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Fort Scott, Government

FS Commission Minutes of Feb. 12

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CITY OF FORT SCOTT

SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION MEETING

Minutes of February 12th, 2021 Special Meeting #5

A special meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission was held February 12th, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. in the City Commission Meeting Room, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas.

ROLL CALL:

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

AUDIENCE IN ATTENDANCE: Travis Shelton, Michael Mix, and Michael Hoyt.

CONSIDERATION:

  1. Consideration of Change Order #1-Sanitary Sewer Cleaning & Video Inspection Services – Michael Mix informed the Commission that he has some figures for equipment if the City Commission would decide to go that direction. He said after thinking about this last night, it is still his recommendation to allow the company, Pipe Detectives, to complete their work. They have two weeks left until the project is finished. They have the specialty equipment that the City does not have. It will take a City crew much longer than that to complete. He also spoke to the supervisor on this job who told him that they only had 30 minutes of looking for a manhole and all the other charges were root removal. His City crew did find as many manholes as possible. Michael shared some photos of the lines with roots in them and then the lines after they had been cleaned.

Michael said that it would cost between $100,000 and $130,000 for a camera truck. An easement machine would cost approximately $45,000. The attachments which would include larger saws would cost approximately $11,800. Michael said that the work this company is doing in removing roots should last at least 5 years.

Kevin asked if the attachments could be put on the City’s vactor truck.

Michael thought that they could be placed on the truck.

Pete asked how more 30” lines there are.

Michael said he does not know. This company was hired to inspect the larger lines since the City does not have the equipment to do so. He said that there is 17,000 linear feet left to inspect that is greater than 15”. Last year there was 1.4 miles completed. It is a never-ending cycle. Inspect, document, rehab, and repeat.

Randy said that he thinks it makes more sense to let this company finish up this project since they only have two weeks left. This will help with the sewer overflow issues that we have been having with this company removing the roots. He isn’t sure that Michael had time to get all the numbers he needed to present to them. He doesn’t think we have enough information to buy equipment and then train our people when we have a crew that could finish it in two weeks. His vote is to let the company finish the work they have started.

Josh asked how critical it is to have this project completed in two weeks. If it is not critical, Michael could do some more research and get more numbers for them to look at.

Michael said if we had unlimited funds, it would be better do this in-house with a City crew. His recommendation is still to let this company finish this project.

Kevin said that we have two guys right now and would need a third person for this crew.

City Manager said that he can see both sides of this. He can see where it looks attractive to have the project finished in two weeks. It would also be great if the City had the equipment and could do the work ourselves. He said that we will execute what you decide as a Commission for us to do.

Pete said that we should have taken the $30,000 and bought equipment. Now we are back to square one and it’s not working. He referenced the street project on National for the crack sealing which is still not completed. He asked Michael if he had verified the 51 hours of work that this crew has completed.

Michael said that he has not watched all 51 hours, but he has watched some of it. Our own crew can get into the 8” or below manholes.

Josh said that is why shouldn’t buy the equipment if there is only 25% of the project left to complete. We won’t have to reinspect for 5 years.

Michael explained to the Commission that this project was bid as a unit/rate bid and not a total bid. This bid was comprised by the City’s former engineer, Nate Stansberry.

R. Nichols made a motion to approve Michael’s recommendation to finish this project and to have the City Manager clarify the issues with equipment needed for future projects so the City crew can do the work themselves. J. Jones seconded. R. Nichols and J. Jones voted aye. K. Allen and P. Allen voted no. Motion did not pass.

DENIED MOTION TO APPROVE MICHAEL MIX’S RECOMMENDATION TO FINISH THIS PROJECT AND HAVE THE CITY MANAGER CLARIFY THE ISSUES WITH EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR FUTURE PROJECTS SO THE CITY CREW CAN DO THE WORK THENMSELVES.

Discussion was held to bring back more numbers and discuss this at an upcoming work session.

ADJOURNMENT:

J. Jones moved to adjourn the special meeting at 2:00 p.m. K. Allen seconded. All voted aye.

ADJOURNED MEETING AT 2:00 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,

Diane K. Clay, M.M.C.

City Clerk

Fort Scott, Government

FS Commision Minutes of Feb. 16

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CITY OF FORT SCOTT

CITY COMMISSION MEETING

Minutes of February 16th, 2021 Regular Meeting #4

The regular meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission was held February 16th, 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: Diane Clay, City Clerk, said a prayer asking God for guidance for the City, our Government and City officials.

AUDIENCE IN ATTENDANCE: Travis Shelton, Russell Lingerfelt, Rachel Pruitt, Allyson Turvey, Susan Bancroft, Michael Hoyt, Max Fanning, and Michael Mix.

EXECUTIVE SESSION:

L. Watts moved that the City Commission recess into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing attorney-client privilege in K.S.A. 75-4319(b)(2). The subject matter will be held a legal matter. The open meeting will resume in the Commission meeting room at City Hall at 6:20 p.m. J. Jones seconded. All voted aye. This included the City Commission, City Manager, City Attorney, and Community Development Director.

L. Watts moved that the City Commission come out of Executive Session at 6:20 p.m. J. Jones seconded. All voted aye.

PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS:

ADDITIONS TO AGENDA: R. Nichols made a motion to approve the agenda. L. Watts seconded. K. Allen, R. Nichols, L. Watts, and J. Jones voted aye. P. Allen voted no. Motion carried 4-1.

APPROVED AGENDA.

CONSENT AGENDA:

  1. Approval of minutes of the regular meeting of February 2nd, 2021 and special meeting minutes of February 11th, 2021.

  1. Approval of Appropriation Ordinance 1282-A totaling $481,476.32.

  1. January financials

  1. Lauber Municipal Law Firm – January Invoice – $16,432.50.

  1. Request to Pay – SAM, LLC – Sanitary Sewer System GPS Data Collection – $9,000.00.

  1. Request to Pay – Joplin Roofing Co., Inc – Replacement of Wastewater Treatment Plant roof – $29,368.00.

K. Allen brought up the Lauber Municipal Law Firm invoice for January and the amount. He thought the Commission had directed for City staff not to contact the attorney unless approved by the City Manager.

Jeff Deane said that is the new procedure. He doesn’t respond to a request unless he has heard from the City Manager to approve for him to do so. He is still involved in legal litigation that he charges for. There were some open records requests also that he was involved in.

P. Allen asked about the special meeting minutes of February 12th, 2021 and why they weren’t on there.

City Clerk told him she didn’t have time to type the minutes before the agenda went out. They will be on the next agenda for approval.

L. Watts moved to approve the Consent Agenda. R. Nichols seconded. J. Jones, R. Nichols, and L. Watts voted aye. K. Allen and P. 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)

Michael Hoyt – He said that based on the rules adopted by the committee for Presidential debates, he is invoking his response to his name appearing on the attorney’s bill.

His first item is the summary statement said that he inquired about the deeds. He did not inquire about the deeds. He did mention in the meeting that he had not gotten a response from his K.O.R.A. request. What he requested were the comments made by the Mayor that he wanted to the resolution to be adopted to accept the deeds. He said to Mr. Deane that there is no such thing as a limiter liability corporation. He hopes his spell check is fixed. Those deeds are over at the courthouse and they are recorded they are defective in his opinion.

His second item is that Mr. Deane felt the need to respond to him on his K.O.R.A. request on a page and a half letter because it was faxed in and you only received half the page and no one responded. When it says K.O.R.A. request, Michael Hoyt, his phone number, his address, and his email address, but the bottom half is empty, he thinks a phone call would have been warranted instead of ignoring him. Instead, you got to pay for a page and a half letter to him saying why they didn’t respond. He said that he would go on record and say that the last time he ever spoke on the phone with Mr. Deane was in December when he called him and said you should have voted and he didn’t vote.

His next item concerns K.D.H.E. and correspondence. He didn’t respond to anything concerning those overflows. He only submitted a K.O.R.A. request to K.D.H.E. and not to City Hall. Why he felt the need to put K.D.H.E. and his name on the bill, he doesn’t know.

He said that Susan brought up Senate Bill 87. She said it was scary. It is an act concerning sales taxation relating to county wide retailers sales tax discontinuing a portion of revenue for general purposes. They don’t have a sales tax at the County for general purposes. It is for hard surface roads so this bill doesn’t apply. This bill is only four pages long and is for only non directed funds so it doesn’t apply.

The last thing is the holidays that have been approved by the Governor for Kansas. There are only ten. He asked Susan how many we had.

Susan said that she didn’t have that in front of her.

Mr. Hoyt said that President’s Day was not one of them.

City Manager Report and Comments: Jeremy Frazier, City Manager, informed the Commission that this is the first day of his official third week with the City of Fort Scott. The first two weeks were filled with getting to know City staff. We have had some interesting meetings like the Eagle Block meeting and the Land Bank meeting. He has had the privilege to be on the radio show. He and Ally have been reviewing software for the Codes Department. This would allow the community to report violations. This would make it more manageable. We are looking to hire more staff in that department. He has set up official times to interview and speak with every department one on one. Because of some of the departments and how big they are, an extra meeting had to be set. He has been focused on this the last two weeks. Then there was the snow storm to deal with that we just had. He’s had lots of meetings in the last two weeks, probably more than he has had in the last two years. He is learning names with faces. He wants to focus on the operational aspects of the City and work with the Commission to connect their vision with the City staff.

He also informed the Commission that he had been contacted by Pam Henderson of Senator Jerry Moran’s office who would like to set up a meeting next week.

He was also contacted by Congressman Jake LaTurner’s representative, Whitney Tempel, who wants to set up a meeting once a month and make City Hall the location for their meetings for Fort Scott.

Jeremy was asked about a Codes update. Jeremy said that they have looked at a Codes supervisory position and a building inspection official position. He should know more in the next week or so.

Ally said that they have conducted several interviews over the last few weeks. They have narrowed down their candidate on the codes inspector position and they are working on a potential building official/consultant position. They don’t feel like they have the budget for two full time positions but could look at one full time and one part time position. She said that Craig Campbell, with the Good Neighbor Action Team, has volunteered to assist with Codes and possibly with some of the property owners who can’t make their own repairs.

Director Reports:

Sick and Vacation Liability Numbers – Susan Bancroft, Director of Finance, shared with the Commission numbers of vacation and sick leave liability. Susan said that if employees retire with 12 years of service or more, they are eligible for half of their sick leave they have remaining. The total amount of vacation liability is $273,887.18 and the total of sick leave liability is $149,376.50. The grand total of both is $423,263.68. These numbers change every pay period. Susan said that these numbers are budgeted when she knows employees are thinking about retirement.

Discussion was held if changes need to be made to the City’s policy.

City Manager said that employees sometimes are not reimbursed well in pay, and the benefits are attractive to the employees. He is not alarmed by these numbers.

Susan will bring these numbers to every budget session that we have.

Pete asked if the City had a time card system.

Susan said that we have a system where employees request vacation and/or sick leave and it is tracked.

Review of Purchase Policy – Susan Bancroft informed the Commission that after the last special meeting, the Commission asked that the purchase policy be looked at again. On page 22 it states that “local preference applies to businesses in the following order: 1) Those within the City of Fort Scott corporate limits; 2) those located within Bourbon County; and 3) those located within the State of Kansas. Our policy does specify that preference be shown to companies located in Kansas over other states”.

R. Nichols asked about on page 21 as it refers to the City Engineer and we currently don’t have a City engineer. He asked if this should be changed.

P. Allen said that we should be looking for another City engineer as the Commission directed Staff to hire a City engineer a few months ago. That direction still stands, and staff should be looking to hire an engineer. We should have an engineer on staff.

J. Jones asked who was in control of severance packages or any bonuses given to employees and if that should go before the City Commission.

Susan said that is controlled by the City Manager as he does the hiring and firing of employees. He could let the Commissioners know in executive session of his actions.

Old Business: None

Appearances: None

New Business:

  1. Consideration of Golf Cart Lease Agreement – Susan Bancroft, Director of Finance, informed the Commission that the purchase of 34 golf carts and one beverage cart was approved earlier in the year. This agreement is for the golf cart lease. She asked for approval of the lease with DeLage Landen Public Finance, LLC. This is a five-year lease with annual payments of $17,641.00.

K. Allen moved to approve the Golf Cart Lease Agreement. L. Watts seconded. All voted aye.

APPROVED GOLF CART LEASE AGREEMENT WITH DELAGE LANDEN PUBLIC FINANCE LLC. FOR A FIVE-YEAR LEASE WITH ANNUAL PAYMENTS OF $17,641.00.

  1. Consideration of Charter Ordinance regarding Residency – Jeff Deane, City Attorney, informed the Commission that he was asked to look into a new charter ordinance regarding residency. There were three existing Charter Ordinances 8, 10, and 21, which exempted us from State Statute. This State Statute was repealed by the State of Kansas. Two of these old charter ordinances were passed in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Charter Ordinance No. 21 changed to reflect all City employees have to live within a five-mile radius of the City limits. Another regular ordinance was passed that stated employees had to reside in Bourbon County. This Charter Ordinance will repeal the other ordinances (3189) and require employees to reside in Bourbon County.

Josh read the current portion from the Employee Handbook. It states the following: “All Director level and above employees are required to reside within Bourbon County. New employees at this level are expected to establish residency within Bourbon County, Kansas no later than six (6) months after the beginning date of employment in a director level and above position. Employees whose duties include responding to urgent or emergency situations must be able to report to their normal worksite within a thirty (30) minute response time commencing from the time of the request to return to work.

Jeff Deane reminded the Commission that this Charter Ordinance, if approved, will be published for two consecutive weeks and not take effect until 61 days after the final date of publication.

L. Watts moved to approve Charter Ordinance No. 32 repealing Charter Ordinances 8, 10, and 21 and Ordinance No. 3189 regarding residency and other qualifications for appointive office. R. Nichols seconded. All voted aye.

APPROVED CHARTER ORDINANCE NO. 32 REPEALING CHARTER ORDINANCE NO. 8, 10, AND 21 AND ORDINANCE NO. 3189 REGARDING RESIDENCY AND OTHER QUALIFICATIONS FOR APPOINTIVE OFFICE.

  1. Consideration of Charter Ordinance to replace vacant City Commissioner position – Josh Jones said that this was brought up before he came into the position. Josh read the proposed Charter Ordinance:

“The Candidate from the last regular election for City Commission receiving the highest number of votes in the results of the regular election, but not seated, shall be seated to fill that vacancy if:

  1. The Candidate is available to be seated;

  2. The Candidate is a current registered voter and resides within the City limits of Fort Scott, Kansas; and

  3. (This was added) – The Candidate received at least the number of votes in the last regular election equal to or greater than 25% of all votes cast in the last regular election of the City Commission.

Kevin said that he likes this ordinance. He doesn’t think it should be someone that they select.

Lindsey said that she has discussed this with a lot of people, and she doesn’t understand why we need to change the current ordinance. We were voted in by the citizens to make rules and set policies for this city.

Josh said that if this was in place before he wouldn’t be here.

Kevin referenced the Presidential election and how the Vice-President moves up to President. This shouldn’t be a challenging decision to make.

Josh said that the deciding vote should not be made by the City Attorney.

Randy said that the Commission made the correct decision when Barbara Wood was placed into office. The correct decision was made at that time. They saw her as the best fit for the Commission. He doesn’t support this Charter Ordinance, but you are aware of how he feels.

Pete said that you have to look at when the vote is tied, that person who makes the decision is someone who is not from Fort Scott. That’s not fair.

Lindsey said that this Commission has made lots of important decisions and came together and even hired a City Manager. We have been forced to work together when it really matters. We haven’t had to have the City Attorney break a tie vote.

K. Allen made the motion to approve the Charter Ordinance No. 33. P. Allen seconded. K. Allen, P. Allen, and J. Jones voted aye. R. Nichols and L. Watts voted no. Motion denied.

Per Jeff Deane, the motion had to have four (4) yes votes to be approved and it did not.

MOTION TO APPROVE CHARTER ORDINANCE NO. 33 – REPLACING VACANT CITY COMMISSIONER WAS DENIED.

Josh asked Lindsey and Randy to come up with a solution, so the City Attorney doesn’t have the deciding vote in case of a tie.

Kevin asked about the possibility to look at splitting the city into wards so there can be representation from all over the city.

  1. Consideration of Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrades – Request for Engineering Services – Michael Mix, Public Utilities Director, informed the Commission that the next step towards accomplishing the Wastewater Treatment Plant Project for this year is a request for engineering services. There are four ways this can be accomplished. 1) This can be done with a Design Build and no Request for Qualifications; 2) Design building with Request for Qualifications; 3) Traditional Design Bid and Build with No Request for Qualifications; and 4) Traditional Design Bid with Request for Qualifications.

Lindsey asked why we would go out for RFQ’s when Burns and McDonnell has already completed the engineering previously.

Josh said that he feels like this is the best route to go.

Michael said that this will just take time to send out all the requests and publicize it. It will take two to three months.

Lindsey said that we just went out last year on this. She doesn’t understand why we would go back out again for RFQ’s.

Josh said that we might get a lower cost by doing this.

J. Jones made a motion to approve the Traditional Design Bid with Request for Qualifications. K. Allen seconded. K. Allen, P. Allen, and J. Jones voted aye. R. Nichols and L. Watts voted no. Motion carried 3-2.

approved the Traditional Design Bid with Request for Qualifications for the wastewater treatment plant upcoming project.

  1. Consideration of Water Treatment Plant – Request for Engineering Services – Michael Mix, Public Utilities Director, informed the Commission that the first rehabilitation of the water clarifier was completed in 2020. This is for painting of the clarifier. This agreement is for engineering at a cost not to exceed $9,800.00 with Allgeier, Martin & Associates of Joplin, Missouri. This project will be sent out for bid and is included in the 2021 capital improvement plan.

Discussion was held regarding the project and the engineer. City Attorney recommended going into executive session if you are talking about specific performance of a company to prevent any possible litigation.

EXECUTIVE SESSION:

L. Watts moved that the City Commission recess into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing attorney-client privilege in K.S.A. 75-4319(b)(2). The subject matter will be potential litigation. The open meeting will resume in the Commission meeting room at City Hall at 8:10 p.m. J. Jones seconded. All voted aye. This included the City Commission, City Manager, City Attorney, Finance Director, and Public Utilities Director.

L. Watts moved that the City Commission come out of Executive Session at 8:10 p.m. J. Jones seconded. K. Allen, P. Allen, L. Watts, and J. Jones voted yes. R. Nichols voted no. Motion carried 4-1.

EXECUTIVE SESSION:

L. Watts moved that the City Commission recess into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing attorney-client privilege in K.S.A. 75-4319(b)(2). The subject matter will be potential litigation. The open meeting will resume in the Commission meeting room at City Hall at 8:22 p.m. R. Nichols seconded. All voted aye. This included the City Commission, City Manager, City Attorney, Finance Director, and Public Utilities Director.

J. Jones moved that the City Commission come out of Executive Session at 8:22 p.m. R. Nichols seconded. All voted aye.

R. Nichols moved to approve Allgeier Martin & Associates engineering proposal and move forward with this project. L. Watts seconded. R. Nichols, L. Watts, and J. Jones voted aye. K. Allen abstained. P. Allen voted no. Motion carried 3-1-1.

approved Allgeier, Martin & Associates engineering proposal at a cost not to exceed $9,800.00 and move forward with the water clarifier project.

  1. Discussion of First Source building -Selling, Renting, Marketing – Rachel Pruitt, Economic Development Director, informed the Commission that she was here to give them an update on the First Source building.

Josh wondered if it would be good to lease with an option to buy.

Rachel said that the previous tenant was given the option to purchase the property, but they did not want to own property. She said that she has 23 years of data. The last real estate option we had was back in 2017 and that amount of $961,000. It is costing the City about $3,000 in utilities each month on this empty building. This amount is not budgeted. We do need to make a decision. She asked for more time to get a real estate opinion on this property. This could be put out for an R.F.P. for a real estate agent also. The Public Health Office is utilizing this building and their next clinic is February 23rd. They are predicting three to six more months of usage. She said that there is some private industry interested in the property. She would like to go forward with getting a real estate opinion on the property. She will bring this opinion back to them at the next meeting.

  1. Approval of Bid and documentation for Mayor to sign for Mayco Ace Project – CDBG Grant – Rachel Pruitt, Economic Development Director, informed the Commission that there were three bids received for the rehabilitation of the Mayco Ace Hardware project. The low bid is from Triangle Builders, LLC of Paola, Kansas in the amount of $212,715.00. The State has approved this bid and has been sent to the City for approval of the Notice of Award, Notice to Proceed, and approval for the Mayor to sign all the pertinent documentation.

R. Nichols moved to approve the Notice of Award to Triangle Builders, LLC in the amount of $212,715.00. L. Watts seconded. All voted aye.

APPROVED NOTICE OF AWARD TO TRIANGLE BUILDERS, LLC OF PAOLA, KANSAS IN THE AMOUNT OF $212,715.00.

L. Watts moved to approve the Notice to Proceed and authorize the Mayor to sign all pertinent documentation. R. Nichols seconded. All voted aye.

APPROVED THE NOTICE TO PROCEED AND AUTHORIZED THE MAYOR TO SIGN ALL PERTINENT DOCUMENTATION FOR THIS GRANT.

  1. Approval to apply for the Rural Preservation Grant for Memorial Hall – Allyson Turvey, Community Development Manager, informed the Commission that the City has an opportunity to apply for a State Historical Society for the Rural Preservation Grant for the preservation of the front steps of Memorial Hall. It is a 90/10 reimbursement program with an upfront cost of $39,600 of which $35,640 of the project cost would be reimbursed after completion. The City received a proposal from Mid Continental Restoration in the amount of $39,600. She gave the Commission a list of an upcoming schedule for events to be held at Memorial Hall this coning year. She shared with the Commission a priority list of repairs for Memorial Hall. The first priority is for the steps is $33,000; 2) Window and Door Sealant is $11,340; 3) Wood Floor Resurfacing is $10,000; and 4) General repairs to the Building Exterior is $84,698.00. These repairs total $139,038.00. The steps are the first prioritized item. She asked for approval to apply for the Rural Preservation Grant and have the Mayor sign the letter of support for this grant.

L. Watts made a motion to approve to submit the Rural Preservation Grant to the State Historic Society for the Memorial Hall steps. R. Nichols seconded. All voted aye.

approveD to submit the Rural Preservation Grant to the State Historic Society for the Memorial Hall steps.

  1. Consideration to accept Request for Qualifications for City Attorney – Josh Jones, Mayor, informed the Commission that this is something that he brought up a meeting or two ago. He has spoke with Jeff Deane on this also. He thinks all contracts should be reviewed. He wants to see what else is out there to consider.

Randy said that he doesn’t see the purpose of this and why the short time frame of 11 days. He knows there are concerns with the cost, but it was a difficult year last year. We have a great legal service and great legal advice. Jeremy is going to be involved in our legal issues now. What about continued representation in our ongoing legal issues? Where are we putting this out at? Is 11 days long enough? He thinks it is premature to post this and should give it another couple of months. He asked to table this issue at this time and let Jeremy put his thoughts in on it.

Josh said that we can just go and see what is out there. He said that he has talked with Jeff Deane and they will be putting in an R.F.Q. also. He asked him to put in a joint effort request also, and if there is someone local here, he can always assist with the bigger projects.

R. Nichols made a motion to table this issue at this time.

(His motion died for lack of a second).

Kevin said that there are no hard feelings towards Jeff Deane.

Lindsey also questioned the 11 day time frame and thinks it is too short.

Josh said that we can have them in before the next meeting. He said that when we went out for City Manager we have 14 days for them to submit resumes.

Lindsey said that was a different situation as we had an Interim City Manager at the time.

Josh said that we also shouldn’t ever publish anything with a stated salary in it like the City Manager position was advertised for.

J. Jones moved to accept Request for Qualifications for City Attorney until 1:00 p.m. on Friday, February 26th, 2021. K. Allen seconded. K. Allen, P. Allen, L. Watts, and J. Jones voted aye. R. Nichols voted no. Motion carried 4-1.

APPROVED TO ACCEPT REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR CITY ATTORNEY UNTIL 1:00 P.M. ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26TH, 2021.

Reports and Comments:

  1. Commissioner Reports and Comments:

L. Watts – Thanked the City employees and all the Public Works employees for the great job they did during this last snow storm. She knows that they spent some long days and nights.

P. Allen – Nothing to report.

K. Allen – Also thanked the Public Works crews and Bill Lemke, who has been unthawing water meters like crazy. He thanked Buck Run and Tom Robertson for having Buck Run as a warming station in Fort Scott. He thanked Josh Jones for volunteering to give rides to people.

He asked Travis Shelton about animals that are out in this weather tethered up without proper water and food and shelter. He asked if there was any programs that could be started to help with this?

Travis said that they have also received several calls. He has had Max Daly go out and check these concerns that were called in. There are State standards that they have to go by. The State requires food, water, and shelter. If they are meeting the State standards, they can’t do anything.

Kevin said that the stop sign removal at 1st and National has been well received. He thinks that citizens are adjusting to it. He said that maybe we can look at 2nd Street in the future.

Kevin asked about UTV’s licenses and why they have to have the County bill of sale.

Travis said that this was discussed, and documentation was given to the Commission at the February 2nd meeting on this issue. He explained the process to them again.

Discussion was held about the process for golf carts and UTV’s and if there are inconsistencies.

City Clerk will send them information on both licensing the UTV’s and golf carts.

R. Nichols – Thanked the City crews for all their assistance in cleaning the streets.

Randy said that we are two weeks away from the sales tax vote and asked if there was a campaign in promoting this vote.

Randy asked Jeremy as we move forward and as we buy equipment, and then hire more employees, his concern is at the federal level to increase minimum wage. He asked if projections can be made to see how it will impact our community. We need to see a long-term impact of this.

Randy said that we get money from special streets that is based on fuel sales in our community. The world is changing, and vehicles are changing to electric vehicles. He asked how much our fuel sales contribute to our street fund, and how much sales tax comes from the percentage of fuel sales. We need to be thinking about this. We don’t need to be hiring above our level.

Susan can put some numbers together for them.

J. Jones – Josh had several items to discuss:

He asked to see the Craw-Kan bill and all the fees and services provided.

He asked to see the cost of Incode software and if there are other opportunities besides Incode that the City can use.

He mentioned the possibility of the City and County sharing a building to save money.

He mentioned crosswalk painting by the school. He said that there are several artists in town that could paint murals in the downtown area or painting in the crosswalk areas.

He asked about the possibility of having paddleboats at Gunn Park and a concession stand area. He thinks there are volunteers that can work the concession stand area.

He asked about the Fort Scott High School student representation and where we were with that.

He asked if a subject had been determined for the February 23rd, 2021 work session. He asked if it could be on economic development.

Randy said that he won’t be here for that work session and he would like to be present for that.

Josh said that we can pick a different subject.

City Attorney Report and Comments: Nothing to report.

Adjournment:

J. Jones moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:31 p.m. L. Watts seconded. All voted aye.

ADJOURNED MEETING AT 9:31 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,

Diane K. Clay, MMC

City Clerk

COVID-19, Government, Health Care

New COVID-19 Travel Quarantine List

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KDHE amends travel quarantine list

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has amended its travel quarantine list to include several countries – Mayotte, Czechia, San Marino, Montenegro and Seychelles.  The last changes to the travel quarantine list occurred Nov. 17. Kansas has continued to review state and country rates every two weeks; however, no locations have met the threshold for being added to the list until today. The five countries were added to the list due to the countries all having COVID-19 case rates three times Kansas’ numbers.

A comprehensive list of those individuals needing to quarantine includes visitors and Kansans who have:

  • Traveled on or after Feb. 26 to the countries of Mayotte, Czechia, San Marino, Montenegro or Seychelles.
  • Attendance at any out-of-state mass gatherings of 500 or more where individuals do not socially distance (6 feet) and wear a mask.
  • Been on a cruise ship or river cruise on or after March 15, 2020.

The travel quarantine period is seven days with a negative test result or 10 days without testing, with release from quarantine on Day 8 and Day 11, respectively. Further information on quarantine periods can be found on KDHE’s website.

For those traveling internationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is requiring testing within three days of flights into the U.S. For further information on this and other requirements, visit their web page.

“Kansas has seen lower case rates, which has prompted the addition of these five countries that have been experiencing higher case rates,” Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE Secretary, said. “As we start moving into spring, we continue to urge people to avoid travel. And, if you do travel, please take appropriate precautions such as mask wearing, social distancing and practicing good hygiene.”

For more information on COVID-19, please visit the KDHE website at www.kdhe.ks.gov/coronavirus.

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Bourbon County, Government

U.S. 69 resurfacing project begins in March

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The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) plans on Monday, March 1, to start a resurfacing project on U.S. 69 in Bourbon County. The project begins 2.1 miles north of the Bourbon-Crawford county line and continues north for 3.8 miles.

 

Project activity includes concrete patching, placement of a one-inch reflective crack interlayer, and a three-inch asphalt overlay. KDOT awarded the construction contract of $3.5 million to Bettis Asphalt & Construction, Inc., of Topeka.

 

Traffic will be reduced to one lane at the work zone. Work on the project should be completed by mid-August, weather permitting. KDOT reminds drivers to obey the signs and traffic control devices, and to slow down. Persons with questions may contact Public Affairs Manager Priscilla Petersen, (620) 902-6433.

 

 

U.S. 69 resurfacing project: www.kandrive.org

 

 

Business, Government, Kansas

Evergy Directed to Eliminate Controversial Demand Charge

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Kansas Corporation Commission directs Evergy to put distributed generation customers back on a two-part residential electric rate

 

TOPEKA — This morning, the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) issued an Order directing Evergy to put its residential distributed generation (DG) customers back on a two-part standard residential rate design eliminating a controversial demand charge. DG customers produce their own energy, primarily using solar panels, and connect to Evergy’s grid for additional power if needed.

 

The Commission originally approved the current three-part rate design for residential DG customers in September 2018 as part of a Westar (now Evergy) rate case.  The Sierra Club and Vote Solar, who were parties to the docket, filed an appeal. In April of last year, the Kansas Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the Court of Appeals and the Commission, calling the three-part design price discriminatory and sending the matter back to the KCC for further proceedings.

 

In issuing today’s Order, the Commission rejected two alternate proposals from Evergy to recoup DG customer costs that the Company claims are not captured in the standard residential rate. The first proposal called for the implementation of a grid access fee of $3.00 per kW of installed DG capacity. The alternative called for a $35 minimum monthly bill for all residential customers.   As a result of today’s Commission action, rates for standard residential and DG residential customers will be identical, at least until Evergy’s next scheduled rate case in 2023.

 

“Many states, including Kansas, are struggling to appropriately value residential DG resources, while ensuring those customers pay their fair share to support the grid. Evergy’s proposals weren’t the right way to address these concerns under current law, but the issue won’t go away. We need to look for new solutions,” said KCC Chairperson Andrew French.

 

The Commission encouraged Evergy to explore modern rate designs that address the DG subsidization issue in future rate cases. The Commission also encouraged all stakeholders that participated in the proceeding to explore legislative changes to modernize Kansas’ net metering laws and other statutes.

Today’s order can be viewed at http://estar.kcc.ks.gov/estar/ViewFile.aspx?Id=dbf0d78a-209e-4c08-82a9-8a58810d3cef

 

Government

Assistance For Farmers Impacted by Recent Winter Storm

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USDA Offers Disaster Assistance to Farmers and Livestock Producers in

Kansas Impacted by Recent Winter Storms

Manhattan, Kansas, Feb.25, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides technical and financial assistance to help Kansas farmers and livestock producers recover from damages brought on by winter storms Uri and Viola. Agricultural producers are encouraged to contact their local USDA Service Center to learn about the programs available to help them recover from crop, land, infrastructure, and livestock losses.

“These recent winter storms have taken their toll on farmers and ranchers in Kansas,” said Charles Pettijohn, acting state executive director for USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Kansas. “We stand with our producers who have worked tirelessly in these severe conditions to keep livestock fed and to protect crops from Mother Nature’s wrath. We know these storms have left damage in their wake, and I’m glad that USDA offers as strong portfolio of disaster assistance programs available to help.”

Disaster Assistance

USDA encourages farmers and ranchers to contact the FSA county office at the local USDA Service Center to apply for eligible programs and to learn which documents, such as farm records, herd inventory, receipts and pictures of damages or losses should be provided to help expedite assistance.

Producers who experience livestock deaths due to the winter storms may be eligible for the Livestock Indemnity Program. Meanwhile, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program provides eligible producers with compensation for feed and grazing losses. For LIP and ELAP, producers will need to file a notice of loss for livestock and grazing or feed losses within 30 days and honeybee losses within 15 days.

Additionally, eligible orchardists and nursery tree growers may be eligible for cost-share assistance through the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) to replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes or vines lost during the winter storms. This complements Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) or crop insurance coverage, which covers the crop but not the plants or trees in all cases. For TAP, a program application must be filed within 90 days.

FSA also offers a variety of direct and guaranteed loans, including operating and emergency loans, to producers unable to secure commercial financing. Producers in counties with a primary or contiguous disaster designation may be eligible for low-interest emergency loans to help them recover from production and physical losses. Loans can help producers replace essential property, purchase inputs like livestock, equipment, feed and seed, cover family living expenses or refinance farm-related debts and other needs.

Risk Management

Producers who have risk protection through Federal Crop Insurance or FSA’s NAP should report crop damage to their crop insurance agent or FSA office. If they have crop insurance, producers should report crop damage to their agent within 72 hours of damage discovery and follow up in writing within 15 days. For NAP covered crops, a Notice of Loss (CCC-576) must be filed within 15 days of the loss becoming apparent, except for hand-harvested crops, which should be reported within 72 hours.

“Crop insurance and other USDA risk management options are there to help producers manage risk because we never know what nature has in store for the future,” said Collin Olsen, director of RMA’s Regional Office that covers Kansas. “The Approved Insurance Providers, loss adjusters and agents are experienced and well trained in handling these types of events.”

Conservation

The Emergency Conservation Program and Emergency Forest Restoration Program can assist landowners and forest stewards with financial and technical assistance to restore damaged farmland or forests.

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) also offers programs to help in the recovery process. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) can help producers plan and implement conservation practices on farms, ranches and working forests impacted by natural disasters.

More Information

On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool can help producers and landowners determine program or loan options. For assistance with a crop insurance claim, producers and landowners should contact their crop insurance agent. For FSA and NRCS programs, they should contact their local USDA Service Center.

All USDA Service Centers are open for business, including those that restrict in-person visits or require appointments. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with NRCS, FSA, or any other Service Center agency should call ahead and schedule an appointment. Service Centers that are open for appointments will pre-screen visitors based on health concerns or recent travel, and visitors must adhere to social distancing guidelines. Visitors are also required to wear a face covering during their appointment. Our program delivery staff will continue to work with our producers by phone, email, and using online tools. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.  

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Bourbon County, Government

Bourbon County Commission Minutes of Feb. 17

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February 17, 2021                                          Wednesday 3:00 pm

 

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

 

Susan Bancroft was also present for the meeting.

 

Clifton made a motion to approve the minutes from the previous meeting, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Eric Bailey reported that his employees put forth a great team effort when dealing with the recent winter storm we had.  He said they experienced a lot of issues with equipment freezing up.  An east-bound vehicle pulled out in front of a north-bound road grader at 18th & Horton; Eric said there was no damage to the grader.

 

Eric said the spreader box was going to cost $5,000 to have someone else repair it; they repaired it in-house.  He said they are taking the Mack truck for repairs on February 23rd.

 

Eric reported that the County removed the overburden at the Beth Quarry and said they would get a blast scheduled for there; Jim said the County needed to re-do a contract with the Beth Quarry with a new legal description.

 

Eric said they received the motor back for the rock crusher, but was still having issues with the motor; he hopes to have the motor back in the next few days.  He said they are getting behind in making chips.

 

Eric said Ag Engineering is finalizing the report for the dam at Elm Creek Lake.

 

Eric recommended a yield sign be replaced with a stop sign at 175th & Tomahawk; Clifton made a motion to change the yield sign to a stop sign for the east/westbound traffic at 175th & Tomahawk, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Eric said he is still trying to get an estimate for a trailer that was recently wrecked as well as getting another estimate to fix a Sterling truck.

 

Lynne 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 job duties, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 3:28, Jim seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Eric Bailey, and Susan Bancroft).  Lynne made a motion to come out of the executive session and resume the meeting, Jim seconded and all approved.  No action was taken.

 

Justin Meeks arrived at the Commission meeting.

 

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 job duties, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 3:43, Jim seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Shane Walker, and Justin Meeks).  At 3:43, Lynne made a motion to come out of the executive session and resume the meeting, Clifton seconded and all approved.  Lynne made a motion to do a Resolution for a GIS IT position for $32,000 annually and made a motion that the County participate in an apprenticeship program & to hire someone for this program @ $10/hour, Jim seconded the motion, Justin said this is a Federal program & there will be monetary help with the apprenticeship program, Lynne said this program is used to help keep young people in Bourbon County, all approved the motion.

 

Lynne made a motion to amend the agenda to remove Susan Bancroft & Bobby Reed from the agenda since their issues had been resolved, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

David Neville met with the Commissioners regarding the door edge replacement for the elevator; he had two quotes, KONE quoted $8,674 and MEI quoted $3,789.28.  Jim questioned the large difference in the quotes; David said he hadn’t used MEI for work before and said KONE has done work on our elevator before.  Jim made a motion to approve MEI to do the repairs to the elevator for $3,789.28 and that Lynne signs the agreement with MEI, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

Bourbon County Appraiser Clint Anderson met with the Commissioners; he said he had applied for an extension from March 1st – March 15th for the mailing of the valuation notices.  Clint requested to move any remaining funds from the Appraisers 2020 budget to the Appraiser reserve funds; Susan Bancroft said that fund had a beginning cash balance that was incorrect by $30,000, Susan and Clint will visit regarding this issue.

 

Shane Walker met with the Commissioners; he said there have been communication issues with the Sheriff/dispatch for the Garland area.  Wisper Internet agreed to sell Bourbon County a 300’ tower for $1,000 and the County can buy land and save money versus leasing land for a tower for the internet.  Justin said this was a safety issue and can turn into help for economic development, Lynne made a motion to sign the land contract and the Wisper Internet contract, Clifton seconded, and all approved and Lynne signed the documents.

 

Emergency Manager William Wallis met with the Commissioners regarding a recent winter storm Bourbon County had.  KDEM informed Will that 22 counties in Kansas would have issues with natural gas conservation.  Some cities purchase natural gas in bulk when the price is lower and then sell the gas to their customers; however, due to the recent cold weather many areas have run out of their bulk supply and now the purchase price for the gas will be much higher for those cities.  Will said Uniontown purchases natural gas (Uniontown then sells the gas to customers) in bulk from the broker KMGA during the summertime when the price is lower and said their reserve is gone.  Will said the price of fuel for the City of Uniontown could increase 100-120%.  Will said the elementary school there can be used as a warming center if needed.  Will said if the County adopted a resolution titled Extreme Severe Cold Weather Emergency Declaration there may be funds available to help the City of Uniontown.  Jim questioned if there was any assistance to help others that will be facing higher utility bills due to the storm.  Lynne made a motion to approve Resolution 11-21, an extreme severe cold weather emergency declaration, Clifton seconded and all approved and signed the Resolution.

 

Justin Meeks said he and Susan Bancroft would be meeting to discuss overtime issues; he said even though the Courthouse closed due to the recent weather there was still emergency personnel that had to work.

 

Justin said he will work with Clint Anderson regarding a KORA issue.

 

The Commissioners are not ready to schedule the 2020 audit yet.

 

Lynne made a motion to approve Resolution 12-21, a wage resolution adding the position of GIS Tech and the apprenticeship position, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Jim suggested that the County consider purchasing an incinerator for the Landfill in order to accept trash from other areas to burn trash to generate revenue.

 

Susan Bancroft said she had met with three different departments regarding their 2020 budgets.

 

The February 23rd and the March 2nd Commission meeting will be held at City Hall beginning at 9:00 am.

 

At 5:20 Jim made a motion to adjourn, Clifton 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

February 23, 2021, Approved Date

 

 

 

Government, Kansas

PPP Update to Aid Kansas Recovery From Pandemic

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Governor Laura Kelly Provides Update on PPP Program to Aid Kansas’ Economic Recovery

~ Changes will increase access and relief for Kansas small businesses ~

TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly shared details regarding changes in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that will increase access and relief to businesses with under 20 employees and other business owners who previously had limited access to the program. For the next 14 days, only businesses with fewer than 20 employees will be able to apply for PPP support.

“Small businesses are the heartbeat of Kansas communities and I am committed to using every tool to ensure they prosper now and into the future,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “This targeted PPP support will make a huge difference to strengthen our small business community and economy statewide as we recover from COVID-19.”

The White House also made the following changes that will increase equitable access to the program:

  • Revising the loan calculation and setting aside $1 billion to support sole proprietors, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals;
  • Removing the restriction where any owner with 20% or more of the business must not have had a felony within the past year (excluding financial abuse fraud felonies or owners who are currently incarcerated);
  • Removing the restriction where any owner with 20% of more of the business must not be delinquent on student loans.

Kansas is already seeing the results of the 2021 available funding. As of January, over 17,000 Kansan small business owners have already been approved for over $800M in loans. Applications are still open through the end of March, and businesses can be eligible even if they received 2020 funding through PPP.

“I hope every small business in Kansas that needs support will consider applying to the Paycheck Protection Program. Kansas small businesses have shown great resilience throughout this pandemic and we hope this program will ease some of their burden,” said Lieutenant Governor David Toland.

Nation-wide, compared to the first round of PPP funding in 2020, the share of funding to small businesses with fewer than 10 employees increased by almost 60% and the share of funding to businesses in rural areas increased by nearly 30%.

For more information on the administrative changes to the Paycheck Protection Program, please visit the White House Fact Sheet here.

For information on the program overall and how to search for nearby lenders, please visit the Small Business Association Website here.

For general questions about Economic Development programs in Kansas, please visit https://www.kansascommerce.gov/.

COVID-19, Government, Kansas

Additional COVID-19 Vaccinators Authorized

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Governor Kelly Allows Temporary Authorization for Additional Vaccinators in Kansas

TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly issued an executive order allowing temporary authorization for additional vaccinators during Kansas’ state of disaster emergency.

Executive Order #21-06 allows state healthcare professionals such as pharmacy students, dentists, paramedics and others who may administer injections or inoculations within their scope of practice to administer a coronavirus vaccine that is approved or authorized by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

“We must use every tool in our arsenal to vaccinate Kansans as quickly and efficiently as possible,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “While there is still a vaccine shortage, this order will increase the number of vaccinators in our state so we can achieve our vaccination goals as soon as supply allows.”

To view E.O. #21-06, click here.

Government, Kansas

Kansas Unemployment Update

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Kansas Department of Labor Releases Unemployment Fraud Attempts, Fraud Payments

~KDOL has referred more than 50,000 cases to law enforcement through fraud crackdown strategy~

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) today issued data on the number of fraud attempts, the estimated amount of fraud payments the agency has paid, as well as law enforcement referrals.

Following an in-depth analysis and IRS Form 1099-G reconciliation, KDOL has determined that from Jan. 1, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2020, about $140 million in fraudulent claim payments were made from the Kansas regular unemployment insurance program. Additionally, more than $150 million in fraudulent payments are attributed to federal benefits programs, for a total of $290 million.

USDOL-OIG estimates that unemployment fraud has cost taxpayers roughly $36 billion nationwide since the start of the pandemic. The total amount of potential fraud is roughly eleven percent of total unemployment insurance payouts since the start of the pandemic. Other states to have publicly shared their fraud numbers include:

“Fraud is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. It’s stealing from taxpayers at the worst possible time and all attempts at fraud will be referred in the strongest possible manner to law enforcement,” Governor Kelly said. “All 50 states have been overrun with coordinated, sophisticated criminal fraud attempts, and that’s why I wrote a letter with fellow Governors, calling on Congress to provide funding to secure and modernize our systems.”

As part of a robust anti-fraud effort the agency has referred over 50,300 cases of alleged fraud to federal law enforcement partners for investigation and possible criminal prosecution, and is actively working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG) and the U.S. Attorney’s office to hold fraudsters to account.

“Congress opened the door for this historic level of fraud when they created multiple new pandemic-related unemployment programs, and at the same time prohibited states from asking basic verification questions,” Department of Labor Acting Secretary Shultz said. “It was not until the Continued Assistance Act was signed into law on Dec. 27, 2020 that states were able to take more aggressive action to verify claimant information in the federal programs.”

In early February, KDOL implemented a new fraud mitigation software solution that has drastically reduced the number of fraudulent claims that have been filed. Since its launch, this system has stopped more than 4.8 million bot attacks and fraudulent login attempts. As a result, KDOL’s fraud team has been able to focus their efforts on more sophisticated cases and investigations.

Since the beginning of 2020, KDOL stopped approximately 500,000 fraudulent claims that were the result of identity theft and other unemployment related fraud that could have cost more than $22 billion. These stopped claims are the result of many hours of effort from the KDOL fraud team who have worked tirelessly to combat sophisticated criminal rings, which have targeted the state’s unemployment system. The number also includes identity theft cases that have been reported by individuals and businesses.

Since March 15, 2020, KDOL has paid out over 4 million weekly claims totaling over $2.7 billion between regular unemployment and the federal pandemic programs.  For more information, or to apply for unemployment benefits, go to www.GetKansasBenefits.gov.

Government, Kansas

Virtual Job Fair Feb. 23-25

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Governor Laura Kelly Announces KANSASWORKS Virtual Job Fair Begins Today

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced the next KANSASWORKS Statewide Virtual Job Fair will begin today, Feb. 23. The fair will continue through Thursday, Feb. 25.

The virtual fair will allow job seekers to easily live chat with employers from across the state through computers and mobile devices.

Click here to register for the Virtual Job Fair.

“The Virtual Job Fair is a safe and efficient way to help Kansans find work,” Governor Kelly said. “The team at KANSASWORKS has created a reliable system to connect Kansans with jobs that work for them, while assisting my administration’s efforts to keep Kansans safe, keep businesses open, and get kids back to school as quickly as possible.”

The Department of Commerce, in partnership with Local Workforce Development Boards, moved its statewide job fairs online in 2020 to eliminate public health risks associated with mass gatherings, and to continue providing job opportunities and maintaining a ready workforce for Kansas businesses.

Registration is now required for each virtual event. If job seekers have previously attended a Virtual Job Fair, they are required to re-register for this event with the link provided above.

“So many people have benefitted from the Virtual Statewide Job Fair system, and we will continue to provide this valuable workforce service to Kansans,” Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland said. “Until it’s safe to hold in-person job fairs, this virtual system is the best possible way to protect everyone’s health while helping Kansans find meaningful careers and helping businesses fill vital positions. If you need a job or are looking to find the next important contributor to your team, this is the best way to get it done in Kansas.”

As concerns for Kansans’ health and safety remain high due to COVID-19, the Department of Commerce will maintain the Virtual Job Fair system for the foreseeable future. The next virtual fair is scheduled for March 23 through 25.

Job seekers can now upload their most recent resume to their Virtual Job Fair account. If you require assistance, please contact your local workforce center at (877) 509-6757 to schedule an appointment.

About KANSASWORKS

KANSASWORKS is a web-based job-matching and labor market information system. KANSASWORKS provides job seekers, employers, and training providers with easy-to-use tools that support a wide range of activities. As a service of the public workforce system, KANSASWORKS is completely free for all Kansans to use. Learn more at kansasworks.com.

About the Kansas Department of Commerce

As the state’s lead economic development agency, the Kansas Department of Commerce strives to empower individuals, businesses and communities to achieve prosperity in Kansas. Commerce accomplishes its mission by developing relationships with corporations, site location consultants and stakeholders in Kansas, the nation and world. Our strong partnerships allow us to help create an environment for existing Kansas businesses to grow and foster an innovative, competitive landscape for new businesses.

Fort Scott, Government

FS Planning Commission Meets March 1

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The Fort Scott Planning Commission will meet on Monday, March 1st, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. at City Hall, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. This meeting will be held to consider a Conditional Use Permit for the property located south of the K.D.O.T. property south of Fort Scott to operate a slaughterhouse.

This meeting is open to the public. This meeting will be made available via the City’s you tube channel at City of Fort Scott.