FS City Commission Agenda for July 2
NOTICE OF AND AGENDA FOR REGULAR
MEETING OF FORT SCOTT CITY COMMISSION
City Hall Commission Room – 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701
July 2, 2024 – 6:00 P.M.
- Call to Order
- Roll Call
Tim VanHoecke, Matthew Wells, Dyllon Olson, Kathryn Salsbury, Tracy Dancer
III. Pledge of Allegiance
- Invocation
- Approval of Agenda
- Consent Agenda
- Approval of Appropriation Ordinance 1363-A – Expense Approval Report – Payment Dates June 12, 2024 – June 25, 2024 – $1,907,395.59
- Approval of Minutes for June 18, 2024
- Request to Pay – Hofer, Hofer & Associates, Inc. – Application No. 4 – Gunn Park Restroom & Shower House – $2,250.00
- Request to Pay – Earles Engineering & Inspection, Inc. – Invoice #17366 – Project No. 22-656 PS – (6) Additional Lake Lots – Lake Fort Scott Boundary Survey – $5,760.00
VII. Public Comment – Sign up required before the beginning of the meeting on register at the entrance of the Commission Room. Public Comments are for any topic not on the agenda and limited to five (5) minutes per person, at the Commission’s discretion.
VIII. Appearances – Must be scheduled with the City Clerk at least (1) week prior to the meeting
you wish to address the Commission. You will be scheduled on the agenda to speak on your topic.
- Travis Sawyer – Temporary Street Closure – Heylman between 6th and 7th – July 4, 2024 – 3:30PM – 11:00PM
- Jason Marbury – RHID
- Old Business
- Consideration of Resolution No. 12-2024 –RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE REPAIR OR REMOVAL OF AN ALLEGED UNSAFE AND DANGEROUS STRUCTURE AND ACCESSORY STRUCTURE – KNOWN AS [110 W. OAK], FORT SCOTT, KS 66701 – Tabled from April 2, 2024 – Owner to return with requested information for the Commission – Removed from April 16, 2024, Agenda – May 7, 2024 – Owner appeared and motion approved to extend time to July 2, 2024, with conditions. – L. Kruger
- New Business
Action Items:
- Consideration of Change Order Request for Electrical Requirements – Grit Removal System at WWTP – Estimate #1019 by KTK Electric LLC – $17,681.30 – S. Flater
- Lake Lot Discussion Continued – Requested by D. Olson
- Dispatch Discussion – B. Matkin
- Consideration of Approval of License to Sell Retail Cereal Malt Beverages For Consumption on the Premises (New License) – OUTPOST 13 WEST – 13 W. Oak, Fort Scott, Bourbon County, KS 66701.
- Revenue Neutral Worksheet – Oliphant
- Reports and Comments
- City Manager Comments
- Engineering Comments
- Commissioners Comments
- City Attorney Comments
XII. Executive Session
XIII. Adjourn
The “Be” Word by Patty LaRoche
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)
When people say that they are working hard to become more like Jesus, I wonder how that plays out. How many sacrifices of their time, money and talents are necessary to meet that goal, and what is their attitude as they strive to get there? It took me years to realize that I cannot “do” enough to be Christ-like. What I can do is “Behold” Jesus by “Being” with him, and then God will help me surrender and “Become” like him. Personally, I’m thrilled that this is God’s job and not mine. It would be yet another thing at which I fail miserably.
I recently heard a pastor say that surrender cannot happen without transformation, but don’t I need to surrender so that God helps me be transformed? I cannot undo my addictions or my propensity to anger or my selfishness or my desire to not forgive until I surrender my right to do as I please…which means I would be transformed, right? As long as I crave control, I have no chance of becoming like Jesus because that craving is rooted in my pride and my desire to be in charge instead of allowing God to run my show.
The story in the Bible about the Tower of Babel is applicable today. “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves…” Get that? Not for “God” but for “ourselves.” How many of us seek self-importance instead of allowing God to be the important One in our lives? We strive to acquire more. More power. More money. More respect. More happiness.
More. More. More. Meanwhile, there is only striving and no surrender, no transformation.
In Philippians 3:8-14 (MSG), Paul explains how he surrendered. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him…I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself… I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. Paul was saying that everything fails but Jesus. He’s right. Everything we strive to accomplish or possess on earth will fade away. Jesus won’t. He can’t.
Sometimes, when I’m looking for stories of transformation, I Google “People whose lives were radically changed by Jesus.” Even shock-rocker Alice Cooper speaks about the difference Jesus made in his life. The list is endless, but the results are all the same: Being with Jesus transforms lives.
How do I know if I’ve surrendered? If I’ve been transformed? I will have unspeakable joy and peace and know that life is not about me. Rather, it’s about the One who created me, the One Who wants me to Be with Jesus so that He will make me Become like him.
In truth, my job is the easy one.
City of Fort Scott’s East National Avenue Project: KDOT Awarded
Governor Kelly Announces $8.6M Awarded to
Cost Share Program Projects
EDWARDSVILLE – Governor Laura Kelly and Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed today announced that $8.6 million will be awarded to 14 transportation construction projects through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Cost Share Program for spring 2024.
“These new Cost Share projects will repair and modernize transportation infrastructure in communities across Kansas,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Collaboration on these selected projects address short-term challenges to bring long-term solutions to the places Kansans call home.”
Governor Kelly lauded the 104th Street sidewalk expansion in the City of Edwardsville as a prime example of how a Cost Share project can benefit a community. Enhancements to the city’s pedestrian facilities will fill the largest gap in pedestrian access between K-32 and the elementary school and encourage safe non-motorized access to school and recreational activities.
With today’s announcement, more than $260 million has been invested to support the 179 projects selected in the Cost Share Program since it began in the fall of 2019. Combining more than $146 million in state funding with more than $115 million in matching local funds has been a substantial boost to Kansas communities.
“Kansans understand the value of partnerships,” Kansas Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed said. “The Cost Share Program provides the opportunity for partnership between KDOT and communities to solve local transportation issues through shared investment. Addressing these infrastructure projects enables solutions that will help these communities and residents keep moving forward for generations.”
Both rural and urban areas can submit transportation projects that improve safety, support job retention and growth, relieve congestion, and improve access and mobility. The program is part of the Kelly administration’s 10-year, bipartisan Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program, or IKE.
Click here to view a map of the 14 Cost Share Program projects announced today. These projects are also listed below:
- City of Baxter Springs – Bagcraft Boulevard improvements.
- City of Edwardsville – 104th Street sidewalk expansion.
- City of Fort Scott – East National Avenue project.
- City of Hesston – East-west community connection.
- City of Hoisington – Green and Vine Street resurfacing and pedestrian improvements.
- City of Inman – Street improvements for Nikkel Addition.
- City of Norton – Oliver Lane and Franklin Avenue paving project.
- City of Sabetha – Kansas Road and 14th Street surfacing.
- City of St. John – St. John Street improvements.
- City of Wamego – Kaw Valley Road improvements.
- Cloud County – Noble Road pavement preservation project.
- Lane County – Airport runway and county road improvements.
- Seward County – Meade Lake Road HMA overlay.
- Wallace County – Smoky Hill River low water crossings project.
More information about KDOT’s Cost Share Program is on KDOT’s website at https://www.ksdot.org/
Brickstreet BBQ Hosts Americas Best Restaurants TV Program on July 1: Join The Fun
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What’s Happening In Fort Scott
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Overview of Healthcare Development in Bourbon County
Last week, Freeman Health System’s CEO Paula Baker announced that they will begin operating 10 in-patient hospital beds in 2025 at the site of the former Mercy Hospital Fort Scott and will open an emergency department as well.
Mercy closed its doors in December 2018, citing “declining patient numbers and shrinking reimbursement.” Mercy Hospital Fort Scott to Close
To view the feature on the Freeman announcement:
At the Bourbon County Commission meeting held on June 17, 2024, Rob Harrington, the Bourbon County Regional Economic Development Director, provided a detailed account of the efforts to bring healthcare services to the community in the last three years.
Fortscott.biz contacted Harrington to tell the story of all the behind-the-scenes activities that helped produce the announcement of the new hospital and emergency services that are to begin in 2025.
Harrington began by outlining the chronology of events that led to the current healthcare infrastructure since he became the Bourbon County Regional Economic Development Director in 2021.
He said that in 2022, the Regional Economic Development Initiative (REDI) started discussions with Legacy Healthcare to bring their services to Bourbon County.
The Bourbon County Commission transferred the building to them to develop and the building became the responsibility of Legacy Health Foundation in November 2022. View the Bourbon County/ Legacy Health Foundation Agreement
In 2022, the Ascension Via Christi Emergency Department approached the Bourbon County Commission with a proposal…and the Commissioners made the prudent decision to waive the lease rate for the Emergency Room facility, he said.
Following this, “We made the strategic choice to forgo clinic rent, amounting to approximately $23,000 per month, to make sure that the hospital facility could retain and use the helipad.” Harrington explained.
This move underscored the county’s commitment to ensuring rapid medical transportation capabilities for critical cases, he said.
AVC operated the emergency department from 2019 until 2023 ceasing operations citing a ” steady decline in visits and its overall average daily census.” December 20: Ascension Via Christi Closes Emergency Department in Fort Scott
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas occupied clinic space in the former Mercy building from 2019 until 2023.
CHC then moved to another site to expand services.
Harrington said the hospital building now houses two important healthcare entities. “Thanks to the combined efforts of REDI and the Bourbon County Commission, the hospital building is now at full capacity, accommodating both the Southeast Kansas (SEK) Mental Health Center and the Kansas Renewal Institute (KRI),” he stated.
Emphasizing the positive impact of these developments, Harrington noted, “KRI has created new employment opportunities and introduced a vital service to the state. Currently, they are managing a waiting list of over 100 children in need of care, demonstrating the high demand for their services.”
“In the State of Kansas, and across the nation child mental health is a critical issue and as we see the need for these services grow, we need to continue to support these types of organizations and their support for our children,” he said.
Harrington also shed light on efforts to secure emergency medical services for the county. “We engaged in discussions with multiple organizations in our attempts to establish an ER-only facility,” Harrington explained. “Ultimately, our partnership with Freeman Health System has yielded even better results.”
The 10-bed Freeman Hospital and emergency department is slated to begin operations in April 2025.
Harrington expressed his gratitude to several key stakeholders who played crucial roles in these developments.
He thanked Bourbon County Commissioners Clifton Beth, and Jim Harris for their continued support and decision-making, the work that Bourbon County REDI staff and board put in, acknowledged the committee that worked tirelessly to place the retail sales tax initiative on this year’s election ballot, the help that KRI and its Chief Operating Officer T.J. Denning had in bringing in Freeman Health, and commended the Bourbon County Emergency Medical staff for their dedication and hard work throughout the process.
“This overview… illustrates the collaborative and strategic approach taken by Bourbon County to significantly enhance its healthcare infrastructure, ultimately benefiting the entire community,” he said.
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports June 27
2024 Lowell Milken Center Fellows Receive Keys to the City
Back Row: Ashley Libben, Elisabeth “Bibba” Kahn. Kenny Felt photo.
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 six fellows for June 23 – 28 were given the key to the city on Tuesday, June 25th, by Jackson Tough, Tourism Director. (Five other Fellows were in Fort Scott last week.) Upon the presentation of the keys, Tourism Director Jackson Tough said, “From Gordon Parks to the history of the Fort and the National Cemetery, along with this amazing place, the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, we realize that Fort Scott is the home of heroes. Now we add you, the Lowell Milken Fellows to that list of heroes. You influence so many young people. You mold them, inspire them, and give them direction. We truly welcome you to our community and as a small token of our appreciation, we present each of you with a key to the city of Fort Scott.”
The Fellows honored this week were Sarah Espinal from New York, Elisabeth “Bibba” Kahn from Vermont, Leah Lawrence from Missouri, Ashley Libben from Indiana, Matthew Mayeske from Kansas, and Ann Marie Vanneste from Canada. LMC Director Norm Conard praised these outstanding individuals, saying, “We are so honored to be able to network and collaborate with these exemplary educators and provide them with an opportunity to reflect, reenergize, and strategize with each other as they seek to find 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.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR ZONING CHANGE RESIDENTIAL TO COMMERCIAL
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR ZONING CHANGE
RESIDENTIAL T0 COMMERCIAL
Case No. 1047 – 223 N. FRANKLIN
OFFICIAL NOTICE
July 24, 2024 – 4:00pm
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN AND TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN on the 24th DAY OF JULY, 2024 THE PETITION OF GARRETT KNIGHT REQUESTING A ZONING CHANGE FROM RESIDENTIAL TO C3 (COMMERCIAL) FOR THE PURPOSE OF MECHANIC SHOP AT PARCEL #006-119-29-0-20-21-001.00-0; C05-CAMERONS ADDITION, N 193.33′ OF LOTS 1 & 2 BLK 1.
The Public Hearing is set for JULY 24, 2024, at 4:00PM at a scheduled Planning Commission meeting in the City Commission Room at City Hall, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701.
As provided in the Zoning Ordinance of Fort Scott, Kansas the above application will be discussed and considered by the Planning and Zoning Commission and a recommendation to approve or not approve the request will be made to the Fort Scott City Commission for a final decision.
All persons interested in said matter will be heard at this Public Hearing concerning their views and wishes; and any protest of the proposed changes will be considered by the Planning and Zoning Commission before they make such recommendations to the City Commission.
Downtown Meet and Greet at Cohn’s Cafe on July 9
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Today at 3 p.m. Unveiling of New Exhibits at Lowell Milken Center
