Bourbon County Commission Meeting Agenda
Location: 210 S. National Avenue, Fort Scott, KS
Date & Time: June 1, 2026 at 5:30 PM
I. Meeting Outline & Agenda Overview
(Source Document: Page 1)
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1. Call Meeting to Order [Page 1]
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2. Pledge of Allegiance [Page 1]
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3. Prayer [Page 1]
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4. Approval of Agenda [Page 1]
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5. Approval of Minutes (Regular Meeting of May 11, 2026; Special Meeting of May 18, 2026; Regular Meeting of May 18, 2026) [Page 1]
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6. Approval of April 2026 Financials [Page 1]
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7. Approval of Tax Corrections [Page 1]
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8. Approval of Accounts Payable (May 22, 2026: $139,611.15; May 29, 2026: $456,069.98) [Page 1]
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9. Public Comments [Page 1]
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10. Department Updates [Page 1]
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11. TUSA — Bill Martin [Page 1]
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12. Old Business [Page 1]
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13. Future Agenda Topics [Page 1]
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14. New Business [Page 1]
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15. Commission Comments [Page 1]
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16. Adjournment [Page 1]
II. Detailed Information Packet Summary
Meeting Minutes & Historical Approvals
Special Commission Meeting Minutes (May 18, 2026, 4:30 PM)
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KOMA Training Presentation: The special session focused on Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA) training, which was delivered remotely via Webex by Matt Bingesser from the Kansas Attorney General’s Office. Commissioners Samuel Tran, Joe Allen, Greg Motley, and Mika Milburn-Kee were present along with the County Clerk. [Page 2]
Regular Commission Meeting Minutes (May 18, 2026, 5:30 PM)
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Administrative Protocols: Chairman Tran opened the meeting by reminding attendees of standard protocol, including silencing cell phones, moving sidebar conversations to the hallway, filling out official cards for public comment, and avoiding gallery outbursts. [Page 3]
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Minutes Corrections: Commissioner Allen noted a text correction regarding check-signing authority in a previous set of minutes, clarifying that a reference to Commissioner Tran being away in the coming weeks should have instead named Commissioner Allen. The board by consensus deferred the final approval of the May 11, 2026, minutes. [Page 4]
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Legal Fees Discussion: During the review of accounts payable from May 15 ($363,496.33), Commissioner Motley voiced budget concerns regarding a bill from outside legal counsel Jacob totaling $4,500 for March. Combined with the prior month, outside legal expenditures had reached approximately $12,500. Motley pointed out that his own name and the names of private citizens appeared as billing subjects, questioning why this was processed without broader consensus. [Page 4]
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Budget Planning Dialogue: A lengthy discussion occurred between the commissioners and Ben Hart from Baker Tilly regarding instructions sent to county department heads for the upcoming fiscal cycle. Commissioner Motley objected to guidelines mandating that personnel and commodity lines match 2026 levels exactly, warning it could effectively repeat the previous year’s freeze on employee raises and benefit cuts. Commissioner Milburn-Kee counterargued that the instructions were prepared professionally by Baker Tilly. Ultimately, Baker Tilly representative Matt Lawn agreed to resend clarified instructions confirming that 2026 numbers serve as a benchmark, but allowing department heads to log deviations and budget increases directly within the notes field. [Pages 5-6]
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Health Department Report: Health Department Director Rebecca Johnson presented an agency update, highlighting that WIC funding is primarily federal (the county contributes approximately 6%). Staff achievements were recognized, including a nurse certified as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner and a home visitor certified as a breastfeeding specialist. Johnson noted she had not been looped into Baker Tilly’s budget outreach, and the commission requested she coordinate directly with staff. [Page 7]
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Public Comments Analysis: Local citizen Anne Dare raised formal concerns regarding the county’s third-party HR and payroll providers, alleging a lack of governmental experience. She noted that a draft handbook contained the name of an unrelated trash company on the front cover and questioned software upgrade expenses and IT technician travel costs from Joplin. Additionally, she called for a consistent standard when adding law firms to the approved county list versus seeking multiple competitive bids. [Page 8]
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Public Works Surplus Operations: Public Works Director Eric Bailey and Director Joe Allen detailed clean-up operations, noting crews cleared substantial debris with assistance from EMS staff. Remaining items are largely porcelain (sinks and toilets). The commission approved a motion authorizing Commissioner Joe Allen to photograph and index these remaining items for submission to the state surplus auction portal (.gov). [Page 9]
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Road Maintenance Incident: Director Allen reported that an individual illegally dumped the contents of a private burn barrel directly into the middle of a county road over the weekend, specifically near 145th and 105th, south of Range Road. Road crews cleared the debris. [Page 10]
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Fireworks Licensing: The commission voted unanimously to approve a 2026 fireworks retail vendor permit for Hale Fireworks LLC, located at 2523 South Main Street near Peerless, noting all application fees were satisfied. [Page 10]
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Annual Audit Engagement: Chairman Tran introduced the annual audit engagement letter. Commissioner Milburn-Kee noted that Jarred Gilmore Phillips has conducted the county’s annual audit for the past three years following a previous firm’s retirement, and recommended keeping them on schedule. [Page 10]
Regular Commission Meeting Minutes (May 11, 2026, 7:00 PM)
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Accounts Payable & Public Transit: The board unanimously approved the May 8 accounts payable totaling $457,015.06 and the May 4 meeting minutes. During public comment, resident Michael Hoyt spoke regarding funding challenges at the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) based in Pittsburg, Kansas, emphasizing its critical role in maintaining local Meals on Wheels services. [Page 13]
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Administrative Communication Breakdowns: County Treasurer Jennifer Hawkins addressed the commission regarding systemic communication issues between the board and other county offices. She cited a sudden policy shift or miscommunication by Commissioner Tran regarding check-signing authorization that resulted in county personnel receiving late payroll checks for two consecutive months. Treasurer Hawkins stated that her office was not given the payroll records in an editable Excel format broken down by cost center, preventing accurate general ledger posting. Commissioner Tran responded that reports were a work in progress and were being actively iterated with HR staff. [Pages 14-15]
Monthly Financial Position Reports
(Source Document: Pages 25-35)
The packet includes comprehensive budget-to-actual ledgers tracking revenues, expenditures, and fund balances across multiple county accounts through the end of Period 4 (April 30, 2026).
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001 General Fund Revenues: Tracks fundamental revenue categories including the Current Tax Distribution (budgeted at $1,804,838.00 with $702,308.74 collected year-to-date), Motor Vehicle Tax allocations ($143,830.10 collected of a $177,986.00 budget), and auxiliary items such as firework permit collections ($300.00), candidate filing fees, and district court medical reimbursements. [Pages 25-26]
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001 General Fund Expenditures: Outlines year-to-date administrative operational expenses against total department budgets:
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County Clerk: Year-to-date expenditures of $95,066.22 out of a total $133,189.00 budget line. [Page 27]
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County Treasurer: Wages account for $89,556.44 of the $127,786.00 line item, alongside contractual services and commodities. [Page 27]
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County Attorney: Year-to-date attorney wages sit at $322,848.19 (out of a $412,518.00 budget) with contractual services tracking at $5,960.33. [Page 27]
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District Court: Tracks overall programmatic costs, with year-to-date actual expenditures standing at $267,916.01 of a $348,900.00 budget allotment. [Page 28]
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Emergency Preparedness: Outlines emergency coordinator wages ($35,276.31 spent of $37,584.00) and related contractual services. [Page 28]
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Information Technology (IT): Reviews technical service line items, showing $174,232.64 utilized out of a $242,000.00 contractual service budget. [Page 28]
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Elderly Services & Community Support: Documents a $4,050.00 periodic allocation ($32,400.00 year-to-date) out of a $48,600.00 annual appropriation for senior citizens. [Page 29]
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Courthouse General Maintenance: Detail of broader capital and facility upkeep, utilizing $87,119.31 of a large $558,019.00 contractual service fund. [Page 29]
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Specialized County Funds: Accounts for incoming and outgoing funds across restricted service categories:
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014 Attorney Trust Fund: Tracks internal adjustments, showing a minor year-to-date balance of $7.41. [Page 30]
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016 Appraiser’s Fund: Covers county appraisal operations, showing property tax distributions of $90,360.34 against a total projected budget of $232,015.00. [Page 31]
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024 Bridge & Culvert Fund: Documents dedicated roadway infrastructure accounts, displaying negative seasonal adjustments and specialized tax tracking lines. [Page 32]
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052 County Treasurer Motor Vehicle Fund: Monitors vehicle registration revenue transfers ($10,873.25 current action, $37,379.25 year-to-date) against internal staff wages ($24,719.85 year-to-date) and general office copier or data supplies. [Page 33]
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056 Delinquent Personal Property Tax Fund: Logs collection pipelines for late tax payments, recording $1,320.59 in recent receipts. [Page 34]
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