Submitted by Deb Martin, Feb. 22

Fort Scott, Kan., Bourbon County Republican Party Chairman Randall Readinger announced the March 5, 2016, Republican Presidential Caucus for Bourbon and Linn Counties.

“This year it looks like Kansas’ Caucus will play a major role in the presidential selection process,” Readinger says. “By all accounts the race will stay competitive for some time and Kansas’ Caucus is the first event after the first Super Tuesday on March 1 and before the second Super Tuesday on March 15.

“The Caucus gives all registered Republicans the opportunity to cast their ballot for the Republican Presidential nominee of their choice and help determine which candidate receives the votes of Kansas’ 40 delegates at the Republican National Convention.

“The Caucus is free, fast, and open to all registered Republican voters in Kansas.

“Our Caucus will be held at the Linn County Fairgrounds, 4­H Building, Mound City, Kan. The doors will open at 9:00 a.m. and close at 1:00 p.m. We will caucus, or vote, from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Ballots will be counted immediately after voting is over.

“In order to participate in the caucus, participants must have been registered as a Republican by February 4, 2016, and must provide a photo ID at the caucus location. The Caucus process is free, fast and simple. After checking in, voters may hear short presentations by representatives of each candidate and then receive a ballot to vote.”

Additional information such as frequently asked questions and all caucus locations can be found at www.kansas.gop.

Bourbon County Sheriff Bill Martin informed the County Commission Tuesday morning of the department’s plans to add a K9 Unit to the Sheriff’s Office.

Martin said it has been about nine years since the Fort Scott Police Department had such a unit with a trained dog and they have recognized a need for that service in Bourbon County. When Martin brought the idea to the department, two deputies stepped forward and said they were willing to be trained as handlers and care for the dogs.

The deputies would have had to find a way to raise the money for the dog or receive funding from the county’s budget, but instead, a resident of the county stepped up and said they would provide the funding for two trained dogs and training for the deputies.

The handlers, which will also include the sheriff in case one of the others is unavailable, will go through three-week training sessions in Longford, Kan., in March and in May. The two dogs—about two years old and already trained with a guarantee of five years of service—will cost about $28,000 even after a $5,000 grant.

“These are dual-purpose dogs,” Martin said, saying they can sniff out drugs such as cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamines, as well as help law enforcement search for wanted or missing persons.

Martin said the unit would be available not just to the sheriff’s office, but the police department and the highway patrol if they need it as well, adding he thinks it would be a great benefit as he recalled a time when law enforcement had to wait for four hours for dogs to be brought to them.

“That was four hours of law enforcement twiddling their thumbs,” Martin said, saying having their own K9 unit would solve that problem.

“I think it’s a good deal,” commission chairperson Barbara Albright said, expressing gratitude to the individuals who donated the funds.

Residents from Bourbon, Linn and Crawford counties attended a class Monday afternoon giving them information on how to properly burn on their property in a way that is safe, legal and beneficial to their land and wildlife.

Christopher Petty of the Kansas State University extension office said he and Bourbon County Emergency Manager Will Wallis began planning for such a gathering almost a year ago to inform the public prior to the burning season, which begins to pick up in March.

Petty said their goals for the meeting were twofold: to teach ranchers, farmers and property owners how to burn properly and to support local fire departments.

“Burning taxes the small rural fire departments when they don’t know about it,” Petty said.

Wallis encouraged those present to call the local dispatch anytime they plan on burning. The dispatchers can then give them suggestions on whether it is safe to burn while also getting the location so the fire department is aware and can be prepared to help if needed.

Jason Hartman of the Kansas State Forest Service spoke about the regulations, permits and liability issues that go with burning as well as basic information such as the reasons for burning, which might include preparation for planting, better grazing, to improve or get rid of vegetation and reduce risk of wildfire.

“Every carefully prescribed fire is a wildfire prevented,” Hartman said.

Depending on the objective of the prescribed burnings, Hartman said burnings should be done at certain times throughout the year, with its effectiveness based on the season, weather, vegetation, management and size and intensity of the fire.

Deon Steinle of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service said those burning property also need to recognize that their burn will affect the wildlife of that area as well and is capable of either damaging or improving their habitat.

Drew Albert of the National Weather Service out of Springfield, Mo., reminded participants that weather plays a key role in deciding when to burn, since temperature, wind, humidity and drought conditions have an impact on the safety of burning as well as the direction the smoke will travel.

“We can be wrong,” Albert said of himself and others involved in forecasting the weather. “So you really have to keep getting updates.”

Joe Ludlum of the Bourbon County Conservation District provided a list of equipment available to rent while Dane Varney of the National Resources Conservation Service gave information on how to conduct a safe and controlled burn, including what equipment and crew is needed.

The Bourbon County Commission, project architects and construction teams discussed the new jail project’s budget Tuesday morning to clarify issues and answer questions about process made.

Initially, the county decided on the 74-bed jail costing $6.8 million, but as architects from the Goldberg Group Architects began creating designs for the building and looking at costs for materials, their estimated cost rose to 15 percent higher than that projected cost.

Kevin Rost of the Goldberg Group said part of the reasons for the higher estimates concerned the increase in square footage of the building, the fluctuating costs for materials such as steel and the high demand for contractors at the moment because of other projects being worked on around the area.

Rost said he has not participated in a project that came in at budget just as planned initially, since they begin with very conservative estimates while the designs are formed. He explained those estimates should come down as the plans are refined, more information is gathered and bids are eventually accepted.

“We’re just not to that point in the process yet,” Rost said, saying as they move further in the design process they will be able to share more information with the commission.

Commission chairman Barbara Albright said they have received numerous questions from the public asking about why the project is over budget and what their plans are to resolve the issue. Recently, the commission was able to give Goldberg Group and Universal Construction a plan including about $300,000 in cost savings through the road and bridge department and other areas.

Rost said they also will continue to look at ways to cut costs as the project continues, such as by encouraging the county to recycle the concrete removed from the selected site and selling the existing structure.

“We want to get the best value for the county that we can,” Rost said.

Each month, those involved in the project will meet with at least one commission member to keep them up to date on progress being made as they begin phase two of checking the site to make sure there is nothing underground that could prevent or damage the project. Geotechnicians will also be called in to test the soil.

“We just want to get it moving forward,” Rost said of the project. “I think we’ve got a good site.”

In preparing for the new year, the Bourbon County Commission went over the 2015 budget to make sure the financial numbers lined up and to see where changes could be made to make the 2016 budget more accurate.

Attorney Justin Meeks, county treasurer Rhonda Dunn and Jim Harris of the road and bridge department met with the commission Tuesday to discuss the revenue, expenditures and totals from the 2015 budget.

Out of the approximate $11 million annual budget for Bourbon County, the totals up through just last week showed $72,635.97 cash remaining in the general fund, with the few remaining days left in 2015 to go. That is the sum after more than $396,000 was set aside to carry over into the 2016 budget, though some cash reserves from previous years were also used.

Dunn shared that the general fund’s total revenue was down by about $185,000, coming from specific areas such as the motor vehicle tax, mortgage reimbursements and other taxes. But while the budgeted revenues did not come in as predicted, the expenditures were also down, helping even out the totals.

“We anticipated this,” commission chairman Barbara Albright said, saying they expected it to be a tight year and are planning for similar budget restrictions in 2016.

Dunn said she believes they collected much of the budgeted revenue and is not sure why the numbers were down across the different departments. Dunn will look at the previous five years to see if the totals follow a trend or if it could possibly be an accounting and budgeting issue.

The main discrepancy was found in the employee benefits department—including the social security, workman’s compensation and life insurance—which had a revenue of more than $2.3 million when it was only budgeted for $1.3 million, leaving a surplus that could not be put in the cash fund since it was not budgeted.

The road and bridge department also suffered a shortfall, but Dunn and Harris worked hard and found a way to transfer funds once bond money comes in to reimburse the department, resulting in $33,492.85 left in its balance.

While the budget is tight, Albright said it definitely could have been worse. Moving forward, she said they will try not to be too optimistic in their budgeting and remain careful in their spending.

The commission approved some amendments in the budget, including the road and bridge transfers as well as other changes to the employee benefits, noxious weed and landfill departments. Any other significant changes will not be made until about February of the new year, after the data is further analyzed.

Fort Scott’s Neighborhood Revitalization Program came one step closer to getting the approval needed for a renewal for five years when the Bourbon County Commission approved the program, joining the Fort Scott City Commission, who approved it at a recent meeting.

Director of Economic Development Heather Smith shared information with the county commissioners Tuesday morning, seeking their signature for the inter-local agreement between the area tax entities, including the county, city of Fort Scott, USD 234 and the Fort Scott Community College. Signatures from the latter two are still needed.

“The goal of this program is to basically encourage rehabilitation and development for residential and commercial properties that may not otherwise occur,” Smith said.

NRP offers incentives to Fort Scott residents who would like to improve the value of their homes, property or commercial buildings without paying the extra taxes. Those involved in the program who increase the value by 15 percent receive a rebate on the extra taxes resulting from the improvements.

Those living along the Wall Street corridor are exempt from that 15 percent requirement and will receive the rebate on any increase in value.

In the first four years of the program, with 2015 data pending, Smith said 15 commercial and 14 residential properties participated, increasing their valuations by a combined $3.6 million, more than a 265 percent return on the money rebated to the participants.

“It’s a good idea for anyone wanting to improve their property,” commission chairman Barbara Albright said of NRP.

Since its beginning, changes have been made to the program, such as giving the county tax assessor control over the procedure instead of the city.

“Last year we made a lot of procedural changes,” Smith said, saying those adjustments made the process more efficient.

Those wanting to participate in 2016 must apply before the end of the year and can then receive rebates for five-year terms for residential areas and 10 years for commercial properties.

Despite differing opinions on the timing and cost of the project, the county commissioners approved of a plan and funding Tuesday afternoon that will continue the painting project of the first floor of the courthouse.

Painting began on the first floor in recent weeks with a $1,500 donation from the Historic Preservation Association and assistance in labor from local inmates. But as work went on, tax assessor and HPA president Rhonda Dunn said they realized some of the more detailed painting near the ceiling would have to be done by a contractor.

The contractor will complete a portion of the work in time for the Homes for the Holidays tour the first weekend of December, which will feature the courthouse, and will then finish the remaining painting after the new year, when he will charge the county $1,810 for the entire task.

Because fewer coats of paint have been needed on the first floor than expected, Dunn said they still have money left over from the HPA which will be used to cover part of the extra cost, with the county paying the difference.

“I think it will look wonderful,” presiding commissioner Barbara Albright said. “I just think right now’s not a good time to do it.”

Albright said she thought the basic painting could be complete while the trim work, which would have to be done by hand, could be left to a later time when they could more easily commit that funding.

“The history of this courthouse is that we don’t do much upkeep on it,” Dunn said, saying her own office went about 30 years without any new painting or carpeting. “I have a lot of pride in this courthouse, so investments need to be made.”

Once the project is done, GIS/IT director and HPA member Shane Walker said it probably would not have to be done again for at least 25 years.

“It looks nice,” commissioner Harold Coleman said. “And the nicer it looks the better…Why leave it halfway?”

The project also includes a Christmas tree with old photos of the county put up for the holidays and other antique items that will be displayed at the courthouse throughout the year.

During their monthly meeting at Papa Don’s Friday, members of the Bourbon County Young Professionals League heard a report from Fort Scott Community College President Alysia Johnston about the current status of the community college.

Johnston joined FSCC in June and said she has felt very welcomed by the entire community, saying she has been encouraged by the amount of participation and activities of members of the community.

“It is these small communities that make the economy of Kansas works,” Johnston said. “It certainly makes Fort Scott Community College work and I think it’s very beneficial to the community itself, to young people, really to everybody involved.”

Johnston said the college currently has about 1,800 students and 150 employees and offers not just core classes that can transfer to other, four-year universities, but also more specialized programs such as in cosmetology, nursing and truck-driving schools.

While not a large community college, Johnston said their goal is not to focus on increasing their size and numbers, but make sure they stay true to their mission of providing opportunities for the students as well as the businesses where those students might work.

“Our vision is that we grow but in the areas that we need to to meet our mission,” Johnston said.

YPL members had an opportunity to ask Johnston questions after her presentation, such as inquiring as to whether the college has plans to expand their programs, change the weekly schedule for the cosmetology students to provide more opportunities for experience, and what percentage of the student population are from Bourbon County.

Johnston said she was pleased to see the young people in the YPL who are involved in and invested in the Fort Scott community.

“It’s very rewarding to see young people come back to communities, be able to give of their time and expertise,” Johnston said.

“It is these small communities that make the economy of Kansas works,” Johnston said. “It certainly makes Fort Scott Community College work and I think it’s very beneficial to the community itself, to young people, really to everybody involved.”