Bourbon County Commission Agenda Summary for Sept. 21, 2026 Meeting

Bourbon County Commission Meeting Agenda – September 21, 2026, 5:30 PM

agenda-packet (full PDF)

Agenda as of September 18th, 2026 5:07 PM Central for the September 21st, 2026 5:30 PM meeting, fetched from HeyGov when this draft was created.

• I. Call Meeting To Order (Page 1)
• II. Pledge Of Allegiance (Page 1)
• III. Prayer – Beerbower (Page 1)
• IV. Introductions (Page 1)
• V. Approval Of Agenda (Page 1)
• VI. Approval Of Minutes (Pages 3–10, 46–73)
• VII. Approval Of Accounts Payable (Pages 12–40)
• VIII. Executed Documents for Record (Page 1)
• IX. Public Comments (Page 1)
• X. Executive Session K.S.A. 75-4319(b)(1) — Subject: Appraiser (Page 1)
• XI. Department Updates (Page 1)
• XII. Old Business (Page 1)
  • a. Apex environment – Beerbower (Pages 74–78)
  • b. Auction update – Allen (Page 1)
• XIII. New Business (Pages 1–2)
  • a. Appointment of County Appraiser – Milburn (Pages 79–80)
  • b. Purchasing Policy – Milburn (Pages 81–84)
  • c. Employee Benefit Discussion – Milburn (Pages 85–86)
  • d. Evidence – Election/911 space Reallocation – Clerk (Pages 87–89)
  • e. KORA Policy Resolution – Clerk (Pages 90–102)
  • f. KC Crown Fort Scott project (Pages 103–105)
  • g. IT training for employees – Motley (Page 2)
• XIV. Commission Comments (Page 2)
• XV. Future Agenda Topics (Page 2)
• XVI. Adjournment (Page 2)

Detailed Information Packet Summary

1. Meeting Minutes Pending Approval (Pages 3–10, 46–73)

The packet includes several sets of draft minutes for commission approval.

• Special Meeting, Sept. 14, 2026, 1:00 PM — Appraiser candidate interviews: Four executive sessions under K.S.A. 75-4319(b)(1) to interview appraiser candidates (Danyelle, Adam, Andrew, and final candidate Brooke), each 10–25 minutes, no action taken during sessions. (Pages 3–5)
• Meeting, Sept. 14, 2026, 5:30 PM — Revenue Neutral Rate public hearing: Public hearing on a proposed mill levy of 56.678 mills versus the revenue-neutral rate of 54.661 mills (about $294,000 in additional revenue); resolution to exceed the RNR carried 5-0. Agenda amended to remove the KC Crown item (postponed a week), add a burn ban discussion and a pending-litigation executive session. Approved the Confluence Inc. comprehensive plan/zoning contract (Resolution 28-26), lifted the county burn ban, and authorized Commissioner Milburn to proceed with hiring an appraiser. Kevin Allen and Clayton Miller raised transfer-station rate/wage concerns. (Pages 6–10)
• Meeting, Aug. 24, 2026: Courthouse elevator outage prompted temporary relocation of District Court to 108 W. Second St.; election ballot deadlines discussed; cereal malt beverage application approved; Baker Tilly budget scenario analysis presented; public hearing notice authorized for a mill levy not to exceed 56.669 mills. (Pages 46–51)
• Special Meeting, Sept. 2, 2026 — Asbestos testing: Commission engaged Apex Environmental for courthouse asbestos inspection/testing ahead of elevator modernization, not-to-exceed $5,000 budget; motion carried 4-0. (Pages 64–65)
• Meeting, Sept. 9, 2026: Approved an $8,000 training invoice; approved restrictive covenant and Triad Environmental water-testing contract ($12,990) for the old landfill site; discussed appraiser applicant interviews and a possible Allen County appraiser-sharing arrangement. (Pages 66–68)
• Meeting, Aug. 31, 2026: Public comment from Kevin Allen on transfer-station rate/wage plans; budget framework presented by Baker Tilly; S&P bond-rating discussion; asbestos-testing motions (mixed results); Healthcare Sales Tax Review Committee reported $336,741.49 collected year-to-date for Freeman Hospital’s ER; two-week countywide burn ban enacted 3-1. (Pages 69–73)

2. Accounts Payable / Open Invoices Report (Pages 12–40)

A 29-page open-invoices report dated 9/18/2026, grand total $581,360.08 across county funds.

• Road & Bridge Sales Tax Fund: $199,848.03
• Road and Bridge Fund: $106,376.24
• County Sheriff/Correctional: $45,772.69
• Courthouse General: $47,121.52
• Bond Sales Tax – County Jail: $8,195.85
• Employee Benefit: $5,293.69
• County Coroner (autopsy service): $7,675.00
• Emergency Services Sales Tax (August hospital sales tax): $58,485.85
• Other departments (District Court, Finance, HR, Emergency Preparedness, IT, Ambulance Service, County Treasurer, County Attorney, Landfill, Special Law Enforcement, Noxious Weed) round out the total.

(Pages 12–40)

3. County Appraiser Vacancy & Appointment (Pages 41–42, 79–80)

• Notification of County Appraiser Change: Matt Quick’s resignation as County Appraiser, effective 8/18/2026, after eight years in the role. (Pages 41–42)
• Draft Resolution — Appointment of County Appraiser: Appoints Danielle Louk, a Kansas Registered Mass Appraiser, effective September 21, 2026, to serve the unexpired term through June 30, 2029, sharing her services with Allen County under a Memorandum of Understanding; repeals Resolution 20-25. (Pages 79–80)

4. Budget & Revenue Neutral Rate Documentation (Pages 43, 45)

• Notice of Hearing to Exceed Revenue Neutral Rate and Budget Hearing: Full 2027 budget summary by fund, comparing 2025 actual, 2026 estimate, and proposed 2027 figures; total proposed expenditures $19,969,633, proposed 2026 ad valorem tax $8,148,472, proposed tax rate 56.678 mills versus a revenue-neutral rate of 54.661 mills. (Page 43)
• Roll Call Vote: 5-0 vote to levy a property tax rate exceeding the revenue neutral rate, held 9/14/26. (Page 45)

5. Comprehensive Plan & Zoning — Confluence, Inc. Agreement (Pages 52–63)

• Resolution 28-26: Approves a Planning Services Agreement with Confluence, Inc. to develop a Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code Regulations, total fee $116,500 (including up to $5,000 reimbursable expenses), funded $36,000 from the 2026 General Fund and $80,500 from the 2027 General Fund; aligns with the existing moratorium on utility-scale power generation, crypto mining, data centers and waste disposal (Resolution 24-26). Signed by Chairman Motley 9/14/26. (Pages 52–55)
• Full Planning Services Agreement: Four-phase, roughly 12-month scope (Project Research + Analysis; Vision, Input and Direction; Draft Plan + Zoning Code; Final Draft Plan and Code + Adoption) with fees by phase totaling $116,500, plus Exhibit A standard hourly rates and reimbursable expense schedule. (Pages 56–63)

6. Environmental Testing Proposals (Pages 44, 74–78)

• Triad Environmental Services: Proposal to sample groundwater monitoring wells at KDHE Landfill #206 & #512, approximate total cost $12,990; approved by Commissioner Allen 9/9/26. (Page 44)
• APEX Environmental Consultants — “Apex environment” (agenda item XII.a): Pre-renovation asbestos NESHAP inspection, lead-based paint testing and ambient air monitoring of the courthouse ahead of elevator/third-floor renovation; fees of $2,475 for field inspection/report and an estimated $1,050 for bulk sample analysis (30 samples @ $35 each). Includes full General Conditions terms. (Pages 74–78)

7. Murphy Tractor & Equipment Letter — Purchasing Policy (Pages 81–84)

Territory Sales Manager Travis Clinesmith writes to the Board questioning the county’s recent equipment purchasing process. He states Murphy Tractor was not contacted or invited to submit competitive proposals for a Caterpillar motor grader (~$54,000/year for eight years, more than $432,000 total, via Foley Equipment/Sourcewell), an excavator (~$34,000/year), or a proposed Caterpillar backhoe (later rescinded pending a used-equipment search). He asks the Board to clarify the county’s current competitive-bidding procedures for major equipment purchases and requests the opportunity to compete going forward. (Pages 81–84)

8. Employee Insurance Benefit Proposal (Pages 85–86)

A proposal (Commissioner Milburn) to standardize the county’s insurance contribution at $1,100/month for the roughly 82 employees who use county insurance (replacing the current tiered $925–$1,700/month structure), and to offer $2/hour premium pay (about $4,160/year) to the roughly 35 eligible employees who opt out with outside coverage, at an estimated added cost of $145,600/year. (Pages 85–86)

9. Office Space Assignment Resolution (Pages 87–89)

A draft resolution formally designating office, workspace, storage and restricted-area assignments throughout the Courthouse and Courthouse Annex — including District Court, County Attorney, Appraiser, Recorder of Deeds, County Clerk, Public Works, County Treasurer, and a list of restricted cell-pod storage/IT areas — and requiring Commission approval for any reassignment. (Pages 87–89)

10. KORA / Public Records Policy Resolutions (Pages 90–102)

• Resolution 10-06 (2006): Existing schedule of copy and fax fees under KORA, currently in effect. (Pages 90–92)
• Draft comprehensive KORA resolution (agenda item XIII.e): A new, detailed resolution decentralizing public-records responsibility to each office/department’s own custodian rather than routing all requests through the County Clerk, setting a $0.25/page copy fee and staff-time billing, and superseding Resolutions 99-19 and 10-06 where they conflict. (Pages 93–101)
• KORA Resolution #99-19 (1999): The original, still-referenced public records policy. (Page 102)

11. KC Crown Inc. Fort Scott Housing Project (Pages 103–105)

• Project scope memo: KC Crown Inc. proposes a phased affordable-housing development (25 homes per phase, up to 4 phases) on land owned by Binder “Sam” Singh south of the KC Mart, with an initial investment of about $2.5 million; requests a Commission resolution of support to apply for the Kansas Housing Investor Tax Credit. (Page 103)
• Draft resolution: Authorizes preparation and submission of a Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) application for the Housing Investor Tax Credit (HITC) on the county’s behalf. (Pages 104–105)