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Fort Scott, Government

FS City Commission Meeting Agenda For Feb. 2

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NOTICE OF AND AGENDA FOR
MEETING OF
FORT SCOTT CITY COMMISSION
CITY HALL

CITY COMMISSION MEETING ROOM

123 SOUTH MAIN STREET
FEBRUARY 2, 2021
6:00 P.M.

Call to Order

  1. Roll Call:

K. Allen P. Allen R. Nichols L. Watts J. Jones

II. Flag Salute:

  1. Invocation: Led by: Steven Cole, First United Methodist Church

  2. Approval of Agenda:

  3. Proclamations/Recognitions:

  4. Consent Agenda:

  1. Approval of minutes of the regular meeting of January 19th, 2021 and special meeting minutes of January 19th, 2021.

  1. Approval of Appropriation Ordinance 1281-A totaling $345,26816.

  1. Certificate of Appropriateness – 6 N. Main – Paint color approval

  1. Request to Pay – Suez Treatment Solutions, Inc. – Water Treatment Plant – $15,784.70

  1. Public Comment:

(Sign up required. Comments on any topic not on agenda and limited to five (5) minutes per person, at Commission discretion)

  1. Interim City Manager Reports and Comments

  1. Director Reports: Doug Guns

  1. Old Business: None

  1. Appearances: None

  1. New Business:

  1. Consideration to solicit Aquatic Center Cleaning Bid

  2. Consideration of Alley Construction Policy

  3. Consideration of Assessment Waiver Policy

  4. Consideration of Assessment Policy for County Tax Sale

  5. Consideration of Kansas Municipal Utilities Training Program for 2021

  6. Consideration to accept C.FA.P. Grant for $1,317.00.

  7. Discussion of Charter Ordinance for replacing vacant Commissioner position

XII. Reports and Comments:

B. Commissioners Reports and Comments:

C. City Attorney Reports and Comments:

XIII. Executive Session – If requested, (please follow script in all motions for Executive Sessions)

XIV. Adjournment:

Fort Scott, Government

FS City Commission Minutes of Jan. 19 Meeting

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CITY OF FORT SCOTT

CITY COMMISSION MEETING

Minutes of January 19th, 2021 Regular Meeting #2

The regular meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission was held January 19th, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Commission Meeting Room at City Hall, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas.

ROLL CALL:

Commissioners P. Allen, K. Allen, R. Nichols, and L. Watts were present with Mayor J. Jones presiding.

INVOCATION: Pastor William Downey, Fort Scott Police Department Chaplain, Part Time Police Officer, Margrave Church of God , said a prayer asking God for guidance for the City, our Government and City officials.

AUDIENCE IN ATTENDANCE: Travis Shelton, Russell Lingerfelt, Jeff Hancock, Rachel Pruitt, Anne Rawlins, Dave Bruner, William Downey, Lindsey Madison, Max Fanning, Kristin Bishop, and Kendall Madison. Jeff Deane, City Attorney, was present via Zoom.

PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS: None

ADDITIONS TO AGENDA: Mayor Jones asked to amend the agenda to add Consideration of the Employment of a City Manager to the agenda.

L. Watts moved to add the Employment of a City Manager to the agenda. K. Allen seconded. All voted aye.

APPROVED TO ADD THE EMPLOYMENT OF A CITY MANAGER TO THE AGENDA.

K. Allen moved to add to the agenda the 15 day notice to terminate the current Interim City Manager Jeff Hancock. R. Nichols seconded. All voted aye.

APPROVED TO ADD THE 15 DAY TERMINATION NOTICE FOR THE CURRENT INTERIM CITY MANAGER.

L. Watts moved to approve the Employment Agreement for the new City Manager, Jeremy Frazier. This will be effective February 1st, 2021. K. Allen seconded. All voted aye.

APPROVED THE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT OF JEREMY FRAZIER, NEW CITY MANAGER, EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 1ST, 2021.

Mayor Jones that they had several good interviews and this candidate was approved unanimously.

K. Allen moved to notify the current Interim City Manager of the 15 day termination period. R. Nichols seconded. All voted aye.

APPROVED TO NOTIFY THE CURRENT INTERIM CITY MANAGER OF THE 15 DAY TERMINATION PERIOD. HIS LAST DAY WILL BE FEBRUARY 3rd, 2021.

Commissioners all thanked Jeff Hancock for the great job he has done while he has been Interim City Manager.

CONSENT AGENDA:

  1. Approval of minutes of the regular meeting of January 5th, 2021 and special meeting minutes of January 9th, 2021 and January 14th, 2021.

  1. Approval of Appropriation Ordinance 1280-A totaling $519,586.80.

  1. Request to Pay – Lauber Municipal Law (December) – $11,777,50.

  1. Request to Pay – H.D.R. Engineering – River Intake Project – $8,787.50.

  1. December financials

R. Nichols moved to approve the Consent Agenda. L. Watts seconded. J. Jones, R. Nichols, and L. Watts voted aye. P. Allen and K. Allen voted no. Motion carried 3-2.

APPROVED CONSENT AGENDA.

Public Comment:

(Sign up required. Comments on any topic not on the agenda and limited to 5 minutes per person, at Commission discretion)

Anne Rawlins – Ms. Rawlins said that she had two items. She said that as they are aware, she and Shirley Hurd have worked very diligently on the Mayhugh Cemetery. It has been approved by the State as an archaeological site with both sites #1 and #2 named. She read a note from Shirley Hurd: “I would like to remind the Commissioners and inform the new Commissioners of the meeting from October 6th, 2020 when she presented information on the Mayhugh Cemetery located just north of the City’s wastewater treatment plant. The Mayhugh was active with burials from 1868 to 1937. Recent photographs were given to her that were taken from the 1960’s showing that the Mayhugh Cemetery still had several tombstones but it was overgrown with brush and fallen trees. It was in this condition up until at least 1965 as told by the person that owned the photographs. In 1973, when Gerald Wood visited the site, there were no tombstones on site. Gerald asked the owner of the surrounding land and was told that Bourbon County dozed the stones into a nearby creek or river and was told to use the nearby land for farm ground. She asked the City to make a donation to the Mayhugh Cemetery Memorial Wall project. This memorial stone will have the names of at least 175 Fort Scott and Bourbon County residents that are buried in this cemetery. This project should have been completed years ago. She hopes this year that all buried in the Mayhugh Cemetery will be honored with a memorial stone as they should be. Your donation would be very much appreciated.” Ms. Rawlins asked if the City was willing to make a donation. The previous City Manager said there would be a donation made from the City for this project. At this time, they don’t have a location picked out. It could be Skubitz Plaza. They are looking at grants for assistance to get the memorial stone. It will be quite large. We need matching funds to get the grant. They would like to raise $10,000 and have about $3,000 raised. Any additional funds could be used to tell the story next to the memorial stone.

Her second item is the Old Fort Genealogical Library. Their board met last night. She asked the City Commission for a permanent move from the west side of Memorial Hall to the east side of Memorial Hall where the old City offices were. They would like to be housed there. They will need to get estimates for the south interior wall that had water damage, and removal of the temporary walls, and painting estimates. She said that they have outgrown their location where they are currently housed. They have numerous visitors to the library daily. She said that she is excited there is a vault at that location. They have lots of negatives that need to be housed there. She said that there is a Katy Railroad museum in Texas that is interested in relocating in Kansas. That is a possibility that where they are located now could house this new museum.

Susan Bancroft informed them that Memorial Hall was built for the Veterans. It is currently used by the American Legion which is very active. Also, the City has items in the vault that are stored there.

Interim City Manager Report and Comments: Jeff Hancock said that there are director reports included after his memo that they can review as well as an annual report. The work session next week will be held on the LandBank and special assessments.

Director Reports: Rachel Pruitt, Economic Development Director – Rachel informed the Board that she wished to give them an update on economic development. In 2020, there have been grants for housing, business support, and public safety totaling $1,400,126. The average selling price of real estate since 2016 has increased 45%. Since 2015, the downtown investment has totaled $26.6 million. The City received a CDBG Revolving Loan in the amount of $265,709 in funding and was recognized by the State of Kansas for their quick work in assisting 33 companies with grants resulting in 219 retained jobs during this pandemic. The City was also recognized by RAU Construction for their assistance in support of the Union Lofts project.

Rachel also updated the Commission on a project update for the CHC Walk-In Clinic on National. This clinic continues to experience a high volume of patients including the need for an expanded area to handle COVID testing. To assist them with a solution, the City can offer part of the Public Safety parking area. The City owns the adjacent properties. In order to do this, the VFW shed that houses the flags placed on East National through the National Cemetery are housed there. There is a proposed location on the south end of Buck Run Community Center. She and Ally met with the VFW Board on January 12th and the VFW Board understands the needs and supports the relocation of the shed. CHC will also gravel and place parking blocks for 30 additional parking spaces.

R. Nichols thanked Rachel for the update on economic development. Economic development covers many things. We have committed two legs of our three legged stool. We have our infrastructure on track. Our quality of life issues like police and fire are also covered. All of these things are dependent on us having a robust economy. We have spent zero time talking about how we are going to develop this. Bedco is developing itself into an entity. He thinks the City will still need an economic forward facing organization in order to interact with them. Everything else is dependent on continued economic development. He asked that we hold one of our work sessions on economic development and what kinds of grants are available. We need to get ourselves positioned so we know where we stand to best use our resources and stabilize our economic development.

Old Business: None

Appearances: Kristin Bishop – Splash Pad Update – Kristin Bishop appeared before the Commission to give a splash pad update. She said that back in August of 2019 she was watching a movie set in a small town. She posted a Facebook post and asked what people were looking for in Fort Scott. The big response was a splash pad. She then asked why this would fit well in Fort Scott. A lot of responses were received and compiled. It would provide a healthy and fun activity. It would accommodate every citizen no matter what age. It would be a tourist attraction. It could provide an alternative summer activity. It would provide a secondary area in another part of town. She and her husband looked at locations, equipment, design, and the cost estimate. Their location is Gunn Park and the flat area by Shelter House #1 where the big slide used to be. She talked to a company called Play Scape Recreation. They estimated about $260,000 to construct this splash pad. She thanked Josh Jones and Seth Needham for their assistance. She said that COVID has slowed this project down.

Chad Brown said that there is only a 2” line going into the park. How the water will recirculate is also an issue to consider.

Susan Bancroft said that there are some areas that need to be researched first. The first would be the liability issue and if it would be covered by our insurance. Also, Bill Maquire, who is a direct descendant of the Gunn family, would need to be contacted and his approval received. Also, how would this area be kept clean and how many trees would need to be removed. She asked if City Staff can research this and then bring it back before the Commission.

New Business:

  1. Emergency Medical Services Contract and Approval of Medical Director Contract – Dave Bruner, Fire Chief, informed the Commission that the Bourbon County EMS call activity for 2020 was 2,321 calls for service; 1,702 total transports; 619 dry runs; and 711 transfers. The Emergency Medical Services Contract did not need any action as this is a continuous service agreement. The Medical Director Contract does need action. For the last two years, Dr. Katrina Burke has served as the Medical Director for Bourbon County E.M.S. He asked for approval to renew this contract. The cost of $10,000 per year remains the same.

R. Nichols moved to approve the Medical Director Contract for Dr. Katrina Burke for Bourbon County E.M.S. L. Watts seconded. All voted aye.

APPROVED THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR CONTRACT FOR DR. KATRINA BURKE FOR THE BOURBON COUNTY E.M.S.

  1. Sewer District #1 – Refinancing of Bonds – Lynne Oharah – Lynne Oharah, Chairman, Bourbon County Commission, informed the City Commission that they recently refunded their jail bond and saved $366,699.82. They are looking into refinancing the Sewer District bonds also. They plan to pay these bonds off early.

K. Allen left the room at 7:22 p.m.

  1. Consideration to Pay – Skitch’s Hauling & Excavation, Inc. – Port-a-Potties (December) – $1914.50 – R. Nichols moved to approve the invoice for Skitch’s Hauling & Excavation, Inc. in the amount of $1,914.50 for the month of December 2020. L. Watts seconded. All voted aye.

APPROVED INVOICE FOR SKITCH’S HAULING & EXCAVATION, INC. IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,914.50 FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2020.

K. Allen returned to the room at 7:23 p.m.

Reports and Comments:

  1. Commissioner Reports and Comments:

L. Watts – Lindsey said that she is excited for our future. She thanked Jeff Hancock and said it will be bittersweet when he leaves. She is excited when the public can meet the new City Manager possibly next week.

R. Nichols – Randy said that we need to be sure we have a representative from the Bourbon County Commission for the LandBank board.

P. Allen – Pete said that he had several items. The first is 14th and Scott. He shared photos of what that area looks like on his phone. He discussed how the 15” pipe was totally clogged up and the time frame it took for the City to respond. He said that he would like to see this manhole cleaned up. It still looks bad. He would like to see it cleaned up properly.

Josh said that you wouldn’t want this in your own yard.

Jeff Hancock said that we will get it cleaned up.

Cooper Street Project – Pete also brought up the Cooper Street project. He shared standard specifications for streets. He went to the K.D.O.T. guidelines and they fit this street perfectly. He would like to see us adopt these standards and specifications for Cooper Street.

Chad said that David George of AG Engineering has been out surveying this street and should finish up soon.

Chad stated if the quiet zone ever moved south to that railroad crossing that Cooper Street would have to be relocated.

Chad also stated that waterline materials will need to be ordered. They have some in stock but he will put in an order this week for the remainder of the items.

Discussion was held regarding shutting the street completely down or leaving part of it open.

Chad said that they can shut the street down but leave it open to the residents and businesses in that area.

Jeff Hancock asked for time to review this and bring back to the Commission at the next meeting.

K. Allen said that he would like to see East National widened by the railroad tracks so people can go around when people are waiting on a train and then waiting to turn south on Cooper Street. It backs up traffic otherwise.

Ordinance #2842 – Pete said that this ordinance was adopted in 1982 and we should be enforcing it. We are $40 million short in our sewer fund. The Utility Director said that it will take $21 million to repair all of our sewers. He thinks the City Commission should make it a standard that this ordinance is enforced. The voters said no to Charter Ordinance No. 31 and they want the money left in the account it is intended for. This needs to stop. He proposed this be strictly enforced in the City of Fort Scott.

R. Nichols asked that we table this at this time.

Susan explained this ordinance to Pete. She also explained Charter Ordinance No. 31 to him. We’ve discussed this over many meetings. There is a State Statute that trumps our ordinance. Charter Ordinance No. 31 was not about this ordinance. This is a suggestion of how the funds should be moved. You made every effort at our special meeting last week and we made no transfers from our utility funds to our general fund and the money stayed where it was supposed to stay.

J. Jones said that we have abided by this ordinance.

Susan said yes and it was abided by. You did decide to move a little from the stormwater fund to the sewer fund. To change this law would require a Charter Ordinance. Every financial decision that is made is made by the Governing Body.

Memorial Hall Lights – Pete said that he stopped by Memorial Hall and there was a company there changing the lights. He doesn’t see where we are getting any more light. The pickleball courts are not under the lights that are up there. They are more up towards the stage. He asked if City staff could check into this tomorrow so they can see to play pickleball.

K. Allen – Kevin said that he had a few things to discuss:

Lake Meeting – Kevin said that he attended a lake meeting last Saturday. The discussion of the water quality at Lake Fort Scott came up due to the green algae. He asked if Michael Mix could take water samples and check the quality. They wonder if the water would be unhealthy.

Jeff Hancock said that he would have him do this.

Discussion was held if K.D.H.E. checks at the lake or not.

Dilapidated Boat Docks – Kevin said that there was discussion on dilapidated boat docks and if there is a process to remove them. These would be personal docks that belong to lake owners.

Josh said that the Codes Department used to do inspections on the docks many years ago.

Jeff Hancock will check on this.

Winter Work – Kevin asked again if there were workers in other departments that could assist the Street Department with repairs. They could assist in brick street repair.

Jeff Hancock said that they will discuss this at the Director meeting.

Stop Signs on National Avenue – He asked about the stop signs again at 1st, 2nd and 3rd Street on National. It is no longer an avenue having to stop at all three locations.

Chad said the traffic signals were eliminated at 3rd and National as they were out of date and we couldn’t get parts any longer. His recommendation was to leave north and southbound traffic open but to stop east and west traffic.

Josh said that he would like to see the stop sign removed at 1st and National.

Travis Shelton said that there have been no accidents at those locations for quite some time that he can remember.

City Clerk reminded them on Wednesday nights at the Methodist Church there is a lot of people that walk to Feeding Families in His Name and use the 3rd Street crosswalk.

City Clerk also told Kevin Allen that a former City Commissioner made the motion for the stop sign at 2nd Street. She said that it is hard to cross National when you are attempting to get to the Post Office.

K. Allen made a motion to remove the stop signs at 1st and 2nd Street on National for north and southbound traffic.

Josh asked him if he should just try for 1st Street first and see how that goes.

K. Allen amended his motion to remove the stop sign at 1st and National for northbound and southbound traffic. P. Allen seconded. K. Allen, P. Allen, R. Nichols, and J. Jones voted aye. L. Watts voted no. Motion carried 4-1.

APPROVED TO REMOVE STOP SIGN AT 1ST AND NATIONAL FOR NORTHBOUND AND SOUTHBOUND TRAFFIC.

Kevin said that he is sad to see Jeff Hancock leave, but he thinks the public will really like the new incoming City Manager.

Main Street Lights – Josh said that he brought up that there were some broken street lights on Main Street and asked if they had been repaired.

Chad said that we need to order more globes for the lights, and they will be changed as soon as possible.

J. Jones – Josh said that he had a question on UTV licensing.

UTV Licensing – Josh asked if the UTV Ordinance could be amended and have the title registration that has to be shown to renew the license removed from the ordinance. He said that the Sheriff’s Department cannot do VIN inspections on out of state titles.

Travis Shelton said that the Courthouse contacted the City about this. They are missing out on sales tax when these UTV’s are not registered with the County. This has been in the ordinance since the beginning when it was passed in 2016. The Police Department thought that Diane was checking on this and Diane thought the Police Department was checking on it. This is just to ensure that their taxes are being paid. It is a State Statute that requires you to pay property tax on these vehicles.

K. Allen asked if this could be looked into and brought back to the next meeting.

City Attorney Report and Comments: Nothing to report.

Sales Tax Update: Susan Bancroft, Director of Finance – Susan said that as a reminder to the community that there is an important sales tax vote coming up on March 2nd. This is the renewal of a sales tax which is paying for the aquatic center and Buck Run improvements. This was voted on by the City Commission to place back on the ballot. 90% of those proceeds would go to street improvements and 10% to parks and community facilities. We will start putting information on the City’s Facebook page so citizens are educated.

EXECUTIVE SESSION:

J. Jones moved that the City Commission recess into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing contracted non-elected personnel exception in K.S.A. 75-4319(b)(1). The open meeting will resume in the Commission meeting room at City Hall at 9:00 p.m. K. Allen seconded. All voted aye. This included the City Commission and Interim City Manager.

K. Allen moved that the City Commission come out of Executive Session at 9:00 p.m. J. Jones seconded. All voted aye.

EXECUTIVE SESSION:

J. Jones moved that the City Commission recess into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing contracted non-elected personnel exception in K.S.A. 75-4319(b)(1). The open meeting will resume in the Commission meeting room at City Hall at 9:10 p.m. K. Allen seconded. All voted aye. This included the City Commission and Interim City Manager.

J. Jones moved that the City Commission come out of Executive Session at 9:10 p.m. K. Allen seconded. All voted aye.

Adjournment:

J. Jones moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:12 p.m. R. Nichols seconded. All voted aye.

ADJOURNED MEETING AT 9:12 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,

Diane K. Clay, MMC

City Clerk

Fort Scott, Government

FS City Commission Special Meeting Minutes of Jan. 19

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CITY OF FORT SCOTT

SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION MEETING

Minutes of January 19th, 2021 Special Meeting #3

 

A special meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission was held January 19th, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. in the City Commission Meeting Room, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas.

ROLL CALL:

Commissioners Kevin Allen, Pete Allen, Randy Nichols and Lindsey Watts were present with Mayor Josh Jones presiding.

AUDIENCE IN ATTENDANCE: Travis Shelton.

CONSIDERATION:

  1. Executive Session – Discussion of non-elected personnel – J. Jones moved that the City Commission recess into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing non-elected personnel exception in K.S.A. 75-4319(b)(1). The open meeting will resume in the Commission meeting room at City Hall at 5:58 p.m. L. Watts seconded. All voted aye. This included the City Commission.

K. Allen moved that the City Commission come out of Executive Session at 5:58 p.m. P. Allen seconded. All voted aye.

ADJOURNMENT:

J. Jones moved to adjourn the special meeting at 5:58 p.m. L. Watts seconded. All voted aye.

ADJOURNED MEETING AT 5:58 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,

Diane K. Clay, M.M.C.

City Clerk

Government, Kansas

Celebrate Kansas Day

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Kansas Tourism Invites Kansans To Celebrate Kansas Day  

 

TOPEKA – In honor of Kansas’ 160th birthday, on Kansas Day, Jan. 29, 2021, the Kansas Division of Tourism is inviting all Kansans near and far to celebrate with their own salute to the Sunflower State. This social media celebration is centered around the new Kansas Tourism marketing tagline, “To The Stars,” that honors the states motto – Ad Astra, Per Aspera.   

 

Participating is easy. This celebration is for all Kansans, Kansas destinations, and Kansas businesses.  

1.   Choose a photo or video of a beloved Kansas trait, person, historical figure, place, or anything that makes Kansas special. Be creative!  
2.   Create a post on your social media channels using “To The ________” (insert your word/person/place/trait here). Examples: “To The Beautiful!” or “To The Kaw River!” 
3.   Continue the post with more details about what you’re celebrating, what Kansas means to you, or why you chose your word. Example: “Today I’m celebrating the state with the best sunsets anywhere! #ToTheStarsKS” 
4.   Use #ToTheStarsKS with every post.  

“This celebration is a way for everyone to share in a toast to our state on its 160th birthday,” said Bridgette Jobe, Kansas Director of Tourism. “Kansas is full of rich history, unique destinations, and beautiful wildlife and scenery. The ‘To The Stars’8 format allows flexibility and creativity in sharing what makes Kansas special to each individual.”  

Participants are encouraged to share their photos and videos on the social media channels of their choice with the hashtag #ToTheStarsKS. More details and examples of posts can be found at https://tothestarsks.com/resources.  

Also, in honor of Kansas Day, the Kansas Tourism Division will release a new video celebrating the spirit of Kansas and featuring snapshots of what makes the state so distinctive. That video can be viewed on travelks.com and on Kansas Tourism’s social media channels, beginning Jan. 29, 2021.

“The new video and social media celebrations are a way for all of us to honor the history and beauty of our state during a time we can’t be together in person,” Jobe said. “Virtual celebrations mean anyone can participate and celebrate Kansas Day and we hope they do.” 

Kansas Tourism launched the new tourism tagline, “To The Stars,” in June 2020 as a tribute to the state’s motto, Ad Astra Per Aspera, and the fortitude that forged the state. 

To plan your Kansas getaway, visit TravelKS.com. Shoppers can find gear featuring “To The Stars” and other Kansas designs at https://kansastourism.merchtable.com/.  

Kansas Tourism is a division of the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.   
 

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The Mission of the Kansas Tourism Division is to inspire travel to and throughout Kansas to maximize the positive impacts that tourism has on our state and local communities. 

 

 

—

Food, Government, Kansas

Kansas Issues Fish Consumption Advisories for 2021

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TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) are issuing fish consumption advisories for 2021.  The advisories identify types of fish or other aquatic animals that should be eaten in limited quantities or, in some cases, avoided altogether because of contamination.  General advice and Internet resources are also provided to aid the public in making informed decisions regarding the benefits as well as the risks associated with eating locally caught fish from Kansas waters.

 

Definitions:

 

Bottom-feeding fish:  buffalos, carp, carpsuckers, bullhead and channel catfish, sturgeons, and suckers.

 

Predatory fish: blue catfish, crappies, drum, flathead catfish, largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass, perches, sunfish, white bass, wiper, striper, walleye, saugeye, and sauger.

 

Shellfish: mussels, clams, and crayfish.

 

Serving size (skinless fish fillets before cooking):

 

Adults and Children age 13 and older = 8 ounces

Children age 6 to 12 = 4 ounces

Children younger than 6 = 2 ounces

 

Statewide advice for consuming locally-caught fish because of Mercury

 

The eating guideline tables below contain recommended consumption limits (based on mercury levels) for different kinds of fish and sizes (given in inches) caught in Kansas.  The limits are protective of sensitive populations which includes women who are pregnant, nursing, or may become pregnant, and children younger than 17 years old.  Kansas encourages anyone who regularly consumes fish to carefully consider the types and amounts they eat, including store-bought fish.  For specific questions or concerns about mercury in Kansas fish please contact KDHE.  For information about fish caught in other states, store-bought fish, and other seafood please visit (https://www.epa.gov/choose-fish-and-shellfish-wisely).  By making informed choices consumers can enjoy the health benefits associated with eating fish without ingesting unhealthy amounts of mercury.

 

*Eating Guideline Charts

 

Bottom-Feeding Fish Size/Inches Servings/Month
Bullheads All Sizes 4
Channel Catfish < 20 8
  > 20 4
Common Carp All Sizes 6

 

Predatory Fish Size/Inches Servings/Month
Crappie All Sizes 8
Flathead Catfish < 20 4
  > 20 2
Freshwater Drum All Sizes 4
Largemouth, Smallmouth and Spotted Bass All Sizes 2
Sunfish (Bluegill, Green, Redear, etc.) All Sizes 4
White Bass, White Perch, Wiper, Stripped Bass < 20 8
  > 20 4
Walleye, Sauger, Saugeye < 20 8
  > 20 4
     

 

*KDHE and KDWPT will provide advice for other commonly-eaten fish such as buffaloes, blue catfish, and suckers as more data become available. For species not listed Kansas recommends a limit of 4 servings per month.

 

How to Use the Eating Guideline Charts

 

Example: Crappie have a recommended limit of 8 servings per month. Within a months’ time, if you eat 4 servings of crappie, then eat no more than ½ the recommended monthly limit of any other type of fish.

 

Type of Fish Number of Servings Proportion of Monthly Limit
Crappie 4 1/2
Channel Catfish > 20 inches 2 1/2

 

 

 

Waterbody specific advisories for all consumers

 

Kansas recommends restricting consumption of bottom-feeding fish and catfishes to 4 servings per month from the following location because of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs):

 

  1. Cow Creek in Hutchinson and downstream to the confluence with the Arkansas River (Reno County);
  2. The Kansas River from Lawrence (below Bowersock Dam) downstream to Eudora at the confluence of the Wakarusa River (Douglas and Leavenworth counties);
  3. The Little Arkansas River from the Main Street Bridge immediately west of Valley Center to the confluence with the Arkansas River in Wichita (Sedgwick County).

 

Kansas recommends restricting consumption of bottom-feeding fish and catfishes to 1 serving per month from the following location because of PCBs:

 

  1. K-96 Lake in Wichita (Sedgwick County).

 

Kansas recommends not eating specified fish or aquatic life from the following locations:

 

  1. The Arkansas River from the Lincoln Street dam in Wichita downstream to the confluence with Cowskin Creek near Belle Plaine (Sedgwick and Sumner counties); bottom-feeding fish and catfishes because of PCBs.
  2. Shoal Creek from the Missouri/Kansas border to Empire Lake (Cherokee County); shellfish because of lead and cadmium.
  3. The Spring River from the confluence of Center Creek to the Kansas/Oklahoma border (Cherokee County); shellfish because of lead and cadmium.
  4. Antioch Park Lake South in Antioch Park, Overland Park (Johnson County); all fish because of the pesticides dieldrin, heptachlor epoxide, chlordane, and dichlorophenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs).
  5. Arkalon Park Lakes in Liberal (Seward County) – Kansas recommends not eating fish or other aquatic life because the lakes are sustained solely by treated municipal wastewater.

 

General advice for eating locally caught fish in Kansas

 

  1. Sensitive populations should consider restricting their total mercury intake for both supermarket fish and locally caught species. Concerned parents and other persons may wish to consult with a physician about eating fish and mercury exposure.
  2. Mercury exposure can be reduced by limiting the consumption of large predatory fish.  Larger/older fish of all types are more likely to have higher concentrations of mercury.
  3. Avoid the consumption of fish parts other than fillets, especially when eating bottom-feeding fish and catfishes.  Fatty internal organs tend to accumulate higher levels of fat-soluble contaminants such as chlordane and PCBs than fillets.
  4. Consumers can reduce their ingestion of fat-soluble contaminants such as chlordane and PCBs by trimming fat from fillets, and cooking in a manner in which fat drips away from the fillet.
  5. Avoid subsistence level (relying on wild-caught fish for daily nutritional needs) fishing activities in large rivers within or immediately downstream of large urban/industrial areas and wastewater outfalls.  Fish in these areas are more likely to contain traces of chemical contaminants.
  6. Kansas recommends not eating fish or aquatic life from surface waters sustained solely by municipal or industrial wastewater because of unknown, yet potentially present pathogens, metals, organic chemicals or other emerging contaminants.  This advisory includes consumption of any aquatic life present in wastewater outfalls, waste treatment lagoons or stormwater detention ponds.
  7. In waterbodies where watches or warnings related to harmful algae blooms have been applied, fish should be consumed in moderation and care taken to only consume skinless fillets.  Avoid cutting into internal organs and rinse fillets with clean water prior to cooking or freezing.

 

 

Internet resources from KDHE, KDWPT, EPA, FDA, and the American Heart Association

 

To view the advisories online and for information about KDHE’s Fish Tissue Contaminant Monitoring Program please visit our website at: http://www.kdheks.gov/befs/fish_tissue_monitoring.htm

 

For information about harmful algal blooms, including current watches and warnings, visit this KDHE website: http://www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/index.htm

 

For information about fishing in Kansas including licensing, regulations, fishing reports and fishing forecasts please visit the KDWPT fishing website: http://ksoutdoors.com/Fishing

 

For general information about mercury in fish, national advisories, and advisories in other states please visit this EPA website: http://www2.epa.gov/choose-fish-and-shellfish-wisely

 

For information about the health benefits vs. the risks of including fish in your diet please visit this American Heart Association website: https://www.heart.org/en/news/2018/05/25/eating-fish-twice-a-week-reduces-heart-stroke-risk

 

For technical information regarding the EPA risk assessment methods used to determine advisory consumption limits please visit: http://www2.epa.gov/fish-tech

 

 

Bourbon County, Government

Bourbon County Commission Minutes of Jan. 12

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January 12, 2021                                            Tuesday 9:00 am

 

The Bourbon County Commission met in open session with all three Commissioners, the County Counselor and the County Clerk present.

 

Also present were the following; (some were present for a portion of the meeting and some were present for the entire meeting, Jason Silvers with the Fort Scott Tribune, Jody Hoener, Mr. & Mrs. Clint Walker, Nancy Van Etten, Michael Hoyt, Anne Dare and Shane Walker.

 

Clifton made a motion to reorganize and elect Lynne Oharah as the Commissioner Chairman, Jim Harris seconded the motion and all approved.

 

Road & Bridge Director Eric Bailey met with the Commissioners; he said there were limbs down due to ice on the trees on January 1st, he said they are chipping and burning limbs from this storm.  Jim Harris complimented Road & Bridge on the work they did on the roads in the ice/snow storm.

 

Eric reported they are still having issues with the hydraulic pumps on the dump trucks, he said a new pump lasted just over 3 hours.  He said they had a conference call between him, Hillbilt & Tri-Star, Hillbilt rode around with the County and the truck shut down again, there is also an issue with the control box.  Lynne told Eric to keep track of the amount of time spent dealing with the mechanical issues.

 

Eric reported that Schwab Eaton has been doing the annual bridge inspections; he said there are three bridges of concern… a bridge on 215th over the railroad tracks, a bridge at 85th & Xavier, and a bridge on Jayhawk.  Eric said they are cleaning brush under the bridge at 235th & Valley and working on a sidewall at 85th & Xavier.

 

Eric said the motor for the rock crusher is at Berry Tractor for repairs; he said they are getting low on the rock supply.  Eric said they bought coal patch by the ton to fill potholes with.

 

Eric reported they had three internal candidates for the Road & Bridge office manager; he said he interviewed all three and said Jennifer Hawkins was selected and will be starting on 1/19/2021.

 

An employee had an accident in the belly dump trailer on 1/11/2021.

 

At 9:20 am, Clifton made a motion to go into an executive session KSA 75-4319(b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel to protect their privacy to discuss a specific employee, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 9:30, Jim seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Patty Love).  Clifton made a motion to reconvene in open session, Jim Harris seconded and all approved, no action was taken.

 

At 9:31 am, Clifton made a motion to go into a 15 minute executive session for KSA 75-4319(b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel to protect their privacy to discuss an employees performance, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 9:46am, Jim seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners).  At 9:46, Clifton made a motion to come back into open session, Jim seconded and all approved, no action was taken.

 

Lynne made a motion to amend the agenda to eliminate the times stamps on the agenda, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

Kendell Mason met with the Commissioners to discuss a real property relief application for a home that burnt down in March of 2020; Clifton made a motion to approve the real property relief application for M&RC rentals for a property at 306 S. Steen, Jim seconded and all approved and signed the application.

 

Lynne made a motion to adopt Resolution 06-21, a resolution regarding patron participation and public forums, Jim seconded and all approved and signed the resolution.  Justin Meeks suggested having a time on the agenda for public comment and for County Counselor.

 

Lynne made a motion to adopt Resolution 05-21, a resolution naming P. K. Gugnani as the public health officer for 2021, Clifton seconded and all approved and signed the resolution.

 

Lynne made a motion to adopt Resolution 04-21, a resolution designating depositories and the official publication carrier, Jim seconded the motion, Clifton questioned if Landmark was the main bank and how it was selected, Lynne said yes and said it had been the main bank for several years; Lynne and Jim were in favor of the motion, Clifton was against the motion, the motion passed.

 

Lynne made a motion to adopt Resolution 03-21, a resolution for reimbursement of travel expenses; Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

Lynne made a motion to adopt Resolution 02-21, a resolution concerning the waiver of generally accepted accounting principles, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

Lynne made a motion to adopt Resolution 01-21, a resolution naming the County holidays for 2021, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Lynne made a motion to nominate Clifton to serve on the SEK Juvenile Detention board, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Clifton made a motion to nominate Lynne to the SEKRPC board, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Lynne made a motion to nominate Jim Harris to the Mental Health board, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Jim made a motion to nominate Lynne to serve on the BEDCO board, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

At 10:06 am, Clifton made a motion to go into a 10 minute executive session for KSA 75-4319(b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel to protect their privacy, to discuss pay and leave time, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 10:16, Jim seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Kendell Mason).  At 10:16, Clifton made a motion to come out of executive session and go back into open session and said there will be action, Jim seconded and all approved.  Lynne made a motion to extend the Federal leave benefits for the County employees that had not used the benefits in 2020, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

Register of Deeds, Lora Holdridge met with the Commissioners to give an end of year review; she said they had the best year in 3 years, (even with COVID), she said in 2020 $121,025 was deposited back into the County general fund, in 2019 $94,979 was deposited back into the County general fund and in 2018 $82,103 was deposited back into the County general fund.

 

Nancy Van Etten, Lake Advisory Board, met with the Commissioners; she said there is a meeting on 1/16/2021 at 9:00 am at the City Hall, she asked for an update on the inter-local agreement regarding the sewer district and asked that the Commissioners appoint someone to the lake advisory board.  Justin said he had conversations with the City and hoped to have the service contract finalized by the end of February, he said there is plenty of capacity for single family homes on the lake to connect to the sewer district.

 

Dave Bruner and Robert Leisure met with the Commissioners to discuss EMS.  Dave Bruner asked the Commissioners to approve the medical director contract with Dr. Burke; Clifton made a motion to accept the EMS medical director agreement as written, Jim seconded and all approved.  Clifton moved to allow Lynne to sign the EMS service agreement, Jim seconded and all approved.  Clifton made a motion to accept as written the memo of understanding, Jim seconded and all approved.  Robert Leisure reported that the company was building the new EMS vehicle; he said they still had time to decide if they wanted 6 or 7 total vehicles in their EMS fleet.  He reported that in 2020 there were a total of 2,321 calls – 1702 were transports and 611 were transfers.  He said an average year for calls is 2,400.  Justin Meeks briefly discussed the memo of understanding; he said the 2021 budget is the same as the 2020 budget, but said there may be a possible increase in 2022.

 

At 10:35, Lynne made a motion to go into a 15 minute executive session for KSA 75-4319(b) (4) to discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships, regarding contract issues, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 10:51, Clifton seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners).  At 10:51, Clifton made a motion to come back into open session, Jim seconded and all approved.  No action was taken.

 

Lynne said the Commissioners had been working on a budget director position for the County and said Justin had put together a contract for this position.  Justin said creating this contract was a joint effort between the City, himself and Susan Bancroft, he said the base pay for this part-time position is $60,000 and said this position includes benefits (which will be reimbursed back to the City of Fort Scott); Lynne said this is not an Interlocal agreement.  Lynne said the County had incidents where they had to hire an outside person to do an audit of the accounts, that person recommended to do this to increase transparency and help the workings between departments.  He said this person could be beneficial to have for budgeting issues, he said not having to pay an outside firm for budget issues could save $20,000.  Justin said this person could help with HR issues and give support when needed.  Clifton said the County is a very large organization and said this person could come in and solve some issues; he said we weren’t just dealing with gravel roads anymore.  Clifton said he was tired of his taxes going up and said we had to move forward and put this organization in the 21st century, he said he was tired of status quo, he said we are a large organization that is somewhat disjointed.  Jim Harris said he had concerns over this position, he said he had gotten the impression that they hadn’t involved any other elected officials during the dialog of this position and said he didn’t see a job description for this position.  Jim said the elected officials needed to be brought into the conversation and make sure they are all on the same page.  He questioned what the duties of this position were and asked if this meant a reduction in force.  Lynne said there had been a large sum of money not moved into the correct account, Jim said they haven’t been transparent and said he wasn’t ready to make a decision on the position, he said he did support the position.  Lynne said this is a one year contract.  Clifton made a motion to accept the engagement letter as written, Lynne seconded and Jim abstained from the vote, motion passed.

 

Monica Murnan with Greenbush called the Commissioners to give a SPARK update; she said as of January 6, 2021 Bourbon County had all of the required documents submitted to the State and said the grant had been zeroed out.  She said it was unknown if there would be any future grants for the County due to COVID.  Monica thanked Ashley in the County Clerk’s office for all of the work she did with the grant.  Greenbush will be providing the County with a flash drive with all the grant information on it; Jody Hoener questioned who at the County would receive the flash drive, Lynne suggested the new business director get the flash drive, Jody suggested giving it to an elected official, Justin said the flash drive should go to Kendell’s office.

 

Clifton made a motion to amend the agenda to discuss a work session, Jim seconded and all approved.  Clifton said the City has requested a work session with the County on January 14th at 5:00 pm at City Hall, Clifton made a motion to allow all of the Commissioners to attend the work session, no business will be conducted, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

At 11:16, Clifton made a motion to go into a 20 minute executive session for 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 regarding the County Counselor position, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 11:36 am, Jim seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks).  At 11:36, Lynne made a motion to come out of executive session into open session, Clifton seconded and all approved.  After the session, Justin Meeks said he had enjoyed his job the past 3 years, but said it had come with a lot of pressure when dealing with the EMS, hospital, COVID and the windfarm.  He said his goal is to revert back to being the County Counselor and said he wouldn’t take on any administrative functions. He had a one year contract effective 1/12/2021 to agree to work 20 hours a week for $75/hour, he said if he works over the 20 hours he would bill $100/hour for hours over 20.  Justin said his goal is to step further back and eventually work less hours.  Justin said this is a one year agreement and said the Commissioners could terminate it at anytime.  Clifton made a motion to accept the engagement letter and to allow Lynne to sign it, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Clifton made a motion to amend the agenda to terminate the last scheduled executive session, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

The Commissioners decided to allow time on the end of each agenda to allow for public comment.

 

Clifton made a motion to amend the agenda for public comment for a total of up to 10 minutes (3 minutes per speaker), Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Anne Dare said that the public will be surprised when they see the numbers for the part time position created.  Michael Hoyt said he would get Jim Harris a copy of the advisory board documents he had given to the other Commissioners and said he would like to discuss this in the future.

 

Clifton made a motion to discuss the election canvass date and time, Lynne seconded and all approved.  Clifton made a motion that all of the Commissioners attend the canvass on January 14th, 2021 at 10:00 am in the Commission room, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

At 11:47, Clifton made a motion to adjourn, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

 

 

 

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS

(ss) Lynne Oharah, Chairman

(ss) Jim Harris, Commissioner

(ss) Clifton Beth, Commissioner

ATTEST:

Kendell Mason, Bourbon County Clerk

January 19, 2021, Approved Date

 

 

 

Bourbon County, Government

Bourbon County Commission Minutes of Jan. 11

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January 11, 2021                                            Monday 10:00 am

 

The Bourbon County Commission met in open session with all three Commissioners, the County Counselor and the County Clerk present.

 

Jason Silvers with the Fort Scott Tribune was also present.

 

Lynne reported they were having the meeting due to receiving a KOMA complaint; the Attorney General issued an opinion on the complaint, the KOMA complaint included the following allegations… the Commissioners failed to “comply with the statutory requirements for recessing into an executive session, failure to include an attorney in an executive session held for “attorney client privilege”, improperly including a third party in two executive sessions held for consultation with an attorney; and holding an executive session for personnel matters of nonelected personnel that did not pertain to an identifiable employee.”  Justin Meeks said the County did have technical KOMA violations, he said the Commissioners need to include in their motions for an executive session the reason for the executive session, plus additional details for the session, include a K.S.A. when making a motion to go into executive session, the exact start and stop time of the session and make a motion when coming back into open session.  Justin said the Commissioners went into an executive session for windfarm discussion for attorney client privilege but should have gone in for proprietary information instead.  Justin reported that Nick Ruhl had already signed the consent order from the office of the Attorney General, Lynne signed during the Commission meeting, Jeff Fischer said he would have to review the consent order before signing; he said if Justin had shared this before the meeting, he could have reviewed it.  Jeff told Justin he saw this complaint for the first time in October/November timeframe, and at that time Justin said he would take care of this.  Jeff read a portion of the consent order and said he would not sign this. If the Commissioners participate in KOMA training, the $50 penalty for each Commissioner for the KOMA violation will be waived, (Justin suggested doing the KOMA training).

 

This is Jeff Fischer’s last Commission meeting as a Commissioner; he said he had enjoyed serving with this Commission, he said he admired Lynne for his work in preserving the taxpayers interest, and said it was nice to see he advocated for a reduction in the mill levy.  He told Clifton that he enjoyed working with him and appreciated his ability to quickly learn & get to the heart of an issue, he wished him the best.  Lynne said he appreciated the compliment and said it had been a trying time the past two years and said he has tried to save taxpayers money.  Jeff said he could count on him to make decisions for the taxpayers.

 

At 10:22, Clifton made a motion to go into a 10 minute executive session for KSA 75-4319(b)(4) to discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships, concerning medical, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 10:32am, Jeff seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Jody Hoener and Justin Meeks).  At 10:32, Clifton made a motion to go back into open session, Lynne seconded and all approved, no action was taken.

 

Lynne asked that a 30 minute executive session be scheduled on the January 12th agenda for medical discussion.

 

At 10:33, Clifton made a motion to adjourn, Jeff seconded and all approved.

 

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS

(ss) Lynne Oharah, Chairman

(ss) Jim Harris, Commissioner

(ss) Clifton Beth, Commissioner

ATTEST:

Kendell Mason, Bourbon County Clerk

January 12, 2021, Approved Date

Government, Kansas

Child Welfare Settlement Agreement

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Federal Judge Approves Child Welfare Settlement Agreement

DCF looks forward to implementation and continued improvement

TOPEKA – Kansas Department for Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard today applauded the approval of the settlement agreement in the matter of M.B. and S.E., through their next friend KATHARYN MCINTYRE, et al., v. LAURA HOWARD, et al.

“I want to thank Judge Crabtree and the plaintiffs for making this a collaborative process,” Howard said. “We’ve already begun the heavy lifting required of us to address the provisions laid out in the agreement, we know we have much work ahead of us to reinforce our commitment to Kansas children by building an effective child welfare system.”

The class action lawsuit was filed in 2018 by Kansas Appleseed, Lori Burns-Bucklew, Children’s Rights and the National Center for Youth Law against the Governor, DCF, Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The Governor was later dismissed from the case.

The agreement outlines three categories of requirements for DCF focused on placement stability and access to mental health services. Categories include accountability reporting and implementation, practice improvements and outcomes. See the full list of requirements.

“We know these outcomes are achievable because we’ve already seen the positive results of the hard work DCF employees have put into these requirements,” Howard said. “I believe we can meet the timelines set forward in the agreement and ensure that Kansas isn’t caught up in never ending litigation.”

As part of the settlement work, DCF has already organized a statewide placement stability workgroup of partners and providers to identify and implement improvements. In addition, the agency will soon award a contract for Kansas Family Crisis Response and Support will allow DCF to offer crisis intervention services across the state.

The agency also has increased supports to relative and foster caregivers and will soon issue an RFP for innovations to support placement stability practice improvements included in the settlement agreement.

With these efforts, the rate of moves for children in care has reduced over the past 12 months.

Howard isn’t satisfied.

“We’ve made significant progress in slowing the number of foster youth who run away or don’t have a placement and end up in offices thanks to our enhanced special response team and by building a new child protection framework through new practice models like Team Decision Making and Family Finding. I am committed to seeing this work through until the requirements are completed and being transparent about our progress along the way.”

Fort Scott, Government

New FS City Manager Starts Feb. 1: Jeremy Frazier

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Jeremy Frazier. Submitted photo.

Jeremy  Frazier was selected by the Fort Scott City Commission in a unanimous vote to become the next city manager in January 2021.

 

He starts in that position next Monday, February 1.

 

He replaces Dave Martin, who retired in October 2020.

 

Frazier will bring new vision and ideas to the city, according to a January 21 Fort Scott City Commission press release.

To view the city’s press release:

Jeremy Frazier To Begin As Fort Scott City Manager on Feb. 1

 

“Jeremy brings to this position over a decade of public sector experience,” according to the press release.

 

Frazier has managed cities of various size towns of from 1,800 people to his most recent in El Reno, Oklahoma, population approximately 20,000 people, according to the release.

 

He will earn $115,000 per year plus benefits as the new city manager.

To view the entire contract:

FedEx Scan 2021-01-20_14-12-31(1)

 

The following is from an email interview with Frazier.

Why did you pursue your career? Was there someone who inspired you?

“I chose to pursue city management as a career because after graduating from college and landing a position with a great company, I found myself financially secure but unfulfilled and lacking passion within my organization.”
“So I put serious thought into what I enjoy, how I could serve others, and how I could create lasting changes in the lives of others. I knew that I felt a calling to public service but was unsure as to how best to execute it. After all, I knew very few public servants at the time.”
“Fortunately, I met some great public servants through the Oklahoma Municipal League such as Missy Dean and the City Management Association of Oklahoma which include Tim Rundel, Eric Benson, Jason Orr, and many others.”
“While the opportunity that I desired did not materialize immediately, I stayed close to the industry and received encouragement from various industry professionals for which I had great respect and admiration.”
“Finally,  a few years later, I was offered an opportunity to serve in a small community of 1,800. There the city manager felt it important that I learn every position and task from code enforcement to billing and collections and public works. At the time I did not appreciate these lessons as I thought I was hired to be more of an administrator, in my mind.”
“In hindsight, this was the best learning experience that I could have ever asked for and I’ve been hooked on public service every since, building upon my knowledge and skills with each community that I’ve served.”
“Now I look forward to bringing my passion for public service, skills, and knowledge to serve the community and residents of Fort Scott.”
What affiliations/community involvement interests you outside of your employment?
“I have served as a board of trustees appointee to a local university, worked closely with local volunteer organizations to perform community projects, served as a member of local civic organizations such as Toastmaster’s International and the Lions Club, and was active with local government organizations such as the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), Oklahoma Municipal League (OML) and the City Management Association of Oklahoma (CMAO).”
“I hope to be active in similar organizations in the state of Kansas. I might also find interest in local home building or restoration non-profits such as Habitat for Humanity and others.”
Frazier said he has been married “nearly 15 years to a wonderful woman and mother and I have two young boys.”
COVID-19, Government

Farm Loans Debt Collections Suspended

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USDA Temporarily Suspends Debt Collections, Foreclosures and Other Activities on Farm Loans for Several Thousand Distressed Borrowers Due to Coronavirus

 

Manhattan, Kansas, Jan. 27, 2021 – Due to the national public health emergency caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the temporary suspension of past-due debt collections and foreclosures for distressed borrowers under the Farm Storage Facility Loan and the Direct Farm Loan programs administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). USDA will temporarily suspend non-judicial foreclosures, debt offsets or wage garnishments, and referring foreclosures to the Department of Justice. USDA will work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to stop judicial foreclosures and evictions on accounts that were previously referred to the Department of Justice. Additionally, USDA has extended deadlines for producers to respond to loan servicing actions, including loan deferral consideration for financially distressed and delinquent borrowers. In addition, for the Guaranteed Loan program, flexibilities have been made available to lenders to assist in servicing their customers.

 

Today’s announcement by USDA expands previous actions undertaken by the Department to lessen financial hardship. According to USDA data, more than 12,000 borrowers—approximately 10% of all borrowers—are eligible for the relief announced today. Overall, FSA lends to more than 129,000 farmers, ranchers and producers.

 

“USDA and the Biden Administration are committed to bringing relief and support to farmers, ranchers and producers of all backgrounds and financial status, including by ensuring producers have access to temporary debt relief,” said Robert Bonnie, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Secretary. “Not only is USDA suspending the pipeline of adverse actions that can lead to foreclosure and debt collection, we are also working with the Departments of Justice and Treasury to suspend any actions already referred to the applicable Agency. Additionally, we are evaluating ways to improve and address farm related debt with the intent to keep farmers on their farms earning living expenses, providing for emergency needs, and maintaining cash flow.”

 

The temporary suspension is in place until further notice and is expected to continue while the national COVID-19 disaster declaration is in place.

 

USDA’s Farm Service Agency provides several different loans for producers, which fall under two main categories:

 

  • Guaranteed loans are made and serviced by commercial lenders, such as banks, the Farm Credit System, credit unions and other non-traditional lenders. FSA guarantees the lender’s loan against loss, up to 95%.
  • Direct loans are made and serviced by FSA using funds from the federal government.

 

The most common loan types are Farm Ownership, Farm Operating and Farm Storage Facility Loans, with Microloans for each:

 

  • Farm Ownership: Helps producers purchase or enlarge a farm or ranch, construct a new or improve an existing farm or ranch building, pay closing costs and pay for soil and water conservation and protection.
  • Farm Operating: Helps producers purchase livestock and equipment and pay for minor real estate repairs and annual operating expenses.
  • Farm Storage Facility Loans are made directly to producers for the construction of cold or dry storage and includes handling equipment and mobile storage such as refrigerated trucks.
  • Microloans: Direct Farm Ownership, Operating Loans and Farm Storage Facility Loans have a shortened application process and reduced paperwork designed to meet the needs of smaller, non-traditional and niche-type operations.

 

Contact FSA

FSA encourages producers to contact their county office to discuss these programs and temporary changes to farm loan deadlines and the loan servicing options available. For Service Center contact information, visit farmers.gov/coronavirus. For servicing information, access farmers.gov.

 

 

 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender

 

COVID-19, Government, Kansas

Kansas COVID-19 Recovery Orders

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Governor Laura Kelly Re-Issues, Signs Executive Orders to Promote COVID-19 Recovery

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced she has signed Executive Orders #21-01 and #21-02 as part of her administration’s commitment to protect Kansans and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic and facilitate effective virus recovery efforts.

E.O. #21-01 allows Kansas employers to continue to withhold income taxes based on the state of the employee’s primary work location, and not based on the state in which the employee is temporarily teleworking as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has altered many aspects of our lives – including how and where we do our jobs,” Governor Kelly said. “This order helps ensure that tax season can go on without a hitch for Kansas businesses that have adjusted working schedules and employee work sites to keep people safe during the pandemic by allowing them to proceed with income tax withholdings as usual.”

Several executive orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic were set to expire on Jan. 26 in conjunction the expiration of the state of disaster emergency. Because the Legislature enacted Senate Bill 14 to extend the state of disaster emergency until March 31, 2021, certain previous executive orders must also be extended. Under E.O. #21-02, the following executive orders already in place will be extended until rescinded or until the statewide state of disaster emergency expires, whichever is earlier:

  • 20-37 – Allowing certain deferred tax deadlines and payments during state of disaster emergency
  • 20-39 – Extending professional and occupational licenses during state of disaster emergency
  • 20-40 – Temporarily allowing notaries and witnesses to act via audio-video communication technology during state of disaster emergency
  • 20-43 – Temporary relief from certain restrictions concerning shared work programs during state of disaster emergency
  • 20-56 – Amended Licensure, Certification, and Registration for persons and Licensure of “Adult Care Homes” during state of disaster emergency
  • 20-61 – Temporarily prohibiting certain foreclosures and evictions
  • 20-66 – Amended provisions related to drivers’ license and vehicle registration and regulation during state of disaster emergency
  • 20-70 – Provisions related to drivers’ license and identification cards during the state of disaster emergency

“These Executive Orders allow Kansas to continue responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, and assist our efforts to keep Kansans healthy, keep businesses open, and get our kids back to school as quickly as possible,” Governor Kelly said.

Today’s actions also affect rules regarding unemployment benefits for Kansans. Executive Order 20-50, which had been in place since June 30, 2020, had suspended the requirement to continue searching for work in order to receive unemployment insurance benefits. That order expired yesterday and will not be extended. Executive Order 20-71, issued previously, waives the requirement that new unemployment claimants wait a week before receiving benefits and will continue in effect because the Legislature did not include a waiting week waiver in the pandemic legislation passed last week.

View E.O. #21-01 here.

View E.O. #20-02 here.

Government, Kansas

Kansas Flags At Half-Staff to Honor Police Chief

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Governor Laura Kelly Directs Flags be Flown at Half-staff in Honor of Leon Police Chief Jerry Farthing

TOPEKA – In accordance with Executive Order #20-30, Governor Laura Kelly has directed that flags be lowered to half-staff in the City of Leon, Kansas, on Friday, January 29, until sunset in honor of Leon Police Chief Jerry Farthing.

“Chief Jerry Farthing served the people of Leon and Butler County well both as the leader of the Leon Police Department and as a volunteer firefighter in Cassoday,” Governor Kelly said. “He was a dedicated public servant and deeply involved in his community. I offer my condolences to Chief Farthing’s friends and family, and the Leon community, during this difficult time. He will be missed.”

To receive email alerts when the governor orders flags to half-staff, please visit: https://governor.kansas.gov/newsroom/kansas-flag-honor