VIII. Executive Session: K.S.A. 75-4319 (b)(1) – Kenny Allen
IX. Executive Session: K.S.A. 75-4319 (b)(2) – Gregg Motley
X. Department Updates
a. Sewer – Matt Quick
b. NRP – Matt Quick
c. Appraisal Update – Matt Quick
d. County Clerk Updates
XI. Old Business
a. Salary Resolution – Beerbower
b. Forensic Audit – Greg Motley
XII. New Business
a. Resolution 51-25, 06-22, 48-25 Discussion – Joe Allen
XIII. Future Agenda Topics
XIV. Commissioner Comments
XV. Adjournment
Detailed Document Summary & Information Packet
Prior Meeting Minutes (March 2, 2026)
The commission reviewed minutes from the previous week’s session. Key discussions included:
Agenda Adjustments: The commission added executive sessions for attorney-client privilege and non-elected personnel. Public comments were moved to accommodate visitors, and the salary resolution was postponed to the following week. (Page 2)
Sick Leave Pool: Following an executive session, the commission voted unanimously to accept recommendations regarding a sick leave pool request from Lora Holdridge. (Page 3)
Stronghold Data Security: Representatives reported that security improvements are 80-85% complete. Ongoing issues with software backups require a joint call with vendor CIC. Concerns were also raised regarding unreturned help desk calls from elected officials. (Page 3)
Budget Process (Baker Tilly): Ben Hart outlined the 2027 budget approach, focusing on “goal setting” starting in April. He recommended focusing on flat property tax revenue rather than flat levy rates to ensure defensibility to the public. (Page 4)
Noise Resolution Analysis: County Attorney James Crux highlighted enforcement challenges with a proposed noise ordinance, noting that current decibel limits (55 day/45 night) are “guidelines” and may lead to lengthy litigation. (Page 4)
Sewer & Contamination Issues: Updates were provided on a civil sewer case involving KDHE. A citizen provided documentation of E. coli contamination on his property and requested stricter septic system inspections. (Page 4)
Public Feedback: Citizens raised concerns regarding no-bid contracts for HR and payroll services, the division of commissioner salaries among five members versus the original three, and requested more transparency in county operations. (Pages 4-5)
New Business & Future Planning
Producers Coop: A culvert permit for Producers Coop was unanimously approved. (Page 5)
LKM Membership: The commission voted to continue its $1,108 membership with the League of Kansas Municipalities for training and legislative resources. (Page 5)
Lake Fort Scott Fire Hydrant: Discussion was held regarding a destroyed fire hydrant. Rural Water District #2 offered to replace it for $3,200 if the county covers half. The item was tabled to research if benefiting homeowners should contribute. (Page 5)
Upcoming Topics: Future agendas will include the salary resolution and an appraiser presentation on the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) rebate process. (Page 5)
Accounts Payable Summary
The packet includes a comprehensive report of open invoices due by March 6, 2026, totaling $437,772.71. Major fund allocations include:
General Fund: Payroll clearing and insurance premiums. (Page 7)
Appraisers: Residential cost handbook subscriptions and wages. (Pages 7-8)
Landfill: Significant payments to Allen County Public Works for MSW ($8,057.00) and various equipment repairs. (Page 10)
Sheriff/Correctional: Includes $13,513.50 for food services and $6,040.48 for fuel. (Pages 10-11)
Road & Bridge: Numerous entries for vehicle maintenance parts (O’Reilly, Amazon) and diagnostic tests. (Pages 12-13)
Welcome: Seventeen members from fourteen agencies attended the meeting in the Scottview Apartments Conference Room.
Coalition Board News: There is an open seat on the Coalition Board. Reach out to Nick if you are interested.
Member Introductions and Announcements:
Kathy Romero – Angels Care Home Health – Angels Care has several specialty programs that other companies don’t offer. The focus this month is on traumatic brain injury. Kathy has emergency blankets available for anyone working with the unhoused. Reach out to her if you could use some.
Shelby Moore- Families Together – Shelby works to support students and families as they navigate the special education process.
Patty Simpson – Fort Scott Housing Authority – The housing authority has a few vacancies that will be filled with applicants on the waitlist as soon as they are ready. The waitlist is short right now.
Rachel Carpenter – City of Fort Scott
Janelle – Early Childhood Block Grant
Megan Smith – Parents as Teachers – Megan has five openings in Bourbon County.
Star Culp – Parents as Teachers – Star has one opening in Bourbon County.
Dee Dee – Greenbush Community Liaison
Lora Wilson – SEK/CHC
Theresa Amershek – Child Exchange & Visitation Center
Henry Coronado – SER Corporation – The SER Corporation helps students going into the tech field with financial assistance.
Ashlee Reader – SEK Mental Health Center
Cherie Walrod – Credo Senior Living – Credo has both assisted living and memory care units. On March 11th from 7:30-8:30, Credo will host a senior care coalition to network and learn more about senior care. They will also have a virtual dementia tour available that day. Credo has several rooms/suites available.
Kelly Stammer – DCF – DCF is hosting a Together Family Event in Pittsburg on April 9th from 4-7pm. People of all ages are welcome to attend.
Nick Johnson – Early Childhood Spring Fling – April 23 from 5:00-6:30 in the FSPC Gym 409 S. Judson. All children ages birth to six and their families are invited.
Talley and Harley, current FSCC cosmetology students, explained basic components of the cosmetology program and highlighted reasons they have enjoyed the program. The cosmetology school is a full-time program with classes Monday through Thursday from 7:30-5:00. There is also a nail class in the evenings. Cosmetology students learn and provide services in the areas of hair, nails, waxing, facials, massage basics, and pedicures. Students can also pursue additional certifications in the field. The cosmetology program offers flexible enrollment opportunities. Students complete 1500 hours throughout the program, which usually takes 10-12 months. Since the program is through the community college, grants and financial assistance are available. Students also noted that the program is very affordable compared to other private cosmetology schools in the region. Several area community colleges have closed their cosmetology programs, which has led to an increase in enrollment. Upon completion of the program, the school helps students find apprenticeships and employment and helps students obtain licensure in their preferred state. Anyone interested in cosmetology services can make an appointment by calling FSCC. For more information about the cosmetology program, see the cosmetology school’s Facebook page.
Open Forum: Nothing further came before the coalition.
A local Fort Scott Community College student is moving forward with skills he has developed on his own, called A-Z Odd Jobs.
“I grew up helping my grandpa, Mark Tucker, on his cattle farm, and that is where I learned how to operate the tools I now use every day,” Max Blubaugh said. “I’ve grown up in Fort Scott, and I love being present in Bourbon County. I like to transform properties for people and give them something to be proud of.”
“I offer a wide range of services,” he said. “I do small-scale construction projects, limb/tree/brush removal, junk removal, heavy lifting, lawn care/mowing, snow removal, and anything on your ‘honey do’ list. Anything from A-Z!”
He is a 2025 graduate of Fort Scott Christian Heights.
“I am currently in my second semester at FSCC. I plan to eventually transfer to Pittsburg State University to major in construction management.”
“This has been my part-time job since I started my business in my junior year, but I didn’t try to do things consistently until the summer following my senior year. I realized there was a need for the type of work I do, and decided to push things more. Things have been picking up as of late. I’m busy, but I would like to be busier! I am not currently an LLC, but that is coming soon.”
His grandparents are Mark and Brenda Tucker and Dave and Shelia Blubaugh, and his parents are Brad and Bethany Blubaugh, all of Fort Scott.
He is involved in the community as an active member of Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene.
The top photo shows the area before Max Blubaugh cleaned it. The bottom photo is the spot after. Submitted photos. This example shows his ability to change the look of properties by cleaning out debris and brush.
When a child enters foster care, everything changes — their home, their school, their routines… and often the adults in their life.
A CASA Volunteer may be the only consistent adult showing up just for them.
Be the steady voice.
Be the one who shows up.
Bourbon County CASA is currently in need of volunteers who are willing to make a difference in a child’s life. Your time and compassion can provide stability, advocacy, and hope when it matters most.
If you feel called to serve, we would love to visit with you about how you can get involved.
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to attend a Chamber Coffee on Thursday, March 5th at 8 a.m., hosted by Bourbon County Arts Council in conjunction with their Fine Arts Exhibit.
The coffee will be held in the Ellis Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, 2108 Horton St. Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served, and attendees will have the opportunity to win a door prize drawing.
The 34th Annual Bourbon County Arts Council Fine Arts Exhibit will be open to the public Thursday, March 5th through Friday, March 13th from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, and Saturdays, March 7th and 14th, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
An artist reception will be held Thursday, March 5th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. During the reception, participating artists will have the opportunity to hear the jurors’ critique and visit about their pieces. The public is welcome to attend, and light refreshments will be served.
Exhibit categories include Ceramics; Drawing & Graphics (Pencil, Pen, Ink); Fiber Art; Glasswork; Jewelry; Mixed Media; Painting (Oil & Acrylic); Pastel; Photography; Printmaking; Sculpture; and Watercolor. The theme of this year’s exhibit is “Life Inspiring”.
For more information, contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566. Visit the Events Calendar at fortscott.com and click on the “Chamber Coffees” category for upcoming hosts and locations.
The five county commissioners and several elected officials met in an executive session to change the county’s sick leave pool policy.
The board moved to accepted the recommendation of the elected officials regarding sick pool and will give instructions regarding that to Laura Krom.
Commissioner David Beerbower explained to those in attendance at the meeting that the commission has discovered that the current sick leave pool instructions in the policy manual will not work, which is why the other elected officials are crafting a recommendation for the board to amend the policy.
Old Business Stronghold
Jason Rinker from Stronghold first addressed the comments he had made in the Feb. 9 commission meeting, regarding the letter from the Clerk, Treasurer and Register of Deeds offices about installing their own server, separate from the rest of the county and outside of Stronghold’s management.
At that time, the commission put forth a plan that included Stronghold conversing with CIC (provider of the county’s accounting software), which has not been set up yet.
“I still would strongly recommend to this commission that we have that joint call so we can get to the bottom of some of the issues we’ve been having,” he said. One of those issues is backups causing problems with the software. He said that those issues have not happened with any of their other clients. He was concerned that changing the intervals on the backups will not address the issue.
Commissioner Samuel Tran asked if the age of the operating systems on the county computers could be causing issues with the backups.
He also addressed ongoing security concerns that were mentioned in the previous meeting. He said that since that meeting, no one has reported any security concerns to Stronghold so they can be investigated and addressed.
Data protection was also discussed and no further information has been given to him.
Tran said he has had one complaint in the last two weeks of a missing email. He believes the email was recalled by the sender.
Stronghold rep said that they have been backing up data outside of the county’s Microsoft email system. He advised that county employees with missing emails contact Stronghold and start the process of tracking them down.
“Since I was here last, nothing that we talked about has been done, and I wanted to bring that to your attention,” he said.
Next he offered a project update. He said they are 80-85% complete with the project. Security architecture and clean up work have been completed, the firewall has been hardened and alerts are fully operational now. The Microsoft 360 security baseline has improved from 6% to 89%. The active directory cleanup has also been completed. New equipment is on sight and final deployment phase is underway.
Next, Stronghold will need to schedule some down time in the county to complete the final cut-overs on the network.
The commission then moved into executive session with Stronghold to update the new commissioners on the project they are doing for the county.
Baker Tilly – Ben Hart
Hart said he came to answer any of the commission’s questions
He gave an overview of their budget creating process. Baker Tilly will come in March and talk to the various county departments to see what their year was like in 2025, what revenue they are anticipating in 2026. BT will then report back to the commission the issues they have heard. They will then get the commission’s direction for the next budget.
Matt Lawn, former finance director for the City of Goddard, will be working with Hart on the Bourbon County budgeting process, along with the support staff at their Kansas City office.
BT will also provide a monthly report on the financial status of the county, to give the commission a more zoomed-out perspective on finances.
Hart says he wants the goals from the commission by the beginning of May.
Hart also explained that they start the budget creation with addressing what services the county wants to prioritize.
Lawn said that the budget is the county’s largest policy document, showing where its priorities are.
Milburn-Kee asked about having a line in the sand regarding raising the mill.
Hart said that discussion about goals includes discussion about boundaries.
Noise Resolution — County Attorney James Crux
Crux gave feedback on the proposed noise ordinance. He said it was that it was unclear if it’s a general nuisance statute or a more specific decibel rating violation, and needs clarification on whether the proximity is to a person or a property line.
There are no actual set noise levels in the resolution, but acceptable guidelines. “You can’t really have a per se violation on a general guideline,” he said.
He also said the guidelines for acceptable decibel levels are low. Regarding duration of sound, he said it’s unclear about how the duration affects the violation. Exemptions that include special events or festival are unclear.
He also said that the codes officer who enforces the code will need training in criminal and search and seizure law.
“This is one of those things that is outside of my statutory duties,” he said of prosecuting potential noise violations. He said he would have appreciated being asked if he would be willing to take on the task, and it may take more funding for his department to handle the complaints.
Commissioner Gregg Motley asked his opinion on a civil court action, rather than making a law to cause the noise to be criminal. Crux said he doesn’t practice civil law and cannot make a recommendation.
Motley also stated that collecting the fines from the corporation that owns the bitcoin mine may be impossible. Commission counsel Bob Johnson pointed out that it will take time to make change, whether they take the civil or criminal route.
Sewer — Bob Johnson
The county has entered an appearance in the civil case. Johnson has spoken with the primary complainer and the KDHE attorney, who said they would come down and assist in any testing that needs to be done.
“It’s moving forward,” Johnson said.
Tran asked questions about another citizen who called him with a complaint of sewage running off an uphill neighbor’s property onto his land.
Kevin Shafer was in attendance at the meeting. He said his ordeal has been ongoing for 5 years. Every year for the last five years, with the exception of 2024, he has tested his property where the runoff is and, “the E coli is hot.”
Shafer said he’s been asking the county to do a perk test for the last five years. The sanitation inspector has not inspected Shaefer’s neighbor, where the violation is taking place.
Previous commissioners have told him he should pursue civil action and that they won’t do a perk test because it would make other land in the county unsalable.
In the last five years Shafer has had to drain his pond due to the E Coli, per K-State’s recommendation. He also built a swell and lagoon to contain the runoff and send it into the ditch rather than into his pond.
“I’d like the source fixed. I’d like Bourbon County to require perk tests so that nobody else has to go through this issue,” said Shafer.
Public Comments
Mika Milburn-Kee on Elected Official Conduct
Referring to Tran’s comment about Secretary Susan Walker’s feelings, she said she understands his comment.
Joseph Smith- Notice of Pending Action
Smith said he is preparing to circulate a petition to recall the District 5 Commissioner, Mika Milburn-Kee. Smith said that the grounds from recall will be specifically set forth in the petition and given to the commissioner. He said a minimum of 147 electors who live in district 5 must sign the petition before the recall can commence.
Clint Walker
Walker said that regarding transparency from the county, there was no bidding for the jobs of payroll, HR, or audits. “I would appreciate if you do business locally,” said Walker.
“Every person’s feelings matter,” said Walker. “Know your people.”
Walker also thanked EMS for caring for his brother and getting him to the hospital when he was in an accident recently.
J.D. Handly
Brought back the commission’s salary. Handly said that during campaign time, they were told that the salary would not change with the addition of 2 new commissioners, but that the board of 5 would share the salary amounts formerly allotted to the board of 3.
“You gotta lead by example,” he said. “I want that promise kept. I want the salary completely done away with.”
Anne Dare
Read a statement that also brought up the “feelings” comment that Tran made. She said that kind of statement fosters a toxic environment.
“The optics aren’t good,” Dare said, using Tran’s own phrase.
She then called for the immediate resignations of Tran and Milburn-Kee and for Beerbower to step down as vice-chair.
New Business
Fire hydrant at Lake Fort Scott
Commissioner Gregg Motley said three different constituents have called about the hydrant. It was damaged by a driver a number of years ago and has not been replaced, resulting in increased home insurance premiums for those living in the area.
RWD 2 cannot afford to replace the hydrant at a cost of $3,200, but will meet the county half-way on the cost.
“We have no legal obligation to do that,” said Motley. He had no recommendations regarding what the county should do.
Beerbower said that the commission is to be looking out for the health, welfare, and safety of Bourbon County citizens.
Milburn-Kee asked how many other non-working hydrants are in the county that they many be asked to replace.
“It’s a public safety issue too,” said Motley.
Beerbower asked to table it for a week so he can do more research.
Executive session: Non-Elected personnel
Returned to session with action of allowing Commissioner Milburn-Kee to work with HR to accomplish what they discussed in the executive session.
Executive session: Attorney/Client
Returned to session with no action.
Beerbower asked questions about the NRP tax credit that he received from a constituent.
The commission voted to have the county appraiser come and explain the NRP process at a commission meeting in the future and the sewer issue.
Future Agenda Topics
Fire hydrant at Lake Fort Scott
Salary Resolution
Noise Resolution
Commissioner Comments
Allen: Took employee recognition off the agenda because he wants to do some things differently, but he plans to get it back on there soon.
Other than a few logistical issues, there were no other commissioner comments.
The Bourbon County Arts Council will present its 34th Annual Fine Arts Exhibit from March 5th through March 14th, at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center, on the Campus of Fort Scott Community College.
The Arts Council will host the Chamber Coffee at 8:00am on Thursday March 5th, at the Ellis Center. The Exhibit will be open to the public beginning Thursday March 5th through Saturday March 14th: weekdays from 12:00pm to 7:00pm, and on Saturdays, from 9:00am to 1:00pm. The Opening Reception to honor this year’s Juror and artists will be held on Thursday the 5th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm; the public are invited to attend and enjoy the opportunity to meet and visit with them about the art.
Artists will have their work on display and for sale in this multi-media exhibit, in categories including Ceramics, Drawing & Graphics, Fiber Arts, Glasswork, Jewelry, Mixed Media, Painting, Pastel, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Watercolor. A “themed” category was added to the Exhibit, with this year’s theme being “Life Inspiring”. An artist may create a piece in any of the above categories, in relation to the theme. This year, artists from Kansas and Missouri, will participate in the Fine Art Exhibit, including local artists Kathy Allen, John Batrelsmeyer, Sally Brandon, Steve Floyd, Kate Freeman, Oriah Freeman, Lucy Gladbach, Leslie Godden, Sara Hannigan, Katie Hueston, Jodi Johnson, Bobbi Kemna, Andrea Latham, Katelynn McCoy, Jill Moler, Connie Neil, Kadra Nevitt, Eric Popp, Elisabeth Ross, Kaitlyn Walker, and Karen Wilterding.
Cash prizes awarded for category winners are given by the Bourbon County Arts Council in memory of E.C. Gordon, and by the generous sponsorship from these local businesses: Buerge Art Studio, Citizens Bank, City State Bank, Edward Jones-Jamie Armstrong , T.E. Freeman Studios, Front Door Realty-Crystal Mason and Diane Striler, H&H Realty, Landmark Bank, Lyons Realty, Mid-Continental Restoration, State Farm Insurance, Union State Bank, and Ward Kraft.
Al Letner will serve as Juror for this year’s exhibit. Mr. Letner is a 1976 graduate of Pittsburg State University with degrees in Art and History in Education. He has been an artist and educator both in Missouri and Kansas for more than 40 years. He has exhibited and won awards for his work for decades and has judged art competitions on both educational and professional levels. Mr. Letner continues to work in 2-D and 3-D at his studio near Pittsburg, Kansas.
The Bourbon County Arts Council encourages everyone to come and enjoy an exciting collection of original artwork! The Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center is located at 1208 Horton St., in Fort Scott, Kansas. There is no admission charge for this event.
Public Works Updates: Director Kenny Allen presented a purchase agreement for a new road grader through Foley Equipment CAT to replace an aging unit. The Commission authorized a 50% countywide discount for landfill vouchers to assist with city and county cleanup efforts. (Pages 3-4)
Infrastructure Projects: The Commission signed the second phase agreement for the Jayhawk Bridge project, a $1 million project where the county is responsible for a 10% match ($100,000). (Page 4)
IT & Security: Significant discussion occurred regarding the county’s IT infrastructure. The Commission passed a motion to “cease and desist” any independent IT improvements by individual offices until a unified path is decided. Stronghold announced the start of a Microsoft 365 baseline implementation to improve security scores. (Pages 6-7)
Noise Resolution: A revised 4-page resolution was presented, moving the measurement point for noise complaints to the complainant’s property line. (Page 7)
Personnel & Payroll: Longevity pay is being integrated into hourly wages starting the next payroll cycle. The Commission also introduced Lou Howard as the new Emergency Manager. (Pages 7-8)
Meeting Minutes: February 23, 2026
Financial Reporting: Chairman Tran requested that accounts payable reports be sent to all directors and elected officials for review prior to meetings. He also mandated that invoices or receipts be attached to checks for verification. (Pages 10-11)
Landfill Logistics: Local waste haulers requested that the landfill remain open on certain holidays to prevent collection backups. The Commission agreed to further discuss holiday staffing and compensation. (Page 11)
System Access: A motion carried to provide read-only access to the CIC financial system for specific staff and the Sheriff to reduce information bottlenecks. (Page 11)
Public Safety Payroll: Sheriff Martin and Undersheriff Davidson raised concerns that the current “Pay Entry” system creates administrative burdens for deputies who cannot easily clock in while in the field or on call-outs. (Page 12)
Unclaimed Property: The county is investigating approximately 32 unclaimed property claims listed on the Kansas State Treasurer website belonging to various county departments. (Page 12)
