Category Archives: Government

Fort Scott Community College, Government

FSCC Meets Nov. 16 Via Zoom

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Hedges Building, Fort Scott Community College.

The Board of Trustees of Fort Scott Community College will meet in regular session on Monday, November 16, 2020. The meeting will be held via Zoom from Fort Scott Community College.

5:00 p.m. Regular board meeting at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom link
THE AGENDA
5:00 DINNER
5:30 ROLL CALL, pg. 3
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
CALL TO ORDER, 4
A. Comments from the Chair, 4
CONSENT AGENDA, 5
A. Approval of Agenda, 5
B. Approval of Minutes of previous Regular Board Meeting conducted on October 19, 2020, 6
C. Approval of Treasurer’s Report, Bills, and Claims, 8
D. Approval of Personnel Actions, 5
ACTION/DISCUSSION ITEMS, 48
A. Consideration of Board Representation to Bourbon County Economic Development Council, 48
ITEMS FOR REVIEW, 49
REPORTS, 51
A. Administrative Updates, 52
EXECUTIVE SESSION, 69
ADJOURNMENT, 70

UPCOMING CALENDAR DATES:
• November 16, 2020: Board Meeting
• November 19-24, 2020: Finals
• November 21, 2020: Graduation
• November 25 – 27, 2020: Thanksgiving Break – Campus Closed
• December 14, 2020: Board Meeting
• December 16, 2020 – January 4, 2021: Winter Break – Campus Closed
• January 11, 2021: Spring Semester Begins
• January 18, 2021: Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Campus Closed
• January 25, 2021: Board Meeting
• February 15, 2021: Board Meeting
• March 22, 2021: Board Meeting
• March 26, 2021: Aggie Day
• April 1 – 2, 2021: Good Friday – Campus Closed
• April 19, 2021: Board Meeting
• May 1, 2021: Graduation
• May 17, 2021: Board Meeting
• June 21, 2021: Board Meeting
Sincerely,
John Bartelsmeyer, Chair
Alysia Johnston, President

FSCC’s vision for the future is to support “Students First, Community Always” through a central focus on teaching and learning; advancing strong, innovative programs and
departments; maximizing and leveraging opportunities; initiating efficient and effective processes; and developing the region’s workforce.
2
ROLL CALL
_____ John Bartelsmeyer
_____ Jim Fewins
_____ Dave Elliott
_____ Kirk Hart
_____ Bill Meyer
_____ Robert Nelson
3
CALL TO ORDER
A. COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIR
4
CONSENT AGENDA
A. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
B. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS
1) Attached are the minutes of the Regular Board Meeting conducted on October 19, 2020.
C. APPROVAL OF TREASURER’S REPORT, BILLS and CLAIMS
Attached are the Treasurer’s Report and the Bills and Claims Report.

D. APPROVAL OF PERSONNEL ACTIONS
1) Additions
a) Denissa Rivas de Munguia, Vocal and Instrumental Music Instructor, effective January 5, 2021
2) Transfers
a) Ashley Keylon, from Advisor to Director of Advising/Retention, effective October 19, 2020

3) Separations
a) Miriam Davis, TRIO Database Manager, effective November 30, 2020

RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the Consent Agenda items be approved as presented.
BOARD ACTION: MOTION _____ SECOND _____ VOTE _____
DISCUSSION:
VOTE: Bartelsmeyer Elliott Fewins
Hart Meyer Nelson
5

Fort Scott Community College, Government

FSCC Trustees Minutes of Oct. 19

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FORT SCOTT COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Minutes of the Board of Trustees Training October 19, 2020

PRESENT: John Bartelsmeyer, Jim Fewins, Dave Elliott, Kirk Hart, Bill Meyer, and Robert Nelson

ALSO PRESENT: Alysia Johnston, President, Juley McDaniel, Board Clerk, faculty, staff, students, and community members.

Chairman Bartelsmeyer called the meeting to order at 5:30 pm. The meeting was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.

COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIR: Chairman Bartelsmeyer thanked all who are working so diligently to minimize the COVID risk and spread on campus and in the community.

COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC:

Abby Humble spoke to the Board about concerns regarding how her President’s Ambassadors scholarship was applied to her student account.

Josie Allen spoke to the Board about concerns regarding how her Academic Excellence scholarship was applied to her student account.

Jorden Willard spoke to the Board about concerns regarding how scholarship funds were applied to her student account.

CONSENT AGENDA: A motion was made by Fewins, seconded by Elliott, and carried by unanimous vote to approve the consent agenda.

ACTION/DISCUSSION ITEMS:
A. A motion was made by Nelson, seconded by Hart, and carried by unanimous vote to approve the purchase of TRIO student laptops from Lenovo laptops for $18,800.

ITEMS FOR REVIEW:
The Board reviewed letters of appreciation/correspondence.

EXECUTIVE SESSION: A motion was made by Nelson, seconded by Meyer, and carried by unanimous vote to adjourn to executive session at 6:00 pm for 45 minutes to discuss matters relating to actions adversely or favorably affecting a person as a student, patient, or resident of a public institution, except that any such person shall have the right to a public hearing if requested by the person. At 6:45 pm, a motion was made by Meyer, seconded by Fewins, and carried by unanimous vote to return to regular session.

Chairman Bartelsmeyer read the following statement as
prepared by the Board:

Fort Scott Community College prides itself on meeting student and community needs. We certainly appreciate and respect the ability of students to assume responsibility for items impacting their education. It shows great courage to take the initiative and advocate for what students feel is right. It also presents a learning opportunity for FSCC and the student(s), which is central to the mission of Fort Scott Community College.

As we continue to strive for quality improvement, we are always willing to learn from our mistakes. It is refreshing for students to be an integral part of their education and paving the path for future students at FSCC. The Board of Trustees determined that FSCC needs to more clearly and concisely communicate to students receiving the Academic Excellence Scholarship (or other applicable scholarship) which only covers the remaining balance after
outside scholarships and the Federal PELL grant has been applied to the student account.

The following statement will be added to the scholarship section on the fortscott.edu website:
• This scholarship will pay the remaining balance of tuition and books up to the number of credit hours
on your given scholarship. External scholarships and federal financial aid are applied prior to activity or
institutional scholarships. Institutional scholarships typically do not exceed overall cost of attendance.
In addition, the Scholarship Agreement form will be modified to include:
• **External scholarships and federal financial aid are applied prior to activity or
institutional scholarships. Scholarships typically do not exceed overall cost of attendance.

After reviewing all documentation provided, the board believes that in this situation, students received conflicting communication regarding how institutional scholarships were applied. Due to the discrepancies and lack of timeliness in the email communication with students, the college will adjust the award and apply full credit based on the student’s scholarship.

FSCC believes in responsible stewardship of local taxpayer dollars, maintaining our vision of “Students first, community always,” and the mission of an affordable education to all students. FSCC has always and continues to apply external and endowment scholarships to student accounts prior to any other forms of student aid. The
adjustment of applying federal Pell monies prior to institutional scholarships was changed to ensure keeping the local mill levy as low as possible, while state and federal funding continues to decline. We appreciate all the support we receive from our students, community, employees, and all stakeholders.

REPORTS:
A. ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES: The Board reviewed and heard reports from Miami County Campus, Gordon Parks Center, Student Services, Student Affairs and Athletics, Instruction, Finance and Operations, Development, and the President.

ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to come before the Trustees, a motion to adjourn was made at
7:07 p.m. by Meyer, seconded by Fewins, and carried by unanimous vote.

Bourbon County, COVID-19, Government

City of Uniontown Receives SPARK Grant

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Uniontown is located 17 miles west of Fort Scott.

The City of Uniontown has received SPARK funds to help during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Taskforce is charged with leading Kansas forward in recovery from the far-reaching effects of COVID-19 with statewide distribution of the U.S. Coronavirus Relief Fund, according to  https://covid.ks.gov/spark-recovery-office/

 

“The City of Uniontown did receive $39,041 in direct aid for various projects, not economic development, as designated by our application,” City Clerk Sally Johnson said.

There are two projects the city will use the funds for.

They will renovate the entrance to city hall to install a service window/barrier between public and city employees so that in-person transactions can be safely facilitated, Johnson said.

Personal Protection Equipment purchased July through December 2020 will be paid for with the funds as will purchasing hardware/software to effectively conduct virtual meetings to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, she said.

The city government will also purchase and install a handwashing station and barriers, to allow for closure of public areas of congregation as needed, to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Johnson said.

In addition, the city will purchase hardware/software to automate the city’s library to make it accessible while closed to the public due to COVID-19.

“We are a small library, without much space for social distancing,” Johson said. “Our library patrons come from rural areas and in town.  When we are closed due to COVID-19 we would like to be able to offer curbside pickup or delivery in town.  We don’t have any way to provide online browsing or check out due to our library currently still using paper cards to check out books, paper library cards, and handwritten inventory.  If patrons could access online browsing and check out for our hundreds of books, videos, and books on tape, no one would have to be without entertainment during this pandemic.”  3) Purchase and install a hand washing station and barriers, to allow for closure of public areas of congregation as needed, to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

 

The city received the funds on October 13, and it must be expended by December 30, she said.

 

“We applied for funds in order for the City to better mitigate the spread of COVID-19 for the protection of staff and citizens,” Johnson said. ” We chose projects that we felt would benefit the most citizens and protect our staff at the same time.”

 

 

 

Government, Kansas

New Kansas Rural Development Program

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Governor Laura Kelly Announces New Rural Economic Development Program

~ Kansas Main Street Affiliate Community Program will promote economic development in rural communities across Kansas ~

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced the creation of the Kansas Main Street Affiliate Community Program, an initiative designed to introduce more Kansas communities to the resources and technical assistance offered through Kansas Main Street.

The new Affiliate Community Program is a membership-based program that invites representatives from participating communities to attend training and technical service sessions normally reserved for only the 25 designated Main Street program communities in the state. This allows those communities not involved fully with Main Street to still reap significant benefits from the program.

“My administration brought back the Main Street program because it is a proven tool to help Kansas’ rural communities recruit and retain businesses, and restore and preserve the unique history of their downtown corridors,” Governor Kelly said. “This Affiliate Community Program will bring more resources for downtown development to rural Kansas communities to maintain the health and viability of their downtowns, and will be a strong resource for my administration to highlight as we continue to recruit new businesses to our state.”

The Kansas Main Street program originally launched in 1985 has helped dozens of mostly rural communities work toward ensuring their downtowns remain viable. The program was ended by the Brownback administration in 2012 but resurrected in late 2019 by Governor Kelly. There are currently 25 designated Kansas Main Street communities in the program.

Kansas Main Street is a cornerstone of the Community Development Division at the Kansas Department of Commerce and is one of many investments made in rural Kansas with the support of the Office of Rural Prosperity led by Lieutenant Governor Lynn Rogers.

“Since Governor Kelly announced the return of Kansas Main Street last year, the program has been an incredible success,” Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “So many rural communities have benefitted from the Main Street program and its resources. This Affiliate Community program will undoubtedly bring Main Street to even greater heights, benefitting communities across our state.”

To participate in the program, fill out and submit the online form here.

The cost to become an Affiliate Community is $400.

Kansas Main Street is affiliated with the National Main Street Center. Main Street is a self-help, technical assistance program that targets revitalization and preservation of downtown districts through the development of a comprehensive strategy based on four points: organization, design, promotion and economic restructuring. While there are no federal funds provided directly to Main Street communities, designated cities are eligible for training and technical assistance designed to help them become self-sufficient in downtown revitalization.

“As we work to help those 25 designated communities continue to be successful with their downtown revitalization efforts, we also want to expand the program’s reach and bring some of the same tools to more communities, organizations and individuals who care about their local downtown,” Scott Sewell, director of the Kansas Main Street program, said. “We look forward to introducing the Main Street approach to a broader audience that cares about the revitalization of their downtowns.”

For more information on the Kansas Main Street program, contact Scott Sewell, Director of Kansas Main Street, at (785) 296-3485 or [email protected].

Bourbon County, COVID-19, Elections, Government

Bourbon County Commission Will Canvass 2020 Election Ballots Today at 10 a.m.

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Agenda

Bourbon County Commission Room

1st Floor, County Courthouse

210 S. National Avenue

Fort Scott, KS 66701

Tuesdays starting at 9:00

Date: November 12, 2020

1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________

2nd District-Jeff Fischer Corrected: _______________

3rd District-Nick Ruhl Adjourned at: _______________

County Clerk-Kendell Mason

 

MEETING WILL BE HELD IN COMMISSION ROOM. ANYONE ATTENDING THE MEETING WILL BE REQUIRED TO WEAR A MASK PROVIDED BY THE COUNTY. MUST MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING.

 

10:00 Election Canvass

 

Government, Kansas

Kansas Capital Investment Milestone

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Governor Laura Kelly Announces $2 Billion in New Capital Investment in 2020

~Governor Kelly Celebrates Capital Investment Milestone at Plastikon Healthcare in Lawrence, Whose New Expansion Will Create 40 jobs~

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced that the State of Kansas has officially surpassed $2 billion in new capital investment in 2020. This investment is brought by new economic development projects driven by Governor Kelly’s administration and the Kansas Department of Commerce.

“The arrival of COVID-19 threatened to undermine the significant progress my administration has made to rebuild Kansas’ economic development recruitment efforts,” Governor Kelly said. “But with the assistance of Secretary David Toland and the dedicated team at the Department of Commerce, we have continued to bring in new projects or grow existing businesses. This significant milestone in investment illustrates our strong momentum, which will allow us to continue creating jobs and strengthening our state’s economic foundation.”

As of Tuesday, Governor Kelly’s administration has closed 86 projects in 2020, worth nearly $2.15 billion in capital investment and creating more than 8,100 jobs. Since Governor Kelly has been in office, her administration has closed 179 projects worth more than $3.47 billion in capital investment and which promise to create nearly 19,000 jobs.

“This achievement would have been impossible without the hard work and dedication of our team at the Department of Commerce,” Secretary Toland said. “We have the best economic development team in the country thanks to Governor Kelly’s commitment to rebuilding this agency and her belief in smart, transparent economic development. Expect much more from Commerce – we’re not slowing down.”

To celebrate the investment numbers, Governor Kelly and Secretary Toland today visited and toured Plastikon Healthcare in Lawrence.

The company, a plastic and contract manufacturer, recently expanded its facility to produce test tubes for COVID-19 testing. The expansion will bring nearly $6 million in capital investment to Kansas and create about 40 jobs.

“Plastikon is an innovative, forward-thinking company with a strong record of responding quickly and efficiently to pressing health care needs,” Governor Kelly said. “Its ability to incorporate new technologies will aid the state in the production of much-needed testing supplies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and keep our businesses and schools open. I thank them for their dedication to our state.”

Capital Investment Highlights:

The Plastikon expansion joins the ranks of approximately 86 new economic development projects completed across the state this year, including:

  • Urban Outfitters, Inc., whose new 880,000-square-foot omnichannel distribution center in Wyandotte County will create up to 2,000 new jobs and invest over $400 million in Kansas over the next several years;
  • Amazon’s two new fulfillment centers in Kansas City, Kansas, and Park City, which will create more than 1,000 full-time jobs;
  • Great Plains Manufacturing’s new manufacturing facility in Salina, which will result in more than $43 million in capital investment and create 130 full-time jobs;
  • The new Nor-Am Cold Storage facility in Dodge City, which will bring 90 new full-time jobs and $30 million in capital investment;
  • And the new Peerless Products production facility in Iola, which will create up to 120 new full-time jobs with a capital investment of $10.35 million

A full list of Commerce business successes can be found on the Department’s website.

The below photos are available for media use:

https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/IMG_0591.jpg

https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/IMG_0592.jpg

https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/IMG_0593.jpg

Government, Kansas

Flags At Half Staff

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Governor Laura Kelly Orders Flags to be Flown at Half-staff in Honor of Deputy Corporal Daniel Abramovitz

TOPEKA –In accordance with Executive Order 20-30, Governor Laura Kelly has ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff on Thursday, November 12, 2020 until sunset in honor of Leavenworth County Deputy Corporal Daniel Abramovitz.

“Deputy Corporal Abramovitz lost his life in the line of duty after serving and protecting his community for 26 years,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to his family and colleagues at the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office. On behalf of the state of Kansas, we are grateful for the ultimate sacrifice Deputy Abramovitz has made for his community and the state.”

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

Government, Kansas

Election Fraud Protection Bill To Be Introduced to Kansas Senate

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SENATOR HILDERBRAND ANNOUNCES IMMEDIATE PLANS TO INTRODUCE ELECTION FRAUD PROTECTION BILL

TOPEKA, KS – Kansas State Senator Richard Hilderbrand (R-13) says he will waste no time introducing an election fraud protection bill to the Kansas Senate once the 2021 session begins in January.

At issue is what election officials call DRE’s, or direct-recording electronic machines, which do not produce an individual paper record for each vote cast. Despite national criticism and legal action, the machines are still being used in some Kansas counties. Senator Hilderbrand’s bill would make the use of DRE’s illegal in Kansas.

“The fact that DRE’s are extremely vulnerable to fraud is not a question,” explains Hilderbrand, “Experts unilaterally agree they are bad practice, but Kansas is moving way too slowly in upgrading machines. Protecting our election process is understandably of the utmost importance to Kansas voters.”

A Kansas law passed in 2018 required any Kansas voting system purchased, leased or rented in the future to provide a paper record of each vote cast. However, the statute didn’t mandate upgrading existing DRE systems. Senator Hilderbrand’s bill would ensure Kansans would not experience an election doubting the validity of results based on vulnerable technology, which is happening now in other states.

“As I stated during a committee hearing on this topic last year, ‘If an electronic voting system is connected to the internet or has wireless connectivity technology, it can be hacked. Even machines not connected to the Internet are hackable through compromised memory cards used to set up the voting machine before each specific election or remote access software or a miscalibration of the DRE. If the results of an election with paper ballots is questioned, the election results can be verified by doing an audit or recount of the paper ballots. If the results of an election using electronic system without a paper trail is contested, you can only say, trust me the results are accurate.’ My testimony holds true today and given the controversy going on in other states, Kansas voters deserve to remain confident in our country’s most cherished democratic process,” Hilderbrand concluded.

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COVID-19, Fort Scott, Government, Schools

USD 234 News Release For BOE Meeting Nov. 9

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NEWS RELEASE

 

Monday, November 9, 2020

 

Members of the USD 234 Board of Education met at the Fort Scott Middle School Commons on Monday, November 9, for their regular monthly meeting.

President David Stewart opened the meeting.  The board approved the official agenda.  The board also approved the consent agenda as follows:

 

A.    Minutes

B.    Bills and Claims

C.    Payroll – October 20,  2020 – $1,414,951.80

D.    Financial Report

E.     Activity Fund Accounts

F.     Parent/Teacher Conference Attendance

G.    Fundraisers

 

One patron spoke during the public forum.  Ella Beth presented a report on the

Fort Scott High School Courtyard project.

Board members heard reports from the following:

·       Brenda Hill, KNEA President

·       Michelle Stevenson, Early Childhood Program

·       All building principals

·       Dalaina Smith, Director of Academics

·       Ted Hessong, Superintendent

·       Gina Shelton, Business Manager/Board Clerk

 

The board went into executive session to discuss employer-employee negotiations.  The board returned to open session.

Superintendent Hessong gave a Return-to-School update.  Board members approved the following changes to the Return-to-School Plan:

·       Classroom contact of an individual with lab-confirmed COVID-19 is not considered a close contact requiring quarantine if mitigation strategies are in place.

o   High-risk contacts are defined as those individuals with unmitigated exposure such as unmasked lunch exposure, social exposure, extracurricular activities including sports, home exposure, or other exposure outside of school setting, and as determined by a health officer or designated official.

o   Low-risk exposure is defined as mitigated classroom exposure (mask-in-place, appropriate hand washing/sanitation) and casual contact, as determined by the health officer or designated official, with mitigation standards in place.

·       Remote learners are eligible for extracurricular activities with mitigation strategies in place.

 

The board approved Blue Cross/Blue Shield for the district health insurance for 2021.

Board members shared comments and then went into executive session to discuss personnel matters for nonelected personnel and returned to open meeting

The board approved the following employment matters:

 

A.    Resignation of Heather Geiger, high school paraprofessional

B.    Resignation of Brenda Hathaway, high school cook

C.    Employment of Whitley Chesney as middle school/high school choir teacher for the 2020-21 spring semester

D.    Employment of Elizabeth Rose as a middle school paraprofessional for the 2020-21 school year

E.     Resignation of Sarah Bahr, high school assistant debate and forensics coach

F.     Resignation of Angie Kemmerer as middle school head volleyball coach, effective at the end of the 2020 season

G.    Transfer of Joie Moore, high school 6.5-hour cook, to a high school 6.5-hour ticket clerk for the 2020-21 school year

H.    Employment of Glenda Cooper as a high school 6.5-hour cook for the 2020-21 school year

I.      Resignation of Jacy Walker as high school head volleyball coach

J.      Employment of Mark Bergmann as high school assistant debate and forensics coach for the 2020-21 school year

The board adjourned.

Fort Scott, Government

FS Special Meeting Nov. 9

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There will be a Special Meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission held at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, November 9th, 2020. This meeting will be held to discuss the Interim City Manager position, and the City Manager search. It is anticipated the City Commission will adjourn into Executive Session.

This meeting will be held at 123 S. Main Street in the City Commission meeting room. This meeting will be broadcast on the City’s You tube channel. This meeting is open to the public.