The Fort Scott Planning Commission will meet on Monday, October 3^rd, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. at City Hall, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas.  This meeting will be held to consider the following:

A change of zoning from R-1 (Residential) to C-3 (Commercial) and consideration of a Conditional Use Permit to allow an animal kennel for the property located at 205 Arthur Street.

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.

Diane Clay’s first job with the City of Fort Scott was as Administrative Assistant to the City Manager Richard U. Nienstedt in March 1998.

Her last day on the job is October 1, 2022.

“I have been employed for 24 years…with the City of Fort Scott,” she said.  “I have been City Clerk 23 of those years.”

For many, Clay was the first contact with the city that citizens had.

And for this reporter, she was always helpful and timely in her responses to questions.

The best part of the job for Clay has been helping citizens and working for the city commissioners, she said.

No job is without challenges, and for her,  “Changes are a challenge and there has been lots of them.”

Indeed, there have been five new city managers in the last two years, and a high turnover rate of city commissioners.

Clay said her duties as city clerk included:

• All licensing – Cereal Malt Beverage, Drinking Establishment – Liquor Stores – Electrician – Plumbers – Trash – Fireworks – Golf Cart – UTV
• Preparing city commission agenda packets
• Taking and transcribing minutes from all meetings as well as 12 advisory board meetings.
• Keeping the city website up to date
• Posting all street closings/notices on Facebook and city website
• Plus many, many more

Besides the city clerk, Clay has been the Municipal Court Clerk for the city, whose duties include:

• Attending court and taking accurate recordings of the court sessions.
• Inputing actions into the city’s software
• Keeping accurate accounting of payments made on cases
• Preparing a court docket twice monthly
• Preparing reporting statements to the State of Kansas

Clay became a Certified Municipal Clerk in November 2003 and a Master Municipal Clerk in June 2008, through Wichita State University.

In 2018, Clay was named Outstanding Court Clerk for the State of Kansas.

Plans for retirement?

“Travel and relax!” she said.  “My husband and I have a daughter and son-in-law and a precious 4-year-old grandson that live in Joplin Missouri.  We will spend more time with them I’m sure.”

In addition to her family, Clay has been a constant at her church.

” I have taught Sunday School at Grace Baptist Tabernacle for 49 years!” she said.  “I have sung in the choir for probably 49 years also, and been very involved in the church and will continue to do so.”

Lisa Lewis will assume the Fort Scott City Clerk position on Oct.1 and has been training for the job from Clay for three months.

Fort Scott City Commission has been on “a little rocky road,” new Interim Fort Scott City Manager Jeff Hancock said in a phone interview today.

The rocky road referred to is the  high rate of change in city managers and commissioners over the last few years.

But he sees “a bright future for the city,” he said. “Fort Scott has a lot going for it.”

Zellner Departs

The Fort Scott City Commission met on Sept. 22 to approve the severance agreement for City Manager Kelley Zellner, who resigned  to pursue an employment opportunity in Caney, KS.

Zellner is receiving a payment equal to 30 days pay and accumulated vacation and sick days. The exact amount is still being calculated at the time of publishing this story, according to Hancock.

To view the severance:

DOC092222-09222022141426

Management Partners Consultant Jeff Hancock Signs A Contract for City Manager

On Sept. 20, the City of Fort Scott hired Hancock as interim city manager, and appointed Brad Matkin, current Human Resource Director, to also become assistant city manager. Matkin’s salary was increased to $85,000 annually.

Hancock, from Camdenton, Missouri, is a consultant for Management Partners,  and will provide interim city manager services and assist with recruiting a new manager, if desired.

Management Partners will invoice the city $7,000 per month, plus travel expenses and Hancock will be onsite in Fort Scott, 24 hours per week. Hancock will usually work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays, according to City Clerk Diane Clay.

“I’ll be on call 24/7, even though I’ll be working in Fort Scott three days a week,” Hancock said.

“Under the city manager form of government, the city manager makes pertinent decisions quickly at times,” Hancock said. “Having a professional (interim city manager) is a protection for Fort Scott.”

“The city commission will use me until it’s the right time,” he said. “I anticipate three to four months. I haven’t had a chance to dialogue with the commission about this yet.”

To view the agreement:

4684001_FortScott,KS_interim_CM_MgtServices_exec_22 09 21

Hancock has previous experience as Fort Scott’s interim city manager, when Dave Martin resigned in October 2020 until the hiring of Jeremy Frazier in February 2021. Frazier resigned in August 2021 and an interim city manager, Mark McCoy, was hired until Zellner was hired in December 2021.

To view prior stories on these events:

Dave Martin Retires As City Manager, Effective Oct. 30, 2020

Former FS City Manager Jeremy Frazier is Given Severance Package