Welcome: Twenty-two members representing nineteen agencies attended the meeting held at the Scottview Apartments Conference Room.
Member Introductions and Announcements:
Jennyifer Gum-Fowler -Fort Scott Public Library
Alyssa Hess- Safehouse Pittsburg
Anna Salas – Safehouse Pittsburg
Theresa Amershek – Child Exchange & Visitation Center (Safehouse)
Patty Simpson – Fort Scott Housing Authority – There is currently a waiting list for all sizes of units, but still taking applications
Sandy Haggard – K-State Extension – Offering food safety “OWL Hour” program. Focused on cooking for one or two. Takes place at Fort Scott Public Library on Wednesdays at 10 AM. The Americorps grant was renewed and will be starting back up soon.
Jalaine Davis – Core Community Coach- The new phase of Core Community will be starting on September 9th.
Dave Gillen – Beacon – Provide food and hygiene items to individuals in need. Can provide a limited number of taxi passes and gas vouchers. The Beacon served 399 families in July ($3,800 in assistance). Numbers are increasing steadily. Served 8 new families last month.
Tammy Alcantar- Crawford County Health Department – Teen pregnancy grant has changed and will go back to MCOs. Tammy is still doing the Baby and Me Tobacco Free program. Prenatal class offered for Bourbon, Crawford, and Cherokee counties. Started Monday, offers learning and resources for expecting moms. All pregnant moms can participate.
Dee Dee LeFever- Greenbush Early Learning Services -Greenbush provides Parents as Teachers, Birth to 3 programs. Also hosts parent training modules. Dee Dee is now part of the Autism team. A new PAT parent educator has been hired for Bourbon County.
Craig Campbell Good Neighbor Action Team – GNAT is averaging one wheelchair ramp build per week. Linn and Crawford counties have been keeping them busy. Working with the codes department on code violations. GNAT will help homeowners recover overgrown properties, and can help paint houses. Working with FS City to develop a list of wish-list properties that volunteers can help with. Craig also works with individuals who need court-ordered volunteer hours. Check the GNAT Facebook page for more information.
Heather Shepherd – School-based Community Health Worker – Works with students and families. Heather can help students and their families find resources, help with insurance, parenting, about anything.
Kathy Romero – Angels Home Health -Angels covers several counties in SEK. They can provide any kind of home health services. Provide programs designed for a wide range of individuals and their needs.
Belinda Pitts – Mental Health Liaison – USD 234 – Belinda helps connect children with mental health resources. She works with families to build trust and supports teachers by helping kids in the classroom.
Christa Vaughn – SEK Mental Health – Case managers and getting ready to go back to school. Fully staffed at USD 234.
Cherri Walrod – K-State Community Health Worker – Cherri helps individuals with food, assistance applications, and works with families with special needs children. Her position is grant-funded through the end of this year.
Shelby Moore- Families Together FAST Program – Shelby helps families navigate the special education process.
Michelle Stevenson – Early Childhood Coordinator – Michelle works with families to monitor the development of children from prenatal through 6 years old. Her program encourages and equips parents to help children meet their developmental milestones. Parent/Child Cafe last week was very successful, a KU grant made family stipends possible.
Janelle Tate – Early Childhood Block Grant
Kelli Mengarelli – Early Childhood Block Grant – Works with preschools, child care centers, and home providers in 6 counties.
Program:
Pamela Thompson – Family Resource Center – Family Strong Community Outreach Liaison
Pamela and the Family Strong program work with family resource advocates to find resources for families. The program is funded through a grant from KU, one of only 6 in the country. Pamela has been working with USD 234 for the last two years. The district and area partners have developed a student support team to directly impact students and families. Pamela has worked with Core Communities and the Kansas Children’s Service League to develop a discussion (training) to train volunteers in the community. Hope into Action Bourbon County Resilience Summit will take place September 2nd from 6:30-7:30, and September 6th from 9:00-4:00 at Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene. The discussion will focus on ACES, Hope Scale, and building Resilience. Organizers are encouraging any and all families and professionals to attend. Pamela offered a special thank you to HBCAT for offering some radio time to promote the Hope Into Action Summit. There will be a resource table at the September 6th meeting if anyone would like to bring goodies to share for the table.
The Family Strong program works to prevent abuse and neglect of children. Anyone 0-18 can qualify for services through Family Strong. Stephanie Breckenridge is the contact person for Bourbon County. KU sensemaking sessions have been taking place this summer. Everyone is encouraged to share their story, the good, bad, and ugly.
Open Forum: Nothing further came before the membership.
Adjournment: The next General Membership meeting will be September 3, 2025.
ROLL CALL: ___ Jess Ervin ___ Amber Kelly ___ Mary Pemberton ___ Savannah Pritchett
___ Bradley Stewart
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS/PROJECTS
2026 Budget Hearing
At 8PM, regardless of where we are in the meeting, Motion by _____________, Second by __________, Approved ______, to enter into executive session pursuant to non-elected personnel exception, KSA 75-4319(b)(1), in order to interview applicants of non-elected personnel position, the open meeting to resume at ____________.
CITIZENS REQUESTS
FINANCIAL REPORT
Sally Johnson – Financial reports
APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA
Minutes of July 8, 2025 Regular Council Meeting, July 19, 2025 Special Meeting, July 19, 2025 Budget Worksession, and July 21, 2025 Special Meeting
July Treasurers Report, Profit & Loss by Class Report & August Accounts Payables
DEPARTMENT REPORTS
Codes Enforcement: Doug Coyan
Superintendent: Bobby Rich
Park Food Truck Outlets
Clerk Report:
Dog complaint on 8/7. Chased by dog while riding bicycle with her dog. Wants to know why “everyone” sees dogs running at large but does nothing about it. Would not give description of dog or location of “attack”.
COUNCIL & COMMITTEE REPORTS
Councilman Ervin –
Councilman Kelly –
Councilwoman Pemberton –
Councilwoman Pritchett –
Councilman Stewart–
Mayor Jurgensen –
OLD BUSINESS
SEED Grant –
FEMA Flooding–Had a conference call with FEMA and KDEM on August 6. Damage Description and Dimensions (DDD on Project Rip Rap (DR4800) has been reviewed and signed
Sidewalk – Rogers & Sons started on August 5.
Park electric – Completed, smoothed, and seeded.
NEW BUSINESS
Motion by _____________, Second by __________, Approved ______, to enter into executive session pursuant to non-elected personnel exception, KSA 75-4319(b)(1), in order to discuss applicants of non-elected personnel position, the open meeting to resume at ____________.
ADJOURN Time ____________ Moved by ______________, 2nd ___________________, Approved ___________
Dr. Steve Cohen outlined his plan to develop a policy manual, job descriptions, performance appraisal process, and wage and salary structure over the next 6–8 months, with each element taking approximately 6–8 weeks to complete. ↗️ 11:11
Dr. Cohen recommended using an outside payroll firm to provide stability regardless of personnel changes, noting it would take a minimum of 90 days to implement and would require commission approval for expenses over $1,000. ↗️ 14:00
Laura Holdridge, Register of Deeds, requested changing the Christmas holiday schedule to give employees December 25–26 off instead of December 24–25, as Christmas falls on a Thursday and many employees would take vacation on Friday anyway. ↗️ 20:22
Holdridge requested $18,500 be returned to her tech fund, stating she contributed this amount but is not receiving adequate IT services, which led to discussion about network security concerns if her department were to operate independently. ↗️ 25:45
Eric Bailey announced that Dustin Hall rescinded his resignation and would return to his position at Public Works, and Bailey confirmed he would continue mentoring Hall until Bailey’s departure. ↗️ 42:06
Bailey reported that Kansas Department of Emergency Management would hold a virtual kickoff meeting on Friday at 9:00 AM regarding the May 19th storm damage, and that internet issues at the landfill had been resolved through collaboration between Stronghold and New Wave. ↗️ 45:48
Bailey addressed safety concerns at Public Works, presenting documentation of safety meetings, training records, and weekly tailgate sessions, emphasizing that safety is taken seriously despite recent characterizations in commission meetings. ↗️ 48:02
Dallas from Cloud Communications presented a phone system proposal costing approximately $30 per month per phone plus a one-time $150 per phone purchase, potentially saving money compared to the current system by eliminating server maintenance costs and providing additional features. ↗️ 01:01:05
The commission approved the formation of a planning commission by resolution, with Bob Johnson advising that a planning director position was not necessary at this time as the commission would primarily be making recommendations rather than implementing zoning. ↗️ 01:59:54
The commission approved the five-year solid waste plan committee consisting of the three commissioners, Dustin Hall from Public Works, and Joseph Smith. ↗️ 02:20:16
Commissioner Milburn reported that Stronghold Data had proposed a project to clean up the county’s computer system, update Windows 11 computers, and resolve ongoing issues in the Treasurer’s office, with a detailed document to be provided before the next meeting. ↗️ 02:23:49
Commissioner Beerbower proposed updating the county’s sanitation code from the 1998 version to align with KDHE’s 2023 standards, requesting a future work session to review changes with the current sanitation inspector. ↗️ 02:26:38
Commissioners discussed the challenges of balancing employee benefits with taxpayer burden, acknowledging that potential changes to the benefits structure may be necessary based on Budget Committee recommendations. ↗️ 02:36:54
We’re thrilled to bring you Freestone, high‑sugar, absolutely delicious peaches from Noland Orchard in Palisade, Colorado. These are premium #1 peaches – we never sell or buy #2’s or canners.
(Nothing wrong with those, but we choose only the very best for you!)
Pricing:
Full Case (approx 20 lbs) – $55
Half Case (approx 10lb) – $35
We accept cash, card, Venmo, PayPal, and EBT at our Bronson store.
Estimated Arrival: August 13–15
Pickup Locations:
Bronson:
Perry’s Pork Rinds & Country Store
Fort Scott:
Common Ground Coffee
*HUGE THANK YOU to Wayne & Stacy Racy, the new owners, for being willing to travel and transport these back to Ft. Scott for their community!
Buy Now – Any extras always Sell Out Fast!
Purchase online, stop by our Bronson store, or give us a call. Don’t miss your chance – many have been waiting all year for these!
Please note – we won’t be calling individually when peaches arrive, so follow our social media and watch your email for updates.
We can’t wait for you to taste these sweet, juicy peaches!
Big news — we’re making a little change, and we’re excited about it!
August will be our last month offering delivery, but starting in September, we’re welcoming everyone to come visit us in Bronson for pick-up!
We’re so thankful for all your support, and now we get the chance to see your smiling faces in person! Whether you’re swinging by for a quick grab or staying to chat, we can’t wait to connect with you more!
So mark your calendars — your next visit to Bronson just got a little more exciting!
Thank you to our Chamber Champion members below!
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
The Bourbon County Commissioners — Sam Tran, David Beerbower, and Mika — along with HR consultant Steve Cohen, met to review updates to the county employee handbook. Discussion centered on aligning policies with legal requirements, ensuring fairness for employees, and clarifying ambiguous language.
Major Decisions and Policy Updates
Clarifying Promises by Officials Commissioners agreed to specify that no promises or statements from supervisors, managers, or elected officials outside the commission constitute agreements with employees 06:56.
Terminology Update All references to “company” in the handbook will be replaced with “county” 08:51.
Harassment and Bullying Policies The harassment policy was kept with detailed procedures, and a new bullying policy was added 09:42.
Standards of Conduct Language was changed from “efforts to operate profitably” to “efforts to operate efficiently,” reflecting county priorities 10:35.
Firearms Policy Flagged for Review The section prohibiting firearms on county property was flagged for legal review due to questions about enforceability under Kansas law 11:02.
Expanded Disciplinary Process Commissioners voted to add a Personal Improvement Plan (PIP) and Corrective Action Plan between oral reminders and written warnings 14:13.
One-Year Introductory Period A 12-month probationary period for new employees was adopted, aligning with federal standards 18:18.
Work Schedules Set by Department Rather than standard hours, departments will set schedules, with a baseline of 40 hours per week 19:29.
Holiday Policy Review Holidays will be reviewed annually instead of guaranteeing specific days indefinitely. The list was expanded to include MLK Day, Washington’s Birthday, Good Friday, and Juneteenth30:38.
Vacation Blackout Days Removed A proposed section restricting vacation around holidays and events (e.g., Thanksgiving, Valentine’s week, Super Bowl) was completely removed31:54.
Vacation and Sick Leave Maintained The commission chose to retain current vacation and sick leave policies, with Steve tasked to incorporate the existing schedule 39:25.
Maternity and Paternity Leave The handbook will specify compliance with federal standards, allowing up to six weeks of unpaid leave42:19.
Workers’ Compensation Language Updated References to Missouri law will be replaced with Kansas statutes, and OSHA applicability will be verified 44:01.
Dress Code Review Sam raised concerns that the dress code section was too vague46:34. He noted the policy did not clearly address safety attire like steel-toed boots. Steve agreed to revise the section for greater clarity, ensuring workplace safety needs are explicitly covered.
Social Media and Public Communication Mika recommended replacing references to “county owners” with “county leaders” and “customers” with “taxpayers” to better reflect county operations and relationships with the public 47:29.
EMS Vacation Concerns EMS employees raised concerns that taking vacation reduces overtime pay. Commissioners discussed allowing the option to cash out unused vacation at year’s end to avoid financial loss 52:44.
Next Steps
Dr. Steve Cohen (HR Consultant) will integrate all approved edits into a revised draft of the handbook.
The current vacation and sick leave policy from the existing handbook will be imported directly into the new version.
Legal counsel (Bob) will review:
The enforceability of firearms restrictions on county property.
Whether OSHA documentation rules apply to the county.
The dress code section will be rewritten to clarify expectations, especially for roles requiring safety gear.
Social media policy will be updated to reflect language that acknowledges public service (e.g., changing “customers” to “taxpayers”).
The revised handbook draft will be shared with the commission and possibly the public, with changes clearly marked for comparison (Steve mentioned using a Google Docs revision format 48:08).
A future benefits committee may be formed or expanded to review leave, holidays, and compensation structure more broadly.
The 120th Old Settlers Picnic in Uniontown has traditionally been a day for the community to view a parade and enjoy a community picnic, with fun activities for all ages throughout the whole weekend.
A street dance, 5K Run/Walk, fishing derby, co-ed ranch rodeo, community church service, bingo, family fun night, youth rodeo, food and craft vendors, car show, baby contest, a children’s parade separate from the bigger parade, and drawings for the raffles and bicycles will make up the weekend’s festivities.
The theme this year is Remembering the Past, Planning the Future.
Aligning with the theme, not only the recognition of the Old Settlers, but “recognizing the future generation throughout the Monday activities, including the youngest attendee,” said Mike Ramsey, planning committee vice president.
The parade grand marshals are the family of Bill and Doris George.
This year, the West Bourbon Elementary School will be the new location for the Dale Jackson Memorial Car Show.
“We’ve brought back the baby contest,” Ramsey said. “Registration at 9 a.m. with the contest at 9:30 a.m.” The location is at the gazebo in Uniontown’s City Park.
” We’ve brought back the kids’ races on Monday at 1 p.m. on the streets” surrounding the downtown park, he said.
Girls race in a contest during a prior Old Settler’s Picnic.
“Personally, I’m excited about having Dustin Treiber playing for the Street Dance Friday night.” On August 29, there will be a street dance with a food truck available for refreshments.
The planning committee is comprised of Rhonda Dewitt, president; Ramsey, vice president; Mary Pillion, treasurer; and Carissa Jones, secretary.
The Uniontown High School Class of 1959 wait to board their float for the 2019 Old Settlers Picnic Parade on Labor Day, 2019.
Would you like to make an impact in your community while broadening your skill set, connecting with people, working close to home, and receiving good pay & great benefits?
As Uniontown City Clerk/Municipal Court Clerk you can do all this and more! This is a 40 hours per week position with above average wage and benefits, including:
Paid Time Off: 10 Holidays, PTO, & More
Retirement Plan: participate in KPERS (Kansas Public Employees Retirement System)
Health & Life Insurance available
Wage Scale: $18.00/hour or negotiable depending upon experience
Personal Requirements:
You must be a Motivated, Self-Starter
High Attention to Detail
Basic Computer, Accounting, and Secretarial Skills
Ability to Maintain Professionalism, Confidentiality, and Discretion
Live Within 10 Miles of Uniontown
Valid Driver’s License & Pass Pre-Employment Drug Screen
The Clerk position entails performing all duties as defined by Kansas State Statute and City Ordinances: receive and disperse monetary funds and maintain financial records; complete various administrative reports; grant applications & administration; prepare, mail and apply payments of monthly customer utility billing; assist residents via phone or walk-in; attend and record minutes of all city council meetings, write monthly community newsletter; maintain city website; other duties as required (a more detailed job description and list of duties available upon application).
Apply in person at Uniontown City Hall, call 620-756-4742, or submit your resume via email to [email protected] . Applications accepted until Noon, August 7, 2025.
The Fort Scott Area Community Foundation (FSACF) is now accepting applications for the 2025 General Funds Grant program. Applications will be accepted through August 31st, 2025.
Since 2009, the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation (FSACF) has hosted their annual FSACF grant cycle supporting a variety of projects in Bourbon County. Since inception, the foundation has awarded over $464,000 to a variety of projects across Bourbon County.
“The Community Foundation and its donors literally change lives of area residents for the better,” said Gregg Motley, FSACF Board Member and Granting Committee Chairman. “It is a joy to be a part of it.”
Applications for the 2025 FSACF grant cycle are available at FSACF.com/Grant-App and are open until midnight on August 31st.
Information about the FSACF grant cycle, and a list of previous recipients are available at FSACF.com/nonprofits/grants.
Questions regarding the grant applications should be directed to CFSEK Program Coordinator Kara Mishmash at SoutheastKansas.org/Contact/Kara.
Brandon Mann, VP for Loss Prevention, and Monte Parrish, Safety Consultant for the Bourbon County region, both employees of KWORCC, the county’s workman’s comp insurance carrier, came to the table to talk with the commission about safety in the county, especially in the Public Works department.
Commissioner Samuel Tran answered Mann’s question about the issues with Public Works, saying, “There seem to be too many accidents that are happening out there….I would like to see us go out there and really build a safety program.” He expressed concern about the ability to get the employees to buy in on a new safety program and ultimately be accountable for the work they are doing. He gave an example of equipment that was broken last week and no one reported it.
“We need to get in there and make sure the people in Public Works have the best that we can offer them in terms of safety and equipment and a good environment to work in,” said Tran.
“We don’t do safety from behind a desk,” said Mann of KWORCC, which is a workman’s comp insurance pool for government entities in the state of Kansas.
They offer free in-person training, in defensive driving, forklift operation, and flagging and workzone safety. All these are free, in-person certification classes. They also offer safety inspections 3 times per year on county facilities, after which they generate a report per OSCHA regulations. While OSCHA cannot cite the county, the Kansas Department of Labor can cite the county, and they follow OSCHA regulations.
Commissioner Mika Milburn said they want to do preventative work to be sure the county is not in violation.
KWORCC helped with the creation of a safety committee within Public Works.
Mann said the information the commission gave him indicates a lack of policy and procedure in the Public Works department.
Tran said he is trying to take ownership of the problem, and he wants the county to be prepared for the new public works director.
“There’s nothing wrong with our current director. He’s not defective. You can go in and help our current director set up a program for the new one,” said Milburn to Mann.
Mann asked if he would get push-back from the current director and nine supervisors. Tran said he didn’t think so, but it would come back to the commission if he did.
Mann then suggested that the commission bring in the supervisors to the county commission and pass a resolution that they support the safety program KWORCC is creating.
Mann said he would lead that charge for the commission if they so chose. He asserted they would start from scratch with a safety committee. Parrish suggested designating a safety point person.
County Clerk Susan Walker mentioned that in previous years, KWORCC recommendations have come before the county commission, but they were overlooked by the commission at that time.
Implementing KWORCC’s recommended policies will also help with the county’s insurance premiums.
Mann and Parrish set up a meeting with Tran and the Public Works department to start assessing the situation.
Beerbower said they would set up a work session after that meeting.
Public Comments for Items Not on The Agenda
Charles Gentry, member of the Emergency Room Sales Tax Monitoring Committee, who serves with Dr. Randy Nichols and Craig Campbell, was appointed by the previous commission at the time that the special purpose sales tax was taken up for the establishing and operating of an Emergency Department for Bourbon County.
Gentry said the committee’s jobs are to make sure the sales tax remitted to the county is used to support the emergency department, and to verify as best they can how Freeman has applied those sales tax funds to the establishment and operation of an emergency room.
He knows they are establishing it and are working on getting approval so the ER can open. “So we know that things are on track,” he said. They are spending more to start it up than they have received in sales tax thus far.
The contract the county has with Freeman calls for the tax to actually be remitted to Freeman within 30 days of the county receiving it each month. The county normally receives the tax dollars from the state around the 25th of the month. Freeman reports quarterly on the spending of the tax dollars, so the county can expect a report for the third quarter in mid-October.
“I’m here to ask some clarification and some authorization,” said Gentry. The latest reports show that Freeman is spending more money than they are receiving in tax dollars, “So that allowed us to give thumbs up for what will be the third quarter,” said Gentry.
The current liaison with Freeman is Commissioner David Beerbower. Gentry asked that the county be sure to give his committee the report in a timely manner. The commission must authorize that the committee receives the report. “There seems to be now an issue that the commission by resolution offer the release of this information to us,” said Gentry.
Susan Walker, County Clerk, said that the administrator of Freeman is working to get a report that can be disseminated and doesn’t contain private information. “I just want to make sure that we’re not disclosing things that should not be disclosed,” said Walker.
Beerbower said he had a form provided by Gentry that should solve the problems. The issue will come when the hospital starts deriving income from non-tax sources. “We don’t care about that, we care about the spending of our sales tax money,” said Gentry.
The commission agreed to take the necessary steps to get the proper information to the committee.
Old Business Tax Sale Update
“It’s going to be different than what residents are used to in the past,” said Jennifer Hawkins, county Treasurer-elect. The commission has agreed to use Klinda Austerman to handle the tax sale process. Once a person’s name is on their list, he cannot get it off unless he pays all unpaid taxes plus court costs.
“I’m here to let people know, if you have taxes from 2020 or before, you need to pay those immediately; otherwise, you’re going to have to pay the total amount on your property, plus court costs,” said Hawkins.
There is no timeline in place yet, nor a list of delinquent properties. Once the information is given to the firm handling the tax sale, that firm will provide a list of tax sale-eligible properties.
“If you are concerned that you have back taxes, give us a call at 223-3800 ext. 803 and we can look that information up for you and let you know how much you need to pay to get off this immediate tax sale,” said Hawkins. She intends to continue with the process as Treasurer for 2021 taxes next year, so “heads up.”
Citizens who don’t redeem before their names are published will have to pay court costs in addition to taxes.
“Please pay them immediately. We don’t want to see anyone lose their homes,” said Hawkins.
She also said that 2024 taxes, are due by July 31, 2025. Delinquent taxpayers will be published in the newspaper and have the publication fees added to their tax bill.
“That was a courtesy update,” said Milburn.
Hospital Equipment
Beerbower is working with gov.deals, the auction company hired by Bourbon County earlier this year to auction off old hospital equipment currently stored on county property.
The Sheriff’s Department uses them to sell used vehicles. The sheriff was surprised because they haven’t had this trouble.
“All I’m saying is the moment they were hired, they should have been on it,” said Milburn, expressing frustration that the auction company hadn’t taken steps to sell the items yet..
Fence Viewing Liability Carrier Update
Walker spoke with KCamp, the county’s liability carrier, who recommended the commission follow the law regarding fence viewing.
Statute says the county commission shall be the fence viewers. “We’ll just have to do it,” said Milburn.
Those with requests for fence viewing should submit applications via the clerk’s office.
Withdrawal of Juvenile Detention Agreement
Bob Johnson, County Counselor, drafted a letter giving Girard Juvenile Detention Center notice that Bourbon County wants to cancel its contract. However, Milburn noted that the proposed agreement with Johnson County for juvenile detention services needs to be clarified.
Sheriff Bill Martin said a financial hardship letter should be submitted to the Girard Juvenile Detention Center.
County Clerk Susan Walker said there is a statute that allows a county to break its contracts due to financial hardship. She said she would get a copy for the commission to look at.
Tran sees the contract with Girard County as an insurance policy. He suggested saving in a CD and making money on the interest instead.
The commissioners said they would work with the lawyer to challenge the contract with Girard.
Resolution for Planning Commission
Commissioners discussed the number of members to serve on the committee and whether or not the county needs to hire a planning commission head.
Beerbower asked to table it and take it back to the county counselor for changes.
Court House Repairs
Tran reviewed the report he created after inspecting the courthouse with David Neville. They looked at the structural, infrastructure, cosmetic, and HVAC system.
Tran applauded Neville for his work throughout the courthouse.
The first two things that Tran prioritized for the courthouse are modernizing the elevator and redoing the tuck pointing of the exterior facade.
“We have enough money to do this,” said Tran.
For the elevator update, he suggested obtaining bids and giving weight to the response times each company offered, not just the prices, as the courthouse only has one elevator.
Other items on his list were roof repairs, installing new interior windows, replacing flooring on the third floor, creating a cyclical maintenance plan for painting and flooring throughout the building, and stripping, polishing, and sealing the marble floors.
He expressed some concern about asbestos throughout the building, cautioning that they need to test and be prepared to abate if they come across any.
In the next 10 years, the courthouse will cost close to $1million, according to Tran.
“The citizens should not allow us to kick that can down the road. You should bring it up to us as often as you feel the need to,” he said.
Milburn thanked him for his report.
New Business
Reorganization of Agenda
The new agenda format will move public comments in front of old business.
108 W 2nd Street Building – Milburn said this county-owned building is under-utilized, and they don’t make much rent on it. She wants to move the current occupants to the courthouse and let the building go.
Beerbower said it was worth looking into, and would make it convenient for citizens to have services now in the 108 W. 2nd building consolidated.
“It just costs money to have empty space,” said Milburn. “It wouldn’t cost us a penny to put them over here, but it’s costing us money to keep them over there, though.”
Tran suggested investigating what the lot could be used for. “They don’t make dirt anymore,” he said.
Casey Brown – Letter of Support
Brown provides transportation in Bourbon County. Tran said there are at least four entities that give rides in the county. The commission wants a list of the agencies that provide rides in the region. The letter was tabled until August 11.
Commission Comments
Milburn: Please, before you get carried away with the “what ifs” or “why-for” changes or lack of changes are happening in the county, call her at 620-215-5880. “I’d be happy to let you know from my observation, what Bourbon County stands to gain by the changes I introduce,” but keep an open mind and be polite.
Tran: it’s been a very busy week, but very rewarding. “There are some really, really good people in this county. I enjoy working with them.” Some people aren’t seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, but he does. “The budget is my biggest concern right now.” Thank you to all for their support and communication.
The wait is over! 
Pickup Locations:
