Fort Scott City Commission Meeting Minutes Outline – June 2, 2026, 6:00 PM

• I. Call to Order & Roll Call

  • Commissioners Present: Matthew Wells, Tracy Dancer, Tim Van Hoecke (via Teams), Julie Buchta, and Mayor Kathryn Salsbury (via Teams)

  • Presiding Officer: Julie Buchta

• II. Pledge of Allegiance & Invocation

• III. Approval of Agenda

  • Amendment to include an Executive Session after Reports and Comments (Approved 5-0)

• IV. Consent Agenda

  • A. Approval of Appropriation Ordinance 1409-A (Payment Dates of May 14, 2026 – May 27, 2026): $456,069.98 (Approved 5-0)

• V. Public Comment

  • Speaker: Michael Hoyt regarding public record requests

• VI. Appearances & Presentations

  • 1. Kristene, Gavin, and Aleksei Gemsky – Bourbon County 4-H Presentation

  • 2. Deana Betts / Core Community – Update on poverty reduction programs

• VII. New Business & Action Items

  • A. Consideration of Architectural Contract – Memorial Hall Roof Replacement & Masonry Repairs (Approved 5-0) (Page 1)

  • B. Consideration of Engineering Proposal – E. Wall Street Phase III & E. National Phase I (Approved 5-0) (Page 1)

• VIII. Reports and Comments

  • City Commissioners, City Attorney, City Manager, and City Engineer Updates

• IX. Executive Session

  • Preliminary discussion regarding the acquisition of real property under K.S.A. 75-4319(b)(6)

• X. Adjournment

Detailed Meeting Summary

1. Attendance, Agenda Approvals, and Openings

• Meeting Structure: The regular session of the Fort Scott City Commission commenced at 6:00 PM at City Hall (123 S. Main Street), alongside a live broadcast on YouTube.

• Quorum & Administrative Presence: A full board was established with Commissioners Matthew Wells and Tracy Dancer physically present, while Commissioner Tim Van Hoecke and Mayor Kathryn Salsbury participated remotely via Microsoft Teams. Commissioner Julie Buchta presided over the session. Key city administrative staff in attendance included City Manager Brad Matkin, City Attorney Bob Farmer, Police Chief Jason Pickert, City Clerk Lisa Lewis, and City Engineer Jason Dickman representing Earles Engineering & Inspections LLC.

• Agenda and Consent Items: Following the opening rituals, Commissioner Wells moved to amend the agenda to insert an Executive Session directly after the standard reports and comments. The amendment and the final agenda both passed unanimously 5-0. The Commission then unanimously approved Consent Agenda Item A, validating Appropriation Ordinance 1409-A for city payouts totaling $456,069.98 over the late-May billing cycle.

2. Public Comments and Community Appearances

• Citizen Forum: Resident Michael Hoyt addressed the commission during the public comment window, discussing administrative procedures regarding open records requests and past documentation accuracy.

• 4-H Youth Development: Members of the Bourbon County 4-H program—Kristene, Gavin, and Aleksei Gemsky—provided an informational presentation highlighting local youth projects, agricultural education, and upcoming community events.

• Core Community Progress Report: Deana Betts presented a detailed progress update on the operations of Core Community. Her presentation centered on the organization’s systematic, relationship-based programming aimed at helping local families transition out of poverty through education, community support networks, and financial literacy.

3. New Business Capital Infrastructure Approvals

• Memorial Hall Renovations: The Commission evaluated the specialized architectural services contract required to manage structural restorations at Memorial Hall. Following a brief discussion on funding lines and timeline protections, a motion to award the contract for the comprehensive Memorial Hall roof replacement and associated exterior masonry repairs was approved 5-0.

• Major Street and Traffic Engineering: The second action item focused on long-term infrastructure planning. The Commission reviewed a combined engineering proposal submitted by Earles Engineering & Inspections LLC covering two critical corridors. The board voted 5-0 to approve the engineering services contract to advance design and survey operations for East Wall Street Phase III and East National Phase I.

4. Administrative Reports and Executive Session

• Department Updates: Staff and leadership provided a series of operational updates before entering closed session:

  • City Commission: Members brought forward logistical items, including pedestrian safety around school zones (9th, 10th, and 11th streets), crosswalk repainting schedules, lake lot encroachment issues, and upcoming common consumption area planning.

  • City Manager & Staff: Brad Matkin outlined street closures for the upcoming Good Ol’ Days festival, highlighted the construction progress on the Gunn Park retaining wall, and previewed city-issued alcohol license updates for the next agenda. The City Engineer provided status updates on the Davis Lift Station and required railroad permitting.

• Property Acquisition Recess: Commissioner Buchta read a formal motion to recess the open meeting into an Executive Session. The stated justification was to conduct preliminary negotiations regarding the potential acquisition of real property, fulfilling the legal exception under Kansas Statute K.S.A. 75-4319(b)(6). The session included the five Commissioners, the City Manager, and the City Attorney. The executive session concluded at 8:48 PM, and the board returned to the open chamber, stating that no official action had been taken during the closed portion of the meeting.

Fort Scott City Commission Meeting Agenda – June 16, 2026, 6:00 PM

• I. Call to Order

• II. Pledge of Allegiance

• III. Invocation

• IV. Approval of Agenda

• V. Consent Agenda

  • A. Approval of Appropriation Ordinance 1410-A – Expense Approval Report (Payment Dates of May 28, 2026 – June 9, 2026): $795,782.34

  • B. Approval of Minutes: Regular Meeting of June 2, 2026

  • C. Approval of Retail Fireworks Vendor Permit – Jurassic Fireworks (4500 Campbell Dr.)

  • D. May Financials

  • E. Request to Pay – Jeff Asbell Excavating & Trucking, Inc. (Application No. 4 – Davis Lift Station): $12,150.00

  • F. Request to Pay – Earles Engineering & Inspection, LLC:

    • Invoice# 18628 (EEI Project No. 25-12 E. National Phase I – Final Design 60%): $10,350.00

    • Invoice# 18629 (EEI Project No. 26-402 – Davis Lift Station Extraneous Flow): $18,214.89

• VI. Public Comment

• VII. Appearance

  • 1. Garth Herrmann / Gilmore & Bell – Award of Sale and Note Resolution

  • 2. Al Niece – Moody Building

  • 3. Kari West / Evergy – Franchise Fee Update

  • 4. Rachel Carpenter / Director of Community Development & Human Resources – Gordon Parks Film Initiative (First Read)

  • 5. Kristy Holmes / Holmtown Pub LLC – Request for assistance

  • 6. Jess Milburn / JCM Restoration – Gunn Park Retaining Wall Repairs Payment Request

• VIII. Unfinished Business

  • A. Consideration of Ordinance No. 3797 – Amending Article 20 of the Fort Scott Zoning Regulations Regarding Accessory Structures and Intermodal Shipping Containers

  • B. Consideration to Resolve Issues with 118 E. Wall

  • C. Consideration of Ordinance No. 3799 – Defining Gunn Park Camping Regulations Regarding 14-Day Permit and Repealing Ordinance No. 3606

• IX. New Business – Action Items

  • A. Consideration to Award 2nd Quarter Small Business Grants

  • B. Consideration to Amend City-Issued Alcoholic Liquor and Cereal Malt Beverage (CMB) Licenses

  • C. Discussion of City Manager’s Review

• X. Reports and Comments

• XI. Adjourn

Detailed Information Packet Summary

1. Consent Agenda Financial Approvals & Regular Business

The consent agenda features multiple significant infrastructure payouts and administrative approvals:

• Appropriation Ordinance 1410-A: Covers the standard city expense report for expenditures spanning May 28, 2026, through June 9, 2026, totaling $795,782.34.

• Public Works Infrastructure Invoices: Includes a progress payment request of $12,150.00 (Application No. 4) submitted by Jeff Asbell Excavating & Trucking, Inc. for ongoing work on the Davis Lift Station project. Additionally, Earles Engineering & Inspection, LLC submitted two distinct billing statements: Invoice# 18628 for $10,350.00, representing the 60% completion mark of the final design phase for East National Phase I, and Invoice# 18629 for $18,214.89 to address extraneous flow evaluations at the Davis Lift Station.

• Administrative & Seasonal Business: Includes the official sign-off on the previous regular meeting minutes from June 2, 2026, review of the comprehensive May city financial reports, and the consideration of a seasonal retail fireworks vendor permit for Jurassic Fireworks, located at 4500 Campbell Drive.

2. Scheduled Appearances & Delegations

• Temporary Notes Issuance: Garth Herrmann representing Gilmore & Bell will approach the commission regarding the financial management of the Series 2026-1 Temporary Notes. This involves two scheduled actions: reviewing competitive market bids to formally award the sale to the optimal bidder, and passing Note Resolution No. 25-2026 to legally authorize the financial issuance.

• Community & Business Presentations: Local updates include Al Niece presenting details regarding the Moody Building, and Kari West from Evergy providing a standard corporate update on the city’s utility Franchise Fee structures.

• Cultural Initiatives: Community Development & Human Resources Director Rachel Carpenter will introduce the first official reading of the Gordon Parks Film Initiative.

• Local Business & Maintenance Requests: Kristy Holmes, on behalf of Holmtown Pub LLC, is scheduled to formally petition the commission for municipal operational assistance. Additionally, Jess Milburn of JCM Restoration has submitted a combined billing request totaling $50,148.00 for structural work at Gunn Park. This request consists of Invoice# 9204 ($33,000.00) for completed base-bid work on the Gunn Park Retaining Wall Repairs, alongside Invoice# 9205 ($17,148.00) for a change order covering extra work performed beyond the original contract scope.

3. Unfinished Business & Ordinance Considerations

• Zoning Changes (Ordinance No. 3797): Presented by L. Dillon, this item revisits proposed amendments to Article 20 of the Fort Scott Zoning Regulations, which seeks to clarify and establish strict legal parameters governing residential accessory structures and the placement of intermodal shipping containers within city limits.

• Property Violations: The commissioners will deliberate on actionable strategies to officially resolve ongoing structural or zoning issues tied to the property at 118 E. Wall Street.

• Park Regulations (Ordinance No. 3799): Introduced by B. Matkin, this proposed ordinance seeks to refine public park maintenance and tourism policies by adjusting the Gunn Park camping regulations. It establishes an updated framework for 14-day maximum camping permits and officially repeals the legacy regulations under Ordinance No. 3606.

4. New Business Action Items

• Small Business Grant Awards: Presented by M. Wyatt, the commission will consider approving the distribution of the 2nd Quarter Small Business Grants. Two local businesses are slated for selection: Kale Nelson / K & K Properties (doing business as Kale Nelson State Farm Insurance) located at 113 S. National, and Dylan Renfro representing M&K Carwash located at 723 E. Wall.

• Liquor License Modifications: B. Matkin will guide a commission vote regarding amendments to the municipal codes governing city-issued Alcoholic Liquor and Cereal Malt Beverage (CMB) Licenses. The changes specifically seek to revise technical parameters outlined in Chapters 5.08, 5.12, and 5.14 of Title 5 within the Fort Scott Municipal Code.

• Executive Session / Personnel: The final action item designates a set time for the commission to step into a closed review session to discuss the performance evaluation and contracts related to the City Manager.