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Genna Gilbert, 23, is a stay-at-home mom who is turning a creative outlet, arts and crafts, into a business to benefit herself and her family.
The business is called Made With Love by Genna.
She started doing artwork at 16-years-old to “get away from reality,” Gilbert said. “Painting/crafting helped me escape and get away from all the negativity that was going on in my life at the time.”
Then people started noticing her art and asking her to do some painting for them.
That began the process of selling her work. This year she made it an official business, she said.
She paints on metal, resin, glass, clay, and wood, creating items from earrings, drinking cups to windows. “A lot of things, custom artwork,” she said.
She does most of her work at her dining room table, with her husband Dante assisting her with paperwork and “cutting wood,” she said.
In the near future, she is hoping to put items online and in addition, have painting sessions for children and adults.
To contact her see her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MadeWithLoveByGenna or email her at [email protected]
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Fort Scott Airport is the recipient of a Kansas Department of Transportation managed grant to help safeguard and secure the airport.
Thirty-six projects were selected for Kansas Airport Improvement Program (KAIP) funding for the purpose of planning, constructing or rehabilitating public-use general aviation airports, according to a Kansas Department of Transportation press release. Fort Scott was one.
“The grant will be to replace a gate and install an electric keypad,” Seth Simpson, airport manager, said. “This is the east side gate, near the fuel tanks.”
“The benefit to the public is less potential for loss, due to damage or theft or wildlife damage,” Simpson said. “The benefit to the airport is security and safety.”
On the horizon for the airport is runway resurfacing.
“On April 1, we will be applying for the grant to resurface,” Simpson said. “The FDA already officially, unofficially approved it.”
“Every so many years you have to resurface to maintain the runway, just like a highway,” he said.
There are currently two employees at the airport, Simpson and Bryan Matkin, a maintenance technician, he said.
Twenty-one airplanes are housed at the airport whose owners are from Fort Scott and surrounding areas.
The City of Fort Scott owns the airport, which is located four miles from the city. The phone number is 620-223-5490.
About KAIP
KAIP receives $5 million annually through the Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program, known as IKE, and requires airport sponsors to share in the project costs by paying between 5% and 50% of the total project. The Kansas Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation, which manages the program, considered 145 project applications this year with a combined total project value of over $78 million.
“The aviation industry brings $20.6 billion in total economic impact to the State of Kansas,” said KDOT Director of Aviation Bob Brock. “The KAIP program helps this important industry remain a vital part of the Kansas economy. That translates into jobs and quality of life for the residents of Kansas.”
The selection board identified $4,968,161 in projects to address the most impactful airport improvements across the state. Please direct any questions to [email protected].
Strong Together: Building Up Our Neighborhoods Project Update
Fort Scott, KS: Health is Neighborhoods and Environment. The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team (HBCAT) addresses one of the social determinants of health by building connections between where a person lives (e.g., housing, neighborhood, and environment) and his or her health and well-being.
HBCAT held the first of three public forums for their Stronger Together: Building Up Our Neighborhoods creative placemaking project. Special thanks to the Fort Scott Fire House Station #2 for allowing HBCAT to host the event there and to Aunt Toadies who catered a breakfast buffet. This event was facilitated by Danny Barrera with Wichita State Engagement Institute, funded by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Pathways to Healthy Kansas Grant, who helped the group define what increased moral, community pride and healthy behaviors look like in 15 years. Participants were even able to discuss potential projects.
The major themes identified were:
The group voiced the want for more events on the Eastside and blur the lines between the East side/West side. There is $140,000 in grant funds from the Patterson Family Foundation and an additional $10,000 from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Pathways to Healthy Kansas Grant for this creative placemaking project and another Downtown Arch project. HBCAT steering committee will take this information, start drafting real plans and plan for the next public forum to be held in May.
The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team’s mission statement drives their work: they aim to increase access to healthy food and physical activity, promote commercial tobacco cessation, enhance the quality of life, and encourage economic growth.
Creating quality places will attract a healthier workforce. People are prioritizing where they live instead of where they work. As an economic development support organization, the HBCAT is taking a more holistic approach by focusing on people and healthy places versus industrial parks and attracting large businesses like amazon or google we are. Covid 19 pandemic truly highlighted a shift from picking a location based on a job to picking a location to live based on the quality of life and amenities. The HBCAT is focusing on making the healthy choice the default choice, improving community amenities like our outdoor recreational spaces, and building a healthy workforce. We do this by creating key relationships with community members and cross-sector leaders like the local elected officials, extension agents, school personnel, entrepreneurs, local community members, and the chamber of commerce.
For any East Side residents that want to be more involved in this project please reach out to Rachel Carpenter by phone at 620-215-2562 or by email at [email protected]
There is an opening on the Fort Scott Street Advisory Board Committee:
One City resident
The function of the Fort Scott Street Advisory Board Committee is to provide suggestions to the City Manager and Governing Body regarding road improvement projects throughout the City of Fort Scott. When submitting your letter/email of interest, please provide any specific knowledge or training you have that would compliment you being a member of this board.
If you have a desire to serve on this board and meet the above requirements, please submit a letter of interest to the City Clerk, Diane Clay, 123 S. Main, Fort Scott, Kansas 66701. These names will be submitted for consideration to the City Commission. All of the boards and commissions serve on a volunteer basis and are not compensated. If you would like more information on this board, please contact Diane Clay, City Clerk at 620-223-0550 or [email protected]. Please submit your letter of interest by March 11th, 2022.
The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team to Award $42,000 in Grants
Fort Scott, KS: Health is economic stability. The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, Inc. (HBCAT) aims to increase access to wealth building opportunities to Bourbon County residents through our local and regional partnerships at the Action Team’s Centers for Economic Growth. Providing local businesses expertise and guidance, particularly in these very turbulent times, has shown to be a critical resource to increase the number of business start-ups and number of available quality jobs.
HBCAT will be awarding six grants totaling $42,000 on March 7th in their office at 104 N Nation Fort Scott, KS 66701 at 12 pm. The event will be broadcast live on Facebook and is also open for the public to attend in person and celebrate the grant awardees. With the support of the Patterson Family Foundation, the HBCAT will award a total of $145,000 to low-income, minority owned, women owned or food-based businesses over the next two years. Each grantee is a client of the Pittsburg State Small Business Development Center (PSU SBDC) at the Action Team’s Center for Economic Growth. There will be a total of four grant cycles in the next two years.
Please join us in congratulating following businesses:
Two farmer/rancher recipients ($10,000 each):
Freedom Farms
The Palmers are taking an innovative approach to sustainability by developing a farm co-op business model. They are able to help Bourbon County residents increase access to healthier food by allowing them to buy directly from the producer. It is important for them to educate their customers on where their food is coming from, they have opened their farm for visitors through agritourism. HBCAT is excited to share their vision of seeing a healthier Bourbon County.
1553 Plants and Produce
The Wunderlys are removing the barriers for their community to access healthier food by establishing a weekly delivery system. Through this process they create relationships with their customers and understand their target market. They now have a wholesale relationship with a local restaurant to incorporate their produce in their menu.
Restaurant/Food Retail Recipient ($7000):
Dry Wood Creek
Martin Elton is former president of the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association. With this experience he is able to bring a unique perspective to his business model and the relationships with other restaurants. He is increasing access to healthy food by having a wholesale relationship with a local farmer and incorporating it in his menu.
3 Low-Income, Minority, or Women Owned Startup Businesses Recipients ($5,000 each):
Eighteen65
Bailey Lyons, along with her husband Nate, purchased the historic McDonald Hall building downtown with a plan to restore the building and create commercial and residential spaces that will be available for rent. There is a strong need in the community for quality rental spaces, and a high demand for these in the historic downtown area. Bailey is wanting to help meet this need. More businesses operating downtown, coupled with more people living or staying downtown, will generate increased spending in the area, more foot traffic, and overall increased vitality.
Made With Love: By Genna
Genna Gilbert is turning her creative hobby into a business. She sells tumblers, earrings, pens, signs, and she even does custom orders. She is wanting to work with other artists to hold craft workshops geared towards children. She is excited to create her own wealth and provide for her family.
Writers Edge
Kim Carpenter decided to take a step of faith and use her experience and education to create a proofreading business. Marketing and getting the message across clearly is essential to nearly every business. Kim is wanting to help businesses by providing her professional skills of copy editing and proofreading to help support the local economy.
The HBCAT Grant program is funded by the Patterson Family Foundation with the intention of increasing access to resources that will provide opportunity for economic stability, reduce poverty, and instill hope for upward mobility in employment. Each applicant is required to enroll with the PSU SBDC at the Center for Economic Growth and work with a local team to develop a sustainable business plan with financial projections.
Food retail/restaurant and farmer/rancher grants have an additional eligibility requirement to build and document wholesale relationships.
Some of the most common reasons for advancing programs that support local foods are that local food production:
According to Smart Growth America, in today’s world business growth is driven by collaboration among many types of entities, private, companies, universities, and others, that must interact frequently and work together creatively. HBCAT’s Center for Economic Growth is the epitome of this new model. The HBCAT’s Center for Economic Growth is a multi-partner collaboration of the HBCAT, Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, PSU Small Business Development Center (PSU SBDC), Southeast KANSASWORKS, Fort Scott Community College, and multiple local business owners.
PSU SBDC is available to businesses to provide the technical assistance needed for economic planning of rural businesses to obtain capital, develop marketing strategy, and more. Southeast KANSASWORKS is the Local Workforce Development Board (LWDB) that serves 17 counties in Southeast Kansas, including Bourbon County. Southeast KANSASWORKS contributes to economic growth and business expansion by ensuring the workforce system is job-driven, matching employers with skilled individuals.
if you want to know how to become eligible, please contact Rachel Carpenter by emailing [email protected]
Find us on social media! On Facebook, Instagram and Twitter #healthybbco
Background of The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team:
The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team is a Blue Cross Blue Shield Pathways to Healthy Kansas Community. Its mission is to increase access to healthy food and physical activity, promote commercial tobacco cessation, enhance quality of life and encourage economic growth. The problems of health inequity and social injustice are complex in nature and inextricably linked to key economic indicators. A healthy workforce is a prerequisite for economic success in any industry and in all cities.
Contact information:
Jody Hoener, President and CEO
The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, Inc
620-215-5725
Rachel Carpenter, Program Coordinator
The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, Inc
620-215-2562
Mary Hunt, Interim Operations Director
Southeast KANSASWorks
Desk: 620-232-1222
Cell: 620-670-0006
Website: www.sekworks.org
Dacia Clark, Assistant Director, PSU SBDC
785-445-2537
Lindsay Madison, President and CEO
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce
(620) 223-3566
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3) email: [email protected].
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
to the following students for placing in their events!!
NOTICE OF AND AGENDA FOR
MEETING OF
FORT SCOTT CITY COMMISSION
CITY HALL
CITY COMMISSION MEETING ROOM
123 SOUTH MAIN STREET
MARCH 1, 2022
6:00 P.M.
Roll Call:
P. Allen J. Jones T. Van Hoecke M. Wells K. Allen
II. Flag Salute:
Invocation: Led by: Mark McCoy, Project Manager
Proclamations/Recognitions: Marsha Lancaster Day Proclamation
Consent Agenda:
Approval of minutes of the regular meeting of February 15th, 2022, special meetings of February 16th, 2022, February 18th, 2022, and February 22nd, 2022.
Request to Pay – Agricultural Engineering Associates – $8,092.91 – Lake Lot Surveys
Request to Pay – Agricultural Engineering Associates – $800.00 – Resurvey Lake Lots 8 & 9
Request to Pay – Nuss & Farmer, P.A. – January legal fees – $1,627.50
Request to Pay – Olsson Associates – Airport Runway Rehabilitation – $26,800.00
Request to Pay – Rogers & Sons Concrete, LLC – Union Lofts Alley – $83,674.00 (Final Payment)
Cereal Malt Beverage Application – 212 E. 1st Street – M’axe Throw House
Request to Pay #2 – Utility Maintenance Contractors – Water Treatment Plant Clarifier Project – $4,725.25
Request to Pay #3 – L G Barcus & Sons, Inc. – Fort Scott Dam Improvements – $429,429.92
Request to Pay – HDR Engineering, Inc. – Fort Scott Phase II Dam Improvements Engineering – $23,964.82
Public Comment:
(Sign up required. Comments on any topic not on agenda and limited to five (5) minutes per person, at Commission discretion)
Old Business:
Consideration of Bids – Manhole 148 Project (Jason Dickman)
Consideration of proposed Ordinance to create business license and increase City fees.
Consideration of Bourbon County Fair Board Allocation Request
Consideration of Demolition Agreement Change
Consideration of Ordinance No. 3603 adopting Main Trafficways
Appearances: Jody Hoener & Rachel Carpenter – Healthy Bourbon County Action Team Presentation
Public Hearing: None
New Business:
Consideration to apply for K.D.O.T. Cost Share Grant – Horton Street
Consideration of increase in fees at Woodland Hills Golf Course and Aquatic Center
Sale of Lake Lots 8 and 9 – Consideration of Bids
Approval to accept Grant Agreement No. 22-PF-016 – $700,000 – Sanitary Sewer Grant – Approval for the Mayor to sign all pertinent documentation
Consideration of CASA Allocation
Consideration of purchase of two (2) police cars from Kansas Highway Patrol
Discussion of adoption of proposed Special Street Maintenance Program
XII. Reports and Comments:
City Manager Comments:
Commissioners Reports and Comments:
C. City Attorney Reports and Comments:
XIII. Executive Session – If requested, (please follow script in all motions for Executive Sessions)
IX. Adjournment:
Minutes are unapproved.
CITY OF FORT SCOTT
SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION MEETING
Minutes of February 22nd, 2022 Special Meeting #6
A special meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission was held February 22nd, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. in the City Commission Meeting Room, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas.
ROLL CALL:
Commissioners Josh Jones, Tim Van Hoecke, and Matthew Wells were present with Mayor Kevin Allen presiding. Pete Allen was absent.
AUDIENCE IN ATTENDANCE: Brad Matkin, Seth Simpson (via phone), and Travis Shelton.
T. Van Hoecke said that he had reviewed the Ward Kraft hangar agreement and this agreement lasts until 2025. On the second page of the agreement, it states that the City will maintain the apron and taxiway sufficient to support loads and stresses associated with Ward Kraft’s flight operations. He said that the City doesn’t have an option not to include this section in the project.
City Manager said that this overlay project is a $2,280,654.00 with a 90/10% match. The City match is $266,500.00. The amount to include the Ward Kraft hangar is $35,638.25 and is not included in the City match.
T. Van Hoecke moved to move forward with the F.A.A. grant and to include the Ward Kraft section of the project also. P. Allen seconded. All voted aye.
APPROVED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE F.A.A. GRANT AND TO INCLUDE THE WARD KRAFT SECTION OF THE PROJECT ALSO. THIS IS A 90/10% GRANT WITH THE CITY MATCH BEING $266,500.00 AND THE SECTION FOR THE WARD KRAFT HANGAR AMOUNTING TO $35,638.25.
ADJOURNMENT:
J. Jones moved to adjourn the special meeting at 5:11 p.m. T. Van Hoecke seconded. All voted aye.
ADJOURNED SPECIAL MEETING AT 5:11 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Diane K. Clay, M.M.C., City Clerk