During the Fort Scott City Commission meeting Tuesday evening, the commission voted unanimously to remove the responsibilities of tourism from the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce and put it back in the hands of the city staff.

“This is not about the city versus the chamber,” City Manager Dave Martin said, adding they plan to continue working very closely with the chamber. “It’s about moving the city forward.”

Martin said the issue has been a concern for a number of residents for a while. After recently hearing from those residents directly, the commission decided to bring the issue to the table and determine how to proceed.

By becoming responsible for the tourism of Fort Scott, Martin said the city would be able to hire a full-time tourism director, providing benefits and a competitive wage, something the chamber has not had the finances to do.

A number of business leaders and other residents spoke both in favor and in opposition to the change during the meeting.

“Tourism has been an integral part of the chamber for decades,” chamber executive director Lindsay Madison said, listing the accomplishments recently made in publicizing the many attractions the city offers.

Chamber board member Reta Baker pointed out that in recent years, the chamber has succeeded in increasing the revenue from the transient guest tax from about $44,000 annually to more than $150,000 in the latest report. In the current model, it is the chamber that collects that tax and uses a portion of it annually for their budget through an agreement with the city.

Business owner Bill Michaud said, despite that drastic increase of revenue, the funds from the chamber’s contract with the city have had a much smaller increase.

Martin responded by saying the city provides what the chamber budgets for, and could provide more based on their requests. Financial Director Jon Garrison said of the more than $150,000 in transient guest tax raised the previous year, about $42,000 was from one business that had not paid that tax in some years. Garrison said the average is usually closer to $120,000, and all of that is available to the chamber per their request.

Business owner Bobbie Duncan said he does not believe tourism works under the direction of the chamber, since the chamber’s efforts are driven toward supporting their members. Duncan also pointed out the chamber is not under any public records act, as the city is.

“Tax revenue that’s received by our town should not be used to promote any narrow interest, but instead should be used to promote the whole of our community,” Duncan said, saying it should not be used by a private interest group.

“The inherent obligation of a chamber is to its members,” Arnold Schofield agreed. “The inherent obligation of the city is to the entire population and to all the businesses in the city.”

Larry Nuss recalled a time when the city controlled the local historic site, before it became a part of the National Parks Service. Nuss said when it did become a national historic site, the city was grateful to hand over the responsibility of running it.

“I think you should carefully consider this issue before you get back into the tourism business,” Nuss said.

Don Miller said he believes hiring someone with the skill, knowledge, contacts and time to run the tourism department will make the difference the city is looking for.

“The chamber does a great job promoting a lot of things, but I think we miss a lot of things,” Miller said. “When you don’t have a leader that’s focused, you don’t have a project that’s moving forward.”

The commission unanimously voted to put tourism under the city’s direction and to draft a letter informing the chamber it would have 60 days to sign over the collection of the transient guest tax. That decision is to be reexamined annually to make sure it is working as planned.

Martin said the city plans to form a task group to help with the transition. The chamber also plans to revisit their plan.

Information submitted by David Sorrick

In the month of March, the Fort Scott Presbyterian Village is scheduled to provide a number of events open to the public, including demonstrations, presentations and musical performances.

On March 2, at 2 p.m., Susan Jones will lead a spinning class titled “Working with Fibers,” teaching the basics of carding, roving, spinning and knitting with wool.

Shirley Carey will perform a piano recital on Wednesday, March 8, at 3:30 p.m.

During a “Historical Events of Fort Scott Kansas” event on March 9, at 2 p.m., historians Fred Campbell, Don Miller, Arnold Schofield and Donald Banwarts, authors of “Fort Scott Kansas: Then and Now,” will give a presentation and hold a book-signing. Jack Scott, author of “History of Fort Scott Schools” will also be available to sign books and give a presentation.

The Uniontown School Musical ensemble will perform on Tuesday, March 28, at 1 p.m.

Each of these events is free to the public and will be held in the community room on the lower level of the Presbyterian Village. For questions, contact Anicia Robinson at 620-223-5550.

The Presbyterian Village is also still accepting art entries for the Art is Ageless exhibit for artists 65 years and older. The deadline is April 6.

For 71 years, the family-run Mid-Continental Restoration Company, Inc., has provided exterior restoration services to much of the Midwest and other areas of the country.

Frank Doherty first founded it as a painting company in Sioux Falls, S.D., in 1946, but the business steadily expanded and spread towards the south, opening their headquarters in Fort Scott in 1952. Branches are also currently located in South Dakota, Oklahoma and Texas.

The business has remained in the family, as first Doherty’s sons-in-law and now his grandsons and even great-grandsons continue to work with the company, which has expanded to more than $30 million in annual revenue with about 350 projects a year, working to repair and restore the exteriors of buildings.

“We’re one of the largest ones in the Midwest,” Vice President of Operations and Doherty’s grandson Scott Halsey said of their company and the services they provide. “It’s a whole variety of jobs from small country churches to skyscrapers.”

Just last year, Mid-Continental was working on the North Dakota, Arkansas and Texas state capitols simultaneously.

At one point, Mid-Continental was completing projects in about 24 states, before deciding to scale back to the approximate dozen states they work in now. They also once experimented with getting into the construction business and not just restoration, but after just a few years decided not to pursue it further.

In recent years, the business remodeled the building across the street from their Industrial Park location to create a corporate training facility, where proven employees are further trained in areas such as brick-laying, tuck-pointing, mud-mixing and brick-cutting, using up-to-date technology and materials.

During the winter months, when projects slow down due to the weather, Mid-Continental provides two-week training courses for six to eight employees at a time. That training includes classroom information as well as hands-on training and evaluations.

For example, the building includes areas where the employees construct a brick wall, only to tear it down again as they learn how to cut the brick without creating excess dust, a new regulation imposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration this year.

President Frank Halsey, Scott’s brother, said they may consider using the facility to train other workers that are not employees. While that would mean training competitors, Halsey said it would also raise the standard of construction.

Halsey said he often hears from Fort Scott residents who had no idea the broad reach of Mid-Continental Restoration in the United States. But he added they are also more than willing to work with local owners that have buildings in need of restoring.

The city of Fort Scott looks forward to new changes and developments as businesses and organizations express interest in both downtown buildings and other property around town.

During the Fort Scott City Commission meeting Tuesday evening, city staff gave reports of some of those interested parties and their plans for buildings such as Memorial Hall, the old La Hacienda structure downtown, the former Spoiled Brat building and a newly annexed piece of property south of El Charro.

In April of 2016, the commission had agreed to work with Last Farmhouse Films, Inc., as they considered renovating Memorial Hall and leasing it in order to promote arts in Fort Scott. Since that time, the group decided to look into purchasing the building outright because of the funding renovating alone would require.

The commission approved giving City Manager Dave Martin the authority to begin preliminary negotiations concerning the sale of Memorial Hall.

Director of Economic Development Rachel Pruitt also presented a project proposal for housing and retail that will go into the Union building in downtown Fort Scott, which formerly housed La Hacienda but in recent years has been vacant.

The Flint Hills Holding Group, which recently completed the apartments in the old Western Insurance building, is now interested in using the Union building, located at 18, 20 and 22 South Main Street, to house the Fort Scott Lofts, which will include 27, one- and two-bedroom units that will not be restricted to a specific age as they are in the Western Senior Living Center. The first floor will also have space for retail, a lobby and a fitness center.

“If we don’t do it, we’re going to lose these buildings,” Martin pointed out.

The structure is expected to bring in 40 residents downtown and 10 new jobs.

The project will cost at least $5.5 million, and the Flint Hills Holding Group requested a seven percent investment from the city, totaling about $400,000. The city’s commitment for funding will increase the chances for the project to be awarded housing tax credits from the state.

The city agreed to give their funding commitment to the project. The amount of money is already available in the economic development fund.

“It looks like a fantastic project,” commissioner Jim Adams said.

The commission also took steps to participate in the preservation of another downtown building, formerly the Spoiled Brat at 124 Wall Street, which has been a hazard for years because of an unsound wall.

Martin said the Horner family has shown interest in preserving the building for a business and second floor living space. Repairing the wall alone will likely cost at least $80,000. If the project becomes more expensive and extensive then originally believed, the potential owners requested that the city commit $30,000, the sum the city would have to pay to tear down the building if nothing is done to repair it.

“We will work very closely with them to make sure what they are doing is right,” Martin said, saying it will not be accomplished overnight as they seek grants and recruit contractors and others to help preserve the building.

The commission unanimously agreed to sign the property preservation agreement, expressing their financial commitment.

The commission also approved the voluntary annexation of about two acres of property located south of El Charro on the east side of Highway 69. Pruitt said a national retailer is interested in using that property for development, but wanted it to be part of the city before they invested.

The commissioners expressed their excitement at the potential projects that may be coming to Fort Scott in the near future. At a Chamber of Commerce event, Martin said they are trying to do the right thing for the city and its residents in each of these projects.

The Fort Scott City Commission approved two zoning changes on the south side of town as well as decided to move forward with a conditional use permit during their meeting Tuesday evening, which drew a full room of residents with differing opinions on the land’s use.

Deputy Chief and Fire Marshal David Bruner presented the requests to change a piece of more than 50 acres just south of the Kansas Department of Transportation from agricultural to heavy industrial, and a second, smaller plot south of the Jayhawk and Liberty Bell Road intersection from agricultural to commercial.

“This is an open and transparent government, and this is what it’s all about,” City Manager Dave Martin said. “Our job is to encourage development and to look at ways to help us move forward as a city, and sometimes developments are not going to viewed as good as others.”

Martin and Bourbon County Economic Development Council president Steve Buerge both said the city is always trying to find businesses interested in purchasing the land near the Industrial Park to continue building the city towards the south. But in recent years, few businesses have shown interest because of the nature of the terrain as well as the lack of a workforce in the city with an unemployment rate of only 4.3 percent.

But the Kraft family and others involved have expressed interest in using some of that land to bring a vet clinic and a dirt bike track to the community. The rezoning and special permit approved by the commission allows them to begin planning for those projects.

“Great West Vet Clinic is something we feel like will be a great addition to Fort Scott,” Nathan Wells said during his first presentation concerning the new veterinary services they plan to bring to Fort Scott.

The clinic will provide care for both small and large animals, such as through surgeries, dental care, grooming, boarding, water therapy and radiology. It will also host laboratories for the study of artificial insemination (AI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) for cattle, attracting students interested in training in that field.

Wells said their goal with the clinic is to keep business local, such as that of owners of horses who said they often travel hours and out of state for such care for their animals, and also to make it a destination since the place for studies on AI and IVF will be one of the only such places available in the country.

“This would be such a huge opportunity,” Nikki Traul said, pointing out local rodeo and livestock judging teams could benefit as well. “And what a neat thing to say we even have it in our town…We’d be getting in our way if we’re not providing additional business in this community and providing something that we’d be proud to stand up for and say that we have this as a business here.”

The second piece of land was rezoned to make it possible for a tiller track to be put in for dirt bike races, which Wells said would be held several Saturdays from March through October each year according to their current plan, bringing in racers and their families who would utilize local businesses while in Fort Scott.

A number of citizens present at the meeting raised concerns over the track due to noise, dust and the atmosphere it might bring, while others spoke in favor of it because of the new business it would bring and its entertainment factor on a piece of property no other business had shown interest in because of its uneven terrain.

Wells said those invested in putting in the track will do everything possible to cut down dust, such as through using sawdust and spraying water on the track regularly, as well as the sound by setting specific regulations on the bikes and also using vegetation and other barriers to help shield the sound.

Some residents said they did not believe those steps would have a significant impact on the sound, which could decrease property values, interrupt quality of life for the residential areas there and could deter other business from coming.

“If we get this wrong, this could have, I think, a very devastating effect on our community,” attorney Charles Gentry said, speaking on behalf of the Countryside Addition residents.

Buerge said the economic development council takes seriously their responsibility of bringing businesses into that area, and said he trusts the Kraft family to handle the project carefully so the community benefits from it. But as with most developments, Buerge said there is “give and take.”

“I have mixed emotions about it,” commissioner Sam Mason said, but he and commissioner Randy Nichols both said they are in favor of moving forward with the zoning and the permit to give Wells and others involved an opportunity to continue their planning so they can bring further details to the commission.

“We need to work together as a team to ensure that this is successful and that we continue to take care of the people and the concerns they have,” Wells said of the importance of their partnership with the city.

The conditional use permit for the track will be drafted by the city staff, including any regulations they desire as well as an expiration date of the permit, allowing them to reverse the decision if the track seems to be hurting the community. With the draft complete, the commission will then decide to approve that permit or not.

“This is by no means the end of the discussion,” commissioner Jim Adams said, saying the members of the commission have a lot of information to digest and consider.

For almost three months since their November 3 opening, Shoe Sensation has provided a new retail outlet to Fort Scott by providing a wide selection of shoes in various brands and sizes that were previously difficult to find.

While hosting the weekly Chamber Coffee Thursday, manager Rosie Peak and assistant manager Anthony Nelson said they are continuing to try to expand their reach in the community, saying they frequently hear customers say they forgot the store was there.

“Sales have been really great,” Nelson said. “We still try to promote and get the word out since people still don’t know that we’re here…We’re still trying to get our name out there.”

Each month, Shoe Sensation holds sales on specific shoes, such as work and safety shoes this month, whose prices are often cut at least 10 percent. Other coupons are available and sales are held regularly, with the sale items changing every couple weeks.

On purchases of $50 or more, customers can also participate in a layaway program at $20 down and the full price paid off within 60 days. Sizes up through 15 for men and 12 for women are available, along with size wide for children and adults.

Shoe Sensation provides jobs for two full-time and five part-time employees.

“We’ve had really good support from the community,” Peak said.

Peak said they also regularly get customers from neighboring towns such as Pleasanton, Uniontown and Nevada.

“How important was your opening, and timing was perfect,” City Manager Dave Martin said, saying the city is trying to bring in other retail stores in their efforts to become a destination town. “We hope that people shop here and buy your great selection.”

The store is located near Hibbett Sports at 2420 S. Main Street and is open Sundays from 12 to 6 p.m. and Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. through 8 p.m.

Fort Scott residents spoke for and against further development south of town during a Fort Scott Planning Commission meeting Tuesday evening, expressing concern that their quality of life could be negatively affected.

Greg Fess gave presentations concerning two potential developments in areas near the Industrial Park. One for a vet clinic required a zoning change from agricultural to industrial while the second, a dirt bike track, needed a change from agricultural to commercial with a conditional us permit.

A number of residents spoke favorably of the Great West Vet Clinic that would like to open its doors by the beginning of the summer, offering care for both small and large animals. Not only would the clinic bring care such as surgeries, examinations and vaccines for animals, but it will also be only the second Cogent Breeding, Ltd., lab in the United States, bringing the study of bovine in vitro fertilization to the area from its United Kingdom base.

Concerns raised by the audience included the risk of disease, the elimination of waste and removal of deceased animals. Fess said the clinic would hold high standards of cleanliness and will have its own underground septic tank.

Residents spoke in favor of having such a clinic that would provide a local option for veterinary care for larger animals such as horses and cattle, instead of traveling outside of the city and even the state for such services.

“I currently travel hours to get to a specialized vet for our horses,” resident Nicki Traul said. “To keep that money local would be extremely important to our family…To have this in our own backyard would be a huge benefit to our community.”

But while the audience leaned in favor of the vet clinic to potentially be located south of the Kansas Department of Transportation building, residents were divided in their opinion of a dirt track being built on a piece of land near the Jayhawk and Liberty Bell Road intersection.

Fess said their plans are to put in a tiller track for dirt bike races, which would be hosted approximately three Saturdays a month except for a winter break. Fess said they hope the events would draw in as many as 200-300 racers, which would benefit the city of Fort Scott as those visitors stay in hotels and eat at local restaurants.

“We want to make it fun for kids as well as adults,” Fess said, saying they would build the track into the terrain, making corners and using rolling hills without building steep jumps that would be too difficult for younger riders.

Fess said they are aware of a number of concerns raised by the public and said they have taken strides to address those. Woodchips and specific products would be used to prevent as much dust as possible, since Fess said even the riders do not want to race on a track that raises a lot of dust. Mufflers will be required on the bikes and, though Fess said they realize that will not cut down all the noise, he said he believes the terrain itself, including the hills and the trees, will help block some of the noise.

Fess pointed out the noise of a dirt bike is comparable to that of the train which travels through Fort Scott regularly, and some traffic sounds are also just as loud. While they plan to have races regularly, Fess said they do not intend for them to continue into the evening hours, but only race during the day and limit any practice racing during the week.

Some residents attending the meeting said they believe the noise will diminish the quality of life in that area and could even prevent other businesses from wanting to come to town. Individuals who live close to the area in question especially said the noise would likely be difficult to live with because of the noise of numerous bikes as well as the crowd echoing through the valley.

“I think there’s a good reason why tracks are in the country,” Paul Brock spoke up, saying he does not believe it should be that close to the city because of the sound and bad air quality it might bring.

Other residents said features like the dirt track will help bring entertainment and visitors to Fort Scott, which is needed to help grow the community. Steve Buerge pointed out the community once complained about the sale barn being too loud as well, but said it brings large numbers of visitors from out of town and out of state as well as large amounts of dollars through the county.

“Industry is give and take,” Buerge said, saying both parties in such a business agreement have to make sacrifices in order to gain the benefits.

The advisory board approved recommending the zoning changes south of town for the Fort Scott City Commission, but said that approval is not based on their own personal opinion, but on the legality of rezoning the area. The commission will discuss the decision during their meeting Tuesday evening, January 17.

Submitted by David Sorrick

Award

Fort Scott Presbyterian Village received a certificate of recognition from Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America for reaching goals in fiscal year 2016—July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2016.

The recognition came through PMMA’s new Emerald Awards Program, designed to encourage its 17 locations to achieve high levels of resident and employee satisfaction, meet financial goals, build philanthropic support for the organization’s mission and meet marketing goals.

There are 11 areas measured for the Emerald Awards. To receive an emerald, a community has to meet its goals in all 11 areas. Certificates of recognition were given out to communities that reached their goals in one or more category.

Fort Scott was recognized for building philanthropic support of Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s mission.

“This recognition is a visible sign of Fort Scott Presbyterian Village’s commitment to the mission of PMMA of providing quality senior services guided by Christian values,” said Bruce Shogren, chief executive officer for PMMA.

Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America has been providing quality senior services guided by Christian values in Kansas and Missouri for more than 65 years.

For more information about Fort Scott Presbyterian Village, contact Marketing Director David Sorrick at 620-223- 5550 or [email protected].

Piano Recital

This Friday, Jan. 6, at 2 p.m., the Fort Scott Presbyterian Village will host a piano performance by professional pianist Kathleen Bradley-Najarian of Anaheim, Calif. The recital will be held in the community room and is open to the public with no cost.

With the beginning of the New Year, city of Fort Scott staff took time in recent meetings to look back on all their accomplishments of 2016, while also considering what they hope to complete in 2017.

“We’ve just got so much going on,” City Manager Dave Martin summed up the progress made so far.

During the city commission meeting held Dec. 20, Martin shared a list of accomplishments including projects such as the Woodland Hills Golf Course clubhouse, the quiet zone at Wall Street, the National Avenue project, the almost completion of the new access road to the LaRoche Baseball Complex, the completion of the Western Senior Living downtown and the Country Place Memory Care center as well as a number of other new businesses or expansions of existing businesses.

The city has also benefited from a balanced budget, technology updates and renovations made in the water and wastewater infrastructure, which Martin pointed out is key when taking care of the city and attracting new residents and businesses.

The Fort Scott Fire Department celebrated 125 years of service, the police department investigated a murder case and got a conviction and officers completed their training as the city continues to strive to protect its citizens.

“For this year, we’ve completed a lot,” Martin said of 2016. “We can’t stop. Next year what we’re working on is development, development, development.”

Martin said in order to bring in that development, such as downtown and along the Highway 69 corridor, the city needs to take a look at taxes, since that is a common complaint for both residents and potential businesses.

“We can’t take a passive role on taxes anymore,” Martin said. “We really have to communicate, teach and get everybody to the table.”

Martin said the city hopes to cooperate with other tax entities in the county in order to understand the taxes and see if there is anything that can be done to lower them.

The city also plans to keep a line of communication open with organizations such as school districts and the county to make sure there are no duplicates in projects being done. Martin said listening to the needs and desires of Fort Scott residents is important, even when those desires may not always be met.

“With development comes change,” Martin said. “And with change comes being uncomfortable. Our role is to try to make change happen…but it is going to be at times controversial.”

Some projects for 2017 include the Highway 69 widening already underway, further renovations made to the water and wastewater systems and the completion of new facilities such as the Country Place Senior Living scheduled to open in upcoming weeks.