Category Archives: Government
Gov. Kelly Recognized for Bipartisan Leadership
Governor Laura Kelly Named “Common Ground Champion” for Bipartisan Leadership
Nonpartisan Scorecard Ranks Kelly Highest in Kansas,
Second-Highest Governor in US
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly has been named a “Common Ground Champion” for her bipartisan leadership and commitment to working across the aisle to deliver results for Kansans. This recognition comes from the Common Ground Committee (CGC), a nonpartisan organization devoted to improving public discourse in politics, as part of their Common Ground Scorecard of elected officials. She is the highest-ranking elected official in Kansas and the second highest-ranking governor in the country.
In her first term, Governor Kelly signed 286 bipartisan bills into law.
“I have worked with Kansans of all political stripes to balance the budget, fully fund our schools, build a record-breaking economy, axe taxes, and invest in our law enforcement and infrastructure,” said Governor Kelly. “I am proud that my record reflects my commitment to working across the aisle to find common-sense solutions, and I thank the Common Ground Committee for this recognition.”
The scorecard assesses the degree to which elected officials and candidates for office seek points of agreement on social and political issues through listening and productive conversation. Governor Kelly has affirmed the “Common Ground Attributes,” which include listening first, staying respectful, and seeking progress.
“Americans are divided over the direction of the country and how to solve many issues we currently face. To make progress, leaders must be committed to working across the aisle and finding solutions that address all our citizens’ concerns,” said Erik Olsen, co-founder of CGC. “But while they are divided on issues, Americans agree that they want to see their representatives work together and solve problems. We hope that more lawmakers follow Gov. Kelly’s lead and make a commitment to finding common ground.”
Governor Kelly’s score of 80 out of 100 is 51 points higher than the national average score of 29 and 48 points higher than the Kansas average score of 32.
Click here For more information on the Common Ground Scorecard and Governor Kelly’s score.
For more information about the Common Ground Committee, contact Jim Luetkemeyer at [email protected].
FSCC Board of Trustees Agenda for Oct. 17
October 17, 2022
Board of Trustees
Fort Scott Community College
2108 S. Horton
Fort Scott, KS 66701
The Board of Trustees of Fort Scott Community College will meet in regular session on Monday, October 17, 2022. The meeting will be held in Cleaver-Burris-Boileau Hall at Fort Scott Community College.
5:00 p.m. Dinner in Cleaver-Burris-Boileau Hall at Regular board meeting begins at 5:30 p.m.
THE AGENDA
5:00 DINNER
5:30 ROLL CALL, 3
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
CALL TO ORDER, 4
A. Comments from the Chair, 4
B. Comments from the Public, 4
C. New Employee Introductions, 4
D. Assessment Update, 4
CONSENT AGENDA, 5
A. Approval of Agenda, 5
B. Approval of Minutes of previous Regular Board Meeting conducted on September 19,
2022, 6
C. Approval of Treasurer’s Report, Bills, and Claims, 7
D. Approval of Personnel Actions, 5
ACTION/DISCUSSION ITEMS, 61
A. Consideration of Esthetics Program, 61
B. Consideration of Arnold Arena HVAC Bids, 62
C. Consideration of Large-Scale Network Switch Purchase, 78
D. Appointment of Bourbon County REDI Representative, 90
ITEMS FOR REVIEW, 91
REPORTS, 93
A. Administrative Updates, 93
EXECUTIVE SESSION, 101
ADJOURNMENT, 1021
UPCOMING CALENDAR DATES:
• October 17, 2022: Board Meeting
• October 29, 2022: President’s Cup Foundation Golf Tournament
• November 21, 2022: Board Meeting
• November 23-25, 2022: Thanksgiving Break, Campus Closed
• December 12, 2022: Board Meeting
• December 15, 2022 – January 4, 2023: Christmas Break, Campus Closed
• January 16, 2023: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Campus Closed
• January 23, 2023: Board Meeting
• February 20, 2023: Board Meeting
• March 13 – 17, 2023: Spring Break, Campus Closed
• March 20, 2023: Board Meeting
• March 24, 2023: Aggie Day
• April 7, 2023: Good Friday, Campus Closed
• April 17, 2023: Board Meeting
• May 13, 2023: Graduation
• May 15, 2023: Board Meeting
• June 19, 2023: Board Meeting
Sincerely,
John Bartelsmeyer, Chair
Alysia Johnston, President
ROLL CALL
_____ John Bartelsmeyer
_____ Jim Fewins
_____ Dave Elliott
_____ Kirk Hart
_____ Bryan Holt
_____ Robert Nelson3
CALL TO ORDER
A. COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIR
B. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
C. NEW EMPLOYEE INTRODUCTIONS
D. ASSESSMENT UPDATE4
CONSENT AGENDA
A. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
B. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS
1) Attached are the minutes of the Regular Board Meeting conducted on September 19, 2022.
C. APPROVAL OF TREASURER’S REPORT, BILLS and CLAIMS
Attached are the Treasurer’s Report and the Bills and Claims Report.
D. APPROVAL OF PERSONNEL ACTIONS
1) Transfers
a) Hollie Souza, from Nursing Administrative Assistant to HEP Database Manager, effective November 3, 2022
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the Consent Agenda items be approved as
presented.
BOARD ACTION: MOTION _____ SECOND _____ VOTE _____
DISCUSSION:
VOTE: Bartelsmeyer Elliott Fewins
Hart Holt Nelson5
FSCC Board of Trustees Minutes of Sept. 19
FORT SCOTT COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Minutes of the Board of Trustees Meeting
September 19, 2022
PRESENT: John Bartelsmeyer, Dave Elliott, Jim Fewins, Kirk Hart, Bryan Holt, and Robert Nelson (via Zoom)
ALSO PRESENT: Alysia Johnston, President, Juley McDaniel, Board Clerk, faculty, staff
Chairman Bartelsmeyer called the meeting to order at 5:31 p.m in Cleaver-Burris-Boileau Hall. The meeting was
opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.
COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIR: None.
CONSENT AGENDA: A motion was made by Fewins, seconded by Holt, and carried by unanimous vote to
approve the consent agenda.
ACTION/DISCUSSION ITEMS:
A. A motion was by made by Elliott, seconded by Hart, and carried by unanimous vote to approve the expenditure of up to $15,000 for the purchase of a three-quarter ton truck with less than 150,000 miles for immediate purchase when located.
B. A motion was by made by Nelson, seconded by Fewins, and carried by unanimous vote to approve the bid
from Cat Simulators for heavy equipment simulators.
C. A motion was by made by Holt, seconded by Fewins, and carried by unanimous vote to approve a purchase of a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 25 laptop computers for an amount not to exceed $15,000 due to the fluid nature of available technology at this time.
REPORTS:
ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES: The Board reviewed and heard updates from Miami County Campus, Workforce Development, Instruction, Finance and Operations, Athletics, Student Affairs, Student Services, and the President.
Nelson reminded the Board of the upcoming Gordon Parks Celebration scheduled for the first weekend in October.
Kirk Sharp can provide a schedule of events.
ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to come before the Trustees, a motion to adjourn was made at
6:29 p.m. by Elliott, seconded by Fewins, and carried by unanimous vote.
No Bourbon County Commission Meeting on Oct. 18
Agenda
Bourbon County Commission Room
1st Floor, County Courthouse
210 S. National Avenue
Fort Scott, KS 66701
Date: October 18, 2022
NO COMMISSION MEETING TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2022.
U234 Schedule of Parent Teacher Conferences Oct. 17-18
Unified School District 234
424 South Main
Fort Scott, KS 55701-2697
www.usd234.org
620-223-800 Fax 620-223-2760
DESTRY BROWN
Superintendent
October 14,2022
Parent/Teacher conferences for the USD 234 School District will be held on Monday, October 17, and Tuesday, October 18. Conferences will be held at the following times:
Fort Scott Preschool Center – 4:00 to 7:50 p.m.
Winfield Scott and Eugene Ware – 4:15 to 7:45 p.m.
Fort Scott Middle School and Fort Scott High School – 4:30 to 8 p.m.
There will be no school for USD 234 students on Friday, October 21.
Kansas Buffalo Being Auctioned on Nov. 2
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KS Virtual Job Fair Oct. 19
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KS Lifetime Hunting, Fishing License’s Available for Kids
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Fort Scott Get $1.5 Million For U.S. Hwy. 54
Governor Laura Kelly Announces 34 Cities
Across Kansas to Receive $28M
for Local Highway Improvements
FORT SCOTT – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that 34 cities across Kansas have been selected to receive a total of $28.65 million for improvements to the State Highway System located within city boundaries. The funds will be directed to preserve and improve pavement, add turn lanes, and modify intersections along essential roadways in both rural and urban areas throughout the state.
The grants are administered through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s City Connecting Link Improvement Program (CCLIP). The program is an important component of the state’s bipartisan transportation program, IKE, passed under the Kelly Administration.
“By making this investment, we’re improving the safety and accessibility of Kansas roadways that are local centers of community life,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Through these grants, we’re delivering economic opportunities throughout rural and urban Kansas.”
Governor Kelly and Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz announced the CCLIP awards in Fort Scott, where $1.5 million in CCLIP funds will be directed to improvements on U.S. 54, also known as Wall Street.
KDOT was able to increase CCLIP funding level for this selection cycle by more than $10 million over previous years due to additional federal funds coming to Kansas as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation (BIL). Both federal and state funds are designated for the CCLIP program and local matching funds are required based on city population.
“With the Connecting Link program, KDOT partners with communities to find solutions to support local transportation priorities,” Transportation Secretary Lorenz said. “I very much appreciate the power of the state and communities pooling funds to make improvements.”
A City Connecting Link is defined as any routing of the State Highway System located with the corporate limits of a city, not including the Interstate System. For this CCLIP cycle applying to state fiscal years 2024-2025, KDOT received 54 applications requesting $38 million.
There are three categories of CCLIP projects: Surface Preservation (SP), which extends the life of the driving surface; Pavement Restoration (PR), which rehabilitates or replaces pavement; and Geometric Improvement (GI), which addresses safety or capacity by improving roadway turn lanes, intersections, or modifying lane configurations.
For each project – the category, city, highway, and amount awarded include:
|
Category |
City |
Highway |
CCLIP Funds |
|
Northeast Kansas |
|||
|
SP |
Atchison |
US-59 |
$400,000 |
|
SP |
Bonner Springs |
K-32 |
$400,000 |
|
SP |
Emporia |
US-50 |
$400,000 |
|
SP |
Kansas City |
US-169 |
$400,000 |
|
SP |
Lawrence |
US-59 |
$400,000 |
|
PR |
Marysville |
US-77 |
$1,250,000 |
|
North Central Kansas |
|||
|
SP |
Clay Center |
K-15 |
$400,000 |
|
SP |
Concordia |
K-9 |
$400,000 |
|
PR |
Herington |
US-56B |
$1,250,000 |
|
PR |
Moundridge |
K-260 |
$800,000 |
|
PR |
White City |
K-4 |
$1,250,000 |
|
Northwest Kansas |
|||
|
SP |
Colby |
K-25 |
$400,000 |
|
PR |
Smith Center |
K-204 |
$1,300,000 |
|
PR |
Smith Center |
K-204 |
$1,300,000 |
|
PR |
Stockton |
US-24 |
$1,100,000 |
|
Southeast Kansas |
|||
|
PR |
Baxter Springs |
US-69A |
$1,000,000 |
|
GI |
Fort Scott |
US-54 |
$1,500,000 |
|
SP |
Independence |
US-160 |
$400,000 |
|
SP |
Independence |
US-160 |
$400,000 |
|
GI |
Madison |
K-58 |
$1,500,000 |
|
PR |
Parsons |
US-59 |
$1,250,000 |
|
South Central Kansas |
|||
|
PR |
Anthony |
K-44 |
$900,000 |
|
SP |
El Dorado |
US-77 |
$400,000 |
|
SP |
Great Bend |
US-281/US-56 |
$400,000 |
|
PR |
Hoisington |
K-4 |
$1,250,000 |
|
PR |
Kingman |
US-54 |
$1,250,000 |
|
SP |
Larned |
US-56 |
$400,000 |
|
PR |
Pratt |
US-281 |
$750,000 |
|
PR |
Wellington |
US-81 |
$1,250,000 |
|
SP |
Winfield |
US-160 |
$400,000 |
|
Southwest Kansas |
|||
|
SP |
Dodge City |
US-50 |
$400,000 |
|
PR |
Lakin |
K-25 |
$1,250,000 |
|
PR |
Ness City |
K-96 |
$1,000,000 |
|
GI |
Ulysses |
US-160 |
$1,500,000 |
|
TOTAL: |
$28,650,000 |
Bourbon County Rural Water #4 and Fulton Receive Federal Grants
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Kansas Director for Rural Development Christy Davis today announced that USDA is investing $5,517,200 in loans and grants toward eight community projects across the state.
Project details of today’s eight announcements are:
- A $900,000 loan will help complete the rehabilitation of the existing water treatment plant for Rural Water District 4 in Bourbon County. Previous funds for the project included $488,000 applicant contribution from the Rural Water District and a $2,772,000 loan from Rural Development in 2020.
- A $312,000 loan and a $650,000 grant will make improvements to the water distribution system of the City of Fulton. Improvements will include replacing the original water distribution system, meter assemblies, valves and fire hydrants. The city received a $15,000 grant in Aug. 2019, from Rural Development via the Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households Grant to complete a Preliminary Engineering Report.
- A $90,000 grant will assist Tabor College in creating the Central Kansas Entrepreneurship Center (CKEC). The center will provide support for small businesses including marketing, pitch development, operations and management, finance and accounting and will be located on the Tabor campus in Hillsboro. It is anticipated 46 full time jobs will be created.
- A $50,000 grant will assist in purchasing a fire truck on behalf of the Almena Rural Fire Department. A new brush fire truck will provide fire protection throughout Norton County and, when needed, to surrounding counties and southern Nebraska.
- A $47,200 grant will help purchase a fully equipped vehicle and other equipment for the City of Neodesha law enforcement department. Funds from this project will provide rural residents with new and improved public safety services.
- A $29,000 grant will be used to prepare an engineering evaluation for the City of Blue Mound‘s water system. The city needs an evaluation of their water facility and distribution system to determine what improvements are needed to mitigate line breaks. With this evaluation the city will be able to plan future water system improvements.
- A $1,640,000 loan and a $995,000 grant will help complete improvements to the City of Hiawatha‘s wastewater collection system. This project will upgrade the system’s ability to process wastewater and make needed improvements to the north lift station.
- A $143,000 loan and a $661,000 grant will help complete the first phase of improvements to the City of Vermillion‘s water system. The city previously received $1,279,000 in grants and a $272,000 loan for the project.
Governor Kelly In Fort Scott Oct. 12 For a Transportation Announcement
Governor Laura Kelly will join the Kansas Department of Transportation in Fort Scott on Wednesday to announce funding for multiple transportation projects happening throughout the state.
She along with Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz will be at Fort Scott National Historic Site at 11 a.m. on Oct. 12 to make the announcement.