Monthly Archives: April 2021

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Bourbon County Leaves Mask Mandate to Entities

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The Bourbon County Courthouse.

At the Bourbon County Commission meeting on Tuesday, April 6, the commissioners decided to continue following the federal Center for Disease Control guidelines requiring masks.

The community’s businesses, churches, and other entities can decide for themselves.

“We will continue requiring masks at the courthouse,” Commission Chairman Lynne Oharah said. “As far as the rest of the county,  the (Kansas) legislators overrode the governor’s (mask) mandate. It would be up to individual businesses and entities to determine whether or not they want to follow CDC guidelines.”

Lynne Oharah

In county operations other than the courthouse, it will be up to individual elected officials to determine if they will follow the CDC guidelines, he said.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the CDC are still recommending people wearing masks when in public, practicing social distancing, practicing good hygiene, and staying home when sick, Rebecca Johnson, administrator at the Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Department, said.

Rebecca Johnson, SEKMCHD Director.

Governor Kelly reissued the mandate until May 28, but the legislative council overturned the mandate, Johnson said.

The governor has not reissued mitigation protocols for schools, she said.

“But USD 234 had decided to continue to require masks,” Johnson said. “USD 235 has stopped requiring masks.”

 

Vaccines

The health department is continuing with offering COVID 19 vaccines in its’ office in Fort Scott.

“We do have the Johnson and Johnson vaccine available now,” she said. This vaccine is a one-dose.

As of Monday, April 5, the county health department has administered 2,022 doses of the Moderna vaccine.

Community Health Center and Walmart are also administering vaccines to the community, she said.

If interested in a vaccine, call the health department at 620-223-4464.

 

County Statistics of COVID-19

Johnson said there have been twenty-five  COVID-19 deaths in Bourbon County, statewide-4,927 deaths.

Bourbon County has had 1,347 cases of the virus, 303,227 in the state, she said.

According to the CDC website, there were no deaths from influenza in 2020-2021 in Kansas, Johnson said.

“I believe that is from wearing masks,” Johnson said.

“Flu season runs from September 1-May 31,” she said.  “According to CDC, 0 cases reported in Kansas, but I don’t believe all data has been submitted yet. ”

In 2019-2020, there were 118 deaths from influenza, she said.

 

 

Bourbon County, Government

Bourbon County Commission Minutes of March 30

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March 30, 2021                                              Tuesday 9:00 am

 

The Bourbon County Commission met in open session with all three Commissioners, the County Counselor and the County Clerk present.

 

Also present were the following; (some were present for a portion of the meeting and some were present for the entire meeting), Jason Silvers with the Fort Scott Tribune, Mark McCoy, Anne Dare, Kim Simons, Mr. & Mrs. Clint Walker, Bill Martin and Ben Cole.

 

Clifton made a motion to approve the minutes from the previous meetings, Jim seconded and all approved and signed the minutes.

 

Eric Bailey presented culvert permits to the Commissioners, which they signed; they were for Clint Hazen at 2556 Limestone, Larry Shead at 2468 Cavalry and T&C Wildlife at 2461 Arrowhead.

 

Eric Bailey said they are working on capping the C&D at the Landfill.  He said they are working on washouts around the County and are patching potholes near Garland.  Eric said they are in the process of moving from the Shepherd Quarry to the Beth Quarry.

 

Eric said regarding the windfarm that the company is moving forward with capping the roads beginning in an area at 20th & Eagle, then 39 to Eagle then 40th – 50th.  Eric said he gets a plan of the day everyday from the company that tells him the area they are working on.  He said he, Frank Young and Todd Foxx looked at bridges and culverts.

 

Jim asked Eric if he had a ditching plan for the year; Eric said he is working on it and said he would be working with the grader operators when developing the plan.

 

Maura Chambers and Harvey Felzke with KCAMP insurance met with the Commissioners; Bourbon County currently uses KCAMP for property and liability insurance, but is taking bids for insurance for 2022. KCAMP: pooling is an interlocal agency formed under Kansas statute allowing public entities to jointly self-insure their property and casualty risks. There are many advantages to pooling, such as sharing the cost of risk among similar entities, determining scope/terms of own coverage, control claims and litigation management, reaping benefits of group purchase.  KCAMP is member owned, member funded and member directed.  They said that 80% of the 90,000 public entities in the U.S. obtain coverage from a risk pool.  71 of the 105 counties in Kansas are members of KCAMP.  KCAMP offers tailored coverage, risk management services (attorney assist, Kansas legal based jail guidelines, law enforcement model policies, online university, on-site training and seminars, risk avoidance grants – if the County completes any of the criteria in this category then KCAMP will give money back to the County, risk management awards, roads scholar tuition reimbursement program, and ThinkHR). Lynne thanked KCAMP for the speediness of the process of paying claims.

 

Appraiser Clint Anderson met with the Commissioners regarding the ratio; he said the new valuation notices have been sent out and said that values haven’t been rising as quickly as the sales, he said a lot of people received substantial increases to their value.  He said owners do have the opportunity to appeal the value of their property.  It was stated that a lot of the properties on the market have contracts on them.  Bourbon County has an NRP program which offers tax refunds for new construction and remodels; anyone interested should contact the Appraisers office with any questions.

 

Lynne said the County has a radio spot on KMDO every Tuesday morning and said someone needs to do this spot to discuss what is going on in the County; he and Eric did the spot today to discuss wind generators.  Bill Martin asked if the radio time was only for elected officials or could other people from the County talk during the radio time; Lynne said if someone wanted to talk during the radio time they could contact him and he would notify the radio station of who would be speaking.  Jim made a motion that Lynne continues to manage the radio spot, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

Justin Meeks said he had reviewed the documents from the State of Kansas – Project No. 6X-3109-01 for a crossing signal at 240 Street 3 miles SE of Fort Scott; the only cost the County will have in this project is to install and maintain advance warning signs.  Jim made a motion to approve to put in the crossing signal and to allow Lynne to sign the agreement, Clifton seconded and all approved and Lynne signed the agreement.

 

Clifton made a motion to approve Resolution 16-21, a wage resolution increasing the Assistant County Attorney’s wages, Jim seconded and all approved and signed the Resolution.

 

Justin said he had a 10 year lease ready for the City of Fort Scott to move the 911 dispatch center to the old jail facility.   He said it is $500/month for the lease and said this money would reduce what the County pays the City for dispatch.  Jim Harris asked Justin how he came up with the $500 figure; Justin said he talked to Shane and Susan about this, Justin said he thought it was a reasonable amount, Jim said he thought it was too low.  Lynne said dispatch has a $600,000 budget; Bill Martin said he agreed that dispatch needed to move and said he felt the Courthouse would be a good location, but said he would like to see a breakdown of the $600,000 budget, Bill suggested a communication board to cover dispatch.  Justin said they could put a breakdown of the $600,000 budget on next week’s agenda.  Justin said this is not a consolidation of government, but said this is a lease agreement, Lynne said the City and County are still separate entities, Lynne said there could be a shared service for an HR director.  The Commissioners will discuss the lease agreement again next week.

 

Clifton made a motion to go into a 10 minute executive session for KSA 75-4319(b) (6) for the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property to discuss additional parking areas around the Courthouse, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 10:34, Jim seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin).  After the session, Lynne made a motion to come out of executive session and back into open session, Clifton seconded and all approved.  Jim made a motion to allow Justin to meet with property owners to negotiate to purchase their property for a future parking lot, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

Clifton made a motion to go into a 10 minute executive session for KSA 75-4319(b) (1) to discuss personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel to protect their privacy to discuss a possible termination and a medical issue, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 10:47, Jim seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks).  At 10: 44, Clifton made a motion to come out of executive session and resume their meeting with no action, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Clifton made a motion to go into a 10 minute executive session for KSA 75-4319(b) (2) for consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship with possible litigation, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 10:55, Jim seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks).  At 10:55, Clifton made a motion to come out of executive session, back into open session and said no action, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Justin Meeks presented a Corporate Guaranty from WEC Energy Group on behalf of Jayhawk Wind LLC regarding the windfarm road use agreement; the maximum aggregate liability of Guarantor under this Guaranty is limited to the amount of $250,000.  This will be on file in the County Clerk’s office.

 

Justin said that Community Health Center wants to submit a bid to the County to do the same thing as the Southeast Kansas Health Board does.  Justin said the renewal date for the Health Board contract is in May of 2021.  Justin suggesting inviting both entities to the County so they can talk about their functions.  Lynne made a motion to allow Clifton to contact CHC and the SEK Multi County Health Board to have them give a breakdown of services and finances, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Public Comment: Anne Dare questioned if the Commissioners signed the lease for the City to lease space for dispatch; Lynne said they did not sign the lease.  Anne asked for an update on the hospital building; the Commissioners said they had no updates, Clifton said his goal is still the same, which is to have sustainable healthcare in Bourbon County.  Clifton said the Mercy building is still owned by Mercy.  It was stated that the County had until 3/31/2021 to decide on the building; Justin said an extension was signed between CHC and Ascension and Mercy for the building and said the deadline to sign or not sign for the County to accept the building had been extended as well. Kim Simons asked if they were still trying to do a medical mall; Justin said that is out of our control, Clifton said as a private citizen he would like to see CHC stay as well as anyone else that wanted to come to town could have that ability.  He said his goal is to have an emergency room.  Clifton said he didn’t care what building they were going to be in.  Kim said if they have their own building is the County still taking the Mercy building; Clifton said he had no interest in putting a $500,000 tax burden on the tax payers, Jim said he agreed.  Justin said there are still active ongoing negotiations and said the citizens have been supplementing healthcare for years; Clifton said the County is supplementing healthcare, but said his goal is to not increase that number. There was discussion over the dialysis center closing; Clifton said he thought in 5 years the trend might change and said he hopes we get some medical services back to the County.  Clint Walker questioned how much the Assistant County Attorney would be making with the new wage resolution; Lynne said $80,000 and said they had previously approved this, but had not adopted a resolution for this.  Clifton asked to view the 1989 reappraisal map; Justin said he could see this in the Register of Deeds office.

 

Commissioner Comment: Clifton said he had heard comments about combining the City/County and said he had no intentions of doing this, he said there are shared services they can do to save money.  Lynne said the more money they save gives them the opportunity to lower taxes.  Lynne said as a private citizen he would like to see more children’s services; he mentioned poverty and said there is a need for activities for kids, he said they need things to do in a structured environment.  Jim questioned how many kids went to bed hungry each night; Justin said 87% of the students in our school district are on free or reduced lunches.  Justin said he would gather the demographics and present it to the Commissioners at a later date.

 

Justin said there are global issues that affect the County; he said the County has never had a centralized HR person and said a lot of litigation comes out of bad employment practices.  He said there is no one in place to handle the duties of exit interviews, pre-employment drug screenings, sexual harassment training, job satisfaction, job retention, yearly training, employee evaluations, etc.  Justin said these employment procedures can protect the County from future liability. Jim Harris said felt the County has needed this for many years and said his opinion was that he would like to see this as a fulltime position.  Justin said currently we do not have anyone to write a simple termination letter.  Justin said in the past he has listened and interviewed employees on issues, but said the HR director should contact legal counsel. Justin said this could be a shared service; he said another municipality has an HR director.  Justin said this person could update the job descriptions; Lynne said the County needs a new employee handbook, Lynne said this would be a function of the HR director, Justin said as the County Counselor he shouldn’t be writing it, but should review it.  Justin said he thought the County had 3 options: hire a fulltime HR person, have a shared service for the HR duties or have someone internally do it for more compensation.  Lynne said they could reorganize existing staff.

 

Clifton made a motion that Lynne and he (if available) attend the SEK 17 County meeting on April 22nd in Yates Center, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

At 11:38, Jim made a motion to adjourn, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS

(ss) Lynne Oharah, Chairman

(ss) Jim Harris, Commissioner

(ss) Clifton Beth, Commissioner

ATTEST:

Kendell Mason, Bourbon County Clerk

April 6, 2021, Approved Date

 

 

 

 

 

Fort Scott, Government

FS Lake Advisory Board Meets April 10

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The Lake Fort Scott Advisory Board will meet on Saturday, April 10th 2021 at 9:00 a.m. at the City Hall Commission meeting room at 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. This meeting is open to the public, but is limited in space due to COVID. To join by teleconference, call the dial-in number: 620-724-9910. When prompted, enter the access code 515698# and when prompted state your full name followed by the pound # key.

The meeting will be available on the City’s YouTube channel.

Fort Scott

Update on Gas Main Break April 5

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Fort Scott Fire Chief Dave Bruner gave an update on the gas main break, yesterday April 5.

The  gas main break was at the intersection Margrave and Emmert Streets.

It was reported at 9.30 a.m. by a contractor when the contractor hit a gas line while excavating.
  Fire units remained on scene until the leak was controlled, Bruner said, and cleared the scene at  2 p.m. on April 5

​

Obituary

Obituary of Elsie Sellen

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Elsie Jean Sellen, 93, of Fort Scott, passed away Monday morning, April 5, 2021, at Guest Home Estates, Fort Scott, Kansas. She was born June 16, 1927, in Whiting, Kansas, the daughter of Clifton and Grace (Koger) Belden. She married William Walker Sellen July 13, 1947, in Topeka, Kansas, and he preceded her in death June 14, 2015.

Elsie graduated from Whiting High School in 1945. She graduated from Clark’s Business School in Topeka, Kansas and went on to manage a restaurant, a deli, and a hearing aid company. She was a member of the Wakarusa Presbyterian Church, and attended the First United Methodist Church in Fort Scott. Elsie served as Worthy Matron of the Beulah Chapter of O.E.S. of Carbondale, Kansas, and she sang with the Sweet Adelines in Topeka until she was 80 years of age and sang with them at Carnegie Hall.

Elsie is survived by her children, Patricia Harry and husband Steve of Fort Scott, Kansas, Richard Sellen of Olathe, Kansas, Marcia Sellen and husband Richard DeVoe of Gladstone, Missouri, and Pamela Miller and husband Ross of Houston, Texas; six grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

In addition to her husband William, she was also preceded in death by her parents, a sister, Minnie Belden, and a brother, Walter Belden.

Following cremation, Rev. Steve Cole will conduct memorial services 11:00 a.m. Monday, April 12, 2021, at the First United Methodist Church in Fort Scott under the direction of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home.

Elsie will be buried with her husband William in the Spring Hill Cemetery in Whiting, Kansas.

Condolences may be submitted to the online guestbook at konantz-cheney.com.

Business, Kansas

Win $100 Gift Card by Taking Safe Digging Quiz

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Kansas Gas Service reminds public to ‘Be a Dig Hero’ before starting any outdoor projects

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas – April 6, 2021 – With April being National Safe Digging Month,
Kansas Gas Service is promoting awareness about safe digging practices by offering customers a
chance to win a $100 gift card if they take an interactive quiz at BeADigHeroKansas.com
during the month of April.
“Safe Digging Month serves as a good reminder to call 811 at least two working days before
starting any digging project,” said Dawn Tripp, public relations manager at Kansas Gas Service.
“Whether it’s a small project, such as planting trees and shrubs, or a large commercial project,
calling 811 is the first step to safe digging.”
By making the free call to 811 or visiting KansasOneCall.com before digging, professional
locators will mark all underground utility lines within the designated project area with flags
and/or paint at no cost to the home or business owner. In 2020, 19% of the pipeline damages on
our system were from people not calling 811.
“Knowing how to dig safely helps avoid injury and protects the neighborhood because
underground utility lines may be found below yards, sidewalks, driveways or streets,” said Tripp.
VIDEO: The Scoop on Buried Utility Lines
3 Tips to Remember Before Digging
1) Even if you’re digging shallow, you need to call to have your lines marked.
2) If you hire a contractor, make sure they call 811 prior to digging.
3) Know the Tolerance Zone, which is the area 24 inches from each outside edge of the
pipeline. Within this zone, you are required to use soft digging techniques, such as hand
digging, vacuum excavation or other similar safe excavation methods to avoid any
contact or damage to the line.
About Kansas Gas Service
-more-
Kansas Gas Service provides a reliable and affordable energy choice to more than 645,000 customers in Kansas and
is the largest natural gas distributor in the state, in terms of customers.
Headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas Gas Service is a division of ONE Gas, Inc. (NYSE: OGS), a 100-percent
regulated natural gas utility that trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “OGS.” ONE Gas is
included in the S&P MidCap 400 Index and is one of the largest natural gas utilities in the United States.
For more information and the latest news about Kansas Gas Service, visit kansasgasservice.com and follow its social
channels: @KansasGas, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.
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Government, Kansas

Unemployment Insurance Technology Modernizes

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Governor Laura Kelly Announces Next Steps for Unemployment Insurance Technology Modernization

~ KDOL requests proposals for new system ~

TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly announced a major step forward in the effort to modernize the state’s Unemployment Insurance (UI) system at the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL). The agency issued its request for proposal (RFP) for modernizing the over 40-year-old computer system.

“When I learned that the previous Administration abandoned efforts to modernize the state’s unemployment computer system in 2011, I immediately tasked the agency with reviving its modernization plans,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “Unfortunately, the pandemic hit, and the antiquated technology was unable to keep up with the record volume of claims. Today, we are taking a major step in fixing our broken system. We will finish what other Administrations’ failed to do.”

Prior to the pandemic, at Governor Kelly’s direction, KDOL staff traveled to states that had modernized their unemployment systems to learn from them how Kansas could build a system that would more efficiently serve claimants and businesses. In the past year, the agency has dedicated a specialized team to complete and expedite the modernization plan, incorporating the findings and best practices from these states.

“The RFP process is the next major step in our effort to modernize,” said Secretary Amber Shultz. “We plan to expedite this process as much as possible, while taking care to engage the business community, workers, and legislators. Over the past year, we have been able to stabilize our underlying systems which were not equipped to handle the volume of pandemic-related claims or the complexity of the new federal programs. The stabilization efforts worked and will help to speed modernization implementation once a vendor is selected,” said Shultz.

When Governor Kelly took office in 2019, one of her top priorities for the Department of Labor was to modernize the agency’s archaic mainframe UI IT system. However, when the state faced record-high unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency was forced to temporarily suspend its modernization efforts in order to focus on stabilizing the decades old system.

Today, the system has largely been stabilized and is paying out legitimate claimants in the traditional state unemployment program and new federal benefit programs. Since March 15, 2020, KDOL has paid out over 4.2 million weekly claims totaling over $2.8 billion between regular unemployment and the federal pandemic programs.

The Kansas Legislature is considering Governor Kelly’s $37.5 million budget request to replace KDOL’s aging system.

“We are on target to modernize this antiquated system,” said Governor Kelly. “While we navigate the procurement process, we also need the legislature to fund this critical upgrade. It will not be cheap—fixing a system that has been neglected for 40-plus years never is—but failing to act is not an option. I will continue working with the legislature to get this critical project done. We owe it to the people of Kansas.”

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Obituary

Obituary of Edward E. Coulter

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Edward “Ed” Earl Coulter, age 72, resident of Farlington, KS, died Monday, April 5, 2021, at his home. He was born July 3, 1948, in Greenfield, MO, the son of Clarence Earl Coulter and Mary Elizabeth Call Coulter. Ed lived in Ft. Scott, KS, for 55 years working as a mechanic and tree trimmer. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, going to the races, and working on cars.

Survivors include 5 children, Tammy Eaton and Dennis, Mariann Mackley and Norman, Eddie Joe Coulter and Kelly, Lance Coulter and Erin, and Tony Ogle; 19 grandchildren; several great grandchildren; 6 siblings; and special friend Wilma Wittenberg. He was preceded in death by his wife, Linda Coulter; daughter Tonya Belle; 5 siblings; and his parents.

Pastor Randy Coulter will conduct graveside services at 10:00 AM Friday, April 9th, in the Rosebank Cemetery, Mulberry, KS. The family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 Thursday evening at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to the Ed Coulter Memorial Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott, Housing

BEDCO Projects: Eco Devo Director, Meat Plant, Arena, Housing

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Greg Motley. President of the Bourbon County Economic Development Council. Submitted photo.

Bourbon County Economic Development Council is working to find a full-time economic development director, facilitate the starting of the new meat process plant, facilitate a new multi-purpose arena, and expanding housing in the area, according to Greg Motley, president.

 

Eco Devo

BEDCO began a search for an economic development director a few months ago and had one narrowed down, but that person has declined the position, Greg Motley, president of BEDCO said.

 

“The process was restarted,” Motley said.  “In the meantime, I will be acting director.”

“We will continue interviews until the position is filled,”he said.

 

“Since 1992, BEDCO has been at the center of Economic Development in Bourbon County, and under the guidance of a reconstituted board that represents the whole county, we are stronger than ever,” Motley said in a press release.

 

Economic development services provided by BEDCO are primarily matching resources to the economic needs of county entities and businesses, he said.

 

Motley gave some details of three other projects on the horizon.

 

Meat Processing Plant

The proposed entry to the micro meat processing plant south of the KDOT building on Hwy. 69, just off Hickory Road. The road will be extended to the south for access to the plant.
The KDOT building located on Hwy. 69.

 

“Since the Micro-meat processing plant was approved, we are moving forward with facilitating the land/lots swap between KW Cattle, Billy Madison and BEDCO,” he said.

The 7 acres owned by BEDCO is being traded with WK Cattle company for the site on Hwy. 69, south of the KDOT building. The parcel of land is at the corner of Jayhawk Road and Liberty Bell Road in Fort Scott Industrial Park.

“KW Cattle is swapping 46 acres south of the (KDOT )State Highway facility on the east side of 69 Highway for two industrial park tracts,” Motley said.  “One is about seven acres, the other is about 18 acres, currently owned by BEDCO.  They are located on either side of the Christian Learning Center.  The new micro-meat processing facility will pay BEDCO some cash considerations, approximately equal to BEDCO’s expenses in the transaction.”

KW Cattle is doing a trade with BEDCO that is advantageous to the community, Motley said.

“They are trading 46 acres, a nice piece of flat ground, for less valuable property of rough ground of 25 acres,” he said. “They wanted to help Fort Scott and Bourbon County. In addition, they can expand the property they own, Christian Learning Center, in the future.”

“BEDCO will take possession (of the land parcel), then sell to the meat processing plant,” he said. “It should be finalized this month.”

Pictured is the other business adjacent to Christian Learning Center, Reprologix, located at 3200 Liberty Bell Road in Fort Scott’s Industrial Park. Behind the sign, to the south of the parking lot, is the land that will be traded. These 18 acres currently owned by BEDCO are being traded by WK Cattle company for land on Hwy. 69.

Multipurpose Arena

 

“We are also working with local investors on a potential STAR Bonds project for Bourbon County,” he said.  “Some Bourbon County citizens are proposing the issuance of Star Bonds to partially finance a new multipurpose arena in Bourbon County, along with improvements to the downtown central business district.”

“Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bonds are a financing tool that allows Kansas municipalities to issue bonds to finance the development of major commercial, entertainment and tourism projects,” according to https://www.kansascommerce.gov/program/community-programs/star-bonds/

“The bonds are paid off through the sales tax revenue generated by the development.”

“The intent is to increase regional and national visitation to Kansas.”

“The bonds would cover about 50% of the project, and private investment, along with bank financing would cover the balance, he said. ” The Star Bonds would be repaid by the increase in sales tax collections in a Star Bond District, whose boundaries are yet to be determined.”

“Atchison, KS, a similar-sized community to Fort Scott and Bourbon County, issued $2.3 million in Star Bonds in 2019 to build a museum,” he said.  “Attached is a chart of all Star Bonds approved by the State of Kansas.  Preliminary estimates of the size of the Bourbon County project range from $3 million to $6 million.”

City 2019 Pop. Project Start Date Orig. Amt (000) 2019 Out. (000) Dist. Sales Tax (000) 2019 CO. Pop 10-yr Pop. Trend 2019 CO. Sales Tax (000) 2018-19 % increase 2019 Sales Tax Per Capita 2019 Pull Fact.
Atchison- AT 10,476 Aviation Museum May-18 $2,370 $2,190 $210 16,073 -5.03% $12,939 6.30% 819 0.70
Derby- SG 24,943 Dino/Sports Zone Mar-17 $20,465 $13,230 $5,701 516,042 3.55% $628,714 4.50% 1,234 1.14
Dodge City- FO 27,104 Power Center Dec-15 $28,481 $26,395 $1,512 33,619 -0.68% $37,999 5.10% 1,086 0.99
Garden City- FY 26,408 Mixed Use Mar-19 $29,540 $29,540 $2,117 36,467 -0.84% $58,841 10.40% 1,507 1.41
Kansas City- WY 152,960 Youth Soccer Aug-15 $65,138 $83,138 $1,293 165,429 5.03% $192,921 4.50% 1,119 0.96
Kansas City- WY 152,960 Mercy Park (SKC) May-10 $150,289 $0 n/a 165,429 5.03% $192,921 4.50% 1,119 0.96
Kansas City- WY 152,960 Kansas Speedway Jan-99 $24,300 $16,835 $1,326 165,429 5.03% $192,921 4.50% 1,119 0.96
Kansas City- WY 152,960 Schlitterbahn Oct-13 $85,200 $65,755 $6,514 165,429 5.03% $192,921 4.50% 1,119 0.96
Manhattan- RL 54,604 Flint Hills Discovery Dec-09 $50,000 $10,905 $5,586 74,232 4.38% $61,112 -0.20% 814 0.76
Overland Park- JO 195,494 Prairiefire Dec-12 $64,990 $64,860 $3,059 602,401 10.70% $917,056 2.50% 1,485 1.28
Overland Park- JO 195,494 BluHawk Mixed Use n/a n/a n/a n/a 602,401 10.70% $917,056 2.50% 1,485 1.28
Salina- SA 46,550 Fieldhouse Dec-18 $18,250 $18,250 $862 54,224 -2.49% $77,717 3.50% 1,380 1.31
Topeka- SH 125,310 Heartland Park Apr-07 $10,405 $5,025 $334 176,875 -0.60% $211,893 1.00% 1,178 1.06
Wichita- SG 389,938 River District Jul-15 $46,980 $42,140 $2,097 516,042 3.55% $628,714 4.50% 1,234 1.14
Wichita- SG 389,938 Greenwich Dec-13 $107,631 $59,290 $8,251 516,042 3.55% $628,714 4.50% 1,234 1.14
Fort Scott- BB 7,697 Arena Jan-22 n/a n/a n/a 14,534 -4.21% $11,778 -2.20% 795 0.70

“Bottom line, we are looking at what has been successful elsewhere,” Motley said.

Housing

“We are examining possibilities to expand housing in Bourbon County,”  Motley said. “BEDCO is in the research and discussions phase.  Common sense would dictate that we first examine where the market is hot and see what can be done about enhancing the market in those areas.”

 

“Many jurisdictions in Kansas have a property improvement tax rebate of some sort, that rebate the increase in taxes property experiences, because of a new build or significant addition,” he said.  “Many are reluctant to improve their property because of inherent tax increases…a program like this would rebate the first five years of the increase.”

 

Motley can be contacted at 620-215-6411.

 

 

 

Government, Kansas

Kansas Online Drivers Testing Exam Launched April 1

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Kansas Department of Revenue Announces a Web-Based Written Driver’s License Exam Option

TOPEKA – On Thursday, April 1, 2021, the Kansas Department of Revenue’s Division of Vehicles launched KnowTo Drive Online, a web-based version of its driver’s testing exam, powered by Intellectual Technology, Inc. (ITI). The introduction of this testing service adds to the Department’s expanding online services it provides. With KnowTo Drive Online, Kansans have the opportunity to take their written test from the comfort of their home.

“The availability of an online written test has been on our list of customer service enhancements and we are happy to finally announce its arrival,” David Harper, Director of the Division of Vehicles, said. “This testing portal, coupled with our other online services, should greatly decrease the number of customers in the office and considerably reduce the duration of customer visits.”

Kansas is the newest state to offer testing through KnowTo Drive Online. ITI also hosts self-service kiosks in 13 states, which help motor vehicle agencies extend services to grocery stores and other places of convenience.

The KnowTo Drive Online testing portal is available 24/7 on the Division of Vehicles’ website at http://ksrevenue.org/vehicles. Fees are $10 for the first test and $8.50 for any re-test.

If preferred, the Kansas Driver’s License written version of the test will still be available to be taken in the office.

Government, Kansas

Kansas New Bills Signed Into Law

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Governor Laura Kelly Signs Bill Requiring In-Person Learning Option, Other Legislation

~Governor Kelly signs school bill after all Kansas schools already offer in-person attendance options~

TOPEKA – Serving as a testament to her administration’s efforts to get Kansans back to school, back to work, and back to normal, Governor Laura Kelly signed SB63, and all unified school districts in Kansas will now provide a full-time, in-person attendance option for all students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12.

“Since the pandemic began, my administration has prioritized keeping Kansans healthy, keeping businesses open, and getting kids back into classrooms,” Governor Kelly said. “Among other efforts, we earmarked vaccines specifically for school staff – and all teachers and staff members who wanted a vaccine have now received at least their first dose.

“As we maintain quick and efficient vaccine distribution, COVID-19 case numbers in Kansas continue to drop – and our schools have taken steps to safely and responsibly re-introduce in-person learning. Currently, every school in Kansas is already offering an in-person attendance option for students.”

View Senate Bill 63 here.

Governor Kelly also signed the following bills into law:

Senate Bill 37

Senate Bill 37 amends provisions governing agent licensing and renewal licensure requirements in the Uniform Agents Licensing Act and in the Public Adjusters Licensing Act, and also amends a statute governing the examination of applicants for agent licensure.

The bill also provides for an exemption and extension in complying with the continuing education requirements of licensed insurance agents serving on active duty in the National Guard or armed services of the United States for a specified period of time. SB 37 further requires certification by pre-need-only insurance agents that no other insurance business was transacted.

Senate Bill 99

Senate Bill 99 amends law regarding vehicle dealer license requirements and vehicle display shows. Specifically, the bill authorizes the Director of Vehicles, the Kansas Department of Revenue, to issue a temporary display show license to a sponsor of a motor vehicle display show.

House Bill 2014

House Bill 2014 defines “military surplus vehicle” in the Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on Highways and in law regarding vehicle registration. It also authorizes the owner of a military surplus vehicle to register it with an annual fee.  

House Bill 2172

House Bill 2172 amends the Kansas Water Appropriation Act by expanding the opportunity for the establishment of multi-year flex accounts for groundwater water rights to water right holders who did not have water use between 2000 and 2009.  

House Bill 2270

House Bill 2270 places a limit of $100,000 on deposits into the State General fund each fiscal year from moneys from a levy placed on each fire insurance company doing business in Kansas for the purpose of maintaining the Office of State Fire Marshal.