There will be a Special Meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission held at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 7th, 2022. This meeting will be held to hold an Executive Session.
This meeting will be held at 123 S. Main Street in the City Commission meeting room and will be broadcast on the City’s you tube channel. The meeting is open to the public but the Executive Session is not.
Marybelle Georgianna (Snyder) Hall, age 90, of Uniontown, Kansas, died Thursday, February 3, 2022, at the Medicalodge facility in Fort Scott, KS. She was born May 8, 1931, to Lawrence and Dora (Russell) Snyder. She grew up on a farm in rural Bourbon County and attended Pawnee Elementary. Her parents let her start grade school a year early so that she would be in the same class as her older brother, and he wouldn’t have to walk to school alone. She later attended Fort Scott High School as well. She played basketball in high school during the days when each girls’ team had 3 girls playing defense on one end of the court and 3 girls playing offense on the other end. She played defense, so she often joked about how she was on the starting team but wasn’t good at dribbling or shooting.
On June 28, 1947, Marybelle married Melvin Joseph Hall during a small, intimate ceremony in rural Redfield, Kansas. Joe and Marybelle were together for 60 years before he passed away on December 31, 2007. The couple farmed, raised cattle and hogs, and ran an 80-cow dairy operation. In their free time, they raised draft horses and entered them in pulling contests all over the Midwest. Their horses won more than 300 trophies including some State Fair titles.
Marybelle also worked at Western Insurance for several years in the 1960’s and worked as a clerk at the Bronson Grain Elevator in the 1970’s and 80’s. Marybelle continued to work Customer Service desks at local grocery stores until she was over 80 years old. Marybelle was an amazing seamstress as well. She made all her own pant suits when she was working at the Western and took great pride in making clothes for her children and grandchildren.
For the past ten years, she enjoyed her retirement living next door to her dear sister-in-law, Louise Hall. The two of them had a great time together going out to eat and attending local events.
Marybelle was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and one brother, Lloyd Snyder.
She is survived by her brother, Russell Snyder, and her children Wayne (Julia) Hall of Uniontown, and Mary Jo (Steve) LaRue of Bronson. Marybelle had 9 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, 7 great-great-grandchildren and too many beloved nieces and nephews to count.
Kevin Gleason will conduct graveside services at 11:00 AM Wednesday, February 9th, at the Bronson Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 Tuesday evening February 8th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Memorials are suggested to the Marybelle Hall 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.
The City of Fort Scott is like other employers nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic, they have many positions to fill to be fully staffed.
The financial director position is one.
Last year, Susan Bancroft was hired as the Bourbon County Financial Director and also the Human Resource Director, in addition to her position as the City of Fort Scott Financial Director to combine services between the city and the county.
She has since given her resignation notice to the City of Fort Scott but has remained part-time financial director until a replacement can be found there, she said in an email.
“We are looking at applicants (for this position) and will be interviewing over the next couple of weeks,” Fort Scott’s Human Resource Director Brad Matkin said.
According to the City of Fort Scott website, the summary of the position is as follows: http://www.fscity.org/173/Job-Openings
“Under the general supervision of the City Manager, the Director of Finance performs financial reports, payroll, and retirement records; assists in the preparation of the city budget; monitors city revenues and expenditures and maintains all related records; supervises personnel in performing related accounting, utility billing systems, and clerical work”.
Matkin said some recently hired new city employees are Erica Mahder, dispatch; Melanie Enloe, dispatch; Tyler Cook, Woodland Hills Golf Course Groundsman, and Garret Rash, street sweeper.
Currently there are two unfilled vacancies at the city’s wastewater treatment plant, two in the public works department, one to two police officers, one to two firemen and Emergency Medical Services personnel and one to two paramedics, Matkin said.
To apply for these positions http://fscity.org
“We will continue to utilize social media, our website, a weekly radio broadcast, and word of mouth,” to fill these vacancies, he said.
“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” C.S. Lewis
“You must picture me alone in that room at Magdalen, night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. In the Trinity Term (“summer”) of 1929 I gave in and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England” (Surprised By Joy).
Those words speak to how hard C.S. Lewis, Professor of English Literature at Oxford University until 1954, fought to convince himself there was no God. Perhaps you know him as the author of Mere Christianity or The Chronicles of Narnia, two of his most famous writings. Disillusioned that God did not heal his mother from cancer, Lewis, age 10, left his childhood faith to throw himself into the defense of rationalism/atheism. That belief was reinforced when years later, as a student at Oxford, he found himself deeply troubled by suffering in the world, questioning how a loving God could allow such evil. Ironically, his firm belief in the nonexistence of God made him rethink some of his position’s inconsistencies. After years of intellectual struggle, Lewis found faith to be rational. Not only did he find factors such as the beauty of nature and art, joy, and even people undermined the foundation of his atheism, he also was able to see evil and suffering as an argument for God and Christianity, not for atheism.
In Mere Christianity, Lewis wrote: “My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. Just how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust? … Thus in the very act of trying to prove that God did not exist—in other words, that the whole of reality was senseless—I found I was forced to assume that one part of reality—namely my idea of justice—was full of sense. Consequently, atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning.” It’s little wonder that many consider C.S. Lewis to be the greatest Christian apologist of the 20th century. Sorrow entered Lewis’s life again when Joy, his wife of only three years, died from cancer at the age of 45. Lewis was left to face the problem of grief and unanswered prayer. He wrote that “even after all hope was gone, even on the last night before her death, there were patins of bright gold. Two of the last things she said were ‘You have made ne happy’ and ‘I am at peace with God.’”
I am encouraged by Lewis who boldly admitted the struggle of his faith but later found blessings amongst troubles. The author wrote that he was grateful for the miraculous cure for his wife’s first bout with cancer and that God granted him two more years with her before she died. Still, in Mere Christianity he wrote this: “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” Can anyone say it better?
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~Calls for a redistricting map that empowers all people of Kansas~
TOPEKA – The following is attributable to Governor Kelly regarding Senate Bill 355:
“The process of drawing districts each decade is the core to ensuring that all Kansans have the opportunity to participate in their government and have their voices heard. The courts and the Legislature have established case law and criteria on how to draw Kansas districts fairly and constitutionally.
“Those guidelines call for ensuring that districts are nearly equal to 734,470 in population as practicable while ensuring that plans have neither the purpose nor effect of diluting minority communities’ voting strength. The guidelines call for protecting communities of interest, preserving the core of existing congressional districts, and ensuring that whole counties are in the same congressional district if possible. The Legislature’s guidelines further state that ‘to a considerable degree most counties in Kansas are economic, social, and cultural units, or parts of a larger socioeconomic unit. These communities of interest should be considered during the creation of congressional districts.’
“Senate Bill 355, known as Ad Astra 2, does not follow these guidelines and provides no justification for deviation from those guidelines. Wyandotte County is carved into two separate congressional districts. Without explanation, this map shifts 46% of the Black population and 33% of the Hispanic population out of the third congressional district by dividing the Hispanic neighborhoods of Quindaro Bluffs, Bethel-Welborn, Strawberry Hill, Armourdale and others from Argentine, Turner and the rest of Kansas City, Kansas south of I-70. To replace lost population in the third district, this map adds in counties that are more rural to the south and west of the core of the Kansas City metropolitan area.
“Ad Astra 2 also separates the city of Lawrence from Douglas County and inserts urban precincts of Lawrence into the largely rural Big First Congressional District, reducing the strength of communities of interest in Western Kansas and unnecessarily dividing communities of interest in Eastern Kansas.
“Several alternatives would allow for the same deviation as Ad Astra 2 while protecting the core of the existing congressional districts and without diluting minority communities’ voting strength. I am ready to work with the Legislature in a bipartisan fashion to pass a new congressional map that addresses the constitutional issues in Senate Bill 355. Together, we can come to a consensus and pass a compromise that empowers all people of Kansas.
“For those reasons, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto Senate Bill 355.”
The Regular Council Meeting on January 10, 2022 at Uniontown City Hall, was called to order at 5:30 PM by Mayor Jurgensen. Council members present were Jess Ervin, Danea Esslinger, Josh Hartman, Amber Kelly, and Bradley Stewart. Also in attendance for all or part of the meeting were Tyler Travis, Codes Enforcement Officer Doug Coyan, City Treasurer Charlene Bolinger, City Superintendent Bobby Rich, and City Clerk Sally Johnson.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS/PROJECTS
Oath of Office was administered to newly elected officials. President of Council was elected.
Motion by Hartman, Second by Esslinger, Approved 4-0-1 (Ervin abstained) to elect Jess Ervin as President of Council
CITIZENS REQUEST
FINANCIAL REPORT
Treasurer Bolinger presented the December Treasurer’s Report. Beginning Checking Account Balance for all funds was $348,223.56, Receipts $68,673.96, Transfers Out $35,022.42, Expenditures $58,131.60, Checking Account Closing Balance $323,743.50. Bank Statement Balance $335,330.57, including Checking Account Interest of $28.96, Outstanding Deposits $0, Outstanding Checks $11,587.07, Reconciled Balance $323,743.50. Water Utilities Certificates of Deposit $30,038.92, Sewer Utilities Certificate of Deposit $18,538.88, Gas Utilities Certificates of Deposit $28,323.63, Total All Funds, including Certificates of Deposit $400,644.93. Year-to-Date Interest in Checking Acct is $369.71, and Utility CDs $323.27 for a Total Year-to-Date Interest of $692.98. Also included the status of the Projects Checking Account for the month of December 2021, Beginning Balance $0, Receipts $0, Expenditures $0, Ending Balance $0. December Transfers from Sewer Utility Fund to Sewer Revolving Loan $1,400.00, Capital Improvements $1,000, Capital Improvement-Streets $250, and General Fund $2,000, from Water Utility Fund to GO Water Bond & Interest $1,622.00, Capital Improvements $1,000, Capital Improvement-Streets $750, Security Meter Deposit $0.14, and General Fund $3,000, from Gas Fund to Capital Improvements $3,000, Capital Improvement-Streets $12,500, Security Meter Deposit $0.28, and General Fund $3,000, from General Fund to Capital Improvements $3,000 and Capital Improvement-Street $2,500, Total Transfers of $35,022.42. Net Loss for the month of December $24,480.06, Year-to-Date Net Loss $77,354.97. Budget vs Actual Water Fund YTD Revenue $117,090.65 (117.3%), Expenditures $113,960.87 (92.1%); Sewer Fund YTD Revenue $37,924.19 (109.1%), Expenditures $39,925.02 (91.5%); Gas Fund YTD Revenue $149,077.20 (115.4%), Expenditures $292,421.16 (88.5%); General Fund YTD Revenue $148,684.70 (129.9%), Expenditures $157,586.80 (96.0%); and Special Highway YTD Revenue $9,287.36 (155.3%), Expenditures $13,736.60 (91.9%). The January 2022 estimated payables in the amount of $21,547.42 were presented.
CONSENT AGENDA
Motion by Ervin, Second by Hartman, Approved 5-0, to approve Consent Agenda:
DEPARTMENT REPORTS
The sewer main servicing Tyler Travis’ at 204 Second St sewer line is blocked by roots. Superintendent Rich received some quotes to cut out the roots, from Meyer Specialty, Wichita, at $450/hr and Ace Pipe Cleaning, Kansas City, at $300/hr. Also roots in main near 304 Washington St. Replacing the main with pvc at 204 Second St is out of the question due to the proximity of electric pole in the dig area and property owners garage (excavator will not attempt). It was suggested to look into using ARPA funds to pay for this.
Motion by Ervin, Second by Hartman, Approved 5-0 to contract Ace Pipe Cleaning to clean roots out of sewer mains near 204 Second St and also near 304 Washington.
Rich reported that the tractor has been repaired. Councilman Stewart volunteered to haul to/from the mechanic in Colony. Mechanic cost was substantially less than PrairieLand Partners.
Trees have been planted at park and pond.
Codes Enforcement Officer Coyan started discussion on ordinances for storage containers, storage/accessory buildings. Mayor Jurgensen spoke to owner of 112B Second St and 103 Fifth St. They will sell 112B Second Street to the City for $1,000. Mayor and owner discussed that 103 Fifth St needs cleaned up. A letter needs to be sent to initiate cleanup. Cleanup completion date was discussed. Discussion concerning the purchase of 112B ensued. This property adjoins the Kite property the City recently acquired.
Motion by Ervin, Second by Kelly, Approved 5-0 to purchase Lot 58 less west 8’, Block 11, Original town, Uniontown, Bourbon County, KS commonly known as 112B Second St
Clerk Johnson reminded Council that Local Government Day at the Capitol is January 26, 2022, and to let her know if she needed to register anyone or get lodging for them.
Communities in Schools is hosting “Mental Illness-The Silent Epidemic with Coach Potter” on January 17, 6:30PM at West Bourbon Elementary
Reminded Council of the Health in All Policies Learning Session on January 19, 2022, 5:00-8:00PM at Healthy Bourbon County Action Team office.
KRWA Delegate –
Motion by Ervin, Second by Kelly, Approved 4-0 to designate Bobby Rich as Delegate and Josh Hartman as Alternate Delegate for KRWA
She has registered for an ARPA Overview zoom on January 25 through CCMFOA.
COUNCIL REPORT
Councilman Ervin – nothing
Councilwoman Esslinger – nothing
Councilman Hartman – nothing
Councilwoman Kelly – She has been asked by someone on Bronson City County to have someone from Uniontown City Council to attend county commission meeting to have Maple Road resurfaced from Bronson to Uniontown.
Motion by Ervin, Second by Esslinger, Approved 5-0 to have Amber Kelly attend county commission meetings to get Maple Road resurfaced from Bronson to Uniontown
Councilman Stewart – nothing
Mayor Jurgensen – nothing
OLD BUSINESS
Traffic control on several streets – streets and locations were discussed.
Motion by Kelly, Second by Ervin, Approved 4-1 (Stewart) to purchase and install five sets of speed bumps and four signs with two sets on Hill St and three sets on Fulton St
Dog/Cat Ordinance and amendments review – after discussion, it was recommended to amend ordinance to include $100 fee per animal for non-compliance of number of animals allowed and animal(s) must be removed from city limits within 30 days or fee assessed again. Clerk Johnson will check with attorney and bring amended ordinance to next meeting.
Wholesale water supply – Councilman Hartman has been in communication with Bourbon County RWD #4 but the length of pipe to connect has not been determined. Councilman Ervin has been in communication with Rob Harrington, Bourbon County REDI, to facilitate a meeting between him, as a representative of City of Uniontown, and City of Fort Scott regarding rates.
Motion by Hartman, Second by Esslinger, Approved 5-0 to have Jess Ervin represent the City of Uniontown at meeting(s) with the City of Fort Scott and Bourbon County Consolidated Rural Water District #2 negotiating water rates
Pond Improvement Project – no update. The walkway east rail is welded on the east side and tacked on the west side.
City Utility Low-Interest Loan update – Interest rate for 2022 did not change, still 0.25%. Clerk Johnson plans to send yearly statements by the end of January.
American Rescue Plan Act update – Clerk Johnson will attend another zoom on ARPA on January 19. Final Rule has been released.
NEW BUSINESS
Street Repair – Mayor Jurgensen has spoken with County Commissioner Oharah about hiring the county to asphalt some of the streets in town this summer. As of December 31, there is $106,517.50 in the Capital Improvement-Streets fund. We might be able to asphalt about a mile of streets. Communication will continue with County on their willingness to work with us. The damage to the streets by the three different trash companies was discussed. It was suggested to have Clerk Johnson to check into citywide trash hauling to limit the number trash trucks on our streets.
Moved by Ervin, Second by Stewart, Approved 4-0, to adjourn at 7:39PM
ROLL CALL:
___ Jess Ervin ___ Danea Esslinger ___ Josh Hartman ___ Amber Kelly ___ Bradley Stewart
Motion by ________________, Second by _____________________, Approved ________ to recess into executive session pursuant to the nonelected personnel matters exception, KSA 75-4319(b)(1) in order to discuss performance of nonelected personnel, the open meeting to resume at____________.
CITIZENS REQUESTS
Nancy Holt
FINANCIAL REPORT
Charlene Bolinger – Financial reports
APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA
A. Minutes of January 10, 2022 Regular Council Meeting
B. Treasurers Report, Monthly Transaction Report & Accounts Payables
Superintendent: Bobby Rich
KRWA Conference-March 29-31, Wichita
Codes Enforcement: Doug Coyan
Shipping/Storage Containers, Accessory/Storage Buildings, Fences regulations
Clerk Report: Sally Johnson
HBCAT Placemaking Pledge –
Court Clerk’s Spring Conference – March 4, Wichita
CCMFOA Spring Conference – March 16-18, Manhattan
KSGFOA membership
Councilman Ervin –
Councilwoman Esslinger –
Councilman Hartman –
Councilwoman Kelly –
Councilman Stewart–
Mayor Jurgensen –
Dog/Cat Ordinance and amendments review –
Wholesale water supply –
Pond Improvement Project –
City Utility Low-Interest Loan update –
American Rescue Plan Act update–
Street Repair –
ADJOURN Time ____________ Moved by ______________, 2nd ___________________, Approved ___________
Ordinance under consideration:
CITY OF UNIONTOWN
PO BOX 51
UNONTOWN, KS 66779
ORDINANCE NO. 196
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 174 RELATING TO THE KEEPING OF DOGS AND CATS WITHIN THE CITY OF UNIONTOWN AND PROVIDING FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY BY REQUIRING ALL DOGS AND CATS KEPT WITHIN THE CITY OF UNIONTOWN TO BE REGISTERED AND VACCINATED FOR RABIES.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF UNIONTOWN, KANSAS:
SECTION 1. Add Section 2 as follows:
PERMITTED DOGS AND CATS; FEE
SECTION 2. EFFECTIVE DATE. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force after its passage and publication in the official city newspaper.
Passed and approved this 15th day of February, 2022.
___________________________
Larry Jurgensen, Mayor
ATTEST:
________________________________
Sally Johnson, City Clerk
Attachments are below:
There is an opening on the Lake Fort Scott Advisory Board Committee:
One opening (Full-time resident on the East side of Lake Fort Scott)
The function of the Lake Fort Scott Advisory Board Committee is to provide suggestions to the Fort Scott City Manager and Governing Body regarding lake operations, lake safety, fishing, boating, and camping at Lake Fort Scott.
If you have a desire to serve on this board and meet the above requirements, please submit a letter of interest to the City Clerk, Diane Clay, 123 S. Main, Fort Scott, Kansas 66701. The names will be submitted for consideration to the City Commission. All of the boards and commissions serve on a volunteer basis and are not compensated. If you would like more information on this board, please contact Diane Clay, City Clerk at 620-223-0550 or [email protected]. Please submit your letter of interest by February 25th, 2022.
