Bourbon County Courthouse
210 S. National Ave Fort Scott, KS 66701 Phone: 620-223-3800
Fax: 620-223-5832
Bourbon County, Kansas
1st District Commissioner
2nd District Commissioner
3rd District Commissioner
Bourbon County Commission Agenda 210 S. National Ave.
Fort Scott, KS 66701
A budget work session will be held on Monday, June 24, 2024 in the Commission Room beginning at 1:00 p.m.
Bourbon County Courthouse
210 S. National Ave Fort Scott, KS 66701 Phone: 620-223-3800
Fax: 620-223-5832
Bourbon County, Kansas
1st District Commissioner
2nd District Commissioner
3rd District Commissioner
Bourbon County Commission Agenda 210 S. National Ave.
Fort Scott, KS 66701
June 24, 2024 5:30 p.m.
Executive Session Justifications:
KSA 75-4319 (b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(2) for consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the
attorney-client relationship.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(3) to discuss matters relating to employer/employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the
representative(s) of the body or agency.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(4) to discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust and individual proprietorships
KSA 75-4319 (b)(6) for the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(12) to discuss matters relating to the security measures, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting
would jeopardize such security measures.
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Mildred L. Bolin, age 98, resident of Fort Scot, KS passed away Thursday, June 20, 2024, at the Via Christi Medical Center in Pittsburg, KS. Services for Mildred Bolin will be announced by the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main.
Sam Owen, 29, Fort Scott, graduated from Hamilton, MO. High School in 2014 and attended Fort Scott Community College from 2014-16 earning an associates degree in construction.
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~~ Gov. Kelly Also Signs Legislation Approving Economic Development Tool to Attract Professional Sports Teams to the State ~~
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that she has signed Senate Bill 1, bipartisan legislation that will provide tax cuts for all Kansans without threatening the state’s long-term fiscal health. The bill reduces property and income taxes, immediately eliminates the state tax on Social Security income, and increases the standard deduction and Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.
“I am proud to be delivering on my commitment to responsible, meaningful tax relief for all Kansans,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “I appreciate the Legislature’s quick work to pass this tax relief package. Senate Bill 1 provides significant tax relief while preserving our ability to continue fully funding our public schools, roads and bridges, and State Water Plan.”
The governor also signed House Bill 2001, enabling the use of the Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bonds, an economic development tool, to expand Kansas’ portfolio of professional sports teams. STAR Bonds allow the issuance of bonds to finance the development of major commercial, entertainment, and tourism projects. The bonds are paid off through the sales tax revenue generated by the development.
“We know that modernizing our economic development tools provides the opportunity to increase private investment into the state,” Governor Kelly said. “By modifying the STAR Bonds program, one of our strongest economic development mechanisms, lawmakers crafted a viable option for attracting professional sports teams to Kansas.”
Click here to learn more about STAR Bonds.
I should have spoken up. At least then, the long-term damage might have been minimized. Instead, I chose to stay silent.
No excuse.
While in Walmart this week, I was in the toy section when I overheard a mother in the next aisle holding her ground against her demanding daughter who insisted on getting a toy. She was reminded that she had “hundreds” of toys at home that she never even played with, so she was not going to get another one. “I am not buying you that doll. You have dozens of them already.” The whining continued, but the mother held her ground. Yea, Mom!
When they ventured down my aisle, I was surprised to see that this was no toddler. She was, perhaps, four or five years old. As more things were pulled from the shelf, the youngster imploring her parent that she “needed” this or “needed” that, Mom held firm.
Tell her that you are proud of her for not allowing her daughter to win, I told myself. Tell her. The voice in my head persisted, but I said nothing.
You know what happened next. As I checked out, the mom/daughter duo pulled their cart up next to mine. Four toys (one, a doll) sat alongside a quart of milk and a loaf of bread.
NOOOOOOO, I wanted to scream. Why did you give in to her? You are creating a monster, a spoiled, “‘No’ doesn’t mean ‘No’” monster. Of course, you probably already have asked yourself why this mother even brought her child into the toy section if she had no intention of buying her anything. No doubt, this was not their first Walmart, toy story experience.
What is so hard about having our “no” mean “no” and our “yes” mean “yes”? The Bible actually addresses that in Matthew 5:37: Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
Our words matter; they should be reliable and sufficient. This scripture does not mean that adding words to our “yes” or “no” is demonic. Verse 37 simply explains the verses preceding it in which Jesus is saying that we should not swear at all. We should not have to “swear to God” or “cross my fingers, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye” or even “pinky promise.”
How many times have you heard a parent say, “How many times do I have to tell you…”? Oh, I don’t know, Parent, probably as many times as you’re going to say it before you, in exasperation, start yelling or smacking or simply give in. And we wonder why kids become entitled brats.
Proverbs 3:12 tells us that the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. Discipline is necessary, Readers, and I have to believe that the easiest way to teach our children right from wrong is to say what we mean and mean what we say. If we’re going to say “No,” our “No” should have no Plan B. Start early, and the lesson will be much less painful.
In “Empowering Parents.com,” several suggestions are given to make sure our kids do not grow up entitled. Here are three:
1. Don’t get pulled into fights with your child.
2. Know that parenting is not a popularity contest.
3. Saying “No” to your child takes practice.
Any one of those would have prevented what I witnessed in Walmart. Not only would the child have learned some discipline, the mom would have as well.
The Lowell Milken Center (LMC) for Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott, Kansas has awarded its 2024 National Fellowship to 12 educators. As part of their week-long experience in Fort Scott, the five fellows for June 16 – 21 were given the key to the city on Tuesday, June 18th, by Jackson Tough, Tourism Director. (Five more Fellows will arrive on June 23rd.) Upon presenting the keys, Tourism Director Jackson Tough said, “The students who participate in Unsung Hero projects are changed for life. They become the stars of the future! You, as teachers, do the same. You change lives, and you are our stars because of that. We sincerely welcome you to Fort Scott and as a small token of our appreciation for the work you do, we present each of you with a key to the city of Fort Scott.”
The Fellows honored this week were Aaron Kruger from Wyoming, Erica Quale from North Dakota, John Rosenbaum from Rhode Island, Michael Sandstrom from Nebraska, and Kelly Sheridan from Idaho. LMC Director Norm Conard praised these outstanding individuals, saying, “It is an honor to be able to network and collaborate with these exceptional educators and provide this opportunity for them to reflect, reenergize, and strategize with each other as they seek new ways to inspire their students.”
Every summer, the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes awards its Fellowship to national and international award-winning educators from America and around the world. As National LMC Fellows, they deepen their understanding of Unsung Heroes and project-based learning in preparation for developing Unsung Heroes projects with their students. They also learn the stories of powerful role models who have helped to change the world and can be life-changing examples for students today. Along with the time spent deepening their professional skills at the LMC, the Fellows enjoy visiting the Fort Scott area.
Starting in July, Fort Scott residents will begin to see workers repairing Horton Street between Sixth and 18th Streets, according to Ben Wicker, Heck and Wicker, Inc. Project Estimator, the contractor.
The project will include new roadway pavement, new sidewalks, and new Americans with Disabilities Act ramps.
The start date for the project is July 8, 2024, with some traffic control setup beginning the week prior, according to Jason Dick, PE, Project Manager/Junior Partner, Earles Engineering and Inspection, Inc.
“The project goal is two-fold:
“The project will be funded through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s (KDOT’s) Cost Share program for a grant of $949,000 to assist with participating roadway construction costs. Remaining project costs through construction will come from City (of Fort Scott) funds,” Dickman said.
The estimated cost to complete is just over $2 million, Dickman said.
The anticipated construction completion date is currently based on 230 calendar days or the end of February 2025.
“The plan is to maintain local access as much as possible on Horton Street, but some work will require detouring to Burke and Crawford Streets primarily to travel from 18th Street and to the north. An alternate route may also include Osbun, Lowman, and Holbrook Streets to access areas between 18th and 6th Streets,” Dickman said.
Heck and Wicker, Inc., Parsons will be the contractor, and subcontractors are Emery Sapp & Sons, Cornerstone, Heartland Traffic, Dustrol, Wicker said.
Heck and Wicker’s contract with the city of Fort Scott is in the amount of $1,875,681.17, Wicker said.
The Regular Council Meeting on June 11, 2024 at Uniontown City Hall, was called to order at 7:02PM by Mayor Jurgensen. Council members present were Jess Ervin, Danea Esslinger, Amber Kelly, and Mary Pemberton. Also in attendance for all or part of the meeting were City Treasurer Charlene Bolinger, City Superintendent Bobby Rich and City Clerk Sally Johnson.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS/PROJECTS
Appoint City Clerk/Municipal Court Clerk, City Treasurer, Municipal Judge, Municipal prosecutor –
Motion by Ervin, Second by Kelly, Approved 4-0 to appoint Sally Johnson as City Clerk/Municipal Court Clerk, Charlene Bolinger as City Treasurer, Patricia Miklos as Municipal Judge, and Chase Vaughn as Municipal Prosecutor.
Oath of office was administered by Mayor Jurgensen for Sally Johnson and Charlene Bolinger. Clerk Johnson will administer oath for Municipal Judge and Prosecutor by the next court date.
Designate official bank and newspaper –
Motion by Ervin, Second by Kelly, Approved 4-0 to designate the Union State Bank, Uniontown, as official bank and The Fort Scott Tribune as official newspaper
CITIZENS REQUEST
None
FINANCIAL REPORT
Treasurer Bolinger asked if they wanted an oral report on April and May; they opted for oral for May 2024 Treasurer’s Report. April 2024 Treasurer’s written reports were presented. Beginning Checking Account Balance for all funds was $248,941.39, Receipts $51,651.27, Transfers Out $12,776.00, Expenditures $25,058.15, Checking Account Closing Balance $262,758.51. Bank Statement Balance $264,895.81, including Checking Account Interest of $55.65, Outstanding Deposits $0, Outstanding Checks $2,137.30, Reconciled Balance $262,758.51. Water Utilities Certificates of Deposit $37,385.86, Sewer Utilities Certificate of Deposit $21,376.69, Gas Utilities Certificates of Deposit $39,177.46, Total All Funds, including Certificates of Deposit $360,698.52. Year-to-Date Interest in Checking Acct is $283.42, and Utility CDs $841.17 for a Total Year-to-Date Interest of $1,124.59. Also included the status of the Projects Checking Account for the month of May 2024, Beginning Balance $0, Receipts $4,311.86, Expenditures $4,311.86, Ending Balance $0. May Transfers from Sewer Utility Fund to Sewer Revolving Loan $1,402.00, to Capital Improvement-Streets $250.00; from Water Utility Fund to GO Water Bond & Interest $1,624.00, to Capital Improvement-Streets $750.00; from Gas Utility Fund to Capital Improvement-Streets $6,250.00; from General Fund to Capital Improvement-Streets $2,500.00 for Total Transfers of $12,776.00. Net Income for the month of May $13,817.12, Year-to-Date Net Income $27,279.31. Budget vs Actual Water Fund YTD Revenue $46,034.81 (37.3%), Expenditures $56,155.73 (34.6%); Sewer Fund YTD Revenue $14,593.33 (39.5%), Expenditures $14,392.05 (34.2%); Gas Fund YTD Revenue $78,818.29 (53.8%), Expenditures $51,114.51 (28.8%); General Fund YTD Revenue $93,682.10 (57.1%), Expenditures $95,345.38 (47.1%); and Special Highway YTD Revenue $3,966.38 (54.6%), Expenditures $0 (0%). The June 2024 payables to date in the amount of $13,031.25 were presented. The invoices from KMGA, Homestead Tech, Phillips 66, and Ag Engineering have not been received by noon meeting day.
CONSENT AGENDA
Motion by Ervin, Second by Esslinger, Approved 3-0, to approve amended Consent Agenda:
DEPARTMENT REPORTS
Codes Enforcement Officer Doug Coyan was absent. Council received emailed reports.
City Superintendent Rich had nothing to report.
Clerk Johnson informed the Council the copier maintenance agreement renewal was received and is $25 higher.
Motion by Esslinger, Second by Kelly, Approved 4-0 to renew copier maintenance agreement with Modern Copy Systems
She also went over 2024 KMGA Regional Meetings, KMU Health Insurance Pooling Survey, and KDHE public meeting on implementation of the 2022 Kansas Water Plan.
The request for quotes for the weather siren preventive maintenance was discussed.
COUNCIL REPORT
Councilman Ervin – nothing
Councilwoman Esslinger – nothing
Councilwoman Kelly – nothing
Councilwoman Pemberton – nothing
Councilman Stewart – absent
Mayor Jurgensen – FEMA/KDEM representatives were here on June 5th to do a preliminary assessment of flooding damages from the April 25-30 flooding event. Bourbon County has met the threshold for disaster declaration.
OLD BUSINESS
Pickleball Court Placemaking Project – Mayor Jurgensen and Councilwoman Pemberton will run some chalk lines to determine the best location for the court, then Superintendent Rich can paint. They will try to get project completed by July 3.
Warehouse project – Mayor Jurgensen is working on the specs for the project. Statute 12-1739 Sale of Building was reviewed. Clerk Johnson will follow-up with attorney on next steps of selling 402 Sherman to help fund refurbishing and have the county appraised value for next month.
Streets – Mayor Jurgensen is not having much luck communicating with Bettis regarding warranty work and possible future projects. Funding avenues were discussed and consensus is to hold off on more resurfacing while building up funds for future projects.
NEW BUSINESS
Moved by Ervin, Second by Kelly, Approved 4-0, to adjourn at 7:27PM
