Bourbon County Commission Meeting Agenda 06.22.26

Bourbon County Commission Meeting Agenda Outline

Meeting Date & Time: June 22, 2026, 5:30 PM

Location: 210 S National Avenue, Fort Scott, KS 66701

• 1. Call Meeting to Order

• 2. Pledge of Allegiance

• 3. Prayer – Led by Commissioner Motley

• 4. Introductions

• 5. Approval of Agenda

• 6. Approval of Minutes

  • a. June 15, 2026

  • b. May 11, 2026 (Revised)

  • c. April 13, 2026 (Revised)

• 7. Approval of Accounts Payable – June 18, 2026 ($83,374.82)

• 8. Approval of May 2026 Financials

• 9. Special Appearances

• 10. Public Comments

• 11. Department Updates

  • a. Landfill – Blake Hurd

• 12. Old Business

  • a. Jarred Gilmore Phillips 2026 Audit Engagement

  • b. SEK Juvenile Detention Center Discussion

  • c. American Flag Purchase

  • d. Procedures for Adopting Resolutions

• 13. New Business

  • a. Statement/Discussion – Commissioner Allen

  • b. Fund Resolution – Commissioner Milburn

  • c. Resolution 25-26: Cancellation of Warrant Checks – County Clerk Walker

  • d. Heartland Business Licenses Annual Billing

• 14. Future Agenda Topics

  • a. Public Works Budget Work Session (Scheduled for June 29, 2026)

• 15. Commission Comments

• 16. Adjournment

(Cross-reference: Complete Agenda Layout found on PDF Page 1)

Detailed Packet Summaries & Historical Minutes

I. Draft Minutes Summary: June 15, 2026

• Call to Order & Attendance: Chair Samuel Tran called the meeting to order at 5:30 PM. Present were Commissioners Samuel Tran, David Beerbower, Joe Allen, Gregg Motley, Mike Milburn-Kee, and County Clerk Susan Walker. Multiple local citizens, media members, and department reps were noted in attendance. (PDF Page 1)

• Agenda & Accounts Payable Amendments: The agenda was rearranged to move public comments up and insert a pressing Public Works item. In reviewing accounts payable batches, Commissioner Milburn-Kee flagged duplicate vendor invoices from Murphy for rock crusher training totaling $7,849. The board approved the June 5 batch ($184,461.59) while withholding the disputed checks, and passed the June 12 batch ($833,269.76) cleanly. (PDF Page 1)

• Hidden Valley Road Jurisdiction: Public Works Director Kenny Allen delivered a definitive review regarding resident requests for county road maintenance in Hidden Valley. Legal and infrastructure checks confirmed that a 2017 resolution was meant strictly for law enforcement patrol access and did not establish public easements. The current road system fails county infrastructure metrics (lacking proper bases and engineered drainage) and would strain the county budget. The board unanimously adopted Resolution 23-26, formally declining the roads into the public network and reinforcing private HOA maintenance obligations. (PDF Page 1–2)

• Public Safety Systems & Water Drainage: Representatives from INA Alert pitched security system upgrades, offering a complimentary engineering valuation for county facilities. Local landowner Mark Warren presented severe field flooding concerns near Uniontown, Redfield, and Paint Creek, requesting updated culverts and proper side-ditching. Commissioner Milburn-Kee requested his media evidence to launch a site investigation. (PDF Page 2)

• Clerk Records, Formatting, & Elections: Commissioner Milburn-Kee brought forward corrections for the April 13 minutes, noting a previous revision had been omitted from the record. Chair Tran voiced strong concerns about the style of AI-generated minutes (referencing May 11), noting subjective phrases like “push back gently” and “echoed forcefully” painted commissioners in a non-neutral light. Clerk Walker clarified that she utilizes standard settings without injecting editorial context. Additionally, a motion by Milburn-Kee to deny the Clerk’s use of the Commission Room for upcoming 2026 elections failed 2-3; a subsequent motion to approve the full spatial request passed 3-2. (PDF Page 2–3)

• Comprehensive Plan & Moratoriums: The board accepted a Planning Commission recommendation to hire Confluence to orchestrate the county’s Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code for $152,000, praised as a long-term “blueprint” for entrepreneurs. Due to the expiration of previous protective measures, the board approved Resolution 24-26, instating a 365-day moratorium on utility-scale power generation, data centers, crypto-mining, and waste operations (exempting established solar entities). (PDF Page 3)

• Baker Tilly System Access: To eliminate friction in generating general ledger records, the commission voted unanimously to grant financial consulting group Baker Tilly read-only remote access to the CIC accounting platform using standalone login credentials. (PDF Page 3)

II. Historical Minutes Summary: May 11, 2026

• Public Meals-on-Wheels Crisis: During public comments, Michael Hoyt warned that federal funding rollbacks had severely defunded regional agencies on aging, restricting home meal delivery eligibility for local seniors. He implored the county to build provisions into upcoming budget cycles. (PDF Page 4)

• County Communication & Check-Signing Authority: County Attorney James Crux formally admonished the commission for a stark “lack of communication,” revealing that unannounced policy deviations had caused late employee payrolls for two consecutive months. To clear logistical hurdles, the board passed a motion authorizing Commissioner Allen to sign accounts payable checks, superseding previous procedural standoffs regarding statutory requirements. (PDF Page 4–5)

• SecureView Payroll Access Standoff: Commissioner Motley moved to restore read-only pay entry reporting access to the County Clerk to expedite general ledger balancing, noting intermediary data formats provided by administrative staff lacked cost-center mapping. Commissioner Milburn-Kee countered that the system configuration was all-or-nothing, raising data privacy exposures. The motion failed 2-3, and the matter was tabled to invite a systems representative to a future work session. (PDF Page 5)

III. Historical Minutes Summary: April 13, 2026

• Economic Development Wins: Fort Scott City Manager Brad Matkin announced major property acquisitions: the Value Merchandisers building and the Timken manufacturing plant were successfully sold to new operators, collectively projected to introduce up to 550 local jobs over three years and trigger massive facility expansions. (PDF Page 5)

• Employee Outcry Over Altered Benefit Records: A major labor dispute erupted when County Clerk Walker and approximately 40 county employees confronted the board over unannounced adjustments to their benefit tracking. Documentation showed 21 employees had their original hire dates modified in the software between November 2025 and March 2026, threatening KPERS retirement tiers and erasing decades of longevity credits. Following intense public cross-examination and heated executive recesses, the board voted to restore open time-entry visibility to all workers and authorized structural corrections. (PDF Page 6)

• Juvenile Justice Regulatory Shift: Michael Walden, Executive Director of the SEK Regional Juvenile Detention Center, requested the county preserve its board membership. He warned that newly passed House Bill 2329 overrides previous vetoes to extend juvenile detention lengths of stay from 45 to 90 days, an overhaul expected to saturate facility bed capacities across Kansas. (PDF Page 6)

Financial Packet Breakdown

I. Accounts Payable Batch Summary (June 18, 2026)

The upcoming accounts payable batch totals $83,374.82 across 70 total departmental invoices. Key operations pulling from county resources include:

• District Court (Dept 10): $17,054.00 total. Features a heavy capital deployment of $15,324.00 paid to McClelland Inc. as a 40% deposit for an audio system upgrade in Courtroom A, alongside legal conflict attorney fees. (PDF Page 8)

• Courthouse General (Dept 43): $13,379.74 total. Includes localized utility overhead with Evergy facilities, commercial maintenance services with Cintas, and an elevator maintenance contract payout to Kone Inc. totaling $7,503.36. (PDF Page 10)

• Road and Bridge Sales Tax Fund (Fund 222): $12,455.80 total. Driven primarily by a material and logistical invoice of $11,257.15 paid to Kunshek Chat and Coal Co. for sand and hauling operations supplying 284.99 tons of material. (PDF Page 3)

• Juvenile Detention (Dept 18): $11,347.00 total. Encompasses the primary monthly regional detention fee of $11,194.00 alongside inmate medical costs. (PDF Page 9)

• Landfill (Fund 108): $10,652.41 total. Designated entirely for regional municipal solid waste (MSW) processing agreements with Allen County Public Works. (PDF Page 2)

• County Sheriff & Correctional (Fund 120): $6,810.57 total. Distributed across needs assessments, facility sprinkler inspections, plumbing repair labor ($1,440.00), and vehicle fleet equipment. (PDF Page 2)

II. Bank Reconciliation & Cash Balance (As of May 31, 2026)

The county records a unified cash balance across all liquid profiles of $15,781,466.81 with zero variance reported by the Clerk’s review. (PDF Page 11)

• *Treasurer General Account (Landmark 3049): Main bank balance of $13,805,425.64. Adjusted down by $68,436.38 in outstanding checks and $931,493.16 in outstanding wires, balanced against $710,976.27 in transit deposits and minor adjustments for an ending book value of $13,621,735.67.

• *Clerk’s Payables Account (Landmark 3064): Main statement balance of $457,742.07. Adjusted against $344,337.25 in outstanding checks, $95,945.93 in outstanding wires, and $922,985.86 in transits for an ending value of $608,031.14.

• Certificates of Deposit (CDs): The county maintains a total CD investment portfolio of $1,550,000.00 structured across Union State Bank, Landmark Bank, and City State Bank.

III. Key Fund Balances (May Period 5 Close)

The formal Fund Status Report outlines major operational accounts tracking into the mid-year boundary:

• 001 – General Fund: Opened the period at $821,487.83, logging $83,469.32 in monthly receipts against $305,900.27 in active disbursements, closing with an ending cash balance of $599,056.88. (PDF Page 11)

• 064 – Employee Benefit Fund: Holds a substantial reserve tracking at $1,087,833.14 after drawing down $121,982.84 in monthly expenses. (PDF Page 11)

• 120 – County Sheriff/Correctional: Closed period 5 with $330,789.46 in cash reserves following $277,052.64 in operational monthly expenditures. (PDF Page 11)

• 220 – Road and Bridge Fund: Tracks at a tight ending balance of $54,140.92, significantly insulated by the parallel 222 – Road & Bridge Sales Tax Fund which maintains $779,851.14 in reserve capital. (PDF Page 11)

• 224 – Road & Bridge Special Improvement: Retains an independent cash structure of $624,755.21. (PDF Page 12)

• 108 – Landfill Fund: Concluded the processing month with an active operational balance of $289,843.67. (PDF Page 12)

This is an opinion column. It is one person’s read of a pending criminal case, not legal advice or a prediction of any outcome. Mika Milburn-Kee is presumed innocent and has the right to contest the charges in court.

The jury trial for Bourbon County Commissioner Mika Milburn-Kee is scheduled to begin July 6, 2026 and to last three days, with a pre-trial conference set for June 26. She is being prosecuted not by the local county attorney but by the Kansas Attorney General’s office, on two misdemeanor counts stemming from an October 25, 2025 incident in the commission meeting room while it was in use as an early-voting site:

• Count 1 — Interference with the Conduct of Public Business in a Public Building, K.S.A. 21-5922(a)(5). A Class A nonperson misdemeanor carrying up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine.
• Count 2 — Disorderly Election Conduct, K.S.A. 25-2413(c) — the polling-place “three-foot rule,” which makes it an offense to come within three feet of an election-board table without authority. A Class B nonperson misdemeanor carrying up to 6 months and a $1,000 fine. Under K.S.A. 25-2432, a conviction on this count would force her to forfeit her office.

For background on the charges and the security-camera footage at the center of the case, see our earlier reporting on the jury-trial schedule, the video of the incident, and a step-by-step walkthrough of how the county runs an election.

What makes this trial so unusual

The fascinating thing about this case is how hard it is to find an example that tells you how it might go. In nearly every comparable situation, the accused takes a deal of some kind. By the time the Attorney General is confident enough in an election case to bring charges, I can’t find a single Kansas example of someone who decided that fighting it in front of a jury was worth the risk of losing and possibly going to jail. As FortScott.biz has documented in a review of similar prosecutions, every comparable case that could be found ended in a plea or a diversion. None went to a jury verdict. That makes Milburn-Kee’s decision to demand a jury trial genuinely unusual.

The diversion that probably isn’t coming

The best possible outcome for Commissioner Milburn-Kee would likely have been a diversion — the kind offered to Meghan Blubaugh in her 2024 Sedgwick County case, where she refused to turn a campaign T-shirt inside out while voting. Blubaugh’s deal required about $160 in court costs and completion of a county election-worker training. A diversion is a deferred-prosecution agreement that ends in dismissal rather than a conviction if it’s completed successfully. It would not have triggered the forfeiture-of-office statute. In other words, a diversion might have let Milburn-Kee keep her commission seat.

The catch is timing. Diversions are typically offered early. In the Blubaugh case, the diversion order was filed the day after her arraignment. We are well past that point in Milburn-Kee’s case, which makes a diversion now highly unlikely. A plea deal, on the other hand, often comes together late in the process, so that option may genuinely still be on the table.

What a plea might actually look like

Because no comparable Kansas case has gone all the way to a verdict, it’s hard to say what sentence the Attorney General would push for if Milburn-Kee lost at trial. As a rule, prosecutors ask for harsher penalties when a defendant forces a full trial, while the penalties attached to negotiated pleas tend to be relatively light.

The most useful data point is the recent case of Joe Ceballos-Armendariz, the former mayor of Coldwater, who in April 2026 pled guilty to three counts of the very same statute charged in Milburn-Kee’s Count 2 — K.S.A. 25-2413. In exchange, the state dismissed six felony counts. His sentence: a $2,000 fine plus costs, six months in jail per count (suspended), and a year of probation. His case is not a clean parallel — he was negotiating down from felonies, and non-citizen-voting issues raised stakes that don’t apply here — but it is the clearest recent example of how this particular election statute gets resolved in practice: with a plea, and with jail time suspended.

Why going to trial looks risky

Having watched the actual video evidence in this case, taking it all the way to a jury without some kind of deal looks like an extraordinarily risky move. Unless Milburn-Kee’s attorneys (the Leawood criminal-defense firm of Bath & Edmonds) see a nuance in the election law they believe will virtually guarantee a not-guilty verdict, it is hard to imagine a plea isn’t high on the list of options they are weighing with her.

My best guess is that the defense is using the cost and uncertainty of a three-day jury trial as leverage to negotiate the most favorable plea possible. But that theory weakens the closer we get to July 6. Plea agreements let the state conserve resources — accepting a lighter sentence from someone who admits guilt so prosecutors can spend their effort on the defendants who insist they did nothing wrong that the Attorney General wants to make an example out of. The closer a case gets to trial, the more work the Attorney General has already sunk into it, and the smaller the resource-saving benefit of offering a lenient deal becomes. At some point the calculation stops being about conserving effort and comes down to one question: how confident is the state that it can win in front of a jury?

What the record shows right now

Jury trials are unpredictable, but they still turn on the facts and the law. The defense requested and received the state’s roughly 161-page discovery file on May 28, and the original complaint listed 15 witnesses for the prosecution. Requesting that discovery triggers a limited reciprocal obligation: the defense must let the state inspect any documents or objects it intends to introduce as evidence at trial. So far, nothing of that sort has appeared on the public docket.

For readers who want the commissioner’s own perspective, FortScott.biz has published her letter to the editor. The election-room dispute also resurfaced at the June 15 commission meeting.

The bottom line

If other similar cases are any guide, this case will be settled with some sort of plea deal before the jury, but anything is possible. Milburn-Kee may become the rare Kansas defendant who bets on a jury in an election case.

Being charged with a crime is not the same as being found guilty. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven otherwise.

FortScott.biz publishes opinion pieces with a wide variety of different views. Letters can be submitted to [email protected] for potential publication.

The Bourbon County Commission met Monday, June 15, 2026, with all five commissioners present and Chairman Samuel Tran presiding. The board worked through county roads, a new development moratorium, the selection of a comprehensive-plan consultant, and an extended discussion of the budget process and election logistics. The full meeting is available on the county’s YouTube channel: June 15, 2026 Bourbon County Commission Meeting.

Hidden Valley Roads

Public Works Director Kenny Allen told commissioners the county has no recorded easements for the Hidden Valley roads in the Mound City/Mapleton area, that the roads do not meet county construction standards, and that bringing them up to standard would require costly reconstruction. After confirming counsel’s agreement, the commission adopted Resolution 23-26, reaffirming that Resolution 7-21 designated the Hidden Valley roads only for law-enforcement access and not for county maintenance. Commissioner Mika Milburn-Kee pointed out that adopting the resolution should keep the same issue from needing the attention of the next set of commissioners, should the residents of Hidden Valley bring it up again in the future.

Accounts Payable and Payroll

The commission approved two accounts-payable batches (setting aside two rock-crusher training charges for Kenny Allen to dispute) and, after amending the agenda, approved two payroll registers. Commissioners also approved the June 1 meeting minutes.

Public Comments: Security Cameras and Drainage

Tristan Smittle and a colleague from INA Alert (introduced as Jacob Strecker) pitched integrated security and camera systems, offering rough per-camera cost figures. Landowner Mark Warren raised drainage and standing-water concerns on three properties — near 120th and Paint Creek south of Redfield, on Limestone Road southeast of Uniontown, and on Kansas Road west of Highway 3. Milburn-Kee took his contact information for follow-up.

Elm Creek Lake Dam Grant Terminated

Don George of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks asked the commission to terminate a five-year-old grant for Elm Creek Lake dam repair, explaining that the cost figures are now outdated.

The county has no records of how the dam was constructed by the WPA, so there’s no way to know what would happen if the face was removed.  George pointed out that it’s an important part of Bourbon County and the longer they wait to make repairs, the more expensive it will be.

Commissioner David Beerbower expressed a desire to keep Elm Creek Lake in good condition. MIlburn-Kee asked about reports that the fishing is declining at the lake. George said that he doesn’t stock it as much as he used to because of the leak and how low the water gets, making stocking the lake a potentially poor investment. George also offered to take any interested commissioners on a tour to learn what his department does for the county.

When Tran asked about the conditions of the grant, George said that the Department of Wildlife was going to pay about 1/3 of the cost at $40,000 and the county pay the remainder of $121,000, the majority of which would be using the county’s workers, equipment, and resources. (Background: County Commission Discusses EMS and Elm Creek Quarry.)

The commission voted to terminate the grant, and George invited the county to submit a future application with current numbers for the next grant cycle in May of 2027.

Comprehensive Plan: Confluence Selected

Planning Commission representatives Brian Ashworth II and Pete Owenby recommended hiring Confluence to produce the county’s comprehensive plan — at a cost of $105,500 — along with an optional zoning-code update (costing $46,500), citing stronger community-engagement plans than competing firms. The proposed time line is 10 months from the beginning of work with an additional four months for zoning. One way the county could save money on the cost of the work is to work on the zoning in conjunction with developing the comprehensive plan. By developing a comprehensive plan, the county will provide leverage for various entities in Bourbon County that may wish to apply for grants. “It promotes growth,” said Milburn-Kee.

The commission voted to select Confluence, with Commissioner Gregg Motley abstaining, and authorized Ashworth to pursue best-and-final pricing. The selection follows the Planning Commission’s spring review of proposals (see May 13–14 Planning Commission agendas and the February RFP summary).

Clerk’s Requests: Website Access and Election Room

County Clerk Susan Walker requested front-page access to the county website for herself, the county treasurer and the emergency management department to keep required publications and the emergency status of the county current. No one is updating the finance page at this time. The commission deferred pending consultation with its IT provider, Stronghold.

Walker also formally requested use of the commission room for early voting and election school on specified dates. A motion by Commissioner Milburn-Kee to deny use of the room (while still allowing Public Works and custodial assistance with election equipment) split the vote and failed; a follow-on motion by Commissioner Motley to approve the clerk’s full request passed.

Milburn-Kee claimed that the commission room is the only space she can use on the courthouse for commission work. A heated exchange occurred between Chairman Tran and Clerk Walker over election-room security and tone.

Budget Process

Commissioners Beerbower, Tran, Motley, and Allen said they want department heads to present their budgets directly to the board — beginning with Public Works on June 29 — while Commissioner Milburn-Kee preferred letting financial advisor Baker Tilly handle the process. The commission approved read-only CIC remote access for Baker Tilly so the firm can pull budget information directly. The discussion continues the board’s budget work from its May 18 meeting.

New Development Moratorium

The commission adopted Resolution 24-26, a 365-day moratorium on utility-scale power generation, crypto mining, data centers, and waste-disposal operations, excluding three previously named Tennyson Creek/Hinton Creek Solar projects. Commissioner Joe Allen abstained pending further research, and Motley agreed. The action revisits ground the county has covered before — see the January industrial-development moratorium, the 2025 solar moratorium, and the timeline of Bitcoin-mining noise complaints and the related litigation.

The moratorium will be in effect for one year, or until Bourbon County adopts amendments to the zoning regulation of the county pertaining to utility-scale power generation crypto mining, data centers, and waste disposal operations, whichever first occurs.

Other Business

• Signed previously approved Resolution 22-26.
• Authorized Chair Tran to sign a real-estate (MLS) listing extension.
• Appointed Michael Hoyt as the county’s representative to the Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging board, Milburn-Kee and Tran voting against.
• Commissioner Allen praised first responders’ performance during a recent incident involving the sheriff and reported the DMV may reopen within the week.

Commissioner Comments

Beerbower: Asked that the commissioners give their opinion on the size of flag to fly from the 40-foot poll at the courthouse. The commission decided to bring it back to the table next week after some research.

Allen: Asked that documents be attached to the meeting agendas prior to the meeting to allow time to read through resolutions prior to voting on them.

He also gave a shout-out to public works for their work mowing and grading. He also commended the first responders with Sheriff Bill Martin’s collapse last week.

Watch the full meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xih_URPfsUs

Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Report – June 15, 2026

Arrested

Young, Corey Danielle (Age 52) — Arrested 6/12/2026 2:00 AM by Fort Scott Police Department. Charges: Cultivate/Distribute/With Intent Opiates/Opium/Narc/Stim, Possession of Certain Hallucinogenics with 1 Prior Conviction, Use/Possession of Drug Paraphernalia/Human Body (x2). Bond: $250,000.00 Cash/Surety.

Blevins, Roger Dean (Age 57) — Arrested 6/12/2026 2:09 AM by Fort Scott Police Department. Charges: Cultivate/Distribute/With Intent Opiates/Opium/Narc/Stim, Possess Opiates/Opium/Narc Drug and Certain Stim, Use/Possession of Drug Paraphernalia/Human Body (x2). Bond: $250,000.00 Cash/Surety.

Crites, David McArthur III (Age 36) — Arrested 6/12/2026 9:49 AM by Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office. Charge: Warrant Bourbon County (Failure to Appear). Bond: $0.00 No Bond.

Mallory, Troy Thunder (Age 38) — Arrested 6/12/2026 3:00 PM by Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office. Charge: Sentenced (KDOC). Bond: $0.00.

Evans, John W (Age 44) — Arrested 6/12/2026 3:24 PM by Fort Scott Police Department. Charge: Warrant Bourbon County (Probation Violation). Bond: $1,000.00 Cash/Surety. Released 6/12/2026 8:17 PM via Surety Bond (Able Bonding).

Lotterer, Jared W (Age 36) — Arrested 6/12/2026 4:00 PM by Fort Scott Police Department. Charge: Warrant Bourbon County (Failure to Appear) — Warrant No. BB-25-CR-241. Bond: $5,000.00 Cash/Surety.

Eisenbrandt, Jonah (Age 46) — Arrested 6/12/2026 6:00 PM by Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office. Charge: Sanction. Bond: $0.00 No Bond. Released 6/14/2026 6:11 PM via Time Served.

Shadden, Sammuel A (Age 47) — Arrested 6/12/2026 11:43 PM by Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office. Charges: Possess Opiates/Opium/Narc Drug and Certain Stim, Use/Possession of Drug Paraphernalia/Human Body. Bond: $7,500.00 Cash/Surety. Released 6/13/2026 5:04 PM via Surety Bond (Larry Lamb).

LaRoche, James Edward (Age 36) — Arrested 6/13/2026 8:45 AM by Fort Scott Police Department. Charges: Aggravated Interference with Parent Custody; Impede Return, Battery, Criminal Damage to Property (Misdemeanor), Interference with LEO; Obstruct/Resist Felony, Violation of Court Order. Bond: $500,000.00 Cash/Surety.

Knackstedt, David Michael (Age 54) — Arrested 6/13/2026 11:36 AM by Fort Scott Police Department. Charges: Aggravated Domestic Battery, Domestic Battery; Physical Contact in Rude Manner. Bond: $20,000.00 Cash/Surety.

Singmaster, David Dakota (Age 32) — Arrested 6/13/2026 2:30 PM by Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office. Charge: Warrant – Fort Scott Municipal. Bond: $500.00 Cash/Surety. Released 6/13/2026 3:12 PM via Cash Bond.

Gier, Christian Lee (Age 48) — Arrested 6/14/2026 10:02 AM by Fort Scott Police Department. Charges: Criminal Trespass; Unknown Circumstance, Disorderly Conduct; Fighting Words/Noisy Conduct, Warrant – Out of County (Warrant No. W0003368). Bond: $1,000.00 Cash.

Released

Denyer, Durand Cole — Released 6/12/2026 1:51 PM via Time Served (Self).

Eisenbrandt, Jonah — Released 6/14/2026 6:11 PM via Time Served (Self).

Evans, John W — Released 6/12/2026 8:17 PM via Surety Bond (Able Bonding).

Luttrall, Leslie Paul — Released 6/12/2026 2:23 PM via Own Recognizance (Self).

Shadden, Sammuel A — Released 6/13/2026 5:04 PM via Surety Bond (Larry Lamb).

Singmaster, David Dakota — Released 6/13/2026 3:12 PM via Cash Bond (Self).

Tucker, Sky Marie — Released 6/12/2026 3:06 PM via Probation (Self).

Wallace, Jeremiah — Released 6/12/2026 10:57 AM via Own Recognizance (Self).

Total Inmates Released: 8

Documents:

• 06-15-2026_A.pdf
• 06-15-2026_R.pdf

Bourbon County Commission Meeting Agenda – June 15, 2026, 5:30 PM

agenda-packet (37)

• I. Commission Comments (Page 1)

• II. Call Meeting to Order (Page 1)

• III. Pledge of Allegiance (Page 1)

• IV. Prayer – Led by J. Allen (Page 1)

• V. Introductions (Page 1)

• VI. Accounts Payable Batches (Page 1)

  • Batch dated 06.05.26: $184,461.59

  • Batch dated 06.12.26: $833,269.76

• VII. Minutes – Approval of 06.01.26 meeting minutes (Page 1)

• VIII. Special Appearances (Page 1)

  • Planning Commission Presentation – Presented by Commissioner Tran

• IX. Department Updates (Page 1)

  • a. MOU Grant – Melissa Trim / Commissioner Tran

  • b. Website Access – Walker

  • c. Election Request – Walker

• X. Old Business (Page 1)

  • a. Real-estate Extension – Commissioner Tran

  • b. Budget Discussion – Commissioner Milburn-Kee

  • c. Moratorium – Commissioner Milburn

• XI. Public Comments (Page 1)

• XII. New Business (Page 2)

  • a. Fund Resolution – Commissioner Milburn

  • b. Comprehensive Plan – Commissioner Milburn

  • c. Sugar Valley Road Lake Maintenance – Commissioner Milburn

  • d. Appoint Representatives to SEK Area Agency on Aging

  • e. CIC Remote Access for Baker Tilly – Commissioner Milburn-Kee

• XIII. Future Agenda Topics (Page 2)

  • a. 06.22.26: Jarred Gilmore Phillips 2026 Audit Engagement

  • b. 06.22.26: SEK Regional Juvenile Detention Center Discussion

  • c. 06.22.26: Resolution for Cancellation of Warrant/Checks KSA 19-320 – Walker

• XIV. Commission Comments (Page 2)

• XV. Adjournment (Page 2)

Detailed Information Packet Summary

1. Accounts Payable Bills & Invoices (Pages 3–50)

The packet includes two separate open invoice department summaries containing all line-item claims against county funds.

Batch Due 6/5/2026 — Grand Total: $184,461.59 (Pages 3–23)

• Non-Departmental / Funds Summary: Payouts totaled $135,316.63 distributed across several key funds, including Employee Benefit ($1,128.19), Landfill ($5,230.07), County Sheriff/Correctional ($38,948.88), Road and Bridge ($35,868.95), and Road & Bridge Sales Tax ($26,712.61). Notable individual line items include a $16,271.22 bill from Benchmark Government Solutions for May inmate meals and a $14,611.80 charge from Wright Asphalt Products for 24.85 tons of AC-20. (Pages 3–8)

• County Department Operations: Invoices billed to specific departmental operational lines include:

  • County Commission: $116.27 (Page 9)

  • County Clerk: $255.16 (Page 10)

  • County Treasurer: $48.83 (Page 11)

  • County Attorney: $3,728.17 — heavily driven by legal publication fees in the Fort Scott Tribune (Page 12)

  • District Court: $1,049.19 (Page 15)

  • IT Department: $39,647.55 — consisting of regular monthly support and a $17,900.00 county project separation fee from Stronghold Data LLC (Page 17)

  • Ambulance Service (EMS): $1,562.26 (Page 18)

  • Courthouse General: $941.77 — covering public utilities and facilities upkeep (Page 20)

Batch Due 6/12/2026 — Grand Total: $833,269.76 (Pages 24–50)

• Non-Departmental / Payroll Clearing Account Summary: Payouts totaled $750,221.62. This larger batch includes substantial seasonal and quarterly commitments. The Employee Benefit fund accounted for $473,730.74, which includes multi-month healthcare premium payouts to Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Kansas spanning March through June 2026 ($98,990.48 for June; roughly $114,000 per month for March, April, and May). (Page 26)

• Department Payroll & Operations Bills:

  • County Commission: $5,181.52 (Page 36)

  • County Clerk: $4,608.30 (Page 37)

  • County Treasurer: $4,874.10 (Page 38)

  • County Attorney: $11,339.58 (Page 39)

  • County Sheriff / Corrections: $80,724.10 (Page 30)

  • Road and Bridge Operations: $62,673.26 (Page 33)

  • Road & Bridge Sales Tax Fund: $100,793.06 — includes major infrastructure purchases like liquid asphalt emulsion from Wright Asphalt Products totaling over $57,000 across multiple invoices (Pages 33–35)

  • Ambulance Service: $38,279.92 (Page 44)

  • Human Resources: $4,300.00 for the monthly custom support package from HR Solutions on Call, LLC (Page 46)

2. Official Meeting Minutes Approval – June 1, 2026 (Pages 51–52)

• Attendance & Logistics: The meeting was called to order at 5:30 PM by Commissioner Mika Milburn-Kee. Commissioners Sam Tran (via telephone) and Joe Allen (via Zoom) participated remotely. Commissioner David Beerbower and County Clerk Susan Walker were absent. (Page 51)

• Agenda Modifications: Bill Martin requested the removal of his TUSA presentation due to low attendance. The agenda was approved 4-0 as amended. (Page 51)

• Minutes Corrections: Minutes for May 11 and May 18 were approved 4-0 with an amendment by Commissioner Milburn-Kee to remove certain statements that had been mistakenly attributed to her in the May 11 record. (Page 51)

• Financial & Payables Approvals: April 2026 financials and standard tax corrections passed 4-0. The accounts payable batches from May 22 ($139,611.15) and May 29 ($456,069.98) were approved 3-0, with Commissioner Tran abstaining because he was unable to review the text of the vouchers. (Page 52)

• Administrative Actions: The Commission voted 4-0 to officially authorize Commissioner Gregg Motley to execute accounts payable checks for the evening in the physical absence of Commissioner Allen. The meeting was adjourned after four minutes at 5:34 PM. (Page 52)

3. County Clerk Election Request Memo (Page 53)

• Location & Workspace Request: County Clerk Susan Walker submitted an official request to utilize courthouse spaces for early voting and poll worker operations to eliminate external rental costs for the county.

• Lobby & Commission Room Allocation: The memo requests custodial setup for voting booths in the lobby area across from the clerk’s office on July 17, 2026 (Primary) and October 16, 2026 (General). It also requests use of the main Commission room table for processing ballots, staging worker workspaces, and housing the required ADA voting machines.

• Operational Schedules:

  • Primary Early Voting Window: Weekdays from July 20 to August 3, 2026 (8:30 AM – 4:30 PM), Saturdays on July 25 and August 1 (8:00 AM – 12:00 PM), and final standard voting on Election Day, August 4, 2026.

  • General Early Voting Window: Weekdays from October 19 to November 2, 2026 (8:30 AM – 4:30 PM), Saturdays on October 24 and October 31 (8:00 AM – 12:00 PM), and final voting on Election Day, November 3, 2026.

  • Poll Worker Training: Election Schools are scheduled in the Commission room on Saturday, July 18, 2026, and Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM.

4. Real Estate Extension & Property Documentation (Pages 54–58)

• Listing Agreement Revision: Documentation from the Kansas City Regional Association of Realtors outlines a formal “Change Form” modification for the county-owned office property located at 108 W. 2nd St., Fort Scott, KS (MLS #259246). Broker Diann Tucker (Stewart Realty Company) and Bourbon County signed the revision on June 4, 2026. (Page 54)

• Contractual Terms: The revision leaves the current asking price at $170,000.00 but officially extends the original listing agreement period (which began on November 17, 2025) from its original expiration date of June 17, 2026, out through December 17, 2026. (Page 54)

• Property Specifications (108 W. 2nd St.): The site features a 3,552-square-foot single-level brick office building built in 1963. It contains a full utility setup, a partial basement with a small kitchen area, an on-site parking lot, and holds tax-exempt status under county ownership. The property is actively marketed for commercial use, highlighting potential sub-division layouts for up to four distinct business areas. (Page 57)

• Comparable Local Real Estate Data: The packet includes regional real estate tracking sheets detailing recent closed commercial sales in Bourbon County to guide valuation strategies:

  • 1621 S. Main St. (Business Opportunity): Built in 1964; sold on April 28, 2026, for $180,000.00 after 7 days on the market. (Page 55)

  • 102 S. Judson St. (Office Space): Built in 1961; sold on April 3, 2026, for $180,000.00 after 4 days on the market. (Page 55)

  • 322-324 S. State St. (Commercial Other): Built in 1983; sold on March 19, 2026, for $225,000.00 after 7 days on the market. (Page 55)

  • 1502 Scott Ave. (Industrial Facility): Built in 2001; a 5,000+ square foot metal facility sitting on over half an acre that sold on August 21, 2025, for $237,000.00 after 38 days on the market. (Page 56)

The legal fight over the effort to recall Bourbon County Clerk Susan Walker has taken a new turn: the three members of the recall committee, after being dropped from the lawsuit, are now asking the judge to let them back in as a group. On June 9 they filed a motion to intervene, along with a request to throw Walker’s lawsuit out entirely.

This is the latest step in a case we have been following. For the fuller background — how the lawsuit started and how the committee members came to be dismissed — see our earlier story: Walker v. Crux Update: Recall Committee Dismissed, Member Fights Back.

Key events

• A petition is being circulated to recall Walker from office. It points to mistakes on the USD 235 (Uniontown) school board ballots in the November 2025 election.
• Walker sued, asking a court to rule that the recall petition does not meet the legal requirements, which would stop it from going to a vote. She first named County Attorney James Crux and the three recall committee members as defendants: Kyle R. Parks, Kevin Wagner, and Lyle K. Owenby.
• She later narrowed her lawsuit to drop the three committee members and proceed only against Crux. The judge dismissed them from the case. Wagner then asked the judge to undo that dismissal.

What’s new (June 5–9)

• June 5 — Walker’s attorney filed a response opposing Wagner’s request to undo the dismissal. Her argument, in plain terms: dropping the committee members was proper, and if they want back in, the right way is to ask to “intervene” — formally join the case — not to reverse the dismissal.
• June 9 — That is exactly what they did. All three committee members, now represented by Wichita attorney Patrick B. Hughes, filed a motion to intervene under K.S.A. 60-224, the state law on joining a lawsuit. They argue they are “necessary parties” — people the case cannot fairly be decided without — under K.S.A. 60-219, because the case asks the court to decide whether their recall petition is valid. County Attorney Crux, they say, cannot stand in for them — his role is separate, and a ruling without them could leave Crux facing conflicting court orders later on.
• If the judge lets them back into the case, they also want to throw Walker’s lawsuit out under K.S.A. 60-5320, the Kansas Public Speech Protection Act, and to make Walker pay their attorney fees. That law — often called an “anti-SLAPP” law — lets people who are sued over protected speech or petition activity ask a court to dismiss the case early. They included a copy of that motion with their June 9 filing.

Underneath the legal back-and-forth is a factual dispute about what happened with the November 2025 ballots. Neither side disputes that about 50 of the USD 235 school board ballots used during early voting were printed wrong, but they do disagree about whether Walker acted fast enough to fix them.

The recall committee’s petition, which Kansas requires the petitioners swear are true,  says Walker “caused to be printed and distributed incorrect ballots,” and that even though the problem was “brought to her attention by multiple individuals during the early voting period,” she did not correct it promptly and new, correct ballots were not printed until the night before Election Day.

However, in Walker’s sworn court petition, she says she “took immediate action to cure the ballot error”: within about four hours she and her staff set up a corrected election with the county’s voting-machine vendor, and, working into the early morning of Election Day, printed roughly 2,600 new ballots before voters went to the polls. In a written statement she released to the public, she added that her office received only one complaint just before early voting ended on Nov. 3, 2025 and that a review of two weeks of her office’s phone records turned up no earlier complaint. She points to the state law requiring that ballot mistakes be “corrected without delay” (K.S.A. 25-604) and says she did exactly that once she knew about the error.

It is worth being clear that none of these filings is asking the court to decide on the conflicting sworn statements. As the committee’s own filing puts it, whether Walker’s explanation is convincing is “a question for the voters, not the court.” The judge’s job at this stage is narrower: to decide whether the recall petition meets the legal requirements to move forward, such as stating valid grounds. Under K.S.A. 25-4302, “failure to perform duties prescribed by law” is one of the grounds Kansas law allows for a recall.

On June 9 the court also granted a 14-day extension giving County Attorney Crux until June 23 to formally respond to Walker’s lawsuit. The judge has not yet ruled on Wagner’s request to undo the dismissal, on the committee’s request to rejoin, or on the underlying question of whether the recall petition is legally sufficient. No hearing date had been set as of this writing.

Being named in a lawsuit is not a finding of wrongdoing, and the filings described here reflect each party’s arguments, not the court’s conclusions. FortScott.biz will continue to follow the case.

Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Report – June 12, 2026

Arrested

Arent, Nicholas Ray (Age 43) — Arrested 6/11/2026 2:51 AM by Fort Scott Police Department. Charges: Possess Opiates/Opium/Narc Drug and Certain Stim, Use/Poss Drug Paraphernalia/Human Body. Bond: $2,000.00 (Cash/Surety). Released 6/11/2026 5:53 PM via Surety Bond (Able Bonding).

Leonord, Hilary Rose (Age 42) — Arrested 6/11/2026 3:37 PM by Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office. Charge: Domestic Battery; Knowing/Reckless Bodily Harm. Bond: $0.00 (No Bond).

Young, Corey Danielle (Age 52) — Arrested 6/12/2026 2:00 AM by Fort Scott Police Department. Charges: Cultivate/Distribute/W/Int Opiates/Opium/Narc/Stim, Poss of Certain Hallucinogenics W/1 Prior Conv, Use/Poss Drug Paraphernalia/Human Body. Bond: $0.00 (No Bond).

Blevins, Roger Dean (Age 57) — Arrested 6/12/2026 2:09 AM by Fort Scott Police Department. Charges: Possess Opiates/Opium/Narc Drug and Certain Stim, Use/Poss Drug Paraphernalia/Human Body. Bond: $0.00 (No Bond).

Released

Arent, Nicholas Ray — Released 6/11/2026 5:53 PM via Surety Bond (Able Bonding).

Lotterer, Joseph — Released 6/11/2026 8:00 AM via Probation (Self).

Ludeman, Samantha Joy — Released 6/11/2026 7:03 AM via Transferred Out (KDOC).

Total Inmates Released: 3

Documents:

• 6-12-26_A.pdf
• 6-12-26_R.pdf