Agenda for the Bourbon County Commission on November 21
Bourbon County Courthouse
210 S. National Ave Fort Scott, KS 66701 Phone: 620-223-3800
Fax: 620-223-5832
Bourbon County, Kansas
Brandon Whisenhunt
1st District Commissioner
Jim Harris, Chairman
2nd District Commissioner
Clifton Beth
3rd District Commissioner
Bourbon County Commission Agenda 210 S. National Ave.
Fort Scott, KS 66701
November 21, 2024 9:00 a.m.
- Call Meeting to Order
- Flag Salute
- Approval of Consent Agenda
- Approval of Minutes from 11/14/2024
- Approval of Accounts Payable Totaling $332,559.66
- Approval of Payroll Totaling $300,763.10
- Approval of October Financials
- Eric Bailey-Discussion of Rock Quarry at Elm Creek
- Justin Meeks-Cemetery Right-of-Way
- Commission Comments
- Adjourn Meeting
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.
Chamber Coffee Hosted by Sunshine Boutique on November 21
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ANNOUNCING THE 2024-2025 ARTEFFECT AMBASSADORS!
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The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports November 19
Volunteers Needed For Serving/Delivering Senior Citizens Meals
Volunteers are needed in Fort Scott as meal servers and meal delivery drivers for the Southeast Kansas Agency on Aging 60+ nutrition program. The positions are open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Call Deb Stewart at 620-305-1539 for any questions.
Annual Christmas Parade is December 5: A Storybook Christmas, Entries Welcomed
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Ribbon Cutting for New DCF Building Is November 19 at 10 S. National
The ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday), Nov. 19 at the Department of Children and Families’ new Fort Scott Service Center. We hope you can join us!
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
When: Tuesday, Nov. 19, from 2-4 p.m.
Where: 10 S. National Ave., Fort Scott
What: Remarks from Secretary Laura Howard, ribbon cutting, refreshments and guided tours
Obituary of Timothy Phillips
Timothy Edward Phillips, age 37, made it through the checkered flag on November 14th, 2024, as he raced his way into Heaven’s gates. Born June 18, 1987, to Kenny Edward Phillips, Jr. and Tammy Ann (Harper) Phillips, he resided in the rural Fort Scott area his entire life. Timmy graduated from Uniontown High School in 2005 and was employed by Timken (formally Carlisle) for 19.5 years.
Although he frequented many different tracks, on any given Friday or Saturday night, you could find Timmy at Humboldt or Nevada Speedway with his family in the stands and his dad Kenny by his side. He had many hobbies to occupy his time including gaming, drawing, duck hunting and fishing. Timmy loved his family with everything he had and lived for racing his girls, and nephews around the field in the RAZR and hosting Sunday dinners where he would show off his smoking or grilling skills, introducing more new recipes than they could keep track of.
Tim leaves behind the love of his life, Jami Morgan, and their beautiful girls, Kenzi and Rylee. Tim is also survived by his parents, Kenny and Tammy Phillips, a sister, Kennda (Curtis) Major, nephews, Kason and Kipp Major; grandpa, Kenny Phillips, Sr. and Jami’s parents, Karen and Steve Brumback, as well as numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Tim was preceded in death by grandparents, Sue Cannon, Melvin Harper and Bonnie Phillips, great-grandmother, Cathern Smith and a close cousin, Hunter Kovacic.
Timmy’s life will be celebrated at 11:00 A.M. Thursday, November 21st at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Burial will follow in the Centerville Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Wednesday at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Memorials are suggested to the Phillips Education Fund for Kenzi and Rylee and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Obituary of Harry Meek
Harry Lee Meek, age 81, resident of Fort Scott, KS died Sunday, November 17, 2024, at his home. He was born July 27, 1943, in Fort Scott, the son of Frank and Virginia “Tootie” Poyner Meek. Harry graduated from Richards, MO high school. He married Bonnie Mann in 1969 in Nevada, MO. They later divorced.
Harry worked for 60-plus years for Maceli Music Company. He loved every Thursday traveling to bars on his route, repairing pool tables and jukebox machines. In his spare time, he could be seen cruising through town in his truck. He enjoyed 50s and 60s music and Western movies, especially John Wayne. Harry was a generous man, willing to help anyone in need.
Survivors include two daughters, Cindy Marsh and Lisa Meek, both of Fort Scott; 4 grandchildren, Tyler, Tanner, and Courtney Meek, and Fernando “Ponch” Arellano; a brother, Charlie Meek (Helen), Richards, MO; a sister, Brenda Budd (Albert), Nevada, MO; ex-wife Bonne Meek, Fort Scott; an aunt, Martha Cook, Fort Scott; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by a son, Curtis Meek; a granddaughter, Remington Rose Meek; a brother, Tom Meek; and his parents.
The family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 Thursday evening November 21st, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Cremation will follow.
Memorial donations are suggested to the Harry Lee Meek Memorial Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted online at cheneywitt.com.
Letter To The Editor: Deb McCoy
WHAT BURDEN OF EXPENSES HAS OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND ATTORNEY, BOURBON COUNTY REDI, AND NOBLE/LEGACY IMPOSED UPON THE TAXPAYERS USING BOURBON COUNTY, STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS?
We lost our Hospital. We lost our emergency room services. It was devastating to a community who always took pride in a community who had medical services that were compared to and addressed as “the little Mayo of the Midwest.” Those of us who worked in the medical field took pride in being a part of these organizations.
I would like to remind you that it is the good people that we elected and appointed that we depend on to make good sound decisions for our community. It is disheartening when a decision was made that has taken our community down a rabbit hole at the expense of the taxpayers. What is more disheartening is that the good people elected have got caught up in the process of those who have come into our community with previous exploited actions that have affected other communities. We should have been more diligent when jumping into the decision making process that was made and researched the backgrounds and possible repercussions and consequences of those who were offering us an Acute Care Hospital and ancillary services which to date we still don’t have two years into the Legacy Donation Agreement.
Article 1, Donation of the Property
1.4.4 The Monetary Donation may only be used for: (i) building maintenance in connection with the Real Property and the improvements thereon; (ii) paying for other reasonable operating costs and expenses in connection with the Real Property including development of an Acute Care Hospital and ancillary services; and (iii) providing reduced rents to potential future tenants at the Real Property which provide a legitimate community benefit;
Article 7.1 General Provisions
7.1 Remedies. In the event of any breach or default by Donor or Donee hereunder, Donor and Donee’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be to terminate this Agreement with a return of the property and one million dollars to the Donor during the first year of operations. Years 2-4 the Donee will return $750,000.00 to the Donor along with the property and before the completion of the 5 year of operation return the property to the Doner with $500,000.00. Following the fifth year. Donor will have no remedies to terminate this Agreement with either return of funds and/or property.
Decision after decision has been made regarding the need for a hospital. The amount of time and money and effort in coming up with a solution seems to always fall back on the taxpayers of our community. The following figures reveal the amount of money that has been invested in the past, present and future of our community. It is staggering!
Feasibility Study $1 million dollars (City 200k & County $800K)
Mercy Hospital’s assets assessment of the building $19.6 million dollars
$2 million dollars
($1 million dollars from citizens donations)
($1 million dollars donation from a foundation.)
Mercy monetary donation of $600 thousand
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Grand Total – 23.2 million dollars
Bourbon County REDI
(established on August 9, 2021)
Expenditures reports from the City and County for the years of 2021 thru 2024
Was given $855,017.68
County ¼ cent sales Tax effective October 1, 2024 to help “attract” Emergency Services by funding approximately $750,000 thousand dollars annually over the next 5 years.
Estimate total $3,750,000.00
Taxes on the Mercy/Legacy No Hospital Building
2024 showed that no taxes have been paid on any of the donated“Real Property” for 2023-2024
Balance $409,828.23
Application of Tax Abatement submitted on March 11, 2024, by Legacy for years at issue 2022
A Tax Abatement request was granted by the Board of Tax Appeals State of Kansas on September 9th, 2024.
Eliminating $354,131.35 dollars off of our existing tax records for the next 10 years.
Estimated Total $1,805,131.90
(May I remind you that the 2025 budgets are already in place and the County, City, School Districts, and Fort Scott Community College will be affected)
Total of all figures above $30,019,977.81
This does not include the legal funds and ancillary funds surrounding the process.
What happens if Legacy sells the hospital building? What happens to the land that was divided up into three lots? (2023-2024 taxes have not been paid to date.) Do the new owners receive the tax abatements? Where is our return? My last question is who is the one that prevailed?
Deb McCoy
11/16/2024
Annual Christmas Parade Is On December 5: A Storybook Christmas
CHAMBER ANNOUNCES ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARADE
Thursday, December 5th, 2024 at 6pm
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces the Annual Christmas Parade will be held Thursday, December 5, 2024, in Downtown Fort Scott starting at 6 pm.
The parade theme this year will be “A Storybook Christmas”. The Chamber is calling all participants including businesses, schools, organizations, and individuals to enter the parade.
There is no cost to register a float, golf cart, foot unit, band, horse unit, car, or other entry. The parade is being sponsored by Briggs Auto and cash prizes will be awarded for overall 1 st , 2 nd ,
and 3 rd place entries.
Entries may be made online at fortscott.com under the events tab, or by picking up a form at the Chamber office, 231 E. Wall Street. Entry deadline is Tuesday, December 3rd at 1pm.
The parade route will start at Wall & National, go south to 3rd St., turn left to Main St., then north on Main to Skubitz Plaza where the parade will end at the Mayor’s Christmas Tree.
Additional activities that evening will include the lighting of the Mayor’s Christmas Tree immediately following the parade, Holiday Fireworks, and photos with Santa at the Mayor’s Christmas Tree. The Holiday Market Booths for Christmas on the Bricks will also be open from 5 to 10 pm that evening with eight vendors, and the Parkway Church of God Holiness will be across from the Mayor’s Tree selling kettle corn.
The 2nd Annual Christmas on the Bricks Festival will continue that weekend, and the full schedule may be found at fortscott.com/Christmas-on-the-bricks.
Contact the Chamber for more information at 620-223-3566 or visit fortscott.com