Bourbon County, Government

Bourbon County Commission Agenda April 9

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Agenda

Bourbon County Commission Room

1st Floor, County Courthouse

210 S. National Avenue

Fort Scott, KS 66701

Tuesdays starting at 9:00

Date: April 9th, 2019

1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________

2nd District-Jeff Fischer Corrected: _______________

3rd District-Nick Ruhl Adjourned at: _______________

County Clerk-Kendell Mason

9:00-9:45-Jim Harris

11:00-12:00-Justin Meeks

12:00-1:30-Commissioners gone to lunch

Justifications for Executive Session:

          Personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel

          Consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship

          Matters relating to employer-employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the representative(s) of the body or agency

          Confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships

          Preliminary discussions relating to the acquisition of real property

          Matters relating to the security of a public body or agency, public building or facility or the information system of a public body or agency, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting would jeopardize the security of such public body, agency, building, facility or information system

Obituary

Obituary of Michael Gene Cooper

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Michael Gene Cooper, age 68, resident of Fort Scott, KS, died Saturday, April 6, 2019, at Mercy Hospital Joplin, MO. He was born on February 23, 1951, in Fort Scott, the son of Thomas Gene and Betty JoAnn Rye Cooper. He graduated from Nevada, MO high school with the class of 1969. He married Judy Marshall on May 19, 1969, in Fort Scott. Mike worked for Westar Energy as a designer. He loved his work and had been with the company for 38 years. In his spare time, he enjoyed playing video games. He was a devoted husband who loved spending time with his family.

Survivors include his wife Judy of the home; two daughters, Stacy Leachner and husband Chad, Olathe, KS, and Cambria Scharenberg and husband Jeremy, Garland, KS; a son, Matt Cooper, Fort Scott; two sisters, Pam Speer and husband John, Redfield, KS, and Debbie Ebersold and husband Dennis, Cameron, MO; a brother, Thomas Cooper, Deerfield, MO; six grandchildren, Shana Marra, Madison Leachner, Kalen Thompson, Blaine Thompson, Taylor Cooper, and Tyler Cooper; two great grandchildren, Aubreigh Thompson and Solloman Davis; a brother-in-law Shawn Marshall and wife Chana, Fort Scott; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 PM Friday, April 12th, at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Burial will follow in the Memory Gardens cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 Thursday evening at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main, Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

 

Government, Kansas

Work Zone Awareness Week

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The City Hall building in Topeka was lit in orange last year as part of National Work Zone Awareness Week.

 

This “Go Orange” movement is part of National Work Zone Awareness Week, a national safety campaign KDOT and several partner organizations participate in every year. The campaign highlights the dangers faced by highway workers and motorists in work zones and promotes safer behaviors. People are encouraged to participate by wearing orange on Thursday, April 11, the official Go Orange Day! in Kansas.

Stories will be shared each day by highway workers and law enforcement about their experiences in work zones at http://kansastransportation.blogspot.com/ . Other information can be found on the KDOT website at www.ksdot.org.

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Bourbon County

LaRoche’s Sponsor Vets Weekend With Convoy May 1

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The E3 Foundation is proud to partner again with Combat Warriors Inc.

At 1:30 p.m. May 1 the second annual Fort Scott convoy of veterans will begin to travel through town.

Together we are dedicated to assisting our veterans from all branches of the Armed Forces from injuries sustained in combat.

The E3 Foundation has the privilege of hosting multiple outdoor adventures for our combat warriors every year here in southeast Kansas. These hunts are our way of saying “Thank You” and to serve those who have spent their lives serving us. Our mission is to promote family values, friendship, fellowship, and the love of our country with our hero’s.

On Wednesday, May 1st we will have our second annual warrior convoy through Fort Scott. The overwhelming support our town showed these soldiers last year meant more to them than you will ever know.

We would love your help again by simply standing by the street somewhere along the route from Fort Scott Municipal Airport to the E3 Ranch. (Route- We’ll start east on Lake Road, North on 69 Highway, Left on National through town, right onto Old Fort Blvd, left on Wall street traveling East all the way out of town.)

Feel free to make a sign, wave a flag, salute or just simply wave as we honor these brave men and women.

The convoy will start at 1:30pm on Wednesday, May 1st. Keep an eye on @e3foundation Facebook page for up to date convoy information.

Thank you for your support, The LaRoche Family
PO Box 391 – Fort Scott, KS 66701 – foundation@e3ranch

Government, Kansas

Governor Signs Education Bill

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Governor Kelly commends bipartisan compromise, signs education bill

The following remarks are from Governor Laura Kelly delivered at the bill signing ceremony for Senate Bill 16, the bipartisan education bill:

Throughout the 2018 campaign, I told Kansans I wanted to be the “education governor.” And I meant it. It is my number one priority.

After the election, when I sat down with my budget director to put together my budget recommendation, public education was the very first topic of discussion. We looked at the numbers for a long time.

Using the most recent Supreme Court ruling on school finance as a guide, I adopted a plan that was widely embraced as the best path to ending years of school finance litigation.

On Thursday of this week, the Kansas Legislature endorsed this plan as well. I’m pleased we were able to come to a consensus on this critical issue.

Before I sign this bill, I’d like to commend the Kansas House of Representatives and the Kansas Senate for their diligent work. Their efforts resulted in overwhelmingly bipartisan legislation that will inject $90 million more into our public schools. It is a true victory for Kansas.

I also want to recognize an important group of legislators – Senators Molly Baumgartner, Anthony Hensley, and Jim Denning, as well as Representative Valdenia Winn, who shepherded this bill through the conference committee process.

They stood strong for our kids. I thank each of them for their hard work and commitment to bringing us closer to a resolution.

After a significant increase in funding last year, this plan addresses the Kansas Supreme Court ruling and represents what we all hope to be the final step towards fully funding our schools – and maintaining adequate funding in the years to come.

It is a reasonable, good-faith effort that is based on the plan put forth by the Kansas Department of Education and endorsed by the State Board of Education.

Of course, there’s a reason we’re all here on a Saturday. We have an urgent deadline to meet, and we simply do not have a minute to lose.

My signature on Senate Bill 16 is not the end of this discussion. It will make its way across the street to the Kansas Supreme Court. Briefs are due on April 15. Oral arguments will take place on May 9.

No one can predict what the court will rule. But one thing is for certain: this legislation represents a significant bipartisan effort to address the last remaining component of last summer’s court ruling. It is a meaningful, reasonable plan that maintains the stability of the rest of the state’s budget.

The saga over public education funding has been long and hard, and it’s time for it to be settled. I believe that this legislation will allow us to finally end the cycle of litigation and move forward.

For this reason, I am so proud today to sign Senate Bill 16.

 

Area News, Bourbon County, Health Care

Vets Shuttle Now Includes Kansas City

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At the Topeka Veterans Administration Luncheon recently are from left to right: Michael Leachner, Darrell Spencer, Roger “Skipper” Brown, Myra Jowers and Carl Jowers. All are veterans although non-veterans have volunteered to be shuttle drivers as well.

Local citizens have signed on to take veterans to doctors appointments for free at two Veterans Administration Medical Centers in Kansas.  And plans are in place to pick up any veteran along the Hwy. 69 corridor from Fort Scott northward.

To register for a shuttle seat, the veteran must

·         Have an appointment at a VA Medical Center between 9 am and 1 p.m. for the day they schedule their shuttle seat.

·         Call 785-925-0261 or email [email protected] to schedule their seat. All seat reservations must be scheduled by 5 p.m., the day prior to their appointment.

The Fort Scott VA Shuttle service is coordinated by Carl Jowers, who commander of the local American Legion Post 25.

Shuttles are provided on Mondays and Tuesdays from Fort Scott to Topeka VA Medical Center; and Wednesdays from Fort Scott to Kansas City VA Medical Center.

Veterans must have an appointment scheduled between 9 am and 1 pm on the day they ride the shuttle.

“The vet should mention that they are a shuttle rider, when calling for a VA medical appointment,” Jowers said.

The shuttle will depart from the designated spot in Fort Scott,  Pete’s 66 Convenience Store, across from Briggs Automall on Hwy. 69 and will return to Fort Scott after the last veteran has completed their appointment. The departure time is based upon the time of the first appointment of the day at the VA Medical Center day. Riders will be notified of the shuttle departure time the evening before their ride.

“The departure time depends upon the time of the appointment of the riders,” Jowers said.” If there is a 9 a.m. appointment, then the shuttle departs at 6:15 a.m. for Topeka or 6:45 a.m. for KC.  If the earliest appointment isn’t until 10:45 a.m., then the departure time is adjusted accordingly. It didn’t make sense to me for a driver to pickup a rider at 6:15 a.m. to arrive in Topeka at 9 a.m. for a 10:30 a.m. appointment.”
“As the shuttle coordinator, after the reserved seating has closed out at 5 p.m. for the next day’s schedule, I decide on the shuttle’s departure time and convey this information to both the driver and the rider. It’s extra work on my part, but I think it’s a better use of time for both driver and rider.”

The shuttle does not accommodate wheelchairs or pets. Only certified service dogs are permitted on the shuttle. Oxygen tanks are not permitted on the shuttle. Oxygen concentrators are allowed.

Veterans living along Highway 69 may be picked up at the Casey’s Convenience Store in Pleasanton.

“We are going to make a pick up spot at McDonald’s in Louisburg at the intersection of Hwy. 68 and Hwy. 69 for either the Topeka VA or the Kansas City VA,” Jowers said.

“The Ottawa pickup location will be at Love’s Truck Stop at Highway 68 and I35, going to Topeka,” Jowers said.

” Veterans scheduling rides must be at one of our predetermined stops to ride the shuttle,” he said. “This is a shuttle service, not a taxi service. We have to plan for a group. If a person calls and is at a specific spot, they can ride the shuttle. They have to have a seat reserved.”

The VA shuttle holds five passengers and riders must preregister for a seat by calling 785-925-0261. Seats on the shuttle are open to any area veteran on a first come, first served basis.

Family members may not ride with the Veteran on the shuttle. Those veterans who need a caregiver to accompany them must have a signed note from their doctor attesting that the veteran requires a caregiver to accompany them to and from their appointment.

“Drivers have to pass a comprehensive VA medical and background investigation,” Jowers said. “It’s the same process as if you were being hired by the VA. We’ve had quite a few people step up and two more are awaiting background clearance.”

The list of shuttle drivers is: Roger and Faye Brown, Darrell Spencer, Steve Dean, Michael Martin, Michael Leachner, and Danny Graham. Jowers and his wife, Myra are back-up drivers.

Currently, one veteran a week is using the shuttle to get to their medical appointments, Jowers said.

“While at this time, there are not a lot of riders, I think that this will change as vets become aware of the service and begin making use of it,” Jowers said.

 

 

 

 

Bourbon County, Government

Minutes of the Bourbon County Commissio March 28

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This is first in a series of minutes of the Bourbon County Commission provided as a public service. They will be published as they become available.

To see previous minutes click:

http://bourboncountyks.org/index.php/commission-minutes-2019

 

March 28, 2019                                               Tuesday 9:00 am

The Bourbon County Commission met for a special meeting, the Commissioners, the County Counselor and the County Clerk were present.

Lynne made a motion to go into a 30 minute executive session for consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship, Nick seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Justin Meeks and Shane Walker). After the session, Nick made a motion that Lynne Oharah be the contact person regarding the list of incomplete items at the new jail facility, Jeff seconded and all approved.

The Commissioners plan to discuss the jail facility and the list of incomplete items on April 2nd at 10:00 am.

At 10:19, Nick made a motion to adjourn, Jeff seconded and all approved.

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS

(ss) Lynne Oharah, Chairman

(ss) Jeff Fischer, Commissioner

(ss) Nick Ruhl, Commissioner

ATTEST:

Kendell Mason, Bourbon County Clerk

04/02/2019, Approved Date

 

March 26, 2019                                                         Tuesday 9:00 am

The Bourbon County Commission met in open session with all three Commissioners and the County Clerk present.

Jody Hoener, Economic Development Director, met with the Commissioners; she asked permission to attend the Kansas Rural Opportunity Conference in Dodge City, she estimated this to cost up to $300 for the conference registration fee and hotel. Nick made a motion for her to attend, Jeff seconded and all approved.

Nick made a motion to go into a 15 minute executive session for personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel, Jeff seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Jim Harris). No action was taken.

Nick asked Jim Harris to move the Patcher machine to the Industrial Park to do patching there.

Darrin Petrowsky with KDOT met with the Commissioners to give an update and proposed schedule for the 69 Highway project. He said in March they plan to finish the pavement removal, grade for Lime and CTB, prepare and place intersections at Calvary, Deer and Fern, begin Lime and possibly CTB, do signing and Polymer overlay. In April they plan to finish CTB, begin paving the mainline and begin shoulder work. In May they plan to finish paving the mainline, finish shoulder rock, do guardrail work, switch traffic to unrestricted the last week of May and do striping and rumble strips. In June they plan to remove the temporary crossovers, do clean up and do seeding.   He said they should be opening Deer and Fern Road soon.

Mr. Petrowsky said Bourbon County will have several 1R maintenance projects, one of the 1R projects will be from the 59 Junction to the K7 Junction. He said they will be working on a bridge in Bourbon County.   Jeff questioned how KDOT assigns the priority hard surface road projects; Darren said they have a pavement health system. He said they have a van that will drive every mile of the 10,000+ miles in Kansas; this van measures the roughness and cracking in the roads as well as other items, KDOT uses the report that is produced from the van measurements. When KDOT gets funding the wish list areas submitted for repairs by the local KDOT offices are driven by officials and the officials then recommend and approve some of the wish list projects.

Lynne made a motion that the Commissioners meet with Jim Harris and Norm Bowers to view the Industrial Park on March 27th and possible solutions to the road there, Jeff seconded and all approved.

Jeff discussed a culvert for Becky Howard; Jim Harris said the culvert is on the list.

Lynne discussed a pothole at 95th & 54 Highway; Jim Harris said this would be a KDOT issue.

Jim Harris reported that KCAMP gave Bourbon County $2,000 for the risk avoidance grant, this money helped purchase the grill guard and safety lights for the new R&B department pickup truck and the road temperature sensor.

Lynne made a motion to go into a 5 minute executive session for personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel, Nick seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners). No action was taken.

Lynne made a motion to go into a 10 minute executive session for personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel, Nick seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Jim Harris). No action was taken.

Alice Maffet with the SEK Multi Health Department presented a memorandum of Understanding for the SEK Multi County Health Department regarding ambulance service to the Commissioners for approval; Jeff made a motion that Lynne sign the document, Nick seconded and Lynne signed the document.

Nancy Van Etten briefly met with the Commissioners. She questioned how the Ambulance building was progressing; Nick said they are hanging the sheetrock this week and the building will likely be finished by April 15th. Nancy questioned the progress at the SEK Multi County Health Department; Jeff said they will probably move into the building May 1st.

Kevin Gleason met with the Commissioners; he said the road crew was doing a great job.

Jody Hoener met with the Commissioners; she asked permission to spend up to $150 for supplies for the Chamber of Commerce Coffee on March 28th; Lynne made a motion to spend up to $150 out of the Commission budget for supplies, Nick seconded and all approved.

Jody Hoener said she is on the board for the Sunflower Trail, she said the dues are $100 and asked for the Commissioners to vote to spend the $100; Lynne said he didn’t feel they needed to vote on this expense since it will be paid out of Economic Development.

Jody Hoener discussed the Farmers Market sign located at the Wall Street and the Old Fort entrance, she said the sign is faded and needed replaced. She said two bids have been provided to replace the sign; one for $200 (which is re-doing the sign that is there) and a bid for $400 (which would be a new metal sign); she asked if the Commissioners wanted to help fund a portion of the $400 sign to help promote shopping local. Jeff made a motion to support up to $200 for the sign for Economic Development, Nick seconded and all approved.

At 11:35, Lynne made a motion to break for lunch and reconvene at 1:30, Nick seconded and all approved.

Nick made a motion to go into a 10 minute executive session for personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel, Jeff seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Jim Harris, Krista Goltra, Jody Hoener and Justin Meeks). No action was taken.

Nick made a motion to go into a 10 minute executive session for personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel, Jeff seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Jim Harris, Krista Goltra, Jody Hoener and Justin Meeks). No action was taken.

Nick Ruhl said he had heard that Kansas Rock’s had poured a large slab of concrete to place a sign in the County right-of-way.

Lynne made a motion to go into a 30 minute executive session for consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship, Jeff seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks). No action was taken.

Greg Schick met with the Commissioners; he said he had read in the newspaper where the County had waived the dump fees for the debris from the demolition of the Stout building, he asked if the County would consider waiving fees for a project he is doing on Wall Street (the old lumber yard buildings), the Commissioners said they waived the fees when the City of Fort Scott approached them. He questioned if they would be taking bids to tear down the building, the Commissioners did not know if they had taken bids. Mr. Schick said he had received zero help from the City of Fort Scott for his projects. Mr. Schick said he would like to use the road easement in an area on Musket Road; Justin Meeks said he would review this road and discuss this again next week.

Lynne made a motion to approve Resolution 10-19, a wage resolution adding the wages for an EMT 1, EMT 2 and a Paramedic for the Ambulance, Nick seconded and all approved.

Nick made a motion to go into a 5 minute executive session for consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship, Jeff seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks). No action was taken.

Nick made a motion that all of the Commissioners attend the Chamber Coffee at the Courthouse on March 28th, Jeff seconded and all approved.

Nick left the meeting to continue working on the ambulance barn.

Jeff and Lynne reviewed a list of incomplete items at the Law Enforcement Center; Lynne planned to provide the list of items to Justin Meeks, Jeff Fischer and Nick Ruhl for input once compiled.

At 4:39, Lynne made a motion to adjourn and Jeff seconded, meeting adjourned.

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS

(ss) Lynne Oharah, Chairman

(ss) Jeff Fischer, Commissioner

(ss) Nick Ruhl, Commissioner

ATTEST:

Kendell Mason, Bourbon County Clerk

04/02/2019, Approved Date

 

Bourbon County, Fort Scott Community College, Schools

FSCC Celebrates 100 Years In the Community

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Alysia Johntson announced the Centennial Celebration of Fort Scott Community College at the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce weekly coffee Thursday at the college gym.

The school is oldest continually operating community college in Kansas and will celebrate one hundred years of existence September 20 and 21, Johnston told the coffee attendees.

Fort Scott Community College President Alysia Johnston.

“Fort Scott Community College started in Fort Scott High School in 1919,” Johnston told the coffee attendees.

That move allowed students who wanted to start college, but not have to go out of the community, to attend college, said Mert Barrows, a member of the Centennial Committee.

The college moved to the present site on South Horton Street in 1967, Johnston said.

“Today we provide online degrees and also have one of the best occupational areas around,” Johnston said.

“I was a student here for the 50th anniversary (of the college),” Harold Hicks, Centennial Committee Chairman, said.

“This college has a special place in my heart,” Hicks said. “Several members of the committee are graduates and much of our success in life, the seeds were planted here.”

To celebrate the centennial, there is a banquet and tailgate party planned for the community.

The celebration will kick off Friday evening, September 20, with a banquet for graduates, employees, and their families, according to a press release from FSCC. Saturday afternoon, Sept. 21, will feature a tailgate party at the stadium for all members of the community and conclude with the Homecoming game at 7 p.m.

Other activities planned include the burial of a time capsule, a series of featured articles in the newspaper, display cases around the campus, cake celebration, a video depicting campus activities, and appearances at local fairs and other community events, and other activities in the works, according to the press release.

Fort Scott Community College (then Fort Scott Junior College) was voted into existence on November 8, 1918, in a city-wide election. Rees Hughes, principal at Fort Scott High School, administered the newly formed college with fully qualified teachers to teach a program of consisting of foreign languages, English, mathematics, and science that would be identical to that offered by the University of Kansas, according to the press release.

According to a Fort Scott Tribune article published in April 1918, “By establishing the two years of college work in Fort Scott, it offers an unusual opportunity for students in Fort Scott and Bourbon County and adjacent counties to secure two years of normal school or college work while near home. The work done in the Fort Scott Junior College will be fully accredited at any of the colleges, normal schools or universities of the state,” according to the press release.

Centennial Committee members: Hicks, Barrows, Carolyn Sinn, Valetta Cannon, Bernita Hill, Robert Nelson, Bob Cable, Lori Cable, Rhonda Bailey, Ellen Fairchild, Leslie Damien, Karri Johnson, Marcel Normand and Kassie Feugate-Cate.

Contact person for the Centennial Committee is Harold W. Hicks, [email protected], Fort Scott Community College, 2108 South Horton, Fort Scott, Kansas 66701. Tel: 620.223.2700 X3150

 

Bourbon County Local News