1st District Commissioner

Jim Harris, Chairman

2nd District Commissioner

Clifton Beth

3rd District Commissioner

 

 

Bourbon County Commission Agenda 210 S. National Ave.

Fort Scott, KS 66701

 

August 7, 2023 5:30 p.m.

 

 

  1. Call Meeting to Order
  2. Flag Salute followed by Prayer
  • Approval of Consent Agenda
    1. Approval of Minutes from 7/31/2023
  1. Public Comments
  2. Opening of Motor Grader Financing Bids
  3. Jennifer Hawkins, County Clerk-KAC and SEK District Meetings
  • Susan Bancroft-Executive Session KSA 75-4319(b)(1)
  • Department Updates
    1. Public Works
  1. Commission Comments
  2. Adjourn Meeting

 

 

 

Executive Session Justifications:

 

KSA 75-4319 (b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy.

KSA 75-4319 (b)(2) for consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the

attorney-client relationship.

KSA 75-4319 (b)(3) to discuss matters relating to employer/employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the

representative(s) of               the body or agency.

KSA 75-4319 (b)(4) to discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust and individual     proprietorships

KSA 75-4319 (b)(6) for the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property.

KSA 75-4319 (b)(12) to discuss matters relating to the security measures, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting

would jeopardize such security measures.

 

Back to School Assistance For Supplies, Tutoring, Lessons, Camps Available

Kansas Education Enrichment Program Provides Back-to-School Assistance for Families in all
105 Kansas Counties 

~~Students Can Receive $1,000 for Educational Goods and Services~~

TOPEKA – As Kansas students prepare to head back to school this month, Governor Laura Kelly announced that families in all 105 counties across Kansas have applied for the Kansas Education Enrichment Program (KEEP). She is encouraging more qualifying parents and guardians to take advantage of the one-time award of $1,000 per child to cover educational goods and services, including school supplies, tutoring, music lessons, and academic camps.

“The KEEP program is providing Kansas families the support they need to encourage their child’s learning over the summer and long after, whether that’s through new books, tutoring, or school supplies,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “I encourage all who qualify to join the other families who have applied and to take advantage of this resource.”

In June, Governor Kelly expanded eligibility for KEEP to students with household incomes of less than 300% of federal poverty guidelines. The Kansas Office of Recovery partners with Merit to implement KEEP.

“As students head back to school, Merit is pleased to help facilitate the diverse and enriching educational experiences Kansas children will receive through KEEP,” said Tomer Kagan, CEO, Merit. “Merit’s online education marketplace connects parents and guardians with educational goods and services provided by approved service providers.”

Parents can spend their student’s program funds on a variety of academic enrichment opportunities such as:

  • The purchase of curriculum and educational materials, including school supplies and certain allowed technological devices
  • Camps with academic-related curriculum such as music, arts, science, technology, agriculture, mathematics, and engineering
  • Tutoring
  • Language classes
  • Musical instruments and lessons

The funds are not eligible for private school tuition.

Students in a current foster care placement are also eligible regardless of household income. More information on how families can apply for and receive funds is available on the KEEP program website: www.keep.ks.gov.

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Uniontown City Council Meeting Agenda for August 8

City of Uniontown Regular Council Meeting Agenda for August 8 at 7 p.m. at city hall.

ROLL CALL: 

___ Jess Ervin ___ Danea Esslinger ___ Josh Hartman ___ Amber Kelly ___ Bradley Stewart

 

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS/PROJECTS

2022 Audit presentation – Amanda Lancaster –

 

CITIZENS REQUESTS

 

 

FINANCIAL REPORT

Charlene Bolinger – Financial reports

 

APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA

  1. Minutes of July 11, 2023 Regular Council Meeting and July 18, 2023 Budget Worksession
  2. Treasurers Report, Monthly Transaction Report & Accounts Payables

 

DEPARTMENT REPORTS

Superintendent:  Bobby Rich

 

 

Codes Enforcement:  Doug Coyan

 

 

Clerk Report:  Sally Johnson  

KMGA Regional Meeting update

CCMFOA Region 7 Kansas Alcohol Beverage Control Training, October 6, 9-3, Olathe, $25

 

COUNCIL & COMMITTEE REPORTS

Councilman Ervin –

Councilwoman Esslinger –

Councilman Hartman –

Councilwoman Kelly –

Councilman Stewart–

Mayor Jurgensen –

 

OLD BUSINESS

Mural Grant –

 

Placemaking Project –

 

NEW BUSINESS

Motion by __________, Second by ___________, Approved _____, to enter into executive session pursuant to data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of second parties matters exception, KSA 4319(b)(4), in order to discuss economic development that pertains to private financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships

 

Old Settlers event insurance –

 

Review and update Capital Improvement Plan –

 

 

08-23 Informational Items

2023 Financials – July

Uniontown City Council Budget Worksession Was July 18

The Budget Worksession on July 18, 2023 at Uniontown City Hall, was called to order at 5:30PM by Mayor Jurgensen.  Council members present were Jess Ervin, Danea Esslinger, Josh Hartman, Amber Kelly, and Brad Stewart.  Also in attendance for all or part of the meeting were City Treasurer Charlene Bolinger and City Clerk Sally Johnson.

 

Budget worksession

 

Council was presented with a 2024 proposed budget.  It was reviewed and amended to have the same mill rate as last year, which will exceed the revenue neutral rate.  It was agreed upon to send notice to County Clerk of intent to exceed revenue neutral rate and set the revenue neutral rate hearing to begin at 6:45PM on September 12, 2023, to be immediately followed by the budget hearing, then the regular council meeting.  Session ended at 7:48PM

 

 

Barr Interviewed by Charlotte Business Journal

The following story was sent to fortscott.biz about a local businesswoman Nedra Barr.

“I was interviewed for an article on the National Funding crisis that affected our accelerator program RevTech Labs out of Charlotte,” Barr said.

 

Charlotte Business Journal story can be viewed below:

Charlotte startups are facing a growing capital crunch. Investor pullback is national concern, and entrepreneurs are implementing a more conservative growth strategy as a result.

 

That means more startups are focused on profitability and sustainability.

 

Rising interest rates, a potential recession and the debt ceiling crisis have all contributed to the challenging environment. The Silicon Valley Bank failure in March also shook-up venture investing.

 

Dan Roselli, co-founder of Charlotte-based accelerator RevTech Labs, said the impact of the volatile economy was more isolated to later-stage companies in the fourth quarter of last year. That soon trickled down to early-stage companies, which are finding even smaller rounds of funding to be less accessible. 

 

“I’d say the No. 1 reason that people are not funding startups is when there’s uncertainty, people hoard capital and cash,” Roselli said. “So, a lot of these macroeconomic factors that we hear about, and we think are kind of existential to the startup community, really do impact the startup community because it impacts investor mindset.”

 

While funding is tighter, that doesn’t mean capital has stopped flowing. North Carolina moved up to No. 10 in the U.S. for venture capital in 2022, with companies in the state raising more than $4 billion in 269 deals, according to an annual report by the Council for Entrepreneurial Development in Durham. 

 

That was largely driven by the Triangle area, which raised nearly $3.6 billion and closed 182 deals last year. The Charlotte region, which is known as a top financial technology — or fintech — hub, followed with more than $295 million raised for 39 deals, the CED report shows. The Triad area was raised just over $262 million for 23 deals. 

 

Roselli said early-stage founders are just now starting to feel the pain point of a slower growth track focused on revenue. 

 

Alan Blakeborough, co-founder of Greenville, South Carolina-based Tax Titans and an alumnus of the RevTech Labs accelerator, said that, as investors struggle with raising funds, his company has been forced to grow more organically. That’s caused the startup, which was founded in April 2022, to lay off three people from what was then an eight-member team. Blakeborough said Tax Titans had plans to hire 20, but it currently can’t afford to do so.

 

“The activities that they would have been doing depended on having that extra capital in order to pay them,” Blakeborough said of the employees who were let go. “And from our standpoint, features that we would want to offer to our customers, we have to wait until we generate more money to be able to pay for the stuff internally as opposed to having an external source to borrow money from.”

 

Blakeborough said his startup is now restricted to closing deals and growing only within Georgia and the Carolinas. Tax Titans, which has an office in Charlotte, has successfully launched its platform, but he says the company is looking to raise enough capital to go nationwide. 

 

Tax Titans has raised about $540,000 of a $3 million goal. The majority of those funds came from RevTech Labs and other angel investors. That’s where the company’s funding has stopped. 

 

“Until we grow organically without the capital infusion of venture capital folks, it’ll be slow growth instead of fast growth,” Blakeborough said. 

 

Nedra Barr, CEO and founder at Fort Scott, Kansas-based Onboard Xi and another graduate of RevTech Labs, said her company is starting to rise above funding challenges. Onboard Xi has experienced difficulties with a slowdown in angel investing. “The pre-seed funds for startups and the angels that were always there are not there right now,” Barr said. “They slowed way down. And this creates a challenging environment for everyone because we don’t know which are the ones that are really out there still lending. You have to really work harder to find the ones that are out there investing.”

 

Onboard Xi, founded in 2021, is working toward its first fundraising goal of $1 million to back its product launch later this year. It has secured about $730,000. The insurance-tech startup is in a better position to speak with organizations and angels but has noticed that more seasoned companies have wider access to funding. 

 

“If you’re a company that has already gone through product market fit and is maybe in your A, B or C round, then you’ll probably be fine,” she said. “It may still be a little harder to find it, but those companies seem to still be OK. For me, it feels like the pre-seeded startups — the true startup market — have just kind of gone away.”

 

Barr said Onboard Xi is focusing on bringing on the right investors and being diligent in its growth plans.

 

There have been several successful funding rounds locally this year. Following are a few examples, along with how they sealed the deals. 

 

CivicEye takes a measured approach to growth

Khristian Gutierrez, founder and CEO of Charlotte-based CivicEye, said he recognized last year was the first time in several years that displaying adept burn-rate control and a clear path to profitability seemed vital for startups of all stages to gain investments. He says 2022 “marked the end of the days of ‘growth at any costs.’”

 

CivicEye, launched in 2022, is a public-safety software startup with a goal of modernizing law enforcement and prosecution agencies’ old-fashioned data infrastructure. It closed on $12.4 million in Series A funding in July of last year. The company used the capital to expand its operations and meet growing demand for its suite of products.

 

Gutierrez said his company raised the funds by focusing on building sales and implementing a more measured approach to growth. He says teaming with local and state government agencies with defined budgets was helpful.

 

“It also helps that we’re a government technology business, which categorically shines in recessionary environments,” he said. 

 

Lucem Health sharpens its story in pitch after pitch

Davidson-based Lucem Health, a health-tech startup providing clinical artificial intelligence technology and solutions, closed on $7.7 million in Series A funding in May. Even after a successful raise, Sean Cassidy, CEO and co-founder, said he has recognized the funding environment has been a struggle for startups entering their growth stage. 

 

“Venture investors seem to be preserving capital to support their existing investments and have raised the bar on their willingness to invest in ‘seed to Series A’ companies,” he said. “They don’t just want momentum; they want demonstrated product-market fit and an indication that the go-to-market strategy will scale.”

 

Cassidy said “luck” played a major role in how Lucem Health closed its latest funding round.

 

“We were very fortunate to get strong support from our existing investors, who have witnessed our progress firsthand and believe in our team,” he said. “We were also fortunate to secure a significant investment from a new strategic investor.”

 

The startup landed the renowned Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic as a leading investor in its latest round. Cassidy said founders experiencing doubt when searching for capital just have to keep pushing.

 

“Network, pitch, learn, adjust, repeat. I spoke to more than 50 venture capitalists during this last funding round,” he said. “Those conversations helped sharpen our strategy and the way we told the story.”

 

Lucem is using the capital to advance deployment of its platform and grow its solution portfolio and footprint. Cassidy said the funds will also be used to help the company afford its largest expense — labor. In 2021 and the first half of 2022, the company was affected financially by the market demand for technology-related labor.

 

2ULaundry finds a partner outside the Queen City

Dan D’Aquisto, co-founder at Charlotte-based 2ULaundry, said the local startup community is improving, with several angel investors here hungry for deals. However, he believes there is still a limited pool of investors in Charlotte, which forces some local startups to search elsewhere for investors.

 

“The Charlotte ecosystem is still in its sort of premature stage,” he said. “It’s growing every single day, and it’s incredibly exciting to see. But that makes it challenging. The network is only as strong as the size that it is, and we’re still in a pretty small environment.”

 

2ULaundry, a valet laundry and dry-cleaning pickup service founded in 2016, closed on $20 million in Series B funding in December. D’Aquisto said the funding round took place during tough economic times.

 

He credits gaining strategic investors for its success. 2ULaundry secured Atlanta-based Level 5 Capital Partners, a private equity firm founded in 2009, as its leading investor. It took the company more than two years to establish that relationship. 

 

“That allowed them to understand how we thought about growing our business, how we executed, and how we built our team,” D’Aquisto said.

 

He said it’s also critical for founders to focus on building a profitable business rather than being reliant on capital. For investors to trust startups amid the current economy, they would need to see if companies have product-market fit and the right success metrics, he added.

 

“It’s a numbers game. You’re going to hear no 100 times before you hear your first yes,” D’Aquisto said. “So, you have to be persistent. You have to be OK with being told no.”

 

 

— 

Symone Graham

Staff Writer | Charlotte Business Journal

O | 704-973-1137

Twitter | @CBJGraham

A Life of Brokenness by Patty LaRoche

Patty LaRoche. 2023

Recently I was introduced to the word “self-aholic, a word that describes those whose lives are centered around being comfortable and seeking the next “feel good” adventure. In other words, probably too many of us. That term does not describe John Pounds (whom I first read about while researching for another article).

John Pounds, a tall, muscular teen-laborer at the docks of Portsmouth, England, slipped and plunged from the top of a ship’s mast, pitching headfirst into the deck of the vessel. Witnesses were sickened by what they saw, and when fellow workers reached him, he was a mass of broken bones.  Bedridden for two years, his bones healed crookedly. His pain never ceased. Out of boredom, he began to read the Bible.

After some time, John crawled from bed, hoping to find something he could do with his life. A shoemaker hired him, and day after day, John sat at his cobbler’s bench, a Bible open on his lap. Soon he had asked Jesus to be the Lord of his life. Over time, John gathered enough money to purchase his own little shoe shop, and one day he developed a pair of surgical boots for his crippled nephew Johnny, whom he had adopted. Soon John was making corrective shoes for other children, and his little cobbler’s shop became a miniature children’s hospital.

As John’s burden for children grew, he began receiving homeless ones, feeding them, teaching them to read, and telling them about the Lord. His shop became known as “The Ragged School,” and John would limp around the waterfront, food in his pockets, looking for more children to tend.

During his lifetime, John Pounds rescued 500 children from despair and led every one of them to Christ. Moreover, his work became so famous that a “Ragged School Movement” swept England, and a series of laws were passed to establish schools for poor children in John’s honor. Boy’s homes, girl’s homes, day schools, and evening schools were started, along with Bible classes in which thousands heard the gospel.

When John collapsed and died on New Year’s Day, 1839, while tending to a boy’s ulcerated foot, he was buried in a churchyard on High Street. All England mourned.

In my book A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection, I write much about how God uses broken hearts and lives more than He does those who never have suffered physically, emotionally or spiritually.  Last night, I received a text from an acquaintance who was on chapter six and wrote about her life of brokenness that was masked in sarcasm and a “false wall” to hide her feelings. Reading about the multitude of ways I covered my insecurities had given her great comfort as she saw how much she was doing likewise.

Hebrews 6:10 tells us that God “will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” 1 Peter 4:10 is more specific:  “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

John Pounds refused to be a self-aholic.  He did not use his pain or his limp as an excuse; he served in spite of his ailments.  Whatever our “limp” might be (not smart enough, not holy enough, not talented enough, etc.) we need to remember that every one of us has a gift.  The question we need to ask ourselves is this: How am I using that gift to bless others and not just myself?

New safety signage along U.S. 69 aims to reduce crashes

Submitted photo.

 

Road users traveling U.S. 69 in Crawford County will see newly installed yellow “Safety Corridor – Increased Enforcement” signage. These warning signs bring attention to heightened law enforcement efforts as part of a Safety Corridor Pilot Program launched in Summer 2023. The Safety Corridor Pilot Program is a five-year initiative aimed at reducing fatal and serious injury crashes on four selected highway corridors in Kansas. The Program entails a comprehensive set of strategies in enforcement, education, engineering, and emergency response.

 

The U.S. 69 Safety Corridor extends from the U.S. 400 junction north through Frontenac and Pittsburg to the U.S. 160 junction. Crash reports indicate 98 total crashes occurred along the U.S. 69 corridor route over a five-year timeframe (2016-2021), including 4 fatalities and 19 serious injuries. The Kansas Department of Transportation installed signage to alert motorists of increased enforcement of risky driving behaviors associated with crash risk.

 

“U.S. 69 was selected for this pilot safety initiative based on a history of fatal and serious injury crashes and crash reports noting a reoccurring pattern of risky driving behaviors,” said Southeast District Engineer Wayne Gudmonson. “The goal is to help travelers get home safely by bringing attention to the importance of obeying traffic laws, wearing seat belts and advancing a culture of safe driving behaviors.”

 

The Safety Corridor Pilot Program will run until 2028. Secondary educational messages in schools and businesses along the four corridors will be distributed beginning this month. For more information on the Safety Corridor Pilot Program, visit the program website at https://www.ksdot.gov/bureaus/burTrafficSaf/safetycorridor.asp.

 

 

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FS City Commission To Consider Applying For the Certified Local Government Program

Friday, August 11 at 5 p.m at city hall, the Fort Scott City Commission will discuss the idea of Fort Scott considering the option of applying to the Certified Local Government Program as presented to the Design Review Board and the City Commission by Mayor Matthew Wells.

The Certified Local government (CLG) program is designed to promote the preservation of prehistoric and historic sites and districts by establishing a partnership between the local government on behalf of the State of Kansas and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), a division of the Kansas Historical Society.

Katrina Ringler, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, and Director of Cultural Resources Division of the Kansas Historical Society will be present at the meeting to answer questions.

 

Please share with anyone who might be interested in learning more about this program and participate in the discussion of this proposal for the City.

 

Further information that was presented at the City Commission meeting can be found at http://www.fscity.org/AgendaCenter

 

An announcement will be posted on Facebook as well.

Host Families For International Students Are Needed in Bourbon County

School is just around the corner, and I have an opportunity to make this year EXTRA SPECIAL for your family. FLAG International is seeking host families for international exchange students in Fort Scott and the surrounding area.

There are hundreds of students from counties around the world who are waiting for host families in the US to say “Yes!” to the opportunity to be their family for the 2023-2024 school year! Would YOU be a HERO for these students? They have been anxiously waiting to hear who their host family will be so they can start a connection with them before they arrive.
Not ready to host the whole school year? That’s ok! Would you consider being a welcome family for 5 weeks while we continue to seek them a permanent placement?
Find out how adding a bonus family member ​from the other side of the planet will grow your HEART and make this year EXTRA special for your family.
Let us match you with a student that shares common interests with you and your family – athletics, arts and lifestyle!

Ask me for more information! You can email me at [email protected] or call or text 620-215-5494.