The City Clerk is now accepting Letters of Interest for several vacant positions.  City Hall does appreciate the time investment advisory board commission members make; therefore, only serious candidates need submit their OWN letter.  All letters will be verified by the City Clerk and all applicants must appear before the City Commission before they are appointed.  All positions are voluntary and will not be compensated.

CITY COMMISSIONER – (1) opening to finish out the remainder of a vacated seat that expires December 31, 2024. The successor to be determined by election in November 2024. DEADLINE MAY 30, 2024, AT 5:00PM.

PARKS ADVISORY BOARD – (1) opening to finish out the remainder of a vacated seat that expires December 31, 2024. The position is a (2)-year term and may be renewed after the upcoming expiration date if you wish to continue to serve on the board and the reappointment is approved. The function of the Parks Advisory Board is to provide suggestions to the City and Manager and the City Commission regarding the parks within the City of Fort Scott. Currently this board meets quarterly or on “as needed basis” for (1) hour on Thursday afternoons at City Hall. The next scheduled meeting is July 11, 2024, at 4:00PM at City Hall.  DEADLINE IS JUNE 28, 2024, AT 5:00PM.

PLANNING COMMISSION – (1) opening to finish out the remainder of a vacated seat that expires December 31, 2026.  The position is a (3)-year term and the candidate for this vacated position must be a City resident. The Planning Commission is under the authority of K.S.A. 12-744 et seq. and City Ordinance No. 3762, for the purpose of recommending and advising the Governing Body of the City on matters pertaining to the planning, zoning and subdivision administration of all legal territory and property inside the Cit limits of Fort Scott. Currently this commission meets bi-monthly (every other month) and “as needed” if necessary for timely matters requiring a decision prior to a scheduled meeting. Meetings generally last (1) hour and are currently held on Wednesday afternoons at 4:00PM at City Hall. Times and dates are amendable to meet the schedules of commission members. The next bi-monthly meeting is scheduled for July 22, 2024, at 4:00PM at City Hall.  DEADLINE IS JULY 19, 2024, AT 5:00PM.

LIBRARY BOARD – (1) opening for a (4)-year term. This board meets the second Tuesday of each month at the Fort Scott Public Library.  For further information about the Library Board, please contact the library director, Jennifer Gum-Fowler at (620) 223-2882. OPEN UNTIL FILLED.

Please submit ALL Letters of Interest to the City Clerk by the deadlines indicated either in person at City Hall, 123 S. Main Street or by email [email protected] .  PLEASE BE SURE TO INCLUDE CONTACT INFORMATION. All letters will be verified, and all candidates must appear before the City Commission when scheduled by agenda. If letters cannot be verified, they will not be considered. For questions, please contact Lisa Lewis, City Clerk at [email protected] or (620) 223-0550 ext. 507.

Lisa A. Lewis, City Clerk

People may have noticed the warning tape on the steps at Memorial Hall, located at Third Street and National Avenue.

The tape was put up last Tuesday, May 21, when city personnel noticed some of the mortar above the steps was coming off and felt it was unsafe for citizens to use the steps, according to Fort Scott City Manager Brad Matkin.

“The problem with Memorial Hall is the mortar on the top of the entryway is crumbling and pieces of it have been falling onto the stairway,” Matkin said.  “There is nothing wrong with the stairs, we roped it off believing we do not want citizens to go into those entry doors and have something fall on them. It is strictly for the safety of our citizens.”

“We are going out for bids to get the area fixed,” he said.

The Good Ol’ Days Baby Contest WILL take place in Memorial Hall on Saturday, June 1. Citizens are asked to NOT use the front steps, but instead the doors on the north and south of the building, according to Shaw O’Brien, chairman of the steering committee.

Letters of Interest are now being accepted for an open position on the Fort Scott City Commission. Candidates must reside in the territorial limits of the city of Fort Scott and shall be a qualified elector under the Constitution of the state of Kansas (Ordinance No. 3289). This position is to fill a vacancy created on May 22, 2024, with the resignation of the sitting Commissioner. The term for this position expires December of 2025 and the successor will be determined in the next election.

The following time commitments are general guidelines to be considered before submitting your Letter of Interest:    1) Regular City Commission meetings are held the 1^st and 3^rd Tuesday of every month beginning at 6:00PM and average two (2) hours or more;    2) Special City Commission meetings may be called at any time if the matter is of a pressing nature and a decision must be made prior to a regular meeting;   3)  Attendance at meetings for which you are selected to be a Commission Representative – such as an advisory board, library board, etc;  4) Work Sessions are scheduled for issues that require open discussion but do not require an immediate decision. These are usually scheduled prior to a regular meeting, typically begin at 5:00PM, and then lead into a regular meeting. There will be Work Sessions scheduled on a stand-alone date that usually begin at 5:00, 6:00 or 7:00PM.   5)  Trainings for the Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA) and the Kansas Open Records Act (KORA) are required annually and other training is available but optional; 6) Representation at community activities and other meetings are usually optional but highly encouraged;  7)  Individual preparation for meetings may be necessary for topics that require research in order to make an informed decision at the table.

Please also consider that this is a high-profile position within this community. All meetings are streamed on YouTube, the newspapers and television stations may be present at any given time, and you will be involved in many community activities and issues. As a City Commissioner, you will be a contact and a representative for citizens’ and their concerns. The concerns and issues that the Commission faces are not always positive in nature. However, they will require your best collaborative efforts and decision-making skills with your fellow Commissioners and the City Manager.

Please visit www.fscity.org, contact the City Manager, Brad Matkin ([email protected]) or the City Clerk, Lisa Lewis [email protected] for any questions.  We would also encourage you to watch previous Commission meetings on the City of Fort Scott YouTube channel before making the commitment by submitting your Letter of Interest.

All Letters of Interest will be reviewed, and all qualified candidates will be contacted to appear and speak before the Commission at the June 4^th regular meeting. The Commission will select the new Commissioner who will be sworn in and seated that evening.

Letters will be received in person at City Hall (8:00AM-5:00PM) or by email to [email protected] until Thursday, May 30^th at 5:00PM. No letters will be received after the deadline.

Please be sure to include contact information in your letter and clearly mark “LETTER OF INTEREST/CITY COMMISSIONER”.

A special meeting of the City of Uniontown  Council will be held May 23 at 6 p.m. at City Hall.]

CALL TO ORDER AT _________ by __________________________________________

ROLL CALL:

 ____ Jess Ervin ____ Danea Esslinger ____ Amber Kelly ­­____ Mary Pemberton  ____ Bradley Stewart

Motion by _____________, Second by  __________, Approved ______, to enter into executive session pursuant to non-elected personnel exception, KSA 75-4319(b)(1), in order to discuss duties and benefits of non-elected personnel, the open meeting to resume at ____________.