ROLL CALL:
___ Jess Ervin ___ Danea Esslinger ___ Amber Kelly ___ Mary Pemberton ___ Bradley Stewart
Pond project – Don George, KDWPT –
CITIZENS REQUESTS
FINANCIAL REPORT
Charlene Bolinger – Financial reports
APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA
Motion by ____________, Second by _____________, Approved ________ to enter into executive session pursuant to non-elected personnel matters exception, KSA 4319(b)(1), in order to discuss job duties and review applications of non-elected personnel, the open meeting to resume at _______.
DEPARTMENT REPORTS
Superintendent: Bobby Rich
Water valve replacement –
Codes Enforcement:
Clerk Report: Sally Johnson
2023 Financial Audit
Councilman Ervin –
Councilwoman Esslinger –
Councilman Kelly –
Councilwoman Pemberton –
Councilman Stewart–
Mayor Jurgensen –
Pickleball court project –
Warehouse refurbishing –
ADJOURN Time ____________ Moved by ______________, 2nd ___________________, Approved ___________
Attachments:
The Special Council Meeting on February 27, 2024 at Uniontown City Hall, was called to order at 6:30PM by Mayor Jurgensen. Council members present were Jess Ervin, Danea Esslinger, Amber Kelly, Mary Pemberton, and Bradley Stewart. Also in attendance for all or part of the meeting was City Clerk Sally Johnson.
Motion by Ervin, Second by Stewart, Approved 5-0 to enter in to executive session pursuant to non-elected personnel matters exception, KSA 4319(b)(1), in order to discuss job duties, benefits, and employee handbook of non-elected personnel, the open meeting to resume at 7:00PM
Clerk Johnson included in session, open meeting resumed at 7:00.
Motion by Ervin, Second by Kelly, Approved 5-0 to extend executive session pursuant to non-elected personnel exception, KSA 4319(b)(1) in order to discuss job duties, benefits and employee handbook of non-elected personnel, the open meeting to resume at 7:35PM.
Johnson still included in session. Open meeting resumed at 7:35PM.
Motion by Pemberton, Second by Esslinger, Approved 5-0 to have Clerk Johnson post City Clerk position with appropriate publications and organizations
Motion by Ervin, Second by Esslinger, Approved 5-0 to amend Section 2.9.0 with the statement that full-time employees hires on or after March 1, 2024 will not be eligible for this benefit and add Section 2.11.0 Health Insurance Benefit effective for all new full-time hires on or after March 1, 2024
Moved by Ervin, Second by Kelly, Approved 5-0, to adjourn at 7:36PM
The Regular Council Meeting on February 13, 2024 at Uniontown City Hall, was called to order at 7:00PM by Mayor Jurgensen. Council members present were Jess Ervin, Danea Esslinger, Mary Pemberton, and Bradley Stewart. Also in attendance for all or part of the meeting were City Treasurer Charlene Bolinger, City Superintendent Bobby Rich and City Clerk Sally Johnson.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS/PROJECTS
CITIZENS REQUEST
Clerk Johnson reported that Shane Kober requested speed bumps in front of his residence. After discussion, Council does not wish to put speed bumps on Sherman Street. Clerk was asked to advise him to followup with the Sheriff’s department for information on how to proceed.
FINANCIAL REPORT
Treasurer Bolinger presented the January 2023 Treasurer’s Report. Beginning Checking Account Balance for all funds was $235,479.20, Receipts $85,918.56, Transfers Out $3,026.00, Expenditures $24,988.18, Checking Account Closing Balance $293,383.58. Bank Statement Balance $293,816.11, including Checking Account Interest of $54.56, Outstanding Deposits $0, Outstanding Checks $432.53, Reconciled Balance $293,383.58. Water Utilities Certificates of Deposit $37,083.20, Sewer Utilities Certificate of Deposit $21,153.58, Gas Utilities Certificates of Deposit $38,862.06, Total All Funds, including Certificates of Deposit $390,482.42. Year-to-Date Interest in Checking Acct is $54.56, and Utility CDs $0 for a Total Year-to-Date Interest of $54.56. Also included the status of the Projects Checking Account for the month of January 2023, Beginning Balance $0, Receipts $0, Expenditures $0, Ending Balance $0. January Transfers from Sewer Utility Fund to Sewer Revolving Loan $1,402.00; from Water Utility Fund to GO Water Bond & Interest $1,624.00 for Total Transfers of $3,026.00. Net Income for the month of January $57,904.38, Year-to-Date Net Income $57,904.38. Budget vs Actual Water Fund YTD Revenue $8,044.20 (6.5%), Expenditures $6,943.58 (4.3%); Sewer Fund YTD Revenue $2,715.90 (7.3%), Expenditures $2,136.25 (5.1%); Gas Fund YTD Revenue $17,162.10 (11.7%), Expenditures $10,531.03 (5.9%); General Fund YTD Revenue $52,382.78 (31.9%), Expenditures $8,403.32 (4.2%); and Special Highway YTD Revenue $1,987.58 (27.4%), Expenditures $0 (0%). The February 2024 payables to date in the amount of $36,872.84 were presented.
Clerk Johnson explained the new report for current payables and the difference between the two presented. She asked the council which report they preferred – Claims Report by Department, by Fund was chosen.
CONSENT AGENDA
Motion by Esslinger, Second by Ervin, Approved 4-0, to approve Consent Agenda as amended:
DEPARTMENT REPORTS
City Superintendent Rich had nothing to report.
Clerk Johnson reported several notifications of insurance renewal conditional provisions from EMC.
Website hosting price increase of $2.50/month.
Municipal Court Clerks conference is March 1, in Wichita. She will not attend this year.
CCMFOA Conference is March 20-22, in Manhattan. She will not attend this year.
CDL storm siren maintenance agreement should renew in March. She will have a new agreement for action at next meeting.
gWorks was used for accounts payable this month and end of month procedures will be done on gWorks. She has a training on Thursday for bank reconciliation, deposits, and reports. She will then get all deposits for the month entered, process penalties, and mail delinquent notices.
Bourbon County Job Fair is February 22. She asked is they wanted a booth to try to recruit a clerk and maintenance worker. Not at this time.
She did order a 2024 labor law poster.
COUNCIL REPORT
Councilman Ervin – wished to recognize Clerk Johnson and thank her for all her work in the software conversion.
Councilwoman Esslinger – absent
Councilwoman Kelly – nothing
Councilwoman Pemberton – nothing
Councilman Stewart – nothing
Mayor Jurgensen – the school contacted the City to see if they could stage rock on the right of way for the walking trail project. The rock is being hauled by the county. He told them yes. Superintendent Rich stated that there is a gas main just south of the sidewalk by the medical clinic. Mayor Jurgensen also asked Rich to get fescue and seed the ditches that were worked on Third St.
OLD BUSINESS
Rabies Clinic – tentatively scheduled for March 23, 1:30-3:00PM.
Mayor Jurgensen asked if the Council wanted to reskin the warehouse and put in the ramp and rollup doors to use as public works building. We will need to determine specs and request bids for the metal siding/roof, the ramp and rollup doors, and the installation.
NEW BUSINESS
Motion by Ervin, Second by Stewart, Approved 4-0 to enter in to executive session pursuant to non-elected personnel matters exception, KSA 4319(b)(1), in order to discuss job duties and benefits of non-elected personnel, the open meeting to resume at 8:47PM
Clerk Johnson called in at 8:22, open meeting resumed at 8:47.
Motion by Ervin, Second by Stewart, Approved 4-0 to call a special meeting on February 27, 2024, 6:30PM for the purpose of executive session pursuant to non-elected personnel exception, KSA 4319(b)(1) to discuss job duties, benefits and employee handbook of non-elected personnel.
Moved by Ervin, Second by Kelly, Approved 4-0, to adjourn at 8:48PM
Governor Kelly Updates Declaration of Drought Emergency, Warnings, and Watches for Kansas Counties
TOPEKA — Governor Laura Kelly has approved updated drought declarations for Kansas counties with Executive Order #24-01.
“While drought conditions have improved greatly in recent months, many counties continue to be negatively impacted by the decline in water supply or strains on water resources,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “I strongly encourage all Kansans to continue to conserve water as we head into the summer months.”
The drought declaration removed all 55 counties previously in emergency status and placed 15 counties into warning status and 62 into watch status. This action was recommended by Connie Owen, Director of the Kansas Water Office and Chair of the Governor’s Drought Response Team. While a majority of Kansas has seen significant relief from drought since August, central and southeast Kansas continue to be in Severe Drought.
“Counties in a watch status have conditions which indicate the probability of a water shortage is rising. It is important to monitor these conditions and be mindful of water usage in these counties,” said Owen. “The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to monitor the drought conditions across Kansas and make recommendations to Governor Kelly as conditions change.”
This Executive Order shall remain in effect for those counties identified until rescinded by an Executive Order ending the declaration or revising the drought stage status of the affected counties.
Effective immediately, Executive Order #24-01:
The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to watch the situation closely and work to minimize the negative drought-induced effects on Kansans.
For more detailed information about current conditions, visit the Climate and Drought webpage on the Kansas Water Office website at kwo.ks.gov.
County Drought Stage Declarations:
Drought Emergency:
Drought Warning: Chautauqua, Clay, Dickinson, Elk, Graham, Harvey, Jewell, McPherson, Mitchell, Montgomery, Osborne, Ottawa, Reno, Rice, Rooks, Wilson.
Drought Watch: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Butler, Chase, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Cloud, Coffey, Cowley, Crawford, Decatur, Doniphan, Douglas, Ellis, Ellsworth, Franklin, Geary, Gove, Greenwood, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Kingman, Labette, Lane, Leavenworth, Lincoln, Linn, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, Miami, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Ness, Norton, Osage, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Rawlins, Republic, Riley, Russell, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Stafford, Thomas, Trego, Wabaunsee, Washington, Woodson, Wyandotte.
“TikTok deceived parents by saying that the app was safe and age appropriate. In reality, the app has promoted filth, profanity, sexual content, and alcohol and drugs to Kansas kids. Even worse, it has used coercive algorithms that spike dopamine, keep kids on the app as long as possible, and facilitate downward mental health spirals. Kansas parents deserve the truth about the harm the app causes to young users, and Kansas kids should be protected,” Kobach said.
The lawsuit alleges that TikTok knew its app was not safe for kids when it released the app in 2017. Additionally, the company misleads parents by marketing its app as age appropriate for children 12 and older. Despite its assertions, TikTok hawks significant amounts of profanity and crude humor, sexual content and nudity, alcohol, tobacco and drug usage, and mature and suggestive themes.
“Parents and caregivers believe their children are protected from images of intense sexual content, illicit drug use, and videos encouraging vaping and tobacco use, because TikTok deceives parents into believing the company hides this content from children. In reality, this company created an app intentionally to hook Kansas children onto their salacious, dangerous, and damaging content at the price of those children’s mental health. This damage will echo far into the future of our state, and TikTok must answer for its actions,” said Deputy Attorney General Fran Oleen.
According to the petition, TikTok offers “restricted mode” and “family pairing” tools to keep Kansas children safe, but the tools are ineffective. The suit also alleges that TikTok negatively impacts the mental health of Kansas youth.
“Kids in Kansas have been bombarded with problematic TikTok videos while lost in the addictive grip of TikTok’s auto scroll that affects not only their attention spans, but their mental health. Youth in Kansas frequently find themselves in an infinite hole of TikTok videos that tell them they are not good enough or attractive enough. These videos are often paired with advice on how to evade parents’ detection of eating disorders,” said Assistant Attorney General Sarah Dietz. “TikTok has misrepresented itself as safe, while it purposefully addicted minors and wreaked havoc on their mental health. Even when parents and caregivers try to create a safe environment for their children by using parental controls, they are deceived by TikTok’s false representations that the parental controls are effective.”
The Office of the Kansas Attorney General is alleging multiple violations of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. Specifically, the state seeks civil penalties of $10,000 per violation and enhanced civil penalties of $20,000 for deceptive and unconscionable acts against protected consumers.
Oleen and Dietz of the Office of the Kansas Attorney General, along with Special Assistant Attorneys General David Thompson, Brian Barnes, Megan Wold, and Athie Livas of Cooper & Kirk, PLLC, represent the state of Kansas in the suit.
Read the petition here.
Road Usage Charge study underway, looking for Kansans to participate
The Kansas Department of Transportation announces the launch of a three-month pilot study exploring whether a pay-per-mile road usage charge (RUC) could potentially replace the current state fuel tax as a new way to fund roads and bridges. The study, part of the Kansas Midwest RUC Study, asks Kansans to try out mileage reporting options and provide feedback about their experience.
Today, gasoline-powered vehicles pay 24 cents per gallon for state gas tax, and diesel-powered vehicles pay 26 cents per gallon for state diesel tax. As vehicles transition to being more fuel efficient or not use gas or diesel at all, state transportation funding may fall short.
KDOT is proactively exploring whether a RUC could be a sustainable, long-term funding source for transportation in the state. KDOT, in partnership with Minnesota Department of Transportation, is utilizing federal grant money available to states to study potential alternative approaches to transportation funding. To date, most states exploring RUC are on the East and West coasts — and Kansas is adding a Midwest perspective to this national conversation.
KDOT is actively recruiting pilot participants to take part in the study, which is scheduled to begin in April. Drivers across the state are asked to take part, especially rural Kansans who drive passenger vehicles or medium-duty trucks, people working in the agriculture industry and owners or operators of large trucks. Participants who fully complete the pilot can earn a $100 incentive.
Kansans interested in taking part in the pilot can visit www.midwestruc.org for more information to complete an interest form for the pilot study.
Would you like to make an impact in your community while broadening your skill set, connecting with people, working close to home, and receiving good pay & great benefits?
As Uniontown City Clerk/Municipal Court Clerk you can do all this and more! This is a 40 hours per week position with above average wage and benefits, including:
The Clerk position entails performing all duties as defined by Kansas State Statute and City Ordinances: receive and disperse monetary funds and maintain financial records; complete various administrative reports; grant applications & administration; prepare, mail, and apply payments of monthly customer utility billing; assist residents via phone or walk-in; attend and record minutes of all city council meetings, write monthly community newsletter; other duties as required (a more detailed job description and list of duties available upon application).
Personal Requirements:
Apply in person at Uniontown City Hall, call 620-756-4742, or submit your resume via email to [email protected] . Applications are accepted through Noon on March 12th.
March 1, 2024
Halfway into session there has been debate on taxes, education, elections, health care, and other topics. There is still much work to be completed and not much time left if the rumors are true that session will end the second week of April or before.
Where do we go from here? Committees will continue to work on bills. Most of the committees will be hearing bills that passed over from the other chamber. However, there will be some hearings on bills that didn’t make it out of the originating chamber.
Legislative Post Audit reported on the Angel Investor Tax Credit program. Investors who replied to survey questions had positive comments about the program. Of course – they get a tax credit that they can use or sell. A 2020 audit and the 2024 audit couldn’t determine if the businesses created jobs or stayed in business. The audit recommends that the Department of Commerce develop processes to review the program and measurer outcomes.
Another Legislative Post Audit reviewed major economic development programs managed by the Department of Commerce. The report stated that $436 million was awarded via several different programs, PEAK, JCF, KIT, and KIR from 2017 through 2021. The staggering number was the HPIP program. More than $3 billion was awarded in HPIP tax credits from 2017 to 2020. Businesses can use those credits up to 16 years after they are awarded. These and other programs giveaway billions of dollars that could be used to “buy down” taxes for all Kansans, instead of government picking winners and losers. It would make more sense to provide tax relief for all.
All of the audits reported by Legislative Post Audit can be found online at https://www.kslpa.org/.
It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12th District State Senator.
Caryn
February 26, 2024 Monday, 5:30 p.m.
The Bourbon County Commission met in open session with all three Commissioners and the County Clerk present.
Cherri Walrod, Clint Walker, Jason Silvers, Michael Hoyt, Deb McCoy, Teri Hulsey, Trevor Jacobs, Mark Mcoy, Anne Dare, Patty Ropp, Debbie Martin, and Rachel Walker were present for some or all of the meeting. .
Jim opened the meeting with the flag salute.
Nelson made a motion to approve the consent agenda which includes approval of minutes from 2-12-24 and 2-20-24, approval of payroll totaling $293,310.56 and approval of accounts payable totaling $327,719.27. Jim seconded the motion and all approved.
Cherri Walrod, Community Liaison for Core Community Bourbon County, invited the Commissioners to a Bridges out of Poverty workshop that will be held on March 2nd. Cherri stated the workshop will be lead by Deborah Factor, CEO of Youth Core Ministries, and participants will review a mental model of poverty, examine a theory of change, and analyze poverty through the prism of housing, the hidden rules of class and resources.
Clint Walker discussed other communities who have passed resolutions in favor of Medicaid expansion, suggested Bourbon County do the same, and said he doesn’t like to send his money elsewhere.
Mark McCoy, with Bourbon County Emergency Management, said there is currently a red flag warning and urged residents not to burn as there will be wind gusts up to 50 mph.
Nelson presented a resolution 04-24 opposing the settlement of illegal immigrants in Bourbon County and made a motion to adopt it. The motion died due to a lack of a second. Nelson said resolutions make statements and he believed many residents of Bourbon County would agree and said you need to stand up for what you believe in or what you think is right. Clifton stated the first part of the resolution is already a law and that the only way he would vote in favor of passing the resolution is if wording is changed to state Washington DC failed not just the Biden Administration. Clifton also said he doesn’t agree with the bottom section and stated he will not go against a church helping little kids and said in his opinion this was political mudslinging. Jim read a resolution prepared by the County Counselor that is in favor of the settlement of legal immigrants in Bourbon County. Trevor Jacobs, District 4 State Representative, thanked the Commissioners for allowing him to speak. Trevor said he appreciates Nelson for bringing this up as it is our Constitutional right to protect the border and that if people think that immigrants are not coming here, they are foolish. Jim discussed the resolution Nelson presented and said he has a problem with the section stating the Biden Administration and churches as well.
Eric Bailey, Public Works Director, presented a utility permit for 1997 195th for the final approval signatures. Eric said the work has been completed and meets their specifications. Eric presented the Bi-annual inspections agreement with Schwab Eaton. 111 bridges will be inspected and put on the KDOT portal for $19,622. Eric said the new miner training for MSHA will take place this week. The DWR permit has been obtained for the location east of 130th Street on Kansas Road, so they have ordered four 48-inch culverts to complete the project. Eric said they are still waiting on the DWR permit for 225th and Tomahawk Road. The bridge project at 160th Street and Fern Road is scheduled to start April 1st but could be as soon as March 11 as they are finalizing utilizes now. Nelson asked where the bridge project at 60th and Grand Road stands and Eric said it is in the inspection phase. Eric said they met with an asphalt contractor for Eagle Road and they took core samples and are waiting to hear results back. Eric said they may not have enough fines in the mixture now that the rock crusher is producing cleaner chips. Eric said they are aware there is some unraveling on the road and will be able to correct this by putting a surface coat on. Eric said a meeting is scheduled with the City of Bronson to visit about asphalt and he said he will send Nelson the time and date of the meeting. There was a hailstorm in April 2022 and there was damage done to the roof at the public works building. Eric said the insurance adjuster would like to visit and he asked permission for Clifton to be present since he has experience with metal roofing. Jim and Nelson agreed to allow Clifton to visit with Eric and the insurance adjuster. Eric stated they had to raise tire prices at the landfill from 9 cents per pound to 10 cents per pound due to the company we use to dispose of the tires raised their prices. Eric said there have been questions about the motor graders and if they have GPS capabilities. Every motor grader has GPS and a report can be generated to show what time the graders start, fuel consumption, where the machine has graded, and even how much time the grader sits idle. Eric said he has asked his graders to do daily maintenance such as greasing and that is why they may be at their homes before 3:30. Eric said his door is always open if anybody has questions about purchases they make to give him a call.
Matt Quick, County Appraiser, stated property valuations will be sent out March 1st. Due to the housing market everything is going up and it is approximately 9% this year. Matt said the market side is showing an increase of at least 30%. Matt said commercial property is on cost as they cannot use market value and those properties have gone up because costs have gone up. Dry crop land is down some this year while grass land is up some. Matt stated that residents have 30 days to appeal their valuations and his office will review the property and schedule a meeting to sit down and go over everything with them. Matt said he wanted residents to be aware of the increase and stated the value doesn’t set the taxes the mill levy does. Jim asked if the majority of what Matt does is dictated by the state and Matt said everything is set by the state. Michael Hoyt asked if there is a hunting land classification and Matt stated no, there is dry crop and grass land which is broken down into tame for hay ground and native for pastures. Matt said that last year we were not compliant due to our residential values being too low. Matt said he wishes he could lower them but that is not what the state dictates.
Jim made a motion to table the discussion of healthcare sales tax due to Justin being sick and unable to attend tonight. Clifton seconded the motion and all approved.
Susan Walker, CFO, stated she has previously asked to use the state setoff program for public works and the landfill. Teri Hulsey, EMS Director, has spoken to the state setoff program and they currently collect for approximately 53 EMS agencies with good luck. Teri said they can collect off of not only income tax returns but also casino winnings from casinos in Kansas. Susan said we currently write off $3,000-$10,000 per month for EMS bills. Jim asked if the state charges to use their setoff program. Susan said they charge 19% of what is collected. Susan said Teri and her staff would have to submit reports to the state and Teri stated she has a letter drafted that they would send out to individuals before they are sent to the setoff program. Currently OMNI, the third-party vendor who bills for our EMS services, sends out two statements and a final letter and will write off if no payment is received. Michael Hoyt asked how long that takes because sometimes it takes insurance longer than 90 days to pay on a claim. Susan said it is usually 120 days past due when OMNI sends the final notice letter. Nelson made a motion to allow EMS to start using the state setoff program to help collect on EMS billings. Clifton seconded the motion and all approved. Teri presented an agreement that needs to be signed to before they can use the program. Clifton made a motion to allow Chairman Harris to sign the agreement. Nelson seconded the motion and all approved.
Susan stated a few weeks ago the Sheriff’s department asked to replace a totaled vehicle. They originally were looking at using ARPA funds but Susan said she has been working with Patty on an additional distribution that will take place next week. There will be approximately $38,000 received from the extra distribution and Susan suggested the funds be used to purchase a patrol vehicle outright instead of financing. Nelson made a motion to allow the extra distribution to pay for the patrol vehicle for the Sheriff’s Department. Clifton seconded the motion and all approved.
Jennifer Hawkins, County Clerk, received a letter stating that Mark McCoy’s appointment to the non-lawyer member position of the 6th District Judicial Nominating Commission will expire in March. Mark McCoy stated he would be honored to serve again if the Commissioners wish to re-appoint him. Nelson made a motion to re-appoint Mark Mcoy to the non-lawyer member position of the 6th District Judicial Nominating Commission. Jennifer stated in the past the county has received a bad audit for not completing inventory yearly so she presented a 2023 inventory certificate for the Commissioners to sign so the county is in compliance with state statute. Clifton made a motion to approve the 2023 inventory list. Nelson seconded the motion and all approved. Jennifer presented a letter from the county’s insurance provider, KCAMP, informing those with historical courthouses that they may want to consider purchasing coverage on a reproductive cost valuation basis. After discussion it was decided to remain with the coverage the county currently has for replacement cost basis. Jennifer asked if more than one Commissioner planned to attend the Bridges out of Poverty workshop with Jim being the only Commissioner who plans to attend. Jennifer stated the Presidential Preference Primary election will be held on March 19th with early voting beginning March 11 at the courthouse. The early voting will take place from 8:30-4:30 Monday through Friday, 8:00-12:00 on Saturday, and 8:30-12:00 on Monday, March 18th. In the past the Commissioners have not held a meeting on the day before the election since the Clerk’s office is busy with setting up election sites and the Commissioners agreed to not hold a meeting on March 18th. Jennifer asked if the Commissioners would like to advertise for hay bids for Elm Creek Lake, the old landfill site near 225th and Native Road, and the radio tower site on 250th Street. Eric Bailey said that he would like to do them this year again. Jennifer will place the bids in the newspaper and the website.
Clifton said he gets called out by people online and said he is accused of not having a thick skin and stated there is a member of the audience who pressed charges against someone who raised their voice and said at some point you lose patience. Clifton said he hears what people say about him not being conservative enough but that he’s sitting in this seat and if someone is staring and pointing at me and slaps hard on the table he feels threatened. Clifton said he has been called disrespectful but stated the audience is as well. Jim said Trevor called him after the last meeting and he told him he wanted Justin to review the resolution and make some changes and he would approve it. Jim said he has to support his thoughts as wells as yours and was surprised that Justin’s resolution wasn’t passed tonight. Deb Martin said that they have no problem with legal immigration but Justin’s resolution doesn’t state illegal immigration and she thinks we need to focus on the illegal aspect. Michael Hoyt asked if there will be al election in April since the healthcare tax has been delayed. Jennifer Hawkins stated they will not be able to hold the election on April 16th due to the timing restrictions she has to follow to publish notification of a special election. Jim said he feels a lot of people were rude speaking towards them. Nelson said a prayer during his Commission comment time.
Nelson made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 6:53. Clifton seconded the motion and all approved.
THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS
___________________, Chairman
___________________, Commissioner
ATTEST: ___________________, Commissioner
Jennifer Hawkins, Bourbon County Clerk
3-4-2024 Approved Date
Bourbon County Courthouse
210 S. National Ave Fort Scott, KS 66701 Phone: 620-223-3800
Fax: 620-223-5832
Bourbon County, Kansas
1st District Commissioner
2nd District Commissioner
3rd District Commissioner
Bourbon County Commission Agenda 210 S. National Ave.
Fort Scott, KS 66701
March 4, 2024 5:30 p.m.
Executive Session Justifications:
KSA 75-4319 (b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(2) for consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the
attorney-client relationship.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(3) to discuss matters relating to employer/employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the
representative(s) of the body or agency.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(4) to discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust and individual proprietorships
KSA 75-4319 (b)(6) for the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(12) to discuss matters relating to the security measures, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting
would jeopardize such security measures.
TOPEKA – The State of Kansas ends February 2024 with total tax collections at $521.4 million. That is $33.1 million, or 6.0%, below the estimate. Total tax collections are down 5.2% from February 2023.
“Falling short of estimates for the fourth consecutive month reiterates that Kansas must pass a tax cut plan that is sustainable and fiscally responsible,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “That’s why I have proposed a bipartisan tax cut package that would benefit all Kansans without jeopardizing our long-term economic growth or ability to continue fully funding essential services.”
Individual income tax collections were $173.6 million. That is $46.4 million, or 21.1%, below the estimate, and down 17.9% from February 2023. Corporate income tax collections were $21.1 million. That is $5.1 million, or 31.6%, above the estimate and up 37.5% from February 2023.
Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $252.6 million, which is $10.4 million, or 4.0%, below the estimate and down $15.4 million, or 5.7%, from February 2023.
Click to here view the February 2024 revenue numbers.
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