Fort Scott, Government

Fort Scott City Commission Agenda Nov. 6

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The agenda for the Fort Scott City Commission for the Nov. 6 meeting at City Hall, 123 S. Main.

I. ROLL CALL:

ADAMSON BARTELSMEYER NICHOLS PARKER MITCHELL

II. FLAG SALUTE

III. INVOCATION: Pastor Matthew Hunt, Faith Christian Center

IV. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS:

V. CONSENT AGENDA:

  1. Approval of minutes of the regular meeting of October 16th, 2018.

  1. Approval of Appropriation Ordinance 1226-A totaling $467,651.58.

  1. Parade Permit – Veteran’s Day Parade – November 10th, 2018

VII. APPEARANCE/COMMENTS/PUBLIC HEARING:

  1. APPEARANCE:

B. CITIZEN COMMENTS (Concerning Items Not on Agenda – 3 minute limit per citizen)

C. PUBLIC HEARINGS/COMMENTS:

6:00 p.m. Vacation of alley – Michael & Megan Rogers, 3RK LLC, and Robert & Patricia Love, and Stuart & Haley Troutman – Alley between Lots 7, 9, 11, 13 & 15, Block 4 and Lots 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, Block 4, McDonald’s Addition – Approval of Ordinance No. 3540

6:15 p.m. – Resolution 42-2018 – directing the repair or removal of an alleged unsafe and dangerous structure and accessory structure located at 302 S. Lowman Street

6:15 p.m. – Resolution 43-2018 – directing the repair or removal of an alleged unsafe and dangerous structure and accessory structure located at 421 W. 5th Street

6:15 p.m. – Resolution 44-2018 – directing the repair or removal of an alleged unsafe and dangerous accessory structure located at the Vacant Lot south of 711 S. Barbee Street

6:15 p.m. – Resolution 45-2018 – directing the repair or removal of an alleged unsafe and dangerous structure and accessory structure located at 1110 Scott Avenue

VIII. CONSIDERATION:

  1. Consideration of Bid – Cutting of Waterway – 23rd Street to Highway 69

  1. Consideration of Fort Scott Public Library appointment

  1. Consideration to waive bid process for the purchase of three sets of bunker gear for the Fire Department

  1. Presentation of preliminary Energy Audit by CTS Energy Group

  1. Consideration of quotes to replace windows at the Water Treatment Plant

  1. Consideration to replace service truck for Water Treatment Plant

  1. Consideration to solicit RFQ’s for Scope of Services for 2018-2019 for Water Treatment Plan Evaluation for our drinking water

  1. Consideration to change membership section of the Employee Council Bylaws.

IX. COMMENTS:

  1. Director Updates: Larry Gazaway

Dave Bruner

Kenny Howard

  1. Commission:
  1. City Attorney:
  1. City Manager:

      1. Change of time of December 4th, 2018 City Commission meeting to 4:00 p.m. due to Downtown Christmas Parade

EXECUTIVE SESSION:

I MOVE THAT THE CITY COMMISSION RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE

SESSION FOR ________________________________ IN ORDER TO

(see below justification)

DISCUSS ______________________________________. THE

EXECUTIVE SESSION WILL BE ___________ MINUTES AND THE OPEN

MEETING TO RESUME AT ________________.

Justifications for Executive Sessions:

  • Personnel matters of 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 or representatives 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

X. MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT: ROLL CALL

Obituary

Obituary of Thomas Applegate

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Thomas Joe Applegate, age 63, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Friday, November 2, 2018, at his home.

He was born September 8, 1955, in Ft. Scott, the son of Thomas C. Applegate and Frances Jo Mason Applegate.

Tom married Deborah Elaine Lee on August 1, 1980, at Miami, Oklahoma.

He had served with the United States Army. Tom dedicated his life to public service. He began his career in firefighting with the Merriam, Kansas Fire Department. He then served with the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Department and the Ft. Scott Police Department. He later moved to the Branson area where he was employed by the Hollister Police Department and volunteered for the Western Taney County Fire Department and also worked for the Forsythe Police Department. Tom later returned to Ft. Scott and worked for the Scott Township Fire Department where he served as Chief.

He enjoyed reading Western novels and watching Western movies.

Survivors include his children Mark King and wife, Michelle, of Moscow, Tennessee; Marie Unruh, of Gridley, Kansas; Ashley Kline and husband, Robert, of Ft. Scott and Keith Applegate and wife, Latisha, of Chanute, Kansas; sixteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Also surviving are a brother David Applegate of Hollister, Missouri and two sisters, Una Fullmer and husband, Jim, of Highlandville, Missouri and Melanie McDaniel and husband, Rick, of Ft. Scott.

His wife, Deborah, preceded him in death on May 29, 2003. He was also preceded in death by two sons, David and Mason Unruh, a brother, Kenneth Applegate and a sister, Georgia Applegate.

William James Schafer will conduct funeral services at 10:00 AM Tuesday, November 6th, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Burial will follow in the Clarksburg Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 PM Monday evening at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Memorials are suggested to the Scott Township Fire Department and may be left in the care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, P.O. Box 347, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Government, Kansas

Drivers License Office In New Location

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Driver’s License Office, 108 W. Second. October 2018.

The Fort Scott Kansas Driver’s License Office recently moved from the Bourbon County Courthouse to 108 W. Second.

The new office is directly behind the courthouse at 2nd and Judson Streets.

This follows the reconfiguration of the courthouse to allow for easier public access to the Bourbon County Commission Room, the Bourbon County Treasurer’s Office, and the Bourbon County Clerk’s Office. These offices were moved to the north wing of the courthouse, following the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office and Correctional Facility to move to its new building at 293 E. 20th.

Hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. Testing must be completed by 11 a.m. in the morning and 2:45 p.m. in the afternoon.

The phone number is 620-223-6319.

Formerly the hours were Thursday and Friday only from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The hours are posted in the lobby of the office at 108 W. Second.
This sign is posted on the door of the new Driver’s License Office at 108 W. Second.
Bourbon County, Schools

Brillhart Makes the Top 16 at Nationals

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After winning the Kansas FFA Creed Speaking competition in May, Uniontown FFA Member Clay Brillhart was set to represent the state of Kansas at the National FFA Creed Speaking Contest in Indianapolis, Indiana. On October 25th, Brillhart competed against 46 other contests from across the United States.
In the preliminary round, Brillhart competed against six other speakers with hopes of being one of the two to advance to the semi-final round. After presenting the Creed and answering questions related to the Creed and agriculture, Brillhart was selected to advance. The semi-final round featured the top 16 Creed Speakers from across the country. From the top 16, four speakers advanced to the final round. Brillhart did not advanced, but was recognized that evening at the awards banquet for finishing in the top 16 speakers in the nation and earning a Silver Emblem.
Clay Brillhart is the son of Mark and Diane Brillhart of Hiattville. His FFA Advisor is Scott Sutton.
Bourbon County, Schools

Uniontown FFA Places at National Meats Contest

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The Uniontown FFA Meats Evaluation team competed at the National FFA Meats Evaluation contest held on October 25th, 2018 on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. The team from Uniontown qualified for the event by winning the Kansas FFA Meats Evaluation contest this past May. Each state sends their top placing team to compete at the national contest.

The team finished 6th out of 42 teams from across the US. All three members of the team, Haydon Schaaf, Nick Hathaway and Gavin Fry, finished in the Gold Emblem division of individuals, which is the top 30% of the 126 members that competed. Haydon Schaaf led the way with a 9th place individual finish. Nick Hathaway was one of four contestants in the entire contest to earn a perfect retail cut identification score. Texas, North Dakota, Washington, Oklahoma and Missouri were the five teams to finish ahead of Kansas(Uniontown).

FFA members who compete in the contest must place six primal and/or carcass classes, quality and yield grade four beef carcasses, answer ten questions over two of the primal/carcass classes, identify 30 retail beef, pork and lamb cuts, complete a team activity testing their knowledge over muscles, bones, value-based pricing and meat formulation and take a 50 question test over their knowledge of meat science.

Haydon Schaaf and Nick Hathaway are seniors at Uniontown High School while Gavin Fry is a freshman at Kansas State University. The team is coached by Uniontown FFA Advisor Scott Sutton.

 

Fort Scott

Chicken and Noodle Dinner Nov. 9

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Medicalodges Fort Scott is sponsoring a drive-up meal fundraiser to provide Christmas presents to its residents from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, November 9.

The facility is located at 915 S. Horton. Orders can be placed by calling 620-223-0210.

The fundraiser meal consists of chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, green beans, a roll and dessert.

Delivery is available for orders of 10 or more,

Drive-up service is under the canopy on the south end of the building. The order is taken and delivered to the car.

 

Opinion

God Is Always Working by Patty LaRoche

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Dave and I left early Sunday morning to drive to our winter home in Mazatlán, Mexico, with high hopes of relaxing, working at the orphanages and catching up with dear friends. We were grateful there were only a few problems (Dallas traffic-NUTS!) in the twelve-hour ride from Fort Scott to Lytle, Texas, where we spent the night, approximately two hours from the border. That evening, friends began texting warnings of Hurricane Willa which was to hit Mazatlán Tuesday evening. We figured that, with an early start on Monday, we could beat the storm and be there mid-day Tuesday to protect our property.

We have no common sense.

Dave and I left Lytle at 7:00 A.M. and two hours later pulled over just short of the immigration office in order to find our passports and documents to present to the guards. Upon NOT finding my backpack which held my passport (not to mention, my laptop and cash), I was a little desperate when I spoke. “Dave, didn’t you say that you were bringing my luggage to the car this morning, and the ONLY thing I was to get was my water bottle?”

“I said I would get your suitcase and reminded you to get your water. That didn’t mean that was the ONLY thing you were to get.”

“Swell,” I growled. “My backpack, the backpack that I assumed you carried to the car, is in the hotel room. We have to go back.”

Two hours to return to our hotel. Do the math. An EXTRA four hours of driving before even crossing into Mexico. Dave was nonplussed about the entire ordeal. I wanted to bang my head into the dashboard. Four hours seemed like ten.

Around noon we registered our truck and had our documents approved. At 12:30 we were greeted with the Mexico Red Light, meaning we would be delayed as our vehicle had to be inspected, X-rayed and designated drug-free. So, at 1:30 P.M. instead of 9:00 A.M., we were in Mexico. The hurricane was five hours closer than when we started.

At dark, we settled in a hotel room the size of a storm shelter, figuring we now could arrive in Mazatlán around 4:00 P.M. the following day, beating Willa by five hours. WRONG! Text alerts and emails kept us posted on the dangers ahead. People were evacuating Mazatlán and heading for Durango, a city on the other side of the mountains…the mountains we still needed to cross. Should we proceed, we would be driving into 120 mile-per-hour winds and flooded streets. Electricity would be turned off, water polluted and tree damage severe.

When it dawned on us that we really did lack common sense, Dave and I stopped in Durango to spend the night. From there, we continued to receive the devastating news of what awaited us in Mazatlán. Because our condo is on the bottom floor, I pictured our furniture floating, smashing through windows and drifting into the Pacific. But by morning, the forecast changed. Willa had altered courses and missed Mazatlán completely.

There was more good news. The hotel concierge reported that the toll roads now were open which was fortunate since they had been closed the day before. We couldn’t have made the drive even if we dared to! Today was a different story.

In retrospect, it was a blessing my backpack was left in the Lytle hotel room. Those four hours lost possibly prevented us from determinedly pressing forward on our trip, causing us to be on the mountain pass when it was closed.

I wonder how old I will have to be before I live out Paul’s writing to “give thanks in all circumstances.” I could have spent those four extra hours singing praises to God instead of pouting. I’m expecting there to be many more times of testing before I have the common sense to know that God is always working for good, even when I’m not.

Uncategorized

Veteran’s Day Parade Entries Sought

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Entries are being sought for the 2018 Veteran’s Day Parade at 5 p.m. on Saturday, November 10.

Marching bands, floats, automobiles, tractors, horses are envisioned as part of the parade honoring veterans.

The oldest Bourbon County veterans will be featured in the parade.

Please pick up an entry form at 231 E. Wall, the Fort Scott Convention and Visitors Bureau or visit www.visitfortscott.com

Bourbon County

Grief Support Lunch Nov.7

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The next scheduled grief support luncheon will be Wednesday November 7th, at noon. 

Anyone dealing with a loss is encouraged to come and bring a friend.

  Rev. Leon Weece will be speaking. 

Cheney Witt Chapel will provide lunch at the Carriage House, 301 S. Main. 

Call us at 223-1186 if you have any questions.  We look forward to seeing you!

Government, Kansas

DCF Announces New Child Welfare Providers

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TOPEKA – Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) Secretary Gina Meier-Hummel is pleased to announce the new child welfare grantees. The new Case Management grant was divided into eight catchment areas, whereas in the current structure, there are only four catchment areas. The new Case Management providers are:

  • Catchment Area 1—Saint Francis Ministries (previously known as Saint Francis Community Services)
  • Catchment Area 2—Saint Francis Ministries
  • Catchment Area 3—KVC Kansas
  • Catchment Area 4—TFI
  • Catchment Area 5—Cornerstones of Care
  • Catchment Area 6—KVC Kansas
  • Catchment Area 7—Saint Francis Ministries
  • Catchment Area 8—TFI

 

The Family Preservation grant catchment areas will continue to align with the four DCF Regions—West, Wichita, Kansas City and East. The new Family Preservation providers are:

  • West Region—Eckerd Connects
  • Wichita Region—Eckerd Connects
  • East Region—Eckerd Connects
  • Kansas City Region—Cornerstones of Care

 

Currently, there are two providers providing both Case Management and Family Preservation services to the entire state. Moving forward, there will be four Case Management providers and two Family Preservation providers.

DCF posted the child welfare RFP’s May 31, which included substantial changes from the current child welfare contracts. DCF developed the improved child welfare grants to address known issues within the Kansas foster care system after receiving input from the public, legislators and stakeholders.

“The new child welfare grants include substantial changes—we are putting Kansas children and families first and emphasizing contractor accountability and oversight,” DCF Secretary Gina Meier-Hummel said. “We carefully designed the new grants to positively change the landscape of child welfare in Kansas, and just as purposefully, we chose providers we believed would best serve the needs of children and families.”

DCF awarded the new child welfare grants following an extensive and robust review process. Two internal DCF teams, consisting of DCF staff from across the state, analyzed and blind-scored each bid submission offsite for three days at the end of August. The agency then entered negotiations with bidders in September, and continued internal discussions into October.

As part of the bid process, each applicant was required to submit a six-month transition plan in order to establish a seamless changeover and continuity of services for Kansas children and families. In addition, DCF has formed internal oversight teams to help support the current and future providers as they transition. The agency is also seeking feedback, both internally and externally, from those who have experienced a contract change before to ensure a smooth transition. To share suggestions, concerns or thoughts, visit http://www.dcf.ks.gov/Agency/pubcomments/Pages/Child-Welfare-Grant-Transition.aspx.

“I am confident that services to Kansas children and families will improve with the new child welfare grants because we have removed conflicts of interest and increased competition, bringing more providers to the table to provide quality, timely services,” Governor Jeff Colyer said. “These new grants will serve as the foundation for enacting true reform in Kansas child welfare.”

Transitions will start January 2019 and the new providers will begin serving Kansas children and families July 1, 2019.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bourbon County Local News