Brad Matkin, Fort Scott’s City Manager for approximately 1.5 years resigned yesterday, posting a public service announcement on the City of Fort Scott Facebook page.
Matkin said on October 24 he turned in a letter of resignation to the Fort Scott City Commission, effective on January 3, 2024.
“I will continue doing duties of city manager until that time and close out some of the projects we’ve got, and establish guidelines for the next few years, ” he said on Facebook.
“There is a lot left to do,” Matkin said. “We have only touched the very tip of the iceberg with our accomplishments. As a City, we must establish a Housing/Business Development Coordinator who works full-time for the city and goes and visits with our existing businesses to see if there is anything the City of Fort Scott can do for them. We worry so much about bringing in new business sometimes the great businesses like Timken, Peerless, Ward Kraft, etc. get forgotten.”
This Housing/Business Development Coordinator position would also help developers in their housing and business developments, finding grants, property, and opportunities, he said.
Other projects that Matkin sees as not completed are street, water, and wastewater 2024 and 2025 programs that need to be developed and executed, along with several other tasks.
“You sacrifice a lot with this position and family is very important to me,” he said in an interview. “I have lost many years with my family in previous jobs, and I have decided this was not fair to me or my family. There are several reasons for my departure but this is the only one I will discuss.”
Matkin thanked the city staff and utility work crews, the commissioners, citizens, and his family for their support.
Even “Citizens who haven’t always been supportive, I want to thank you because you are the motivation that drives us,” he said.
He credits any accomplishments to his staff and crews, he said in an interview. “I was just the person that helped with the decisions, they are the ones that made them happen. Every accomplishment I can write down was done by the City of Fort Scott Team and not the City Manager.”
Here are the staff accomplishments:
Building the staff that the city currently has.
Establishing the “My Fort Scott” app.
Finishing Cooper Street.
Finishing “Old Faithful” project.
Improving wages for City staff members.
Improving wages for City Public Safety members
Gunn Park camping area improvements.
Lake Fort Scott stem repair.
2022 Cape Seal program completion and 2023 Cape Seal program preparation work.
Increasing advertisements and promotions of area events by the tourism department.
Approvement of 2025 CCLIP grant for 2nd phase of Wall Street
Pothole and Crack sealing program.
Establishing a brick crew, and a street repair team.
Memorial Hall improvements.
Additional Lake Fort Scott fishing docks.
Buck Run Community Center improvements.
Wastewater Treatment Plant improvements and elimination of “the smell”.
Assignment of Baker Tilly as City’s Finance Director.
Flawless 2022 City audit.
$1.7 million CDBG sewer repair grant ($1.1 million was the city’s responsibility).
Airport runway and taxi-way improvements.
Stormwater project on 17th and Eddy.
Purchased street line painter, painting the city streets with city crews.
Several street and water line repairs.
Bringing back the Community Development position.
Establishing a budget that did not increase taxes and opened up some additional monies.
Fort Scott has a future, he said. “If it’s allowed, but it’s going to take positivity. That was my goal to spread positivity and get rid of negativity. I feel like I have done that, for the most part.”
“It’s my hometown,” he said on the Facebook announcement of his resignation. “I’ve lived here 53 years….there is no place better.”
He will help the commission find a replacement for the position, he said. “To get everything ready for basically what I would have done into the next two years,” he said in making the resignation announcement at the Community Connections Panel at noon yesterday.
When Matkin told the panel he was resigning, at the end of his presentation of highlights at the city, the moderator, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce President Bailey Lyons thanked Matkin for his service to the city of Fort Scott, and asked if there is a new search started for city manager.
“I haven’t talked to the commission, personally,” he said. “If I had a recommendation, I would make it a national search or a least broaden the search out a little further. It will take a little while to find one.”
The Fort Scott Community College Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting on Monday, October 30, 2023 in Cleaver-Burris-Boileau Hall at 5:00 pm. The board will immediately adjourn to executive session to discuss personnel matters of nonelected personnel regarding administrative contracts and organizational structure and for consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship as it relates to real estate negotiations. No action is expected to follow.
American College of Cardiology
Danish Bawa of Overland Park
Rajendran Sabapathy of Overland Park
Ashiya Khan of Overland Park
WTA Advocates for Rural Broadband
David Shipley of Allen
Mark Gailey of Tyro
MKC
Dave Spears of Valley Center
Community Care Network of Kansas
Scott Anglemyer of Shawnee
Sonja Bachus of Topeka
American Association of Crop Insurers
Doug Jakway of Lawrence
CoBank
KC Preisner of Dodge City
American Psychiatric Association
Cord Huston of Lenexa
Kamalakar Surineni of Wichita
National Children’s Alliance
Christian Morgan of Overland Park
Mesothelioma Applied Foundation
Mackenzie Thomas of Lenexa
Tiffany Thomas of Lenexa
CARE USA
Elysia Chao of Lenexa
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Jennifer Naylor of Rose Hill
Hannah Soderstrom of Wichita
Heather Soderstrom of Wichita
MOARC
Melissa Sieben of Lawrence
PFLAG
Lisa Wright of Overland Park
Edith Guffey of Lawrence
Recognizing National Down Syndrome Awareness Month
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated October as National Down Syndrome Awareness Month, ensuring Americans had an opportunity to celebrate individuals with Down syndrome. This week, I continued the tradition by introducing a bipartisan, bicameral resolution that outlines the improvements made to Down syndrome research and advocacy, the improved quality of live for the Down syndrome community, and commended the efforts of loved ones and caretakers who steadfastly care for individuals with Down syndrome. As co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on Down Syndrome and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I am pleased that efforts to increase federal investment in Down syndrome research has significantly improved over the past decade. This month is an opportunity to honor the Down syndrome community, their families and caretakers, and leaders in the advocacy and medical research fields for their work to improve the quality of life for individuals with Down syndrome.
You can watch my floor speech honoring Down Syndrome Awareness Month here.
Governor Kelly Announces Funding for Kansas to Improve Electrical Grid’s Resilience and Capacity
~~Enhancements Targeted to Prepare State for Extreme Weather Events~~
TOPEKA—Today, Governor Laura Kelly announced that Kansas is receiving funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to make the state’s electrical grid more robust and resilient against extreme weather events as part of the Joint Targeted Interconnection Queue Portfolio (JTIQ). The project will coordinate the planning, design, and construction of 5 transmission projects across 7 Midwest states. This investment comes from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office and is funded by the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
In May, Governor Kelly submitted a letter to U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Granholm in support of this project. Representative Sharice Davids also submitted a letter of support.
“These funds will help modernize Kansas’ power grid to increase energy reliability and efficiency,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “This investment continues our progress on electrical projects and emergency preparedness, protecting the well-being of Kansans around the state.”
“By modernizing our electric grid, we are creating good-paying jobs and ensuring folks across Kansas have access to clean, affordable electricity, even during extreme weather events,” said Representative Sharice Davids (KS-03). “I’m proud to have helped bring these investments home to Kansas through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which continues to make a positive impact on the lives of Kansas families and businesses.”
In addition, the U.S. Department of Energy recently announced multiple projects that will benefit Kansas through the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships Program, including:
Wildfire Mitigation and Renewable Energy Access in Western Kansas: Kansas is receiving $96 million through Midwest Energy to rebuild and replace transmission lines. Learn more about this project here.
Wildfire Assessment and Resilience for Networks: Kansas is one of 16 states sharing in more than $99 million awarded to Holy Cross Energy for wildfire mitigation. Learn more about this project here.
Distribution Automation in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma: Kansas is one of 4 states sharing in more than $47 million awarded to the Empire District Electric Company to improve resilience and upgrade systems. Learn more about this project here.
“These new projects will bring lower energy costs, more reliable energy to the region and create jobs for highly skilled workers in the combined SPP-MISO region,” said Barbara Sugg, Southwest Power Pool President and CEO. “This portfolio represents the first interregional projects for the two regions, allowing both organizations to collaborate on regional reliability risks and pave the way for future projects.”
Additional information about the JTIQ portfolio can be found here.
210 S. National Ave Fort Scott, KS 66701 Phone: 620-223-3800
Fax: 620-223-5832
Bourbon County, Kansas
Nelson Blythe
1st District Commissioner
Jim Harris, Chairman
2nd District Commissioner
Clifton Beth
3rd District Commissioner
Bourbon County Commission Agenda 210 S. National Ave.
Fort Scott, KS 66701
October 23, 2023 5:30 p.m.
Call Meeting to Order
Flag Salute Followed by Prayer
Approval of Consent Agenda
Approval of Minutes from 10/16/2023
Approval of Payroll Totaling $342,018.24
Approval of Accounts Payable Totaling $694,895.54
Public Comments
Jennifer Hawkins, County Clerk
Letter of Support for CHC SEK Transportation
Approval of 2024 Calendar
Jennifer Hawkins-Executive Session KSA 75-4319(b)(1)
Department Updates
Public Works
Commission Comments
Adjourn Meeting
Executive Session Justifications:
KSA 75-4319 (b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(2) for consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the
attorney-client relationship.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(3) to discuss matters relating to employer/employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the
representative(s) of the body or agency.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(4) to discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust and individual proprietorships
KSA 75-4319 (b)(6) for the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(12) to discuss matters relating to the security measures, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting would jeopardize such security measures.
Governor Kelly Announces Initiative to Invest in Water Quantity and Quality
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly and the Kansas Water Office today announced the launch of an initiative to invest at least $1.5 million through funding partnership opportunities for projects that advance the implementation of the 2022 Kansas Water Plan. The plan is a five-year blueprint to ensure a reliable, quality water supply. Since 2022, Governor Kelly has fully funded the Kansas Water Plan, which previously had not happened in more than 15 years.
The Kansas Water Plan Partnership Initiative (KWPPI) will invest State Water Plan Fund resources into projects centered around the guiding principles outlined in the 2022 State Water Plan, which include conserving and protecting the High Plains Aquifer, improving state water quality, reducing vulnerability to extreme events, and increasing awareness of Kansas water resources.
“My administration is committed to addressing our state’s water crisis,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The Kansas Water Plan Partnership Initiative provides resources to address key water quantity and quality issues at the state and regional level while protecting our water sources for future generations.”
In addition to the guiding principles, Regional Advisory Committees across the state have established water-related goals specific to their region, which applicants can cite when submitting their proposal.
“Each of the goals and recommended actions set in the Kansas Water Plan and by the Regional Advisory Committees seeks to address issues that affect the livelihood of Kansans,” Connie Owen, Director of the Kansas Water Office, said. “This program helps organizations throughout the state to take action in addressing those issues.”
Eligible applicants include agricultural commodities, advocacy organizations, colleges/universities, conservation organizations, non-profit organizations, private sector partners, public governmental entities, and water-related districts.
KWPPI applications are encouraged to include a minimum of 50% match, a succinct project proposal, a proposed budget, and a project schedule. Applications submitted by December 29, 2023, will be considered for this initial round of funding, with submittals after this date to be evaluated pending available funds. Entities can apply via the Kansas Water Office website at https://arcg.is/1CnXW9.
To learn more about the Kansas Water Office, visit kwo.ks.gov.
Governor Kelly Encourages Communities to Join Kansas Main Street Program
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that the Kansas Main Street program is seeking new communities to join the program in 2024. Kansas Main Street provides technical assistance and support for communities working to revitalize their downtown areas by focusing on economic vitality, design, promotion, and organization.
The Kansas Main Street program was initially launched in 1985 but was ended in 2012 under the Brownback Administration. Governor Kelly restarted the program in 2019 with support from the Kansas Legislature.
“The Kansas Main Street Program has been crucial to preserving and growing downtowns across the state,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Downtown areas are the heartbeat and pride of most communities across Kansas, and improving these community pillars is part of how we’ll bring new jobs to the area.”
Communities wishing to submit applications must first attend a virtual application workshop, which will explain the Main Street Approach and the process for completing the application. Main Street Kansas will host the next virtual application workshop at 10 a.m. Monday, November 13.
Applications for the Kansas Main Street program will open on December 4 and close on January 26, 2024. Applications will be reviewed in February, with new communities announced in March.
“Eleven communities have been added since Governor Kelly brought the Kansas Main Street program back in late 2019,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “These Kansas communities now have the resources and tools needed to support economic development and breathe new life into their downtowns and historic commercial districts.”
Benefits of earning designation as a Kansas Main Street community include:
Comprehensive technical assistance from the state and national programs to further economic development downtown
Training in strategic planning, program capacity-building, and organizational management for the Main Street organization
Individualized training for Main Street managers, boards, and other Main Street participants
Attendance to statewide quarterly training and professional development opportunities
Access to design services to help downtown property owners undertake effective rehabilitation, restoration, adaptive reuse, and infill projects, as well as reimagining public spaces within the district
Access to business assistance such as recruitment and retention, succession planning, business plan development, and entrepreneurial development
Membership in the Main Street America network
“The Main Street Approach is a proven economic development tool, especially for small, rural communities,” Kansas Main Street Director Scott Sewell said. “It has been a great resource for communities in Kansas, and we always encourage more participants in the program.”
Registration for the November 13 application workshop is required, which can be completed here.
For more information on the Kansas Main Street program, click here or contact Director Scott Sewell at (785) 230-6404 or [email protected].
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a Community Connection Panelist Luncheon on Wednesday, October 25th, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Empress Event Center, 7 N. Main St. Chamber members and the community are invited to attend for updates by the City of Fort Scott, Bourbon County, Fort Scott Community College, USD-234, USD-235,
and Bourbon County REDI.
The event is free to attend but registration is requested. Box lunches are available by pre-order for $10 and those need to be ordered by October 23rd at 10am. Those planning to attend may RSVP here.
There will be a 7-minute update from each of the following panelists, ending with time for questions:
City of Fort Scott City Manager Brad Matkin
Bourbon County Commission Chair Jim Harris
FSCC President Jason Kelger
USD-234 Superintendent Destry Brown
USD-235 Superintendent Vance Eden
Bourbon County REDI Executive Director Rob Harrington
Moderators for the event will be Bailey Lyons of Lyons Realty Group,
2023 Chamber Board Chair.
Contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce at 620-223-3566 for more information or visit fortscott.com.
Thank you to our Chamber Champion members
shown below!
FORT SCOTT AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
620-223-3566
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701
Federal grant awarded to improve efficiency and access to Kansas Food Assistance program
TOPEKA – The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) program has announced the awarding of a Process and Technology Improvement grant of $706,550 to the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF). The grant will enhance the digital system that accepts SNAP, known as Food Assistance in Kansas, applications.
“Our main goal is to reduce status wait times, improve data accuracy, and enhance the overall client experience,” DCF Secretary Laura Howard shared. “This will result in Kansans receiving Food Assistance benefits in a timely manner and ensuring that Food Assistance continues to effectively serve as the primary defense against hunger.”
The FNS Process and Technology Improvement grants supports efforts by state agencies and their community-based and faith-based partners to develop and implement projects that use technology to improve the quality and efficiency of SNAP application and eligibility determination systems.
DCF will automate manual Food Assistance administrative tasks using BOT automation. Using this technology, the agency will be able to register cases, enter data, and create workflow tasks for caseworkers all without human intervention. Workers will receive notification of an issue with an application and then will follow-up with the Kansan to ask questions or get additional details.
In FY 2022, DCF received 147,224 Food Assistance applications. Currently, the state has 95,047 Food Assistance cases that are made up of 106,699 adults and 84,343 children. DCF is working in partnership with Accenture, the technology business manager of the data management system used by the agency for the benefit programs.
The teams will begin working immediately on the upgrades and have up to three years to complete the project using the funding from the FNS grant.
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USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) works to end hunger and improve food and nutrition security through a suite of more than 16 nutrition assistance programs, such as the school breakfast and lunch programs, WIC and SNAP. Together, these programs serve 1 in 4 Americans over the course of a year, promoting consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food essential to optimal health and well-being. FNS also provides science-based nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. FNS’s report, “Leveraging the White House Conference to Promote and Elevate Nutrition Security: The Role of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service,” highlights ways the agency will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy, released in conjunction with the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022. To learn more about FNS, visit www.fns.usda.gov and follow @USDANutrition.
The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) requests comments on an amendment to the FFY 2024-2027 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) document.
The STIP is a project specific publication that lists all KDOT administered projects, regardless of funding source, and includes projects for counties and cities as well as projects on the State Highway System. The list of projects being amended to the STIP can be viewed at http://www.ksdot.org/bureaus/burProgProjMgmt/stip/stip.asp. In addition to the project list is Administrative Modification #1 for narrative updates in the STIP.
The approval of the STIP amendment requires a public comment period, which concludes Nov. 1. To make comments on the amendment, contact KDOT’s Division of Program and Project Management at (785) 296-3254.
This information is available in alternative accessible formats. To obtain an alternative format, contact the KDOT Division of Communications, (785) 296-3585 (Voice/Hearing Impaired-711).
Tim and Deb McKenney at the recent awards ceremony. Submitted photo.
A local business was recognized during the recent ceremony by The Kansas Department of Commerce held in Wichita on Oct. 12.
To The Stars: Kansas Businesses Awards is an annual awards program that recognizes businesses across the state for the valuable contributions they make to the Kansas economy and to the well-being of their communities, according to https://www.kansascommerce.gov/kansasbusinessawards/.
Fort Scott Broadcasting Co. Inc was recognized as the Southeast Kansas Regional Winner in Retail and Service. Tim and Deb McKenney are the owners of the business.
The award plaque was received by the McKenney’s. Submitted photo.
“Deb submitted the information,” Tim McKenney said. “It was really just a statement about the station’s 70th birthday under the same family ownership and management coming up next year. She mentioned some of our programs we air regularly such as the city, county, and school talk shows to keep folks in tune with current happenings in the area.”
“The award was for 69 years of community service to our community,” Deb said.
The order of the awards at the ceremony. Submitted photo.
The categories were:
AgriBusiness – companies that stand out in the agribusiness industry – including agricultural production, products and services, and agri-tourism
Apprenticeship Champions and Partners – companies and other entities that excel providing registered apprenticeship programs in Kansas
Business Innovation – companies from any sector incorporating innovative technologies in their business
Healthcare/Nonprofit – noteworthy services provided by either healthcare facilities or nonprofit organizations
Manufacturing/Distribution – outstanding achievement for companies large and small involved in manufacturing and distribution
Non-Traditional Talent Pools – companies that have gone above and beyond to hire those with prior involvement in the justice system, youth, seniors or individuals with disabilities
Under 30 Entrepreneurs – young entrepreneurs achieving business success under the age of 30
Welcome Back – entrepreneurs and businesspeople who once left Kansas but have returned to make their mark in the Sunflower State.
Businesses and individuals from across the state were honored for their outstanding contributions to Kansas communities and the state’s economy at the ceremony, according to a press release.
Governor Laura Kelly announced at the ceremony that Atwood-based SurePoint Ag Systems has won the 2023 Governor’s Award of Excellence and Tank Connection in Parsons earned the Governor’s Exporter of the Year Award, according to the press release.
A record 297 businesses, organizations and individuals were nominated in nine categories for this year’s To the Stars: Kansas Business Awards, according to the release. Nominees were reviewed and scored for various criteria such as business expansion, employee recruitment and retention practices, training and educational programs, capital investments, and support of local community events. A total of 245 Merit Awards and 43 Regional Awards were presented at the event. Additionally, one nominee in each category was designated a Statewide Winner, making them finalists for the Governor’s Award of Excellence.
