The Bourbon County commission meeting opened to a full house for the budget hearing. The hearing began at 5:35p.m. with public comments.

JD Handly began the public comment section by acknowledging that the county is not in good financial condition. He asked that the commissioners consider their positions as public service and be willing to forego their salaries completely, noting they are not immune to the financial problems that the county currently has.

Joe Smith also spoke. He was a member of the budget advisory committee. He said the budget they presented to the commission was feasible and seemed good to them at the time. He then said that the commission had added things to the budget that caused it to exceed what the committee recommended.

“There seems to be an attitude by the commission that excessive overspending is correct,” he said. Citing the commission’s decision to remove the IT personnel and replace them with a service based in Missouri, which cost the county “nearly a mill” in tax dollars, he said the commission had created an unacceptable state for the people of Bourbon County. He also said they had added a financial advisor who is cutting the county clerk out of her job as the financial advisor to the commission.

“You have overspent by about $345,000,” according to his understanding of the budget. That did not include the money spent on Stronghold (IT Department).

Diane Brillhart spoke on behalf of the Bourbon County Fair Association, asking them not to cut the fair’s budget by half. She said that the county’s allocation is appreciated and needed and has been unchanged for the last 10 years. She emphasized the fair’s service to the youth of Bourbon County and the statute that requires the county to pay for judges and premium amounts, which “well-exceed $10,000.” The utilities alone run $17,000 per year, and insurance is $6,000. They work hard and try to host lots of events for the area. She asked them to reconsider the fair’s allocation.

Lynne OHarah, said it was hard to make a budget, as he remembered from his time as commissioner. He disagreed with the idea of commissioners working without pay, saying it would lead to the need for a county manager to cover what they would no longer have time to do if strictly volunteers.

He then spoke on behalf of seniors and those in lower income brackets, saying they want to stay in Bourbon County, but their income stays the same as the taxes go up. He asked the commission not to raise their taxes.

Clint Walker agreed with chairman Beerbower that the county needs a maintenance program for all their vehicles and they “have missed the boat” in that regard thus far. He said it would save the county a great deal of money to do that.

Anne Dare offered appreciation to the commission for serving. She then asked for confirmation of her understanding of the current mill levy situation. Currently it is 59.9. To stay revenue neutral, they would have to reduce it to 57.55. She confirmed that liability insurance and health care benefits costs for the county have increased.

She asked if the 59.936 mill rate covers the increased insurance costs? A commissioner answered that it does not, and will cause the reserves to be even more depleted. Dare said it doesn’t seem to be possible to go revenue neutral in light of that increase.

She asked that they be very deliberate in how they carry out the numbers and remember the people that live in Bourbon County and want to stay here and how it affects them.

Susan Walker, County Clerk, made the comment that the commissioners are required by statute to be paid a minimum of $5,000. She also, confirmed that the insurance increases are accounted for in the current 2026 budget document.

She wasn’t as involved in the budget process as in the past and has real concerns about cash reserves. “Because if revenues don’t meet their targets then you don’t meet those cash reserves,” she said.

The commissioners closed the hearing at 5:52.

Mapleton City Council – Redfield Road

Ron Burton, mayor of Mapleton, spoke to the commission about the road, saying it is becoming impassible and that the county has historically maintained it. The city cannot afford to fix it. He is concerned about the safety of the road and may have to close it or give it back to the county.

Mike Houston, city council member for Mapleton, also asked for the county’s help. Historically, it has been considered a county road linking the south and north ends of the county.  He pointed out that the county maintains the portion of Yale Road that is in Mapleton city limits. He also mentioned that the road needs maintenance as a mail and school bus route.

Houston said that if the city must fix it, it will no longer be a truck route as a city street. This will remove it as an option for county trucks coming through to maintain Yale Road, as well as for all other truck traffic.

“It would pretty well shut off the north end of the county if we make it a city street,” said Houston.

Beerbower asked how long it had been since the county had worked on it. Houston said it has been years, aside from salting it during an ice storm.

Melissa Bazone, representing Timber Hills Lake Ranch and Mapleton Cafe, which just reopened, said, “The road really is becoming impassible.”

“It would be a huge loss to us to not have that,” she said, referring to the loss of business if the road is not repaired.

Houston asked if the county would just make it drivable, not necessarily re-asphalt it at this time.

Jennifer Williams, Mapleton City Clerk, said that several county trucks have come through and bottomed out.

“It’s just cost-effective” to fix those holes, she said.

Mr. Handly said the road is classified as a rural secondary road,  giving it priority over other county roads. “That road needs immediate attention, like this week,” he said.

Sheriff Bill Martin also chimed in and said it needs work to be safe.

Commissioner Samuel Tran concurred after driving it himself recently. He also mentioned the recently approved interconnecting link for Uniontown, which connects Maple Road to Hwy 3 through Uniontown.

He said the KDOT map classifies State Road 125, going from Highway 54 to Highway 31, as a major collector.

It will cost the county about $32,000 in materials and $2,200 in labor to fix it.

“I think we should fix it, and I think we should memorialize this so that this does not come up again,” said Tran. He said it is hard to find information on what has been done historically.

“I feel very strongly that we need to put this back in our fold,” he said. But he doesn’t think they have the manpower to take care of it this year. However, they can patch it now to reduce the safety issue and add it to the asphalting plan for next year.

Beerbower agreed that the county should take care of it going forward.

Tran made a motion to accept responsibility for the 2226 feet of the road in Mapleton, that the county will maintain it going forward, and that public works make a plan to add it to their asphalt plan in the future.

They also decided to create a resolution to make it a matter of record.

Former commissioner Brandon Whisenhunt spoke up, saying maybe they should create a list of all the heavy traffic roads throughout the county that run from highway to highway and do the same with them. The commission agreed with his suggestion.

Lynne OHara said there was a major lawsuit about who owns the roads in the county, which affects what roads the county is permitted to maintain. Tran said he understood that inter-connectors must be done by the county. Beerbower said they would refer it to counsel and get it in line with the law

Misty Adams – Fulton City Council

Adams, mayor of Fulton City, spoke to the commission about recent repairs Public Works had done to Old 69 Highway (206th St) from the flood damage. She said they didn’t resurface it fully as they have in the past, and she was told it was because of budget constraints. She asked the commission to remedy the situation.

She also said that the county’s culvert across from the RR crossing on 215th needs to be cleaned out for proper water drainage. The RR mowing tractor got stuck in the water there. They also have a major mosquito problem because of all the water.

She also said the ditches on 215 are overgrown causing visibility issues for drivers.

Tran will follow up with public works regarding mowing and the culvert clearing.

Road Concern –Lynne O’Harah

O’Harah spoke with the commission about the road, which was called 352. It runs from 95th St. passed 75th St. Terrace. The land it crosses has been in their family since the late 1800s. It has been abandoned but not legally closed. There are procedures that must be followed to close a road and there’s no record of those procedures ever taking place, per his research.

From 1936 to 2012 a short portion of that road still showed as an open road. He wants it recognized as open by the county for 1056 feet so he can sell a portion of the land and have access to it.

Laura Holdridge, Register of Deeds, said this has been brought up several times. The 1989 map shows it as a driveway.

O’Harah is opposed to getting a permanent easement because it has never been legally closed.

Tran said he drove out and researched the subject and spoke to the family. The county recently graded 1056 feet of the road, there’s a culvert there for property access that O’Harah paid the county to have installed, and a recently installed a 911 sign.

“You don’t put culverts on private property,” said O’Harah.

Milburn said GIS said it doesn’t appear to be a road. The last map it existed on pre-dates GIS. The county still maintains the road, which is listed as a road on the 2011 map.

Beerbower said he would like to visit with counsel about the legal situation.

O’Harah said the situation has been drug out for 4 years, and he’s in danger of losing his contract to sell the property.

Beerbower made a motion to add to the agenda an executive session with county counsel to discuss the matter. Motion carried.

The executive session failed because they couldn’t reach the county counselor on the phone to discuss the matter. It has been added to a later county commissioner meeting.

They then closed the subject.

Department Updates

Sheriff – Bill Martin
TUSA – Radios

The Sheriff’s department has decided to hire TUSA to do a study to determine what kind of radio system Bourbon County first responders should change to. They are required to change to an encrypted system. This will also apply to Fort Scott Police, EMS, Rural Fire, Fort Scott Fire, and all other first responders in the county.

Martin showed a video taken during the Jan. 2024 ice storm that shut the county down for a few days. He encouraged viewers to use their phone’s stopwatch functions and played the video of a Bourbon County officer who slipped and fell, hitting his head. He was unable to grab his radio because of his injury and lay on the ground for nearly one and a half minutes before his partner realized he was down and came to help him.

Martin asked the commission to consider what would happen if an officer were down for that long due to being shot when approaching a car in rural Bourbon County. He then went on to say that the new generation of radios is able to tell when a radio is horizontal and in less than a minute, will open the channel and turn on his mic so dispatch can check on him and he can get help.

Martin asked how the commission would like him to pay for the first phase of the study with TUSA to start the process of upgrading the radio system. Phase one will cost $32,600. He said their price is most reasonable for the product they will receive. Others they checked with don’t offer services that are as complete. The contract was reviewed by the sheriff’s office attorney and okayed.

Representatives of the various first responder departments in Bourbon County agreed that TUSA is the best choice for doing the study.

The second phase, at a cost of $47,000, is the vendor sifting and selecting phase, conducted by TUSA.

Milburn wants to take it out of the jail sales tax fund.

Susan Walker, county clerk, said they need to look at the long-term and their increasing debt service.

“If I were to make any recommendation, it would be out of the sales tax fund,” she said. She projects there will be $2 million in that fund, which she says is a conservative estimate.

Tran asked how much of the cost would be covered by other entities that will be involved. Martin said he was expecting the city to chip in, but he needs to do the upgrade whether they contribute or not.

Tran said that in this instance, he wants to support his sheriff. He also suggested the county might have to pay for the service over time, rather than up front.

Tran asked for suggestions from the sheriff’s finance advisor. The advisor said there are a number of ways to make it work and that having debt service over time is probably the best way.

Beerbower moved to take $80,540 from the jail sales tax to fund the contract with TUSA to upgrade the radios system for Bourbon County First Responders.

Tran said he had no issues with the project, but he had reservations about funding it completely. “I would feel much more comfortable about funding phase 1,” he said.

Beerbower said the phases are connected. The motion died.

Tran made a motion to fund the sheriff’s department completely for phase one from the jail sales tax. Beerbower seconded, and motion carried.

Crawkan – Phone & Internet

Martin said the former county IT department has historically taken care of the phones, but now the Sheriff’s department needs direction from the commission on how to fund it.

Martin also said the server that services their phones needs to be replaced, as it isn’t allowing them to make calls consistently. Crawkan wants $10,000 to update the entire phone system.

Sheriff asked where to pull the funding from. He suggested using the jail sales tax to fund it.

Beerbower made the motion to allow the sheriff $10,884 from the jail sales tax to upgrade his phone system. Motion carried.

Vehicles

The Sheriff revisited the plan of leasing his department’s vehicles from Enterprise. Eleven vehicles for $132,000 is the current plan. It will not start until January 2026, however, the portal to order cars is available for a limited time frame.

The department has 15 cars, and they are planning to lease 11 and get rid of 11, keeping the fleet number the same.

The current budget does not allow for any new vehicles.

Martin said his department operates under statutes, and the county is required by statute to provide vehicles for the sheriff’s department.

Tran asked how much it will be in the future.

Susan Walker said she will have more information on the debt service cost at the next meeting.

Public Comments for Items Not on The Agenda

Michael Hoyt

Hoyt asked what the justification was for the $8,000 paid to a law firm at the beginning of the meeting when the commission approved the payment of budget items. Beerbower said it was paid to progress a civil case between the county and a plaintiff. Hoyt said that the amount was not mentioned in the motion, which makes the payment illegal.

“We’ll take that up with our counsel,” said Beerbower.

Old Business
Budget Discussion & Approval of Final Budget

Milburn suggested tabling this item until the Sept. 22 meeting. Tran asked to meet in a special meeting and keep cutting the budget and not push it off another week.

They decided to hold a special meeting Tues. Sept. 16 at 5 p.m.

Liaison Procedures & Assignments

Beerbower read a statement apologizing to the public and to his fellow commissioners. He also said the authority of the commission is collective, and they are stronger when they are together than when they fight.

Mid-Year Valuation with Appraiser

Commissioner Milburn read a portion of a letter from the county appraiser explaining the valuation situation in Bourbon County.

Every year the state of Kansas does an evaluation of each county to see if it is in statistical compliance and following the guidelines the state laid out. The evaluation is based on property sales. Ideally, the valuation should be within 10% of the value the property sells for. Last year, Bourbon County appraised values were at 72.8% of the amount the properties sold for. Halfway through 2025 they were at 81.74%. They are still appraising for less than the market value.

“90 to 100 (percent) is where we want to be,” said the appraiser’s statement.

Courthouse Elevator

The county needs to either fix the elevator or apply for a variance per the Department of Labor, or risk a fine from the Fire Marshall.

Tran advised modernizing the whole elevator system. “Replace the whole thing,” he said.

Milburn moved that they give the clerk the authority to apply for the variance to continue current operations and report back to the commission if there’s a variance fee.

Network Real Estate, LLC – Approval of Letter

For AT&T,  a letter stating that the county currently has no codes or zoning.

It was approved.

The sheriff said that some counties have agreements with tower builders allowing the county to add its first responder equipment to a portion of the tower.

Claim for Windshield Damage

A county truck threw a rock and broke a citizen’s windshield. The cost of the damage is $381.57. Rather than submit it to the county’s insurance with its $500 deductible, the commission voted to pay the repair costs.

County Clerk
CIC Payroll Conversion & PayEntry Contract

Walker pointed out some potential problems with the PayEntry contract, which requires the clerk to be the primary contact and take care of all the housekeeping items. There is also an $85 per hour charge, per payroll, depending on how many hours it takes them to process the payroll, per the provider addendum, and a $2 per print for W2s.

Milburn said she would talk to the company representative.

Road Records will now be handled by the clerk, since Laura Holdridge will no longer be doing them.

The commission also moved to take back the culvert approval from the consent agenda and set it aside to be brought back Sept. 22.

Commission Comments

Tran announced they have successfully hired a Director of Public Works, Kenneth Allen, who will start Sept. 22.

Milburn read a statement saying that outsourcing IT services has saved the county money and allowed it to keep up with industry standards. Also, the outsourcing of payroll services did not add new costs to the budget. The commission’s decision to engage an HR firm to help them deal with HR matters was necessary to create consistency. She also asked if the budget should be overseen by a single individual or by a governing body of three.

KEEP MOVING FORWARD

 

Wreaths Across America adopts a new theme each year as we work to fulfill our commitment to Remember, Honor and Teach, in conjunction with the annual wreath placements at Fort Scott National Cemetery.  This year’s theme is “Keep Moving Forward”.  Something we each need to do, although it is not always easy.  Our lives are often filled with joy, commitment, busy schedules, as well as loss and disappointment.  None the less, as we who remain, we must keep moving forward.

 

Diann Tucker, location coordinator at our local Fort Scott National Cemetery, wants to remind the community of the need for additional wreath sponsorships to fulfill the goal of providing a wreath for each of the over 7000 honorary stones at the cemetery.  If you know someone, have a friend or loved one buried here, please honor them with a wreath this year.  Perhaps you just want to honor a soldier who didn’t know you but was willing to give his or her life for your freedom.  Wreaths are $17.00 each and a donation can be made by check, cash or credit/debit card.  Checks can be made payable to Wreaths Across America and mailed to “Wreaths Across America”, c/o Diann Tucker, 746 215^th St., Fort Scott, KS 66701 or drop your donation by Stewart Realty Co., 1707 S. National, Fort Scott.  To donate with a debit or credit card please call Diann or Mika at 620-223-6700 or 620-224-7054.  You can also tell us if you have a grave specific site to be dedicated for your wreath purchase.  All donations must be received no later than November 20 and are tax deductible.

 

We appreciate your past and current support and ask that you share this event with your friends, family, email friends, and Facebook friends.  The annual ceremony and wreath remembrance placement is scheduled for December 13, 2025.  We always need and appreciate volunteers.

Agenda for the Bourbon County Commission Meeting, September 15, 2025

9.15.25 Agenda

Location: Bourbon County Commission Chambers, 210 S National Ave.

• Call Meeting to Order
• Roll Call
• Pledge of Allegiance
• Prayer
• Approval of Agenda
• Approval of Minutes 09/08/25
• Consent Agenda
  • Approval of 09.12.25 Accounts Payable Totaling $380,626.82
  • Approval of Culverts as of 08.31.25
  • Tax corrections
• Budget Hearing 5:35 PM
• Mapleton City Council – Redfield Road
• Misty Adams – Fulton City Council
• Lynne Oharah – Road Concern
• Executive Session: To discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy with Lora Holdridge & Witness.
• Public Comments for Items Not on The Agenda
• Old Business
  • Budget Discussion & Approval of Final Budget – Tran
  • Liaison Procedures & Assignments – Beerbower & Milburn
  • Planning Commission Selection – Beerbower
  • Resolution Review – Beerbower
    • Commission Meetings & Commissioner Conduct
  • 108 W 2nd Street – Beerbower
  • Mid-Year Valuation with Appraiser – Milburn
  • Credit Card Discussion – Milburn
• New Business
  • Application for Road Closure 140th between Cavalry Road & Birch Rd
  • Network Real Estate, LLC – Approval of Letter
  • Claim for Windshield Damage $381.57
• Department Updates
  • Sheriff
    • TUSA- Radios
    • Crawkan – Phone & Internet
    • Vehicles
  • County Clerk
    • CIC Payroll Conversion & Pay Entry
    • Road Records
• Build Agenda for following meeting
• Commission Comments
• Adjournment

Detailed Summary of Information Packet

• Executive Session Information: The document provides a form for motions to enter into an executive session, detailing the Kansas statutes (KSA 75-4319) that allow for discussions on personnel matters, attorney consultations, employer/employee negotiations, financial affairs, real estate acquisition, and security measures. The form includes spaces to specify the subject, attendees, and time of resumption of open session (page 2).
• Open Invoices by Department Summary: The packet includes a detailed breakdown of invoices paid by various departments, with a total of $304,970.17 for non-departmental invoices (page 3-9).
  • Appraisers: Total invoices of $2,464.94, including items like an appraiser laptop, mechanical pencils, and blinds (page 3).
  • County Treasurer Motor Fund: Total invoices of $387.87, including computer supplies and a ‘for deposit only’ stamp (page 3).
  • Diversion Application Fee Fund: Total invoices of $306.74 for an office luncheon and snacks for witnesses (page 3).
  • Election: Total invoices of $286.09 for postage (page 4).
  • Landfill: Total invoices of $4,901.04, including charges for waste, drug and alcohol tests, and equipment maintenance (page 4).
  • County Sheriff/Correctional: Total invoices of $9,765.24, covering various expenses like vehicle repairs, fuel, uniforms, and security services (pages 4-6).
  • Road and Bridge: Total invoices of $10,724.58 for a variety of items and services, including auto parts, equipment repairs, and septic tank cleaning (pages 6-8).
  • Road & Bridge Sales Tax Fund: Total invoices of $54,672.71, with a large portion going towards asphalt products and equipment repairs (pages 8-9).
  • Addiction Settlement Fund: Total invoices of $279.75 for mileage reimbursement (page 9).
  • Offender Registration: Total invoices of $245.02 for waffle shirts, zip pullover, and a jacket (page 9).
  • Emergency Services Sales Tax: A single invoice of $120,936.19 for the August 2025 allocation to Freeman Fort Scott Hospital Inc. (page 9).
  • County Commission: Total invoices of $827.07 for publications and copies (page 10).
  • County Clerk: Total invoices of $1,755.75, including a phone recording retrieval and tax document corrections (page 11).
  • County Treasurer: Total invoices of $16.26 for copies (page 12).
  • County Attorney: Total invoices of $1,483.78 for services like computer/printer labor, information retrieval, and a transcript (page 13).
  • County Register of Deeds: Total invoices of $745.06 for death cards, tape, and pen refills (page 13).
  • Courthouse Maintenance: Total invoices of $404.71 for cleaning supplies (page 13).
  • District Court: Total invoices of $33.86 for Adobe subscriptions and additional storage on a judge’s iPad (page 14).
  • Emergency Preparedness: Total invoices of $108.21 for a receptacle, and a meal (page 15).
  • IT: Total invoices of $84.88 for replacement batteries (page 15).
  • Dispatch: A single invoice of $50,000 for dispatching services for 2025 (page 17).
• TUSA Presentation/Proposal: The packet includes a presentation and proposal from TUSA, a company that designs radio systems.
  • Experience: TUSA has been in the industry for over 30 years and has worked on projects in various locations, including Kansas City and Georgia. They claim their systems are designed to withstand major weather events like hurricanes and tornados (page 4, 5, 14, 15).
  • Core Principles: TUSA emphasizes coverage, cost, and reliability as the most important aspects of a new radio system (page 5).
  • Scope of Work: Their proposed scope of work includes investigating neighboring radio systems, conducting interviews with project staff and departments, inspecting current infrastructure, and delivering a comprehensive needs assessment report (pages 7-8). The report would include an analysis of current needs, coverage, and system condition, as well as proposed solutions and cost estimates (page 8).
  • Procurement Support: TUSA also offers to assist with the procurement process by developing technical specifications and statements of work (page 9).
  • Timeline and Pricing: The needs assessment would be completed within 90 days of a notice to proceed. Their hourly rate is $165, and they invoice all expenses at cost with no markup (page 9, 16).

Commissioner David Beerbower started the September 8 meeting with a discussion of meeting limits. He addressed the issues of establishing a protocol for setting a time limit on their meetings and work sessions because “marathon meetings” work against the democratic process when they cause the desire to get done to become everyone’s goal. He proposed stopping the meetings 2 hours in and then reviewing where they are on the agenda, moving remaining urgent items forward, and tabling the remainder. He also said that anyone who has traveled a distance to address the board should be moved to the top of the agenda following the approval of consent agenda items.

County Clerk Susan Walker addressed concerns with the agenda and getting it finalized and accomplished in a timely manner.

Tran said that it was important for commissioners to have all the information needed for making decisions ready at each meeting, rather than treating the meeting at the work sessions.

“If we’re going to put something on the agenda, we should have the supporting documentation with it,” agreed Beerbower.

Beerbower moved to adopt the procedure outlined initially as well as setting the preliminary agenda for the next meeting at the end of each regular meeting. The motion carried.

Consent Agenda

Approval of 09.05.25 Accounts Payable Totaling $308,641.44

Approval of 09.05.25 Payroll Totaling $326,473.16

Salary Resolution, 3125

The County Clerk, Susan Walker, said the resolution reduced the county clerk’s pay by $10,000 and the register of deeds by $5,000.

Milburn said it was being done in according with the vote from 8/11.

Walker noticed the addition of a finance person for $25,000, which job she was doing for about $3,500, and a new administrative assistant position for $35,000. The $35,000 they were spending was to keep Jennifer in house to assist the clerks office as well as to learn some of the treasurer’s duties, which was a one-time thing.

Walker also said that she didn’t receive the information in the resolution ahead of time.

“My job duty as clerk is to be secretary to the board,” per state statute, she said. She is to record their proceedings and shall keep the receipts and expenditures of the county, entering them by fund. Despite the job of payroll being transferred to another entity, she is still responsible for recording payroll and benefits.

She asked the commission to reconsider the outsourcing of payroll even though they are currently in the process of making that change over.

She also compared Bourbon County pay to that of similar counties. Bourbon used to be the lowest, but she has received additional pay for preparing the budget, which most counties don’t do, but hire an outside firm. Average pay for a county clerk is $72,000, so she doesn’t feel that Bourbon County is out of line with other counties. She acknowledged that it was a big jump in pay this year, but said that there had been no consideration for several years prior to that.

Beerbower amended his motion to pay the consent agenda and discuss the resolution separately.

Milburn said that historically, when a resolution is approved at a previous meeting, as resolution 3125 was, it is moved to the consent agenda at a following meeting, once the resolution itself has been prepared.

Beerbower assented and the board approved the new salary resolution unanimously, along with the remainder of the consent agenda. The resolution will go into effect Jan. 1, 2026.

Lora Holdridge, Register of Deeds-Budget Question

Holdridge said her department’s been cut more than $25,000 and is down to one full-time and one part-time person.

“A part-time person does not care about what is very important for my office to be correct,” because they don’t get the benefits that full-time employees get, she claimed.

Holdridge said that the title companies are catching several mistakes from previous part-time employees.

“I can’t run my office on the amount that you’ve cut me,” she said.

Commissioner Mika Milburn said that they were taking her back to the 2023 budget situation.

Holdridge said she could make up the difference in salary from her department’s budget and asked the county to cover her benefits from the general fund.

The commission decided to move the discussion into an executive session at their next meeting so the employees wouldn’t be identified.

95th Street South of Unique

In July of 2021, the county public works director said that the county would maintain a portion of the drive to help the other landowner get to his field. Title insurance can’t be issued based on the minutes of a meeting, but needs a resolution that the commission will do the maintenance, or will not.

County Attorney Bob Johnson asked for the reason the commission needs to make a resolution. Milburn explained that one property owner wants to sell the back half of their lot and wants to make sure it’s not landlocked. Holdridge left in the middle of discussion as Milburn and Beerbower talked it over.

The commission agreed that it was not in the best interests of the county to make the resolution.

Executive Session: Pursuant to KSA 75-4319 (b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel to protect their privacy. Tran requests the meeting with the three commissioners and counsel for 25 minutes.

The commission returned to session with action. Tran made motion to engage Dr. Cohen on the issue for administrative action and the motion carried.

Public Comments for Items Not on The Agenda

An audience member gave a shout out to the mower at the corner of 135th and Poplar Road. He did an outstanding job and it was greatly appreciated.

Old Business
Mapleton Road

Union Street runs north and south, connecting HWY 31 to 125th in Mapleton.

Public comments from Mike Houston at an earlier meeting asked the county to maintain Union Street, which the county has historically done. He said that the town no longer has the grant they had used to fund the maintenance of the road, so he asked if the county could take it back over.

Commissioner Samuel Tran went to see the road and spoke with Public Works personnel.

“It needs help,” said Tran. He said when he asked, records show it hasn’t been maintained by the county in recent history.

Tran’s information said it would cost the county $36,729 to pave Union Street in Mapleton from Hwy 31 to 125th.

He compared it to the paving of Maple Road from where it enters Union Town to where it hits Hwy 3 because it’s an interconnecting road, like Union Street.

Tran advocated for the county to do the patching of the road. He also warned that requests like this should be taken on a case-by-case basis, but he also said that it is important to leave the county better than they found it.

Beerbower said that this road is not on the current asphalt plan, but could be reviewed next year when the commission reaches 5 members.

Milburn asked how the small municipalities patch their roads. “They don’t” was the short answer.

Audience member, Mr. Walker, said it’s a highly traveled road and also a school bus route.

A representative from EMS also spoke up and said they use it to service the EMS needs of the county too.

Tran asked for permission to tell public works to do it if they have the time and resources to get it done this year, and also talk to the city of Mapleton about possibly paying for the materials.

The issue was tabled until next week

Software program

Beerbower received an email from Diligent offering digital services for government use, including streaming and agenda building. The cost, starting at $8,500, is prohibitive for the county at this time.

Tran said they should hold off due to current projects with Stronghold. “We have a lot on our plate and we still have a budget to get done,” said Tran.

Susan Walker said that the Adobe agenda she sends out allows you to jump to attachments. The SharePoint platform the county uses offers agenda building already. She also cautioned that putting all of their agenda and minutes on the website causes the website to run out of space, leading to frequent archiving.

Beerbower said he would reach out to Diligent and tell them the county cannot use their services at this time.

Hospital Equipment Update

Beerbower said there are three unsold lots from the govdeals auction program. The commission decided to list them a third and final time and dispose of the items if they don’t sell in the next auction cycle.

Security Cameras

Beerbower asked if the county has a security camera policy in place.  He wants to make sure that the policy doesn’t violate employees’ privacy. He will talk with Dr. Cohen, the county’s HR department, and bring it back in two weeks.

Craw-Kan

The commission decided to have counsel look at their contract with Craw-Kan so they can add an exit clause for the county.

Elm Creek Quarry

Tran, commission liaison to the public works department asked if the commissioners would approve the opening up of a quarry at Elm Creek Lake, which was directed by the board of commissioners two boards ago. The original plan was to have been executed in May of 2025.

Beerbower said he was a part of that commission and approved the initial proposal after assurances were made to citizens in the area regarding noise and dust control. He then stated that he has been opposed to the county owning its own quarry since he campaigned for office. He has doubts about the viability of the quarry and its benefit to the county. He asked for a comprehensive cost and environmental analysis to determine if it would benefit the county.

Tran said it would remove the competition with the private sector, providing 45+ years of rock. He also said that the county has all state-required documentation and engineer approval.

Beerbower expressed concerned about the impact on the usability of the lake.

“I’m going to keep opposing county-owned rock quarries until somebody can show me numbers from a third party that isn’t biased towards one way or the other,” he reiterated.

Tran said the possibility of losing the two quarries they currently lease (one of them may be played out soon) means the county should at least consider the Elm Creek Lake option.

Beerbower said he understands wanting to have the county own the quarry so they can’t be burned by leasing them. He asked if any counties in their area own their own quarries.

Mr. Smith, former licensed professional engineer in the audience, asked who the approving engineer was. He said it should not have been approved without an economic discussion for the county and an environmental discussion for the state.

He also announced he would be running for county commissioner in the upcoming election as a write-in candidate.

Mr. Walker, who lives next to a rock quarry, thinks people overblow the traffic and noise caused by quarries. He said they are a sign of improvement for the county. He also said the roads have improved tremendously under the previous public works director, and expressed concern that the county is going backwards without access to enough rock.

Tran said he wants to table the issue indefinitely and get more information.

Freeman Agreement

Beerbower made a motion to approve the second amendment to the Emergency Department Funding Agreement, amending the agreements from Dec. 5, 2024 and May 12, 2025. Quarterly itemized accounting will be provided to the county by Freeman and some of the information will not be able to be released to the public as the hospital is now operating, and that information will be about private individuals.

It was approved.

Act/Web Page Access

Milburn said the county web page has a single administrator and needs another. She said the county also needs another account holder for CrawKan and Verizon, as well as another administrator for the county’s Facebook page.

She asked if Beerbower was willing, then moved to make him a full admin of those accounts. Motion carried.

New Business

Freeman/EMS

Milburn explained that when Mercy had a hospital in Fort Scott, it also managed the EMS department. Freeman is willing to talk with Bourbon County about doing so as well.

Tran asked what the end goal of moving EMS over to Freeman is. Milburn said if the financial burden on the county can be lifted and the services provided to the citizens maintained, it would be good for Bourbon County to transfer the burden to Freeman.

Tran asked what would happen if Freeman went “belly up.” Milburn said the county would take it back on. Tran asked if it would be painful to do so.

“Nothing’s painless…everything here is painful,” said Milburn.

Milburn said she’s asking to continue to have conversations with Freeman and wants to know if the commission will listen. Tran said he would listen.

Beerbower said he is not in favor of it. One reason is that the hospital just opened and it’s premature to ask them. EMS isn’t a burden, nor a tax-levy-funded department, and their income will go up due to an increase in transfers from Freeman. He wants to wait another year to see how things are going. He doesn’t want to have to start all over again with the county running EMS.

“I think we’re rushing it,” said Beerbower. He advocated for waiting until they had five-commission board.

“You’ve already crossed the line,” he said, when Milburn asked if wanted her to stop gathering information to bring to the board. He said that as the liaison to Freeman, a management method recommended by county HR director, Dr. Cohen, he should have been asked to work on the issue.

“So you want me to ask for permission to find ways to save this county money?” asked Milburn.

“I want you to not step on somebody else’s toes doing it,” replied Beerbower.

Tran stepped in and asked everybody to step back and take a deep breath. He claimed to understand each of the other commissioner’s position. He said they need to remember to work as a team.

He agreed that it is premature to hand over EMS to Freeman.

He also said that the reason Freeman is willing to talk is because Milburn is a sitting commissioner, but that they have taken on more monetarily than is currently known.

Greg Motley said he had spoken to Freeman about this issue, but they really don’t have any interest in taking on EMS right now. “They are sinking big money into this project,” he said of the hospital, and they have fewer personnel than Mercy had. The correct timing of this discussion should be after they get their cash flow up and running.

Anne Dare spoke up and said the commission should stick with the liaison positions and stop confusing the county. The commission should also watch how they treat each other. “I would really like for you to get back to those responsibilities,” she said.

Terry, EMS director asked: “Where has EMS cost the county money outside of what you subsidize?” She said she saved the county $165,000 in grants in the last year. The county is required by state statute to subsidize anybody, whether the county or Freeman. Last year it cost $212,000. When Mercy was in charge of EMS, the county subsidized them by almost $350,000.

Milburn said she couldn’t see why people were so offended by the topic. She claimed that she brought it up multiple times in past meetings, and the purpose of the conversations is just to explore options.

Tran said that change scares people and brings out their defensiveness.

“The bottom line is this: that you had a liaison process that you overstepped and you’re going to try to justify it saying that you brought it before this board before,” said Beerbower as Milburn interrupted, saying she wouldn’t accept his comment.

“As far as I’m concerned, we’re done,” said Beerbower.

No further action was taken.

190th Street – Milburn

Milburn said a taxpayer reached out to her, asking that the county consider creating a benefit district to maintain the private road he lives on. He and the other three homeowners would pay the county for the maintenance. County Counsel will advise, Sept. 29

Planning Commission Selection Process

Beerbower asked if the other commissioners were ready to make their selections. Per the resolution, each commissioner was to have two members and the commission as a whole would vote on the seventh member.

Milburn was not ready, as she had to check the districts of the people she wanted to appoint.

The item was tabled until the next meeting, Sept. 15.

Commission Comments

Milburn thanked her fellow commissioners and the citizens of Bourbon County for putting in the work to make necessary changes to improve the county.