The Airport Advisory Board will meet on Wednesday, September 7th, 12:00 p.m. at City Hall.
KS AG Advisory Boards Open to the Public on Sept. 15
MANHATTAN, Kansas — Several advisory boards which serve to guide the work of the Kansas Department of Agriculture will meet on Thursday, September 15, at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson. The meetings will be held on the Kansas State Fairgrounds, and are open to the public.
The boards which will meet on September 15 are:
Kansas Board of Agriculture
9:00 a.m. to noon
Kansas State Fair Administrative Office Boardroom
Contact: Brittney Grother, [email protected] or 785-564-6797
Kansas Board of Animal Health
9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Prairie Pavilion conference room
Contact: Justin Smith, [email protected] or 785-564-6601
Kansas Marketing Advisory Board
1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Kansas State Fair Administrative Office Boardroom
Contact: Russell Plaschka, [email protected] or 785-564-7466
State Conservation Commission
8:00 a.m. to noon
Cottonwood Court building: upstairs meeting room
Contact: Division of Conservation, [email protected] or 785-564-6620
The meetings are open to the public. Individuals who have questions about any of the meetings can contact the Kansas Department of Agriculture at 785-564-6700 for more information.
Persons who require special accommodations must make their needs known at least two days prior to the meeting.
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports Sept. 6
Fort Scott Golf Advisory Boards Meets on Sept. 8
The Golf Course Advisory Board will meet on Thursday, September 8th, 2022 at 12:00 p.m. at Woodland Hills Golf Course, 2414 S. Horton. The meeting will take place in the clubhouse. This meeting is open to the public.
Obituary of Evelyn Blubaugh
Evelyn June Blubaugh, age 79, a resident of Olathe, Kansas, passed away Saturday, September 3 2022, in Olathe. She was born May 19, 1943, in Topeka, Kansas, the daughter of Marcus Oliver Studebaker and Pearl Leah Long. From an early age, Evelyn was raised by her grandparents, William and Lucille Long on the family farm near Westphalia, Kansas. She attended Pleasant Valley Rural School and St. Teresa’s Catholic School and went on to graduate from the Westphalia High School with the Class of 1961.
The Long and Blubaugh families were neighbors and friends in Westphalia; however, the romance between Evelyn and Russell began at the skating rink in Iola, Kansas. They were married on June 8, 1961. Together, Evelyn and Russell settled into life on the farm.
Evelyn’s home was always a beehive of activity as she worked to maintain the day to day behind the scenes operations of the farm. She cooked for their farmhands and anyone else who happened to show up at their home at noon. In 1985, Russell and Evelyn found it necessary to move off the farm and chose to move to Olathe.
Life in the city presented a new set of opportunities, as garage sales were plentiful, fabric stores and garden centers were just around the corner and department stores and supermarkets were always having a big sale. Evelyn was ready with her hands full of coupons or Kohl’s Cash. Everyone knew if Evelyn wasn’t home, she was probably at Dillons.
Evelyn will be remembered for her excellent cooking and baking, as well as her talents with a needle and thread. She made many a dress for her daughters and granddaughters, and also for their Barbie and baby dolls. Many children have been the recipient of one of Evelyn’s baby blankets. Evelyn was a devoted wife and mother and a loving grandmother to her four granddaughters, and worked hard to make special memories with them all. She will be lovingly missed by all who knew and loved her.
Survivors include her husband, Russell, of the home in Olathe, her two daughters, Diane Hastert (Duane) of Garnett, Kansas and Deann Mitchell (Greg) of Olathe, Kansas; four granddaughters, Meagan Ingold (Josh), Lauryn Hastert (Jesse Linzay), Shelby Ellis (Tim) and Sydney Gray (Tristan) and two great-grandsons, Carter and Kaysen Ingold. Also surviving are two half-brothers, Dan Krauth and Marvin Studebaker (Maria) and a half-sister, Beverly Poe.
Evelyn was preceded in death by twin great-granddaughters, Marcie and Jaycie Ellis and a half-brother, Steve Studebaker.
Pastor Chris Goetz will conduct funeral services at 2:30 P.M. Thursday, September 8th at the First Christian Church, 200 S. Walnut St., Garnett, Kansas.
Burial will follow in the Mont Ida Cemetery.
Following services at the cemetery, the family will gather back at the church for a time of fellowship.
Donations in her memory may be sent to the Garnett Public Library, 125 W. Fourth St., Garnett, KS 66032 or left in care of the funeral home, Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Friday Night Free Concert: Open-Mic Local Talent Show
This week’s Friday Night Concert will be a family-style open-mic show for local talent. All ages are welcome to present one song and, should time permit, be prepared to perform a total of two songs. Performances may be instrumental and/or vocal. Upon request, local musicians will be available to accompany anyone who asks. Accompaniment tracks can also be accommodated.
“This week’s show will be a treasure trove of local talent and we’re hopeful to have several show up and shake things up a bit,” concert series organizer Ralph Carlson said. “For those who aren’t interested in performing, help us out and encourage some musicians or vocalists you know to share their talent in a comfortable setting. Come out and join us for an interesting evening and enjoy the music with friends.”
For more information, or to be scheduled in the show, please call 620-224-1150. The one-hour concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Heritage Park Pavilion at First and Main streets. The shows, sponsored by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, are free and open to the public. Dave Oas and Jim Butler provide the sound each week. Due to limited seating, attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved to the Common Ground Coffee Co., 12 E. Wall Street.
Like a Duck out of Water by Carolyn Tucker
Keys to the Kingdom
By Carolyn Tucker
Since we hadn’t taken our annual family vacation for four years, the kids and I decided to go big and go to the Bahamas. Being the country bumpkin that I am, I knew before we went that it would be a once-in-a-lifetime destination for me. Some people love the mountains, but I’m a water-and-beach gal. I suppose, if I lived on an island, I could take for granted the beautiful turquoise water, the calming sound of the rolling waves, and the fascinating beaches. But for the ten days we were privileged to be in Grand Bahama, God’s masterful handiwork was awesome and gorgeous every day.
Nevertheless, amid the bliss of the Caribbean, I was a stranger on foreign soil. Everything familiar to me had blown out the window of the 737. The only two languages I speak are redneck and hillbilly. The beautiful Bahamians speak English, but I couldn’t understand most of them because they put their own spin on it. They also drive on the wrong side of the road. Why? The first taxi transport was comparable to a scary carnival ride. One day I unintentionally stopped traffic from both directions as I attempted to cross the busy street (with no traffic lights or stop signs). Thankfully, the locals are smart and go to great lengths not to run over a tourist.
One of the first out-of-the-ordinary things I did was watch “Daddy Brown” prepare my conch salad right in front of my eyes. Before chopping it to smithereens, he hit the conch with his utensil and I watched it quiver. He claimed the added lime juice would “cook it.“ I exclaimed, “That’s raw!“ His response: “We say it’s fresh.” Well, where I come from, we fry our fish and it’s very dead when we eat it. No bones about it, I felt like a duck out of water even though the locals bent over backwards to be kind, friendly, and helpful.
One of these days (sooner than I can imagine) I’ll step into a place that’s been prepared for me. Although I’ve never been there before, I’ll feel completely at home. There will be no transition period, no getting used to it, and no awkwardness. Everything will be perfect in the blink of an eye. Why do I believe this? Because Jesus said, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you…where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2,3 NKJV).
Our vacation was a worthwhile experience and made enduring family memories outside the U.S.A. But it was also good to be back home again, even if it is just temporary. Jesus paid the ultimate price for our once-in-a-lifetime passport out of this world. When believers take our last breath, our spirit is carried by angels to that beautiful City of Gold.
When I was a young girl playing piano and singing, occasionally my folks and I would sing a “special” together in church. Since Dad was especially fond of songs about heaven, we sang “I Will Not Be a Stranger,“ written in 1956 by James B. Singleton. Here are some of those lyrics: “I will not be a stranger when I get to that City, I’ve a home on those streets paved with gold; I will feel right at home there in that beautiful “Somewhere” with my loved ones whose memories I hold. Thru the years, thru the tears, they have gone one by one. But they’ll wait at the gate until my race is run. I will not be a stranger when I get to that City, I’m acquainted with folks over there.”
The Key: We’re here, but when we get there, we’ll be right at home — where we belong.
First County Wide Strategic Planning on August 23 by Gregg Motley
Tuesday evening, August 23rd, marked the first countywide strategic planning meeting by community leaders and private citizens in Bourbon County. I noted representatives from every government jurisdiction in the county along with major businesses, community organizations, and private citizens. It was a marvelous event. I was pleased that his message dovetailed with the origins of Bourbon County REDI: Community trust and collaboration is everything. Here is how we got here:
BEDCO, was started in 1992 by community men and women to bring the far reaches of Bourbon County together with a focus on economic development. Out of this entity was birthed our industrial park, among other initiatives. Over time, this outstanding organization devolved into a Fort Scott-only effort. Primarily, it became a sales and management entity for industrial park lots and the dispenser of a trickle of grant money. Steve Buerge served admirably as its longstanding Chairman, often donating his own money to the cause.
Fast forward to 2018 when several of us were lamenting the rising cost of local government compared to the declining number of tax payers. We started researching jurisdictions that had consolidated counties with cities, or started sharing services to save costs. We began to uncover some of the internal barriers to progress in our community, the biggest of which is distrust. We concluded we had work to do before we can even think about any kind of sharing or consolidation.
As these discussions ensued in BEDCO board meetings, they authorized the formation of a formal committee to study the idea. They appointed Mark McCoy and Gregg Motley to kick it off and add members from disparate parts of the county to bring credibility to the process. We met regularly over more than a year’s period of time, researching ideas, collecting data, visiting other jurisdictions on our own nickel, uncovering pockets of distrust and other barriers within the county, and formulating a plan. The final product is what now known as Bourbon County REDI, in the form of new organizational bylaws which brings the whole county back into the process.
While several people worked on the committee for the year+, here is the group that saw it over the finish line: Mark McCoy, Chairman, Gregg Motley, Vice Chairman, Nancy Maze, Secretary, Greg Fess, Ward Kraft, Larry Jurgensen, Uniontown Mayor, and Larry Martin, Fort Scott Livestock Auction. I saw Uniontown Mayor Larry Jurgensen last night and he was grinning ear to ear with the realization that the event was the culmination of all our time investments.
Bourbon County REDI was born. It was ordained by BEDCO and funded by Bourbon County and Fort Scott. It has also been sanctioned by Bronson, Fulton, Mapleton, Redfield, Uniontown, Fort Scott Community College, USD 234, USD 235, and the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce. This is a mandate to help restore trust and collaboration countywide. There will be detractors and naysayers, but we have the high ground. If we stick to our mission and continually work to establish trust and collaboration, the county will succeed together.
Dancers: Sign Up For Rock Ballet
NEXT WEEKEND IS THE TOWN-WIDE GARAGE SALE IN FORT SCOTT!
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces the Fall Town-wide Garage Sale is next weekend, September 9th, and 10th. The Chamber wants to encourage the community to get garage sales listed on the map and get out to hunt for bargains on clothing, home décor, tools, and more. The deadline for registration is 8am, Wednesday, September 7th.
Starting Thursday, September 8th at 10am, copies of the official garage sale map may be found at the Chamber office as well as local stores 5 Corners, Bids & Dibs, Casey’s, Don’s Smoke Shop, and all Pete’s locations. The map may also be found on the Chamber website fortscott.com or on Facebook on the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce page.
Contact the Chamber for more information at 620-223-3566.
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Bourbon County Commission Agenda for Sept. 6
Agenda
Bourbon County Commission Room
1st Floor, County Courthouse
210 S. National Avenue
Fort Scott, KS 66701
Date: September 6, 2022
1st District–Nelson Blythe Minutes: Approved: _______________
2nd District–Jim Harris Corrected: _______________________
3rd District–Clifton Beth Adjourned at: _______________
County Clerk–Ashley Shelton
MEETING HELD IN THE COMMISSION ROOM BEGINNING at 9:00AM.
Call to Order
• Flag Salute
• Approval of Minutes from previous meeting
• Eric Bailey – Road & Bridge Report
• Justin Meeks – County Counselor Comment
• Susan Bancroft – Chief Financial Officer Comment
• Shane Walker – Chief Information Officer Comment
• Public Comment
• Commission Comments
FS Commission Special Meeting Minutes of August 26
CITY OF FORT SCOTT
SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION MEETING
Minutes of August 26, 2022 Special Meeting #13
A special meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission was held August 26th, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. in the City Commission Meeting Room, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas.
ROLL CALL:
Commissioners Josh Jones, Tim Van Hoecke, Shane Walker, Matthew Wells were present with Mayor Kathryn Harrington presiding.
AUDIENCE IN ATTENDANCE: Travis Shelton, Lisa Lewis, Brad Matkin, Betty Breault, Devin Tally, and Susan Bancroft, Clete Hall, Rob Harrington Deb McCoy, Pete Allen, Grace Nolan Sweat, and representing the press Tammy Helm, Editor, Fort Scott Tribune.
CONSIDERATION:
Adoption of Revenue Neutral Rate Resolution No. 33-2022 – City Manager shared with the Commission a spreadsheet on the amenities the City offers to citizens. He shared that the majority of these are losing money. He said that we need to manage our facilities better. The current revenue neutral rate is 45.222. The proposed revenue neutral rate is 46.756 which is an increase of 1.54 above the Revenue Neutral Rate.
Susan Bancroft informed the Commission she was hired by the Commission to assist in the budget process for 2023. She has over 20 years of experience in governmental accounting. She reminded the Commission that cash reserves are established for unforeseen emergencies and delays in funding. The City of Fort Scott’s Financial Policy which was adopted on May 19, 2020 states the following:
The Fort Scott City Commission understands it has a responsibility to maintain prudent financial operations to ensure stable City operations for the benefit of City residents and businesses. This policy is necessary in maintaining a prudent level of financial resources to protect against reducing service levels or raising taxes and fees due to temporary economic conditions or unforeseen one-time expenditures. Appropriate fund balance targets are expected to differ from city to city, based on each city’s specific circumstances. Factor to consider include the size of government, diversification of revenue, and volatility of revenue sources.
Unencumbered cash reserves are an important component in ensuring the overall financial health of a community, by giving the City cushion to meet contingency or cash flow timing needs. It is recommended that governments maintain a fund balance of no less that 5% to 15% of revenues or one or two months of operating expenditures.
Maintaining fund balances at a prescribed level involves two components: 1) Budgeted reserves; 2) Conservative budgeting ensuring revenues eceed expenditures.
Susan recommended that in order to avoid service disruptions that otherwise could arise from revenue shortfalls or unanticipated expenditures, business funds shall be managed by the Finance Director and Department Directors in such a way as to maintain a minimum unencumbers cash balance on the last day of each fiscal year to equal to at least 25% or three months of current fiscal year budgeted annual operating expenditures before any transfers out.
Pros and Cons to stay Revenue Neutral Rate for the City of Fort Scott:
Pros:
The City will not increase the amount of taxes levied from the previous year.
Cons:
No new revenue coming to the City to cover the increase in commodities/supplies.
No opportunity for employees to have raises without cutting cash reserves or services.
Already dropping reserves with changes that occurred in 2022 to retain employees and reducing reserves more to give raises in 2023 down below policy levels of three months operating.
Budgets need to be fluid to allow for unanticipated expenditures – such as disasters, change in administration, mandates, failing facilities, or retirees.
Susan shared a spreadsheet of budgeted 2022 expenses and changes during 2022. She said that the proposed budget amount of $2,255,064.00 would drop the mill levy by 1.756.
She also shared cash reserves amounts with the Commission. In 2021, there was $1,480,293 – Budgeted for 2022 is $1,313,333; 2022 with changes is $1,200,805; and proposed for 2023 is $1,071,750. She cautioned them on lowering the cash reserve amounts.
Susan informed the Commission that they have lowered their mill levy 2 ½ mills in the last two years. The County has lowered their mill levy 4 mills in the last two years.
Susan asked the City Clerk to read the proposed resolution with the budget amount in it.
Diane Clay, City Clerk, read the following proposed resolution:
RESOLUTION NO. 33-2022
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF FORT SCOTT, KANSAS REGARDING THE GOVERNING BODY’S INTENT TO LEVY A PROPERTY TAX EXCEEDING THE REVENUE NEUTRAL RATE.
WHEREAS, the Revenue Neutral Rate for the City of Fort Scott was calculated as 45.222 mills by the Bourbon County Clerk; and
WHEREAS, the budget proposed by the Governing Body of the City of Fort Scott will require the levy of a property tax rate exceeding the Revenue Neutral Rate; and
WHEREAS, the Governing Body held a hearing on August 23rd, 2022 allowing all interested taxpayers desiring to be heard an opportunity to give oral testimony; and,
WHEREAS, the Governing Body of the City of Fort Scott, Kansas having heard testimony, still finds it necessary to exceed the Revenue Neutral Rate.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF FORT SCOTT, KANSAS:
The Governing Body of the City of Fort Scott shall levy a property tax rate exceeding the Revenue Neutral Rate with a proposed mill levy not to exceed a mill levy that generates $2,255,260.00 in Ad Valorem Tax.
This Resolution shall take effect and be in force immediately upon its adoption and shall remain in effect until future action is taken by the Governing Body.
ADOPTED this 26th day of August, 2022.
- Walker moved to approve the above stated resolution for Revenue Neutral and to keep it flat at 45.222. M. Wells seconded. All voted aye.
APPROVED RESOLUTION 33-2022 OF THE CITY OF FORT SCOTT, KANSAS REGARDING THE GOVERNING BODY’S INTENT TO LEVY A PROPERTY TAX EXCEEDING THE REVENUE NEUTRAL RATE.
Consideration of publication of public hearing notice for 2023 Budget – City Manager said that this notice of public hearing needs to be approved to be published in the local City newspaper. This reflects the 45.222 rate.
- Walker moved to approve to publish the notice for the 2023 Budget Public Hearing to be held on September 14th, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. T. Van Hoecke seconded. All voted aye.
APPROVED TO PUBLISH THE NOTICE FOR THE 2023 BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING TO BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2022 AT 5:00 P.M.
EXECUTIVE SESSION:
- Jones moved to recess into Executive Session for the financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts, and individual proprietorships exception in K.S.A. 75-4319(b)(4) until 1:08 p.m. This will include City Commissioners, City Manager, City Attorney, and Rob Harrington. T. Van Hoecke seconded. All voted aye.
- Van Hoecke moved to come out of Executive Session at 1:08 p.m. S. Walker seconded. All voted aye.
ADJOURNMENT:
- Van Hoecke moved to adjourn the special meeting at 1:08 p.m. J. Jones seconded. All voted aye.
ADJOURNED MEETING AT 1:08 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Diane K. Clay, MMC
City Clerk