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Category Archives: Government
K.R.I. Update To Open A Unit For 9-13 Year Olds
Kansas Renewal Institute is an addiction treatment center, mental health service and healthcare administrator, which opened its doors at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd, in April 2024.
To view the feature on the opening: https://fortscott.biz/news/k-r-i-is-fully-staffed-licensed-and-ready-for-patients
The facility receives patient referrals through Managed Care Organizations (MCO) from the State of Kansas Medicaid Program, said Joe Tinervin, K.R.I.President of Operations.
They currently have 32 adolescent residents.
” We chose not to pursue a license for Substance Abuse Disorder/Detox at this time,” Tinerin said. “We decided to go all-in for Physiactric Residential Treatment Facility because that’s what the State needs help with the most.”
“Our current census consists of residents between the ages of 8 to 16 with separate units for pre-adolescents and adolescents. Our license allows us to work with youth ages 6 to 18,” he said.
“We currently have 72 employees and growing,” he said. ” We have enough staff to accommodate our current census with room for growth, but we’re always searching for new talent who are aligned with our mission and core values, to join our organization.”
To view prior stories on K.R.I.:
Kansas Renewal Institute Opens First Location
Kansas Renewal Institute Repurposes Mercy Hospital
“All referrals come through the MCOs,” he said. “Sunflower, United Healthcare and Aetna Better Health of Kansas.”
“The kids we have admitted have been on the waitlist for quite a while,” Tinervin said.
K.R.I. is opening a pre-adolesent unit specifically for children aged 9-13 years old, allowing this age group to be separated from older adolescents.
K.R.I. occupies the north and west wings of the former Mercy Hospital.
On June 13, Freeman Health Systems announced that the southwest part at 410 Woodland Hills Blvd. will become a 10-bed hospital with an emergency department.
“Having both medical and behavioral health under one roof, we’ll be able to reach more people with needs,” Tinervin said.
Two Kansas Notable Books Selected for 2024 Great Reads from Great Places
Two Kansas Notable Books Selected for 2024 Great Reads from Great Places
TOPEKA – The Kansas Center for the Book, part of the State Library of Kansas, selects one youth and one adult book to represent the state in the annual Great Reads from Great Places program. The program highlights books that are written by authors from the state, take place in the state, or celebrate the state’s culture and heritage.
The Kansas great reads for this year feature two Kansas Notable Book winners: One Boy Watching, written and illustrated by Grant Snider and Hell’s Half-Acre: The Untold Story of the Benders, A Serial Killer Family on the American Frontier, by Susan Jonusas.
One Boy Watching celebrates the extraordinary found within the ordinary. This book puts into words what it feels like to be a passenger, inviting young readers to climb aboard bus number four as it opens a new world of discovery.
Hell’s Half-Acre: The Untold Story of the Benders, A Serial Killer Family on the American Frontier tells the story of how the people of Labette County, Kansas, in 1873, made a grisly discovery. Buried by a trailside cabin beneath an orchard of young apple trees were the remains of countless bodies. Below the cabin itself was a cellar stained with blood. The Benders, the family of four who once resided on the property, were nowhere to be found. The discovery sent the local community and national newspapers into a frenzy that continued for decades, sparking an epic manhunt for the Benders.
The Kansas selections officially join the 2024 Great Reads from Great Places at the National Book Festival in Washington D.C. on August 24, 2024. To view previous years’ selections visit Library of Congress Great Reads from Great Places. You can start in Kansas, then discover literary highlights from the other 49 states and 6 territories that have Center for the Book affiliates.
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The Bourbon County Industrial Development Research Committee Meets Today at 6:30 p.m.
A meeting of the Industrial Development Research Committee will be held on August 5, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. in the Bourbon County Commission Meeting in the Bourbon County Courthouse, 210 S. National Ave. Fort Scott, KS 66701.
There Will Not Be A Bo Co Commission Meeting on August 5, Due to Primary Election
Bourbon County Courthouse
210 S. National Ave Fort Scott, KS 66701 Phone: 620-223-3800
Fax: 620-223-5832
Bourbon County, Kansas
Brandon Whisenhunt
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
August 5, 2024 5:30 p.m.
There will not be a County Commission Meeting on Monday, August 5, 2024 due to the Primary Election preparations.
Fire Department Training Facility To Be Completed In September
Regular training helps firefighters build competence in emergencies.
The Fort Scott Fire Department has never had its own training facility, crews have trained in the station bay areas, online, and in a small storage shed area near the Hawkins Public Safety facility, FSFD Deputy Chief Mike Miles said in a press release.
“New recruits need better training opportunities, with real-life situations translating to better service when an emergency happens,” Miles said. He believes it will help with retention, morale, more opportunities to go train on new skills or different skills, and will relieve frustration to have better training opportunities.
“Regular training in a dedicated facility helps firefighters build confidence in their abilities and competence in handling emergencies,” Miles said in the press release. “This confidence translates into better performance and decision-making during real incidents, ultimately leading to a more effective emergency response and better outcomes.”
The FSFD has planned a site that is currently open space on the southwest corner of the Hawkins Public Safety Facility at 17th and Judson Streets. It is unused currently.
“We are hoping to have it completed by the end of September,” he said. ” We still have concrete to pour for work areas and then we will go inside and start to construct the layouts we desire for training purposes.”
He said the rooms will be set up like living rooms, bedrooms, kitchen, entanglement areas, etc. where search and rescue skills can be practiced.
Miles has sought to let the neighborhood know of the plans the department has.
He sent letters to surrounding neighbors to invite them to the station to answer questions and discuss the plans for the training facility. He said positive feedback was received from that endeavor with a “couple of concerns of smoke.”
“We want to be good neighbors, training times will be during the daytime hours… nontoxic smoke…always mindful of the weather conditions before considering any burn…maybe a couple of times a year with actual live fire,” he said.
He said they did look at other areas for the location of the facility, but didn’t find a suitable location or landowner contacting them back.
“Having the training center on-site at the FSFD gives us more flexibility,” he said “If we get called out during a training evolution we can leave the site and not worry about our gear. Water, bathrooms, and all the equipment are already on site.”
The Fort Scott Police, Bourbon County Emergency Medical Service, and other agencies will also be able to use this facility as a training opportunity, he said.
“This will be a major benefit to the service FSFD provides to the community and only make us stronger,” he said. “The capital improvement budget set forth by Fire Chief Dave Bruner allows for this project to be completed.”
A1 Towing and Recovery LLC volunteered company time, equipment, and employees to help with the project.
“It’s exciting to see the Fort Scott Fire Department wanting to continue practice/training to stay at the peak of their skills that our community depends on,’ said A1 owner, Robert Coon.
Agenda for the Fort Scott City Commission on August 6
NOTICE OF AND AGENDA FOR REGULAR
MEETING OF FORT SCOTT CITY COMMISSION
City Hall Commission Room – 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701
August 6, 2024 – 6:00 P.M.
- Call to Order
- Roll Call
Tim VanHoecke, Matthew Wells, Dyllon Olson, Kathryn Salsbury, Tracy Dancer
III. Pledge of Allegiance
- Invocation
- Approval of Agenda
- Consent Agenda
- Approval of Appropriation Ordinance 1365-A – Expense Approval Report – Payment Dates of July 10, 2024 – July 31, 2024 – $2,311,545.74
- Approval of Minutes for July 16, 2024, Regular Meeting and July 29, 2024, Special Meeting
- Request to Pay – Earles Engineering, Inc. – Project No. 06 KA-6898-01 – Invoice No. 17392 – Billing Statement No. 3 – Payroll for Earles Engineering – June 2, 2024 – June 29, 2024 – KDOT CCLIP – $91,352.17
- Request to Pay – Heck & Wicker, Inc. – EEI Project No. 24-414 – Horton Street & 6th Street Improvements Contractor’s Application for Payment No. 1
VII. Public Comment – Sign up required before the beginning of the meeting on register at the entrance of the Commission Room. Public Comments are for any topic not on the agenda and limited to five (5) minutes per person, at the Commission’s discretion.
VIII. Appearances – Must be scheduled with the City Clerk at least (1) week prior to the meeting
you wish to address the Commission. You will be scheduled on the agenda to speak on your topic.
- Thomas Metcalf Jr. – Sons of American Legion Car Show – Temporary Street Closure of 3rd Street between National Ave. and Main St. – September 7, 2024 – 8AM-2PM
- Unfinished Business
- Consideration of Proposals for Repairs to Memorial Hall Facade – Kruger
Tabled from July 16, 2024.
- Consideration to Approve Ordinance No. 3769 – Golf Cart Ordinance – VanHoecke – Tabled from July 29, 2024.
- Consideration of Change Addendum No. 1 – WWTP Change in Infrastructure Permit EEI File: 23-306 – Earles Engineering & Inspection, Inc. – Original Contract $7,500.00 – Additional Service Fees – $5,000.00 – J. Dickman – Tabled from July 16, 2024
- New Business
Action Items:
- Consideration to Pay KDOC – Legal Fees for a Preliminary Visitation Study for the Feasibility Study Regarding the Star Bond Project – $10,000.00 – B. Matkin
- Consideration to Approve Change Order No. 3 – Hofer-Hofer & Associates – B. Matkin
- Request to Pay – Hofer-Hofer & Associates – Application No. 5 – Gunn Park Shower House – $3,726.00 – B. Matkin
- Request to Pay – Hofer-Hofer & Associates – Application No. 6 – Gunn Park Shower House – $10,500.00 – B. Matkin
- Consideration of Resolution No. 18-2024 Adopting the Kansas Homeland Security Region H Hazard Mitigation Plan – B. Matkin
- Reports and Comments
- City Manager Comments
- Engineering Comments
- Commissioners Comments
- City Attorney Comments
XII. Executive Session
XIII. Adjourn
KS July Tax Collections Below Estimate
July Total Tax Collections at 660.3 Million; 1.0% Below the Estimate
TOPEKA – The State of Kansas ended July 2024 with total tax collections at $660.3 million. That is $6.4 million, or 1.0%, below the estimate. Total tax collections are down 3.0% from July 2023.
Individual income tax collections were $308.5 million, which is $8.5 million, or 2.8% above the estimate and down 1.7% from July 2023. Corporate income tax collections were $34.3 million, which is $15.7 million, or 31.4%, below the estimate and down 23.3% from July 2023.
Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $305.1 million, which is $4.1 million, or 1.4% above the estimate, and down $10.1 million, or 3.2%, from July 2023. Retail sales tax receipts are 3.7% less than the July 2023 collections as Kansans continue to save money on groceries from the reduced state food sales tax rate.
Click here to view the July 2024 revenue numbers.
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Public Service Announcement: Don’t Remove Cones/Barricades AND Bring Back The Sign
Public Service Announcement: If there are cones or barricades blocking a work site please go around the block or go a different direction. Please do not remove the cones and drive through the worksite. All you are doing is tearing up the work and most of the time it has to be redone by City of Fort Scott Public Works crews. We have a citizen on video doing just this and will be looking for the person responsible.
I am personally trying to do the best I can to communicate to citizens daily about road closures, water outages, detours, or anything else that goes on; either on Facebook, the radio, or other media outlets, but it takes help from the citizens also. Please communicate to your neighbors.
We have a lot of projects going on right now in Fort Scott and maybe you are not used to this, but it is called progress. This progress is what the citizens of Fort Scott deserve. Remember, we pay a special 1/2 cent sales tax for street repairs, so every time you see someone tearing up work that was done by the city, and it has to be done again. It is taxpayers’ money being wasted.
I will continue to update citizens on things you need to know, and our staff/crews will do our best to eliminate any inconveniences that are caused by progress. Please help us by following the law.
The citizens of Fort Scott deserve better streets and infrastructure, but it will take time to get you what you deserve. It did not crumble overnight, and it will not be fixed overnight. Progress will continue and improvements will be made! We are not perfect so there will be mistakes along the way, but I can ensure you we will work hard to get things done.
Also, if you see our dang sign, bring it back!!!
if you have any questions please write me an email. [email protected].
Brad Matkin
City Manager
City of Fort Scott
Brad Matkin
City Manager
City of Fort Scott
Fort Scott, Kansas 66701
620-223-0550 ext. 210
Evergy Electric Transmission Projects Public Meeting Is August 1 To Review Compliance: Can Be Viewed On YouTube
KCC to discuss future Evergy transmission
projects at virtual public workshop August 1
TOPEKA – The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) will hold a virtual meeting Thursday morning, August 1, beginning at 8 a.m. to discuss Evergy’s plans for future transmission projects. Members of the public are invited to watch the meeting, which will be livestreamed to the KCC’s YouTube Channel and recorded for later viewing.
Evergy representatives will present details of the planned projects, take questions, and hear comments from Commissioners, Commission Staff and the Citizens Utility Ratepayer Board (CURB).
The costs of transmission projects are passed on to ratepayers in the form of a transmission delivery charge (TDC), which appears on monthly electric bills. The workshop gives the public visibility to the transmission planning process, which is designed to provide the infrastructure necessary to ensure reliability while still maintaining affordability for ratepayers.
House Bill 2225 passed by the 2024 Kansas Legislature requires a public meeting to review the utility’s annual transmission compliance filings to the Commission.
Evergy’s compliance filings can be found on the Commission’s website using the following links: Docket Nos.: 24-EKME-253-CPL and 24-EKCE-254-CPL.
Bo Co Commission Minutes From July 22
July 22, 2024 Monday, 5:30 p.m.
The Board of Bourbon County Commissioners met in open session with all three Commissioners and Deputy County Clerk Amber Page present.
Vance Eden, Michael Hoyt, Leroy Kruger, Jason Silvers, Clint Walker, Bonnie Smith, Bo Casper, Kyle Parks, Mike Wunderly, Deb Martin, Jean Tucker, and Christina Kruger were present for some or all of the meeting.
Jim opened the meeting with the flag salute.
Jim said he wanted to have the approval of June financials removed from the consent agenda as he had not had an opportunity to review them. Clifton made a motion to approve the minutes from 7-15-2024. Brandon seconded the motion and all approved. Patty Love, Treasurer, said that the financials need to be approved tonight as the quarterly report needs to be published to avoid audit violations. Jim asked why they received the financials later than usual and Patty explained that Jennifer has been out sick with COVID and that is why there was a delay. Patty said she isn’t asking for them to approve and sign something without reading it and asked the Commissioners to take some time at the end of the meeting to review the financials before approving them. Jim made a motion to approve the June financials. Brandon seconded the motion and all approved.
Mary Pemberton said there has been a lot of confusion about zoning and what it is, what it can’t do, how to implement it, and whether it’s a good of bad thing for the county. Mary stated that zoning does not apply to land used for agricultural purposes including the erection and maintenance of buildings on that land that is used for agricultural purposes and sited KSA 19-2921. Mary briefly outlined zoning that Labette County recently implemented which was zoning in all unincorporated areas of their county that they split into four zoning districts. Mary stated there were A1 and A2 that would cover areas outside of city limits that would be considered suburbs, V1 which is for little towns in the county and the fourth is for the large industrial park outside of Parsons. Labette County only places 11 restrictions of specific land uses and she outlined them and explained they require a conditional use permit which means that certain guidelines must be followed. Mary stated by state statute any use in existence at the time zoning is passed is grandfathered in the zoning. Mary said that the Commissioners have instructed the public to bring a petition to put zoning on the ballot, then bring a letter from an attorney, then a setback committee was formed, and last week there was mention of citizens getting a lawsuit or filing an injection. Mary stated the only was zoning can be enacted is by a resolution passed by the Commission who would then form a zoning and planning board and from there zoning policies would be written and multiple public hearings would be held where the public would be allowed to provide input before the final plan is adopted. Mary asked why the Commissioners keep insisting that residents jump through a bunch of hoops that are not really necessary? Jim asked if Mary thought the Commissioners should have a book put together before it is put on the ballot. Mary said in her opinion yes, that there should be some public meetings where zoning is explained so people understand what is you’re talking about doing because zoning can be fairly easy or get pretty detailed. Clifton asked if Linn County was committing a crime then since they require all new homes to have a permit. Jim said that the Commissioners could require building permits for a house or a special use permit for commercial. Brandon suggested putting in the resolution or wording on the ballot that if zoning were to pass that it would take the entire Board of Commissioners to add or take away from the regulations.
Michael Hoyt said he is heading up a petition to increase the number of Commission districts from three to five. Mr. Hoyt said that he received the number of signatures needed from the Clerk’s Office which is 621 and that the state statute requires it to be 5% of the registered voters. Mr. Hoyt questioned the number of voters registered in Bourbon County versus the population at the last census. Clifton said to contact Jennifer since she is the Election Officer and she will work towards figuring out the situation.
Justin Meeks, County Counselor, asked for an amendment to the agenda for an executive session for active ongoing litigation and acquisition of real property. Clifton made a motion amend the agenda to add an executive session. Brandon seconded the motion and all approved. Clifton made a motion to go into a 7-minute executive session under 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 and KSA 75-4319(b)(6) for the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property to include the three Commissioners and Justin Meeks and will return at 5:58. Brandon seconded the motion and all approved. Clifton made a motion to resume normal session with no action on either justification at 5:59. Brandon seconded the motion and all approved.
Brandon said this is his first year for budgets and requested adding another open work session. Jim said they have two scheduled in August and he will be out of town next week. Brandon said he will come in like he always does on Mondays and if any department head would like to meet with him to go over their budget he will do so. Brandon explained he cannot make any decisions but they can help him understand what they need and why they need it. Jim said they will have a work session on August 12 and August 19 and possibly a third in August. Jim said he is glad to see the committee is here tonight getting ready for another meeting. Jim said he liked Mary’s presentation and that she had a lot of good information. Mary thanked the Commissioners for allowing her additional time to speak this evening.
Jim made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 6:02. Clifton seconded the motion and all approved.
THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS
___________________, Chairman
___________________,Commissioner
ATTEST: ___________________,Commissioner
Jennifer Hawkins, Bourbon County Clerk
7-29-2024 Approved Date
Special Meeting Today at City Hall
NOTICE OF AND AGENDA FOR SPECIAL MEETING
OF THE FORT SCOTT CITY COMMISSION
City Hall Commission Room – 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701
July 29, 2024 – 5:00 P.M.
- Call to Order
- Roll Call
Tim VanHoecke, Matthew Wells, Dyllon Olson, Kathryn Salsbury, Tracy Dancer
III. Pledge of Allegiance
- Invocation
- Approval of Agenda
- New Business
Action Items:
- Consideration of Approval for Healthy Bourbon County Action Team (HBCAT) to apply for the Our Town Grant (a 1/1 match grant), a Letter of Cash Commitment of $16,780.00 to be drawn from the Parks Fund, and $29,720.00 of in-kind services from the City, to be used for the proposed project at Nelson Park – Rachel Carpenter/Executive Director of HBCAT.
- Consideration of Bids for the Investment of $1,500,000.00 in Certificates of Deposit to drawn from the fund and redeposited with earnings to the same fund – B. Matkin
- Consideration to amend Golf Cart Ordinance – T. VanHoecke
- Reports and Comments
- City Manager Comments
- Engineering Comments
- Commissioners Comments
- City Attorney Comments
XII. Executive Session
XIII. Adjourn