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5-15-25 A

5-15-25 R

The Bourbon County Commission addressed restructuring county administration, animal control, and public forums on zoning in their meeting this week.

Old Business

Policy and Procedures

Letter Head

Commissioner Mika Milburn brought examples of letterheads made with a smaller font than the current letterhead for use on all official county documents to make them uniform. She proposed two letterheads for Bourbon County, one for books, cover pages, and official documents, and the other for documents that will have the larger letterhead style, where feasible. She instructed that the county keep its current letterhead with the font changed to match the new, smaller letterhead the board chose.

Milburn moved to approve the letterhead per KSA 19-2126. The commission approved.

Dump Fees for Employees

“So that’s complicated,” said Milburn.

Commissioner David Beerbower said he had received emails about the policy of allowing county employees to dump for free as it pertains to the IRS definition of fringe benefits. “I’m not even sure why this has become such an urgent topic,” he said. This benefit has been in place longer than any of the commissioners have been alive, since before the current county landfill started. “It’s always been kind of an unwritten rule, but in today’s society we can’t do that,” he said. He talked about the need to get numbers from payroll as well as other information.

“I think we need to table it and figure it out…There’s more benefits than just the dump fees that we got to figure out. There’s just a lot to consider,” said Commissioner Brandon Whisenhunt.

They tabled it until June 9.

Separation of Public Works and Landfill Departments

Beerbower said the original idea came from Whisenhunt and has been a part of the commissioner’s discussion for a number of months.

“The landfill has its own budget,” said Whisenhunt, of about $800,000 for 2025. “There’s not any reason why it can’t stand on its own, be its own budget item, have its own supervision. And then that person reports directly to the commission,” he said.

“What’s driving us to make this choice?” asked Milburn. She said she would like a risk assessment, benefit analysis, and cost analysis before making the decision to separate the landfill from the Public Works Department. Beerbower said they end up “spinning our tires” when trying to get a cost analysis, due to the cost of getting a cost analysis.

“2025 is the perfect way to go because in 2026 we go to five commissioners, so if this experiment does not work with the 2025 budget as it stands, we can reverse this,” said Beerbower.

“I’m not willing to experiment with taxpayer money,” said Milburn. Pointing out that “everything costs.”

Someone in the audience asked what the benefit of the restructuring would be. Beerbower said that restructuring is needed because the county needs change, as continuing to do things the way they always have will not lead to improvement. “The advantage of it is that they’re smaller, more workable departments,” Beerbower said. It will be more economical in the long run to streamline things. However, he did not have numbers to share to support his position.

“The people that I was trying to work with to develop an overall plan…nobody wants to work out a possibility of change…it’s all about protecting what they’ve got,” said Beerbower.

Another person asked what the benefit to the public would be of making this change.

Whisenhunt explained that the landfill, as a government entity, is not allowed to make a profit, but if they can lower operating costs, they can pass those savings on to customers in the form of lower rates or fewer tax dollars being spent to operate the landfill.

One audience member said that Bourbon County charges more than surrounding counties for waste disposal.

Haulers in attendance expressed concern about landfills in the area increasing their rates and suggested up-charging for non-local dumping, since local businesses are already supporting the county through their taxes. They also expressed concern about giving free dumping to county employees and charging everyone else extra to make up the difference.

“We’re not changing anything from the operational standpoint other than the supervision of it,” said Beerbower. “That’s not a good enough reason to separate it,” said Milburn.

“It’s about the money. I think we need to do a cost analysis on everything,” said Milburn, addressing the issue of restructuring county departments.

Jennifer Hawkins, Deputy Clerk, talked about the budget reports, showing all the money that’s come in and gone out of the various funds, including the landfill. The report shows that in 2025, the landfill has incurred $229,724 in expenses while bringing in $178,175 in revenue. Whisenhunt pointed out that the negative balance is in part due to the large building payment made at the first of the year. “It should start coming back,” he said.

Whisenhunt said his experience in the trash business has shown him how much money it could make if it was prioritized. “I work for the biggest trash company in the world…and I just see how trash can make money.” It has to go from being a second thought to make that profit.

Whisenhunt made a motion that the county separate them but didn’t get seconded.

The commission voted to table the issue to June 16 to allow time to find and crunch the numbers to support their disparate claims.

Beerbower invited the vocal audience members to come back June 16 when the item will be brought up again.

New Business

Animal Control

The commissioners spoke over the phone with Ealyn Taylor about animal control issues in the county. She said she was coming to them on behalf of animals being dumped in the county. For the last three years, she’s been picking up, vetting, and re-homing animals dumped in the county. The change to the city’s animal control laws has led to an excessive amount of dumping, especially in the last two years. She’s at capacity and needs help or land to be able to keep doing the work she’s been doing. She asked the county if there is any land available to start housing animals that are being dumped.

“I do anything that I possibly can for the community as far as the animals go, but I’m at the point where I need some help on getting them some sort of temporary housing,” she said. The shelter here is a kill shelter, and she’s trying to keep the animals from dying.

“I have a plan for a self-sustaining sanctuary. I’ve been looking for acreage,” said Taylor.

Beerbower said The first step in this process is looking at the list of land that Bourbon County owns and then start chipping away at the process, including the legal ramifications.  Taylor said she would apply for non-profit status if the county could offer her land for this purpose.

“I know we all care,” said Beerbower. Hopefully, others will get involved and offer assistance.

“I need a little boost up in the right direction from the community,” said Taylor, thanking the commissioners for their help.

Zoning Advisory Board

The citizen zoning advisory board is planning three public forums scheduled for May 14 at 6 p.m. in Uniontown, May 20, 6 p.m. in Fulton, May 21, 6 p.m. at Memorial Hall in Fort Scott.

Beerbower moved to extend the board’s deadline for presenting recommendations to the county commission to Monday, June 9, to allow them time to meet again after the public forums.

He also explained the board’s decision not to post their meetings to YouTube. The meetings are open to the public, which is all that is required by state statutes.

Freeman Timeline Extension

Freeman has asked to extend their deadline for opening the Emergency Room from June to September 1, 2025. Part of the reason is getting it up to the new ADA codes, particularly the fire monitoring equipment. The company that does that is backlogged.

Whisenhunt moved that the chairman sign the extension, and the commission approved.

County Cameras

The commission spoke with Public Works Director Eric Bailey and Brian Murphy, Advisory Deputy to the Sheriff’s Department about the cameras used throughout county facilities.

The purpose of the cameras is for supervisors to be able to monitor their departments when not on site, said Milburn.

Murphy advised that the county be sure supervisors can access the footage of their own department only for monitoring when they are off-site.

Beerbower expressed concern that the proper chain of evidence of footage be maintained in case of criminal activity being caught on camera.

Beerbower moved that all camera systems be placed under the operational control of the sheriff’s department and transfer all equipment and programs to be housed independently at the sheriff’s office. The motion died for lack of second.

Milburn moved to bring the discussion to a county work-session for further discussion on June 23.

Commissioner Comments

Milburn asked that commissioners not introduce motions in the commissioners’ comments section of the meeting, but add them to the agenda in the business section. She also apologized for the lengthy meeting at the beginning of her time in office and said she will make an effort not to overload the agenda in the future.

Whisenhunt agreed with Milburn. He said it’s important for the commissioners to be transparent with one another through the meeting agenda process, since they aren’t permitted to talk to one another outside of the meetings themselves.

Beerbower spoke of the election to add three new commissioners, saying that currently one candidate for District 4 and no candidates for District 5 have filed. The deadline to file is noon on June 2. He expressed concern that there be candidates for those seats. He was advised that many people wait to file for election until the last minute.

Whisenhunt said in his radio address he will mention the need for nurses and support staff at Freeman Hospital.

Disc golf, sales tax, and fireworks were all dealt with at the May 6, Fort Scott City Commission Meeting.

Appearances

Parks Advisory Board, Purchase of Disc Golf Baskets

Danny Craig spoke to the commission about the Parks Advisory Board’s decision to purchase a new set of disc golf baskets. “The more baskets we have the more people we can have for our tournaments,” he said. By having 36 baskets the parks can facilitate 180 tournament players.

The baskets with numbers and columns will cost $9,100. The plan is to add 18 new baskets to Gunn Park with the option to move them to other locations such as Riverwalk Park of Fort Scott Community College for tournaments. Gunn Park has two to three placements for each basket. The new baskets have more chains and catch discs easier than the old baskets.

“It is impressive how many people are playing at Gunn Park,” said Commissioner Dyllon Olson. Craig noted that it’s a growing sport in the area.

City Manager Brad Matkin asked if he would consider placing them permanently at Fort Scott Community College. Craig said he would.

The commission approved the purchase.

Jake’s Fireworks Sales

Marcus Shearhart, regional building manager for Jake’s Fireworks in Kansas asked that the city adapt to the state law for fireworks selling season, which is June 20 to July 7. Current selling dates in Ft. Scott are June 27 to July 5. Jake’s Fireworks has purchased the old Walgreens building, where they are currently selling Memorial Day Flowers.  Next they will sell fireworks. Starting August 1, they will convert to Jumpy Jumpland, an inflatables park. Jake’s Fireworks has also purchased the old Taco Tico and will bring in a Quick Sip coffee shop. They also have plans for the old Pizza Hut building.

The commission voted to amend the current ordinance to match the state’s dates. Shooting dates remain unchanged.

GAAP Audit, tabled from 4/15/2025

Ben Hart talked to the commission about the meaning of switching over to a GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) system. GAAP are adopted nationwide, but the state of Kansas has decided that some cities and counties didn’t need to adopt them because of cost of changing over. Other cities in the state go by Kansas Municiple Audit Accounting Guide (KMAAG).

He gave the commission a three-page memo on the subject, as they had voted in an early meeting to switch over to the GAAP system in 2025, and he wanted them to understand the potential cost.

Mayor Timothy Van Hoeke asked Hart to give his professional estimate of the cost to the city to move to the GAAP system. Hart answered it would be at least $100,000 the first year, and the ongoing annual cost will be anywhere from $60,000 to $80,000 more than currently paying. The main reason for the increase is the people that would have to be hired to write up the financials and do asset assessments. The city would need to have permanent staffing to facilitate it. Currently, they only do cash basis and statutory audits.

Hart said that he was not asking for a decision tonight, but giving information. It will require budget amendments to pay for the new hires, and this is not an easy decision to reverse.

Matkin asked about the benefits of choosing GAAP versus KMAG. Hart said that GAAP is of more benefit to entities that issue a lot of debt, which Fort Scott does not do.

The commission decided to have the financial staff bring back a waiver to not go with GAAP and to address it in the next budget meeting

“I would like to see the city do a GAAP, but not for that cost,” said Olson.

Unfinished Business

Pumper Truck Purchase tabled from 4/15/2025

The commission approved the purchase of the Spartan, top-mount pumper truck for $784,702.

New Business

Public Hearing: CDBG Grant from Memorial Hall

Kylie Moore, grant specialist, said she’s hopeful they will be awarded the grant this year, as there’s more funding this round than there was last year.

The grant would be used to replace windows, restore masonry and mortar, and repair the northeast corner of the building. Some of which was damaged by water infiltration. The total cost estimate for the project is $766,484 and the city would match the grant at $184,282.

The application will be submitted on May 21, and results will be available two to three weeks after submission.

The commission approved going after the grant.

Request to Vacate Alley and Street at 123 McCleverty Street

The commission denied this request when it was first presented, However, the owner, Alyssa Green, says the information was incorrect at the original hearing and asked to present accurate information.

Mr. Williams spoke to the commission on Green’s behalf. Williams claimed that Second Street runs through Green’s house, and the alley intersects a building. He also said that Second Street ended at Lincoln and wasn’t plotted to go further in 1857.

Commissioner Matthew Wells and Olson both said that the city was plotted to have Second Street run all the way through. This issue is common in Fort Scott. Wells expressed concern that the precedent set by this would send landowners the message that if they build on city property, the city will give them the land.

Williams said that the city should not have allowed a building permit to build homes on city land.

Wells said that the city is following a rule of not choosing to vacate properties in this situation. He also said it’s incumbent on the property owner to do a survey to determine where the city’s property lines and easements are.

Matkin suggested offering Green the piece that part of her house rests on in exchange for her giving another piece of her property to the city.

Van Hoeke suggested that realtors in the area shouldn’t tell prospective buyers that getting the city to vacate property in dispute is to be expected.

Commissioner Tracy Dancer proposed that the engineer and the city attorney work out a land swap pursuant to a survey paid for by the owner or any agent of the owner. Motion carried.

“Rather than just saying ‘no,’ we’re giving you an opportunity to work this out,” said Van Hoeke.

Action items

Consideration of bid for CDs for wastewater, $2,000,000

The commission approved putting $2,000,000 from the wastewater fund into a CD at UMB Bank at the rate of 3.85%.

Consideration of Sales Tax Ballot Question

City Manager Brad Matkin spoke to the commission about the vote for the half-cent sales tax coming up this year. They need to make a decision at their May 20th meeting to get the question onto the ballot in time.  Of the current half-cent tax, 90% is paid to streets, 10% to parks and community facilities. Matkin suggested a couple of possibilities, including staying at a half-cent and sending 80% to streets, 10% to public safety, and 10% to parks. This would help pay for the new pumper truck while not taking much from streets. Another option is to increase the tax to one cent, giving 85% to streets, 5% to parks, and 10% to public safety.

“We want to make sure we’re doing the best we can with the funds we’re getting. One thing to remember, sales tax comes from everyone,” said Matkin, including out-of-town visitors. Without the sales tax, a property tax increase may be needed, which would only be paid by residents. Raising the sales tax could allow for a reduction in property taxes.

Olson asked if the reduction in the amount going to the streets would affect the city’s ability to get planned future projects done. Matkin said that the city is doing more in-house work and has more equipment now than in the past, which will allow them to do the street projects for less.

Matkin suggested that the ballot question be to approve a 10-year tax. He also recommended having two or three town halls before the vote to explain it to the public and answer questions.

VanHoeke suggested that the commission take the information home and think it over for a vote next meeting. The commission voted to do so.

Consideration of Gunn Park Shelter Three Improvements

Brad Matkin said the only bid for repairs that the city received was for $55,000. This would be to repair masonry and wood elements of the shelter and would come from the parks sales tax fund. This shelter is one that the city rents out.

Consideration of 2025 Hay Rights Bids

The bid for haying at the airport went to Tip and T Cattle for $9,000.

Discussion of revamping land bank program

Brad Matkin said the land bank would like to have the city’s Housing and Revitalization coordinator take over management. She will help clean titles and coordinate neighborhood revitalization with the land bank properties. She deals with land bank issues daily. It would fit right into her job scheme and allow the city to keep the current funds for management.

VanHoeke asked Bob Farmer, city counsel, to look at the ordinances and make sure they can do that.

“It’ll make the whole process a lot smoother and allow us to coordinate things better with the city and the contractors moving forward,” said Wells.

Consideration of Use of Law Firm for Land Bank

Wells said that the land bank wants a Memo Of Understanding (MOU) with the attorney that Bourbon County will be using for its sheriff’s sale so that he can clear property titles as needed.

Motion carried with “no”s from Dancer and Olson.

Request to pay Heck & Wicker Inc. for Horton Street and Sixth Street Improvements $422, 022.76

Mr. Dickman, engineer, said that inspection shows that every item billed has been completed. The striping is still to be done.

Wells was very displeased with the asphalting job. “That road should have been done right. It should have been done according to specs.”

Wells moved to litigate for having the road re-done. Dancer and Wells voted yes, but the other commissioners voted it down.

Olson moved to pay it, but it didn’t pass. Salsbury, Wells, and Dancer voted against paying it.

Dickman will start the process with H&W to have unsatisfactory items repaired.

Consideration proposal for East National Project Design

Tabled until next meeting.

Reports and Comments

City Manager Brad Matkin

Hometown Parking Lot south of Hometown Pub has one more pour and they hope to finish it this week. It should be a 30-spot lot.

Sixth and Main Intersection is scheduled to be concreted by the end of May as well as the First Street Parking Lot, weather permitting.

The Eddie Street project is next in line. The water department will be doing the waterline project between 8th and 9th street after school is out at the end of May.

Moody Building update: There is a permit, but no work has been done in the last two weeks. Matkin hopes for more info on that by the next commission meeting.

“Things are going good in Fort Scott,” said Matkin. He mentioned the successful First Friday for May. The next one will be in August, as Good Old Days and Fourth of July will be at the beginnings of the next two months.

May 17, a Luau and opening of splash pad with sno cones and bands is planned. The Aquatic Center opens Memorial Day, May 26.

Farmers Market started May 3 and will continue on Saturdays from 8-12 and Tuesdays 4-6.

Commissioner Kathryn Salsbury asked to add to the next meeting agenda revisiting the idea of making the window when fireworks are allowed to set of fireworks shorter. She expressed concerned for veterans, pets, victims of domestic violence, and autistic kids.

Wells mentioned that St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church will host a melodrama during the Good Old Days Festival this year.

Olson said he is pleased will the filling of businesses in town. “Fort Scott’s not dying.” He thanked city manager and his various crews for what they do for the city. He also expressed gratitude for the other commissioners and the progress he sees.

County Commissioners began discussions to restructure those departments within the county that the commission is over. They also ordered a safety study for the Elm Creek Lake Dam.

Old Business

Policy and procedures

Commissioner Mika Milburn talked about the need for an interim reference addendum to the county’s 2002 policy book as the commission revisits and revises it. She suggested assigning reference numbers to the forms and procedures as they make or revise them for easy reference during revision and in the final product.

County Clerk Susan Walker has started adding reference numbers to forms as they are being amended. She has also requested an administrative procedure book separate from the original policy and procedure book. Commissioner David Beerbower agreed.

Per the commission’s decision in the April 28 meeting, the road closure request form now has relevant statutes on the back, instructions for accurately filling out the form, and includes the proviso that those applying for road closures pay the county’s administrative costs to close the road.

An audience member expressed that requiring a citizen to pay for administrative costs of road closures seemed unfair in light of the taxes paid by citizens for the maintenance of that road.

The commission approved Resolution 1625 to update the road closure form and costs.

Resolution for waiving landfill fees for cities of fewer than 400

Beerbower expressed concern that the reduction in landfill fees will reduce income for the Public Works Department. However, he’s okay with giving the break to cities that do the demolition themselves.

“I’d rather all of the garbage be in one spot than all over the county, personally,” said Milburn. She sees this an opportunity to help build and grow in the county.

Public Works Director Eric Bailey said there’s been inconsistent charges to municipalities for construction and demolition waste in the past. He recommended charging for C&D because of the work it requires.

Commissioner Brandon Whisenhunt moved to approve the resolution. Milburn and Whisenhunt voted “yes,” Beerbower voted “no.”

Set public hearing for vacation of road for May 19, 2025 at 5:35pm

The road for the hearing is the alley in between lots 3 and 4 of sub of lot one block eight in Hyattville.

Budget Work Session Update

Milburn wanted to put out a reminder that the commission has requested each department’s detailed budget be submitted to the commission by June 1, 2025.

Work Comp Procedures and Benefits

Beerbower spoke of changes he is proposing to the way the county handles Workman’s Comp. He said the purpose of Workman’s Comp is to protect employees from financial hardship due to injury on the job. With added medical expenses costs amount to more than the 66.67% that comp provides to an employee. In light of the impact on the employee’s inability to work and possible need for care causing their spouse to be unable to work, Beerbower believes there should be changes.

His suggested changes state that any employee injured on the job will be placed on administrative leave until their status is determined, with pay. If placed on workman’s comp, they will remain on administrative leave with 50% pay and remain in that status until released from workman’s comp.

County Counselor Bob Johnson cautioned that it would be wise to run this change by the county’s insurance provider to be sure that if the county has a policy to continue to pay an employee it won’t affect their workman’s comp benefits.

The commission chose to table it until the May 12 meeting to gather more information.

Human Resources

Bob Johnson, county counsel, said most counties don’t have human resources, but it runs through the clerk’s office and then goes to the county counsel if needed. Regarding grievances, he said he would be glad to assist. He also referred to the handbook as the main source of information and guidance.

He offered to talk to Susan’s office to help them make a plan for how to handle employee grievances and infractions in the future.

Milburn expressed concern about a conflict of interest in using the clerk’s office as the county’s HR resource. Johnson agreed, saying she was right and that he would be glad to help.

Hiring for a Floater Position

Milburn said the commission allocated $13,000 at the last meeting for a floater position to help in various offices and report directly to the commission. As it is the county’s policy to hire from within whenever appropriate and possible, she moved to hire Jennifer Hawkins for the position.

The commission approved the motion.

News Business

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

Don George with KDWP spoke to the commissioner about the $40,000 grant from his department that the county received to help with the dam at Elm Creek.

George recommended that the commission renew its current grant, which has expired. The project has been ongoing since August of 2021, but it is much more extensive than a $40,000 project. The grant is a 25/75 split, committing the county to pay 75% of the costs of dam repairs. However, George said they could apply for a phase II grant of another $40,000.

Milburn expressed concern that the project would end up being much more extensive than currently projected.

Eric Bailey suggested they look at minutes from previous commission’s discussion to see if they made any decisions about it.

He also spoke to Frank Young from  AG Engineering today, who strongly encouraged the commission to do a safety inspection on the dam to give them recommendations on all that they notice out there. The inspection will cost the county $3000 and has at least a 60 day wait.

Bailey strongly encouraged an inspection and George agreed. Bailey said they know of 3 areas where water is getting through and a valve that needs to be dealt with.

Whisenhunt said he is on a hunt for other money to help with the lake.

The dam was a WPA project and has historical value, said George.

Milburn asked who the county had that could go look for grants. But there’s not currently an economic development resource for the county.

The commission approved motions to extend the grant application and to hire Ag Engineering to do a safety inspection of the dam.

Hard Surface Roads and Bridge Repair Request

Eric Bailey, public works director, spoke to the commission about Uniontown Maple Road connecting a county road to a highway, which will be done later this year as the funds become available.

Yale Road is a priority for his department this year.

The commission approved the current hard surface plan and asked Bailey to come with to the commission with any changes.

Bridge

It’s time to apply for grants for bridges. This year’s bridge is on Jayhawk between 195th and 205th. “It really needs to be replaced,” said Bailey. It would be a project similar to the one at 60th and Grand.

The current estimated cost is $889,127, with the cost to the county being around $85,000. May 23 is the deadline to apply for the 90/10 grant, with the state paying 90 and the county paying the 10 percent.

In the past the county set aside money from a previous FEMA declaration to pay its portion of the bridge replacement costs. When Bailey took over, the county had about $300,000 set aside for that use. A good deal of that was used up with the flood of 2024, but they are expecting a reimbursement from FEMA.

The commission moved that Bailey apply for the grant.

Elm Creek Shelter House #2 has the roof off for replacement, and two large trees near it had to be taken down.

The commission approved the culvert requests.

Adopt a Countywide Letterhead

Milburn suggested that the commissioners bring examples of letterheads for them to choose from.

“Things are changing so we need to change our logo,” said Whisenhunt. He suggested having a school competition at the start of the 2025-26 school year for students to design a new logo for the county.

Dump Fees for Employees

Milburn moved to end the perk of no dump fees for county employees because of complaints she had received from more than one person.

Beerbower wants to deal with the inconsistency issues but keep the benefit for county employees.

Whisenhunt said that if they are going to run it as a benefit, they should figure out what it’s costing the county.

The motion failed for lack of a second, and the issue was tabled for discussion at the next commission meeting.

Bourbon County Mission Statement

Milburn said, “I think we need a mission statement.” Beerbower agreed, and the commissioners agreed to bring it back up on June 2.

Commissioner Comments

Beerbower announced that due to surgery, he will be unavailable after the 13th for a couple of weeks and needs a commissioner to attend the zoning committee meeting on May 14th.

Beerbower then spoke of the changes the commission has been working on, particularly in how the county does its work. He said he believes it’s time to start restructuring some of the departments that the commission oversees. He moved to separate the landfill from public works, using revenues generated by the landfill to offset their budget. The landfill is vital to the community, he said, “I believe they will benefit more from having their own supervision and answering directly to the commission.”

Milburn said she thought separating that would cause additional cost to the county in the form of hiring a director.

Beerbower said that he had reservations about the seperation when it was first proposed, but now believes it’s the right move.

Milburn suggested that they let Johnson help with the personnel issues and wait until they get to the budget talks to do anything further. She wants to see all the restructuring as a whole rather than starting on it piecemeal.

Whisenhunt believes restructuring is also in order, but the problem is that they have a building they need to pay for. The need to crunch the numbers is the only reason Whisenhunt didn’t second it so the motion died.

Milburn then moved to table the discussion and to look at the restructuring as a whole.

The motion carried.

Milburn thanked the cooperating agencies that have kept on through the years advocating for the community, particularly George with KDWP.  She also thanked Johnson for offering to help with the HR issues and Greg Motley for his help with the budget meetings.

“I am committed to improving and becoming more proficient,” she said.

“I want to thank you [Milburn] for jumping right in and taking the bull by the horns,” said Whisenhunt. He also thanked the citizens who speak up and tell the commission what they think.

Laura, the register of deeds, is fighting pneumonia. Whisenhunt asked that we please pray for her. She is a vital part of the county.