FORT SCOTT CITY HALL
COMMISSION ROOM
123 SOUTH MAIN
MAY 21, 2019
6 p.m.
I. ROLL CALL:
ADAMSON BARTELSMEYER MITCHELL NICHOLS PARKER
II. FLAG SALUTE
III. INVOCATION: Student Minister Ian Johnson, Community Christian Church
IV. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS:
Recognition of Blake Hudson, Municipal Court Judge – 43 years of service
Introduction of Tiana McElroy, City Prosecutor
Introduction of Adam Harrison, Codes Enforcement Supervisor
Buddy Poppy Day Proclamation – May 24, 2019
V. CONSENT AGENDA:
Approval of minutes of the regular meeting of May 7th, 2019.
Approval of Appropriation Ordinance 1238-A totaling $469,110.17.
Good Ol’ Days Parade Request Form
Approval to allow alcohol at Memorial Hall on May 31st and June 1st, 2019 for concerts.
Approval to allow alcohol at Memorial Hall on May 25th, 2019 for a wedding reception.
Resolution 7-2019 – Notice of Hearing With Reference to Alleged Unsafe and Dangerous Structure and Accessory Structure located at 15 S. Crawford – Public Hearing Date – July 2nd, 2019 – 6:15 p.m.
Resolution 8-2019 – Notice of Hearing With Reference to Alleged Unsafe and Dangerous Structure located at 602 S Heylman – Public Hearing Date – July 2nd, 2019 – 6:15 p.m.
VII. APPEARANCE/COMMENTS/PUBLIC HEARING:
APPEARANCE:
B. CITIZEN COMMENTS (Concerning Items Not on Agenda – 3 minute limit per citizen)
VIII. CONSIDERATION:
IX. COMMENTS:
Deb Needleman
Rachel Pruitt/Allyson Turvey
EXECUTIVE SESSION:
I MOVE THAT THE CITY COMMISSION RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE
SESSION FOR ________________________________ IN ORDER TO
(see below justification)
DISCUSS ______________________________________. THE
EXECUTIVE SESSION WILL BE ___________ MINUTES AND THE OPEN
MEETING TO RESUME AT ________________.
Justifications for Executive Sessions:
Personnel matters of non-elected personnel
Consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship
Matters relating to employer-employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the representative or representatives of the body or agency
Confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships
Preliminary discussions relating to the acquisition of real property
X. MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT: ROLL CALL
“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:8-9
I have discovered that one of the main reasons to stay married to is to help each other find stuff. Whenever I lose something, my wife Amanda, always asks me, “Where did you have it last?”
“Where are my keys?”
“Where did you have them last?”
“Where’s my wallet?”
“Where did you have it last?”
“Where’s my phone?”
“Where did you have it last?”
“Where’s my nose hair trimmers?”
“Where did you have it last?”
A while back, I was cutting up a couple of old dead trees for firewood. I had my chainsaw, bar and chain oil, gas, saw file, and a scrench. What’s a scrench? A scrench is a tool that is a combination of a screwdriver and a wrench. It is used to adjust the tension on your chainsaw blade.
So, I was out cutting firewood. I noticed the chain on the chainsaw needed to be tightened. I looked down and saw the gas, oil, and file. However, I couldn’t find the scrench.
I started to look for the scrench. I looked under the gas can. I got down on my knees and crawled around looking for it in the grass. Then I thought, maybe I left it in the tool shed. I went to the shed and I looked and looked. I tore the shed apart. When I finished looking, it looked like a bomb had gone off in the shed. But I still couldn’t find it. I was getting frustrated.
Earlier, I had gone into the house to get a drink. Did I leave it in the house? I went inside.
I looked in the laundry room. I looked in the living room. I looked in the kitchen. I even went in the bedroom and I tore the covers off the bed just in case the scrench was somehow in the covers.
After I looked for about an hour, I remembered my wife’s words, “Where did you have it last?” I thought, “I am pretty sure that I had it out by the old dead tree.” So, I went out to where I had been working earlier. I looked, and I looked, and I looked. I could not find the scrench. I was mad at this point.
Amanda came outside and said, “Are you still looking for that screwdriver thingee?” I said, “Yes, and it’s called a scrench.” She smiled at me and said, “It’s right there sticking out of your back pocket.”
The point is: If you have lost something, the best place to look is the last place you had it. Do you know where I found that scrench? Right where I left it? Do you know where your joy is? Right where you left it? Do you know where your peace is? Right where you left it? Do you know where your passion is? Right where you left it? Do you know where your fire is for Jesus? Right where you left it?
Jesus is right where you left Him. Come back to Him today.
Pastor James Collins serves at Fort Scott’s First Southern Baptist Church. He can be reached at (620) 223-2986 or through the webpage www.thepointis.net.
Joe “Pete” Erie, age 82, a resident of rural Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Thursday, May 16, 2019, as the result of a fire at his home.
He was born May 29, 1936, in Stotesbury, Missouri, the son of Henry John “Skeet” Erie and Winifred Marie Sheehy Erie.
Pete married Nina Lou Buck on September 9, 1956, at the Buck family home in Dadeville, Missouri.
Pete was employed by Key Industries for twenty-three years. He later worked as maintenance supervisor for the U-234 School District for twenty-thee years. Pete was instrumental in founding the Bourbon County Rural Fire Department; he remained active with the fire department for many years. He also maintained his own cattle herd.
Survivors include his son, John Erie, and wife, Terry, and his daughter, Sondra Ruhl, and husband, Nick, all of Ft. Scott; seven grandchildren, Brian Bolin, Ron Bolin (Brooke), Dawn Bryant (Micheal), Wendy Budd (David), John Erie, Jr. (Stephannie), Anita Vaugh (Daniel) and Bethany Thompson (Ray); and thirteen great-grandchildren, Codee Budd, Caden Bolin, Andy Bryant, Coree Budd, Aleana Erie, Dylann Bolin, Mia Bryant, Koby Erie, Alex Thompson, Raegan Bolin, Payton Bowling, Willow Vaughn, and Kanyon Vaugh with two more great-grandchildren on the way. Also surviving are two sisters, Peggy Cowan, of Ft. Scott, Pat Hoskins and husband, Frank, of Hillsboro, Missouri; a sister-in-law, Edna Erie, of Ft. Scott, and several nieces and nephews.
His wife, Nina, preceded him in death on November 26, 2017. He was also preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Mike Erie, and a brother-in-law, Gene Cowan.
Rev. Virgil Peck will conduct funeral services at 10:30 A.M. Thursday, May 23rd at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Burial will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Wednesday at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Memorials are suggested to the Scott Township Fire Department or the Ft. Scott Church of the Nazarene and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Visitation Cancelled at Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility
Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility has been experiencing an increase in the presence of contraband drugs in the facility. This has resulted in one offender death and several offenders being hospitalized as a result of drug use. Contraband interdiction efforts have been increased. As a result, all visitation with offenders has been suspended this weekend, May 18 – 19, 2019.
Robert Leisure was chosen as the new Bourbon County Emergency Services Director, with an official starting date of April 29.
“Robert has been a Paramedic/RN with the service for the past 23 years. Christi Keating had decided that she was no longer going to serve in the capacity of EMS Director earlier in the year,” Dave Bruner said.
Bruner is a representative of the City of Fort Scott on a task force that was given the job of transitioning the services from Mercy Hospital. Keating was a representative of Mercy Hospital and there were also representatives from Bourbon County on the task force that was formed following the announcement of the closure of the hospital in October 2018.
“We opened the position up and Robert expressed interest as well as three other candidates,” Bruner said. “Robert was chosen to fill the EMS director position.”
“I was already a Mercy employee and transitioned over to county with the rest of the staff,” Leisure said. “I was asked and encouraged to step up and fill a void left by the late Danny Hall.”
He has several decades experience in emergency services.
“I’ve been a Kansas paramedic for 23 years or since 1996,” he said. “Most of my EMS career was spent in this general area and mostly with Mercy.”
Leisure is a registered nurse with 16 years of experience with Mercy Hospital.
“Nearly all (nursing experiences)have come in the ER setting with the exception of a brief stint of flight nursing with Eagle Med,” he said.
Leisure believes he has a good mix of employees.
“I’m currently fully staffed with 10 full time and 15 part-time employees” Leisure said. “It’s a good mix of paramedic and EMT’s. Some with vast experience and some just getting started.”
Leisure is learning the director job with help and has been challenged and motivated by this new position in a good way, he said.
“My duties are very fluid to me right now as I’m learning the position which is a new position, with no predecessor to really follow,” he said. “I’m being helped greatly by both Christie Keating and Dave Bruner in this transition. Christie has an extensive background in management mostly inter-hospital. And Dave is very knowledgeable about the inner workings of governmental processes.”
His duties include: “ordering and maintaining medical supplies and medications, ensuring billing of the runs we do is done accurately and on time, ensuring compliance with all state policies and procedures for ambulance operations, configuring a schedule of work for staff that see’s all shifts are covered with two crews on a 24/7 basis,” he said.
In addition, “duties include quality assurance where run reports are reviewed to assure a certain level of care is maintained, hiring and maintaining a full staff, facilitating regular maintenance of the six ambulances, meeting with the medical director and reporting to both county and city commissions since the service is run by the city and owned by the county,” he said.
The partnership between the City of Fort Scott and the Bourbon County administration has worked well.
” I have nothing but great things to say about both commissions as they’ve worked together exceptionally,” Leisure said.
To view earlier stories on the Bourbon County Ambulance:
Bourbon County Ambulance Service Starts Today, April 1
Ambulance Service For Bourbon County
April 30, 2019 Tuesday 9:00 am
The Bourbon County Commission met in open session with all three Commissioners and the County Counselor present.
Nancy Van Etten was also present.
Mary Newport, Robert Lefever and Ryan Linn met with the Commissioners; Mary was presented with a road closure petition and had concerns with the potential road closing at 260th between Deer and Cavalry Road. Her concerns were with fire safety and limiting access to farmed areas. She said it is a low frequency road with minimal maintenance, she said there currently is an electronic gate and a cable stretched across the road there. Ryan farms land in the area and was concerned about the access to the field. The Commissioners directed Jim Harris to survey the area and devise a plan to reopen the road.
Lynne made a motion to go into a 3 minute executive session for consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship, Nick seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks). No action was taken.
Shane Walker, Lora Holdridge and Justin Meeks met with the Commissioners and Jim Harris to discuss roads in Bourbon County; Justin said that Lora had found roads that were County roads. Justin said that the County needs to adopt roads to maintain, he suggested looking at valuations and population. There was discussion over legal issues, developing a Matrix as well as the 1 cent sales tax for hard surface roads. Lora discussed subdivisions; she said if it is not platted it is not an addition. Shane discussed the reappraisal process in 1986 and said in 1998 due to the 911 addressing, the County adopted or named roads (the County named Marco Estates and Rocher Addition). Shane suggested if the County named it then the County should maintain it. Shane discussed issues with mapping; he explained how three other counties classify their roads. Jim Harris said he was concerned that we will have a plan, but not follow it. Lora said when a road gets closed the book should be updated; she reviewed the minutes from 1993 to 1977 for road closings and openings.
Don George with KDWP met with the Commissioners to discuss a 10 or 15 year contract with KDWP for Elm Creek. Lynne made a motion to accept and sign the contract for 10 years, (beginning in 2019), Jeff seconded and all approved.
Cathy Cooper with the Sixth Judicial District met with the Commissioners; she presented a grant for $464,356.96 to be used for KDOC juveniles. Nick made a motion to give Lynne permission to sign the document, Jeff seconded and all approved. Cathy presented a grant document for $305,409.41 to be used for the KDOC adult division; Nick made a motion for Lynne to sign the document, Jeff seconded and all approved. Cathy presented a grant for $147,484.61 to be used for adult behavioral health, (for care coordinator and substance abuse), Nick made a motion for Lynne to sign this, Jeff seconded and all approved and Lynne signed all of the grant documents.
Lynne made a motion to go into a 5 minute executive session for preliminary discussions relating to the acquisition of real property, Nick seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks). No action was taken.
Jim Harris presented a culvert application from Jerry Daylong for a culvert near 35th north of Bronson; Lynne made a motion to accept the application, Nick seconded and all approved.
Jim Harris presented a utility permit from Craw-Kan for two areas; one at 240th between Arrowhead & Birch and one on 250th on Arrowhead going north. Jeff made a motion to approve the permit, Nick seconded and all approved.
Jim Harris discussed an invitation by Murphy Tractor to Forsythe, Missouri for the Commissioners to attend an operator tour and demonstration of a crusher on May 7th; Lynne made a motion that the Commissioners attend this, Nick seconded and all approved.
Kevin Allen and Josh Jones met with the Commissioners; Kevin suggested having evening Commission meetings in Fort Scott.
Lynne made a motion to go into a 10 minute executive session for consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship, Jeff seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks). After the session, Lynne made a motion to appoint Gil Gregory as the Guardian Ad Litem for the Tax Sale, Jeff seconded and all approved.
Lynne made a motion to go into a 5 minute executive session for personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel, Jeff seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks). After the session, Jeff made a motion for Justin to meet with the Hidden Valley Lake Director, Nick seconded and all approved.
At 11:58, Nick made a motion to break for lunch and reconvene at 1:30, Lynne seconded and all approved.
Carla Nemecek with the Southwind Extension District met with the Commissioners; she discussed and upcoming livestock judging trip to Scotland & Ireland. She said they are raising funds by selling stock in the livestock judging team, the stockholders will be invited to a shareholders meeting where students will present shareholders a presentation on the return on their investment.
Jeff made a motion to go into a 10 minute executive session to discuss personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel, Lynne seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks). No action was taken.
County Appraiser Clint Anderson met with the Commissioners; he said the 1st quarter sales seemed strong and said that may indicate that there is a potential for valuations to appreciate. Clint said he has an environmental meeting with Sugar Valley/Hidden Valley Lakes.
At 4:05, Jeff made a motion to adjourn and Lynne seconded.
THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS
(ss) Lynne Oharah, Chairman
(ss) Jeff Fischer, Commissioner
(ss) Nick Ruhl, Commissioner
ATTEST:
Kendell Mason, Bourbon County Clerk
05/14/2019, Approved Date
May 7, 2019 Tuesday 9:00 am
The Bourbon County Commission met in open session with all three Commissioners, the County Counselor and the County Clerk present.
Tammy Helm with the Fort Scott Tribune and Nancy Van Etten were also present.
Jim Harris said they had postponed the blast at the Blake Quarry until next week due to the rain. Jim said his goal is to begin the asphalt season on May 20th. He said they are installing culverts and patching; Jim said once the overlaying season starts they will be done patching for a while due to staffing.
Jeff questioned using the milled portion of the roads as chips; Jim said it would cost $300,000 to adjust the asphalt plant to do this and said it wasn’t economical to do this.
Jim said KDOT has been using haul roads south of Fort Scott; KDOT will be doing repair work to the haul roads in the next few weeks.
Nick made a motion to go into a 10 minute executive session for personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel, Lynne seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Jim Harris, Jerad Heckman, Justin Meeks and Kendell Mason). No action was taken.
Nick made a motion to go into a 5 minute executive session for consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship, Jeff seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Justin Meeks, Jim Harris and Jerad Heckman). No action was taken.
Jody Hoener and Robert Uhler met with the Commissioners to discuss wellness; Jody said State Farm has a $25,000 grant available for safety, education or community development. Jody said she planned to apply for the grant to be used for the ABC Trail plan. She said June 5th is the deadline to apply and only 1,000 grant applications will be accepted. Those 1,000 will be narrowed down to 200 and then the community votes on the winning applicant. Jody asked if the County is awarded the grant if the County could be the fiscal agent for the grant money; Jeff made a motion to allow Bourbon County to be the fiscal agent if awarded the State Farm grant, Lynne seconded and all approved.
Jody said there will be a County department head meeting on May 9th; Nick and Lynne agreed to give Jeff permission to share data at the meeting regarding wages, and the benchmarking that has been done with other counties.
Jeff Fischer said the work at the Health Department is nearing completion; he said the sheetrock is finished, he said they are painting now.
Justin Meeks discussed the OMNI EMS billing; in April OMNI collected $70,905.13. The Commissioners originally hoped the ambulance would pay for itself, but the current amount collected does not support this. The Commissioners plan to budget money for future ambulance equipment expenses.
Bill Martin and Ben Cole met with the Commissioners, Jim Harris and Jerad Heckman regarding a stop sign that was recently placed at 218th & north National by Max’s Weigh Station. Bill said his request was not for a stop sign at this area, he said he was contracted by a citizen regarding a 30 mph speed limit sign going north and no sign going south (he said since it isn’t posted going south the speed limit would be 55mph since it is a County road). Bill said he discussed posting a speed limit sign there with Jim Harris, he said he later approached Jim Harris and Nick Ruhl regarding posting a 30 mph speed limit sign going south, (he said he did not request a stop sign). Lynne said that Jim’s request was for a speed limit sign; Lynne said a motion was originally made for a speed limit sign, but was cancelled and then a motion was made for a stop sign to slow traffic.
Lynne questioned the posted speed limit off of 54 Hwy going north on 125th verses the posted speed limit going south on 125th.
Larry Sharp with KCAMP met with the Commissioners and discussed services they offer and the usage report of these services for Bourbon County. KCAMP offers Attorney assist, Kansas legal based jail guidelines, KCAMP online University, on-site training and seminars, risk avoidance grants, roads scholar tuition reimbursement program and ThinkHR.
Jeff made a motion to adopt (and gave Lynne permission to sign) a proclamation declaring May 6th – May 12th, 2019 as National Nurses Week in Bourbon County, Nick seconded and all approved.
Justin Meeks met with the Commissioners, Jody Hoener, Jim Harris and Jerad Heckman to discuss an interlocal agreement between the City and the County regarding road work; Justin said the law allows this and said it would be a contract between the entities and would be an agreement to exchange services or equipment. Justin said they would like to have the ability to meet with city officials regarding this.
Lynne made a motion that all three Commissioners attend lunch with a Cat representative today, Nick seconded and all approved.
Jeff made a motion to go into a 17 minute executive session for consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship, Nick seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks). No action was taken.
Jeff made a motion to go into a 10 minute executive session for personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel, Nick seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks). No action was taken.
Lynne made a motion to go into a 5 minute executive session for consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship, Nick seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Justin Meeks and Kendell Mason). No action was taken.
At 12:02, Lynne made a motion to adjourn so the Commissioners can attend lunch as well as travel to Forsythe Missouri to view a crusher, Nick seconded and all approved.
THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS
(ss) Lynne Oharah, Chairman
(ss) Jeff Fischer, Commissioner
(ss) Nick Ruhl, Commissioner
ATTEST:
Kendell Mason, Bourbon County Clerk
05/14/2019, Approved Date
Click below:
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
The United Kingdom’s Eric Liddell was the athlete who refused to run on a Sunday in the 1924 Olympics. Chariots of Fire was the movie made famous by his story. If you watched it, you might remember Liddell’s notable line: “I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel his pleasure.” Later, when asked from where he drew his strength, he answered, “The secret of my success over the 400 meters is that I run the first 200 meters as hard as I can. Then, for the second 200 meters, with God’s help, I run harder.”
In 2016, On Wings of Eagles was released, depicting the rest of Liddell’s life as a missionary/teacher in China who refused to leave as the Japanese advanced, staying behind to continue his work after sending his pregnant wife to Canada with their two daughters. Liddell was captured and ended up in a Japanese internment camp.
After watching the movie alone one evening, I knew it was one I wanted Dave and my visiting friends—very academic, total history buffs– to see. After viewing it, we discussed the history of that war and the inhumane treatment the Japanese inflicted on their prisoners. I learned more than I wanted to know.
Then one of our friends questioned why more of Jesus was not illustrated. Liddell’s faith and love of the Bible were apparent as he sacrificially protected and offered hope to his fellow prisoners, but omitting the redemptive story of forgiveness and the Cross was painfully absent. She questioned why screenwriters are so afraid of offending their audiences and consequently stop short of crossing the Jesus’ line, that showing the Olympian teaching the young children Bible stories was not enough. Liddell’s faith was so strong, surely he shared Jesus with his fellow prisoners. So, why was that not included? To her, it was a representation of how our world-view is changing which led to an exchange about laws before Congress that are hell-bent on leaving God out of everything.
I said that I was pleased to see any faith characterized, and even if it lacked boldness, it was evident throughout the movie that Liddell was a prayer warrior who relied on God for his strength as he set up church services, schooling, and sporting activities for the children, as well as cared for the sick. Our talk continued as we discussed how Christian movies now are far superior to those produced a few years ago.
That conversation was revisited this past Friday when Dave and I had dinner with Gene and Carol Kent. Carol was here in Jupiter, Florida, speaking at a local church for Mothers’ Day. I shared the interchange we had had the previous week with our other, mutual friends. Carol asked if we had seen Unplanned, a bold, new release based on the memoir of Abby Johnson who left Planned Parenthood to be an advocate against abortion. Carol shared that she recently had attended its premier with Solomon, the writer of the Unplanned’s screenplay, who happened to be at Carol’s house helping her finalize her latest book. At the premier, Carol stood up before the movie began—an atypical, bold move for her, she admitted– and introduced the screenwriter to the audience. At the end of the movie, Carol was thrilled that Solomon got a standing ovation.
I love these kinds of exchanges, where Christian lives intersect with various perspectives and experiences and where sometimes we might have to agree to disagree. Most of the time, I am keenly aware that we are not “iron sharpening iron” but more like “iron sharpening rusty, tin can, but I always leave these conversations knowing that my faith has been strengthened because God has been honored in what we had to say.
Now, if I could just do that all the time…
