May 4, 2026 Bourbon County Commission Meeting Agenda Summary

Bourbon County Commission Meeting Agenda

05.04.26 Agenda

May 4, 2026 | 5:30 PM

• 1. Call Meeting to Order

• 2. Pledge of Allegiance

• 3. Prayer

• 4. Introductions

• 5. Approval of Agenda

• 6. Approval of Minutes: 04.13.26, 04.20.26 & 04.27.26

• 7. Approval of Accounts Payable: 05.01.26 ($309,460.54)

• 8. 2025 Audit: Emily Franks

• 9. Public Comments

• 10. Old Business

  • 1. SEK Juvenile Detention – Allen

  • 2. Unclaimed Property – Allen

  • 3. Auction – Allen

  • 4. Sewer Issue – Milburn-Kee

  • 5. Attorney List Review – Motley

  • 6. County Dump Day

• 11. New Business

• 12. Department Updates

  • 1. County Clerk

• 13. Future Agenda Topics

  • 1. Reminder Worksession 5.11.26: Vacation/Sick Leave (5:30 PM)

• 14. Commission Comments

• 15. Adjournment (Reference: PDF Page 1)

---

Information Packet Summary & Detailed Discussion

Financial Approvals and Audit Updates

The Commission reviewed and approved various financial reports and payments across several meetings. On April 13, accounts payable totaling $445,485.34 were approved (Page 1). By April 27, discussions focused on account coding, specifically moving a Baker Tilly invoice from the Commission budget to the Finance budget (Page 4). The first-quarter 2026 financial publication was also approved in a 3-2 vote (Page 4). The May 1 accounts payable report shows a total of $309,460.54, with major expenditures including a $117,331.61 payment to City State Bank for a rock crusher (Pages 9, 11).

Personnel Policies: Vacation and Sick Leave

A significant portion of recent meetings involved a deep dive into the county’s leave policies following a transition to a new payroll system. On April 13, County Clerk Susan Walker and approximately 40 employees raised concerns regarding altered hire dates and the loss of accrued leave (Page 2).

• Resolution 51-25: On April 27, the Commission voted to restore leave balances to their December 31, 2025, levels as a “Band-Aid” fix while a more comprehensive resolution is drafted (Page 6).

• Proposed Revisions: Commissioner Beerbower has proposed a “front-loading” system for vacation and sick leave, which would move away from incremental accrual to a yearly allotment based on years of service (Pages 2, 5).

• Work Session: A dedicated session to finalize these handbook amendments is scheduled for May 11, 2026 (Page 7).

Infrastructure and Department Operations

• Landfill/Transfer Station: On April 27, the Commission voted to align the transfer station’s physical gates with its posted hours (8:00 AM – 4:00 PM). This addressed constituent complaints about being turned away at 3:45 PM under a previous operating procedure (Pages 7-8).

• Elm Creek Lake: Operations for a proposed quarry at Elm Creek were halted following public concern regarding the loss of recreational space. The Commission is now exploring grants to repair the lake’s dam and improve its potential for RV camping (Page 9).

• Technology & Security: Stronghold Data reported that county systems are 98% secure on Microsoft 365 metrics. However, the County Clerk requested urgent surveillance camera installation for the election equipment storage room to comply with state regulations (Pages 2, 5).

Inter-Governmental Relations

• SEK Juvenile Detention Center: The county is currently weighing the cost-benefit of terminating its membership with the Southeast Kansas Juvenile Detention Center. While withdrawal could save on flat contract rates, officials warned that new legislation (HB 2329) may increase the need for local beds (Pages 3, 9).

• Legislative Updates: Senator Tim Shallenberger visited on April 13, noting that he receives more complaints from Bourbon County than his other districts combined, and urged more cooperative governance (Page 2).

• Disaster Proclamation: A local disaster emergency was declared following storm damage on April 17, 2026, to facilitate aid and damage assessment (Page 10).