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FS City Street Advisory Board Members Sought
The City of Fort Scott Street Advisory Board has openings.
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Four openings (City residents)
The function of the Fort Scott Street Advisory Board Committee is to provide suggestions to the City Manager and Governing Body regarding road improvement projects throughout the City of Fort Scott.
If you have a desire to serve on this board and meet the above requirements, please submit a letter of interest to the City Clerk, Diane Clay, 123 S. Main, Fort Scott, Kansas 66701. These names will be submitted for consideration to the City Commission. All of the boards and commissions serve on a volunteer basis and are not compensated. If you would like more information on this board, please contact Diane Clay, City Clerk at 620-223-0550 or [email protected]. Please submit your letter of interest by January 31st, 2020.
City Offices Closed Jan. 20
The City of Fort Scott City Administrative Offices will be closed on Monday, January 20th, 2020 in observance of the Martin Luther King Day holiday. The offices will reopen on Tuesday, January 21st, 2020.
The City’s tree and brush dump site located on North Hill will also be closed on Saturday, January 18th, 2020 for the Martin Luther King Day holiday. It will be open again on Tuesday, January 21st, 2020 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Bourbon County Commission Agenda Jan. 14
Agenda
Bourbon County Commission Room
1st Floor, County Courthouse
210 S. National Avenue
Fort Scott, KS 66701
Tuesdays starting at 9:00
Date: January 14, 2020
1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________
2nd District-Jeff Fischer Corrected: _______________
3rd District-Nick Ruhl Adjourned at: _______________
County Clerk-Kendell Mason
1:30-2:00 – Jim Harris
2:00-2:15 – John George – Wind Generation Opportunities
2:15-2:30 – Jody Hoener – executive session Proprietary Information
2:30-3:00 – Jody Hoener-Business Incubator
3:00-4:00 – Alan Anderson-Polsinelli Law Firm
Executive Session
Confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets
4:00-4:15 – Justin Meeks
4:15-4:30 – Courthouse Security
4:30-6:00 – Lunch
6:00-6:30 – Windfarm Discussion
6:30-6:45 – Kim Simons
Bourbon County Commission Agenda for Jan. 13
Agenda
Bourbon County Commission Room
1st Floor, County Courthouse
210 S. National Avenue
Fort Scott, KS 66701
Tuesdays starting at 9:00
Date: January 13, 2020
1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________
2nd District-Jeff Fischer Corrected: _______________
3rd District-Nick Ruhl Adjourned at: _______________
County Clerk-Kendell Mason
2:00-2:15: executive session – Non-elected personnel
2:15-2:40: executive session – Contract Negotiations
Bourbon County Commissioner Answers Questions on Raises
Bourbon County Commissioners are trying to close the gap in wages for its’ elected officials, according to chairman Lynne Oharah.
Recently the commission raised four elected officials earnings with a combined total of $46,000.
At the Dec. 17, 2019 county commission meeting Ohara made a motion to approve a salary resolution for elected officials effective Dec. 15, 2019, according to commission minutes. This raised the clerk and treasurer’s salary to $47,248 annually, the register of deeds to 44,821 and the sheriff’s salary to $60,000. Commissioner Jeff Fisher seconded and all commissioners approved.
Ohara then made a motion approving a wage resolution for Bourbon County employees changing the following: the salary for the correctional center captain, the emergency preparedness director and the deputy county appraiser were raised to $35,568 annually to comply with the U.S. Dept. Of Labor standards for salaried employees. A Maintenance 5 position was added at a rate of $17.47 per hour. Commissioner Nick Ruhl seconded and all were in favor of those changes. The economic development director’s salary was changed to $70,000 a year on the same resolution.
Ohara made a motion to approve changing her salary to $70,000. He said that if Bourbon County gets an administrative fee from Phase 2 of the Healthy Bourbon County Grant then part of the $70,000 salary would be subsidized from the grant, Fisher seconded this motion, Ruhl voted against this motion, and the motion passed.
The following is an interview with Bourbon County Commissioner Lynn Oharah.
He started with a history of the raises.
“In 2015, Sheriff Martin contracted an agency to do a wage study to compare Bourbon County wages with other comparable counties because he thought there was a large wage disparity between Bourbon County employees and other like counties,” Commissioner Oharah said. “The county commissioners also accessed Kansas county wage information from the ks.gov website. The results indicated that Bourbon County wages were significantly behind our peers. The commissioners resolved to address these wage disparities and devised a plan to increase FTE (Full Time equivalent) positions first and address the next positions that had the most wage disparity, which happened to be the elected officials. Along with this effort we wanted to incentivize employees to continue working for the county and we did this by approving a $100 per year of service longevity pay increase.”
Where did the money come from to give the raises?
“We gave four elected officials raises when combined totaled $46,000.00. This money came from most of the departments managing their budgets and workforce which created a carryover from the 2015 and forward budget years. These wage increases did not increase the mill levy and this carryover gave us the resources to create a competitive wage with our peers although Bourbon County wages are still on the low side.”
What is the justification for the doubling of the earnings of the Bourbon County Economic Development Director?
“This position was initially created to see how the position could help the county,” Oharah said. “It was created with a minimum of 20 hours of work per week at $35,000 annual salary and we would look at the performance and scope to see if we needed to increase the hours and wages.”
“Our economic developer has been a great asset and for the first six months spent a lot of time helping get the Bourbon County Ambulance Service up and running along with the other duties.”
“Since then all Bourbon County businesses and government entities have been contacted and surveyed to address their needs and identify what’s important to them. Also, new businesses have been guided through the process of starting a business, grants have been written, the County NRP program has been implemented and coordinated under economic development. Meetings and plans regarding healthcare are ongoing with economic development highly involved. This is just naming a few projects that are ongoing and the time spent well exceeds what was required.”
“Based on the need, the commission voted to increase the economic development salary and scope. The salary was based on what was being paid to other economic development directors in our surrounding market and the Bourbon County Economic Development budget is still lower than most of our competitive counties.”
“Bourbon County needs to grow and prosper and we cannot get there by doing the same thing that we have been doing for the last 100 years,” Oharah said.
The commission meets on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. at the courthouse.
To contact Ohara: 620-223-3800, ext 110; Fisher at ext. 112 and Ruhl at ext. 111.
Kansas gets new personalized license plate design: wind turbines are featured
Topeka – Beginning January 15, 2020, a new personalized license plate design will be seen on Kansas roads. The plate, featuring wind turbines on a Kansas sunrise, is aptly named “Powering the Future.” It will serve as a reminder of the state’s long history of embracing the natural energy resource of wind.
“Kansas is a leader in alternative energy and this plate helps feature the fact the state has a long history of adopting technology that shapes the future,” Secretary of Revenue Mark Burghart said.
“I am pleased that this license plate design comes on the heels of Kansas being ranked first in the nation for percentage of electricity produced by wind,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “At the same time, it is a display of an expanding industry that contributes so much to the economic fabric of our state.”
“The new personalized plate design has been highly anticipated,” David Harper, Director of Vehicles, said. “We are happy that people continue to take pride in and show interest in the option for personalized plates.”
Customers will need to go into their local county treasurer’s office to place the order for the personalized plate.
To obtain the personalized plate, county treasurers will require customers to have their current registration receipt, photo ID, and proof of insurance.
Customers who currently don’t have a personalized plate can go to their local county treasurer’s office with those documents and pay the plate fee and any additional fees associated with the plate order. They will receive a temporary vehicle tag and the metal plate will arrive in the mail. This can be done ahead of the regular renewal month.
Kansas gets new personalized license plate design
Topeka – Beginning January 15, 2020, a new personalized license plate design will be seen on Kansas roads. The plate, featuring wind turbines on a Kansas sunrise, is aptly named “Powering the Future.” It will serve as a reminder of the state’s long history of embracing the natural energy resource of wind.
“Kansas is a leader in alternative energy and this plate helps feature the fact the state has a long history of adopting technology that shapes the future,” Secretary of Revenue Mark Burghart said.
“I am pleased that this license plate design comes on the heels of Kansas being ranked first in the nation for percentage of electricity produced by wind,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “At the same time, it is a display of an expanding industry that contributes so much to the economic fabric of our state.”
“The new personalized plate design has been highly anticipated,” David Harper, Director of Vehicles, said. “We are happy that people continue to take pride in and show interest in the option for personalized plates.”
Customers will need to go into their local county treasurer’s office to place the order for the personalized plate.
To obtain the personalized plate, county treasurers will require customers to have their current registration receipt, photo ID, and proof of insurance.
Customers who currently don’t have a personalized plate can go to their local county treasurer’s office with those documents and pay the plate fee and any additional fees associated with the plate order. They will receive a temporary vehicle tag and the metal plate will arrive in the mail. This can be done ahead of the regular renewal month.
For customers with the current 2015 personalized plate, a letter will be in the mail 45 days before the regular due date of the registration telling them they have the option to switch their current personalized combination to the new plate. Customers will be able to keep their 2015 personalized plate.
An application for a personalized plate can be printed and completed prior to the visit to the respective county treasurer’s office by clicking the following link: https://www.ksrevenue.org/pdf/tr715.pdf.
The cost of the plate will be $45.50 in addition to other registration fees and taxes normally due.
For customers with the current 2015 personalized plate, a letter will be in the mail 45 days before the regular due date of the registration telling them they have the option to switch their current personalized combination to the new plate. Customers will be able to keep their 2015 personalized plate.
An application for a personalized plate can be printed and completed prior to the visit to the respective county treasurer’s office by clicking the following link: https://www.ksrevenue.org/pdf/tr715.pdf.
The cost of the plate will be $45.50 in addition to other registration fees and taxes normally due.
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports Jan. 13
Information and Resources Available from K-State Extension
Kansas State University provides you with research-based information through many avenues. Locally, your contact is the Southwind Extension District in Erie, Ft. Scott, Yates Center and Iola. Hundreds of publications and fact sheets, written by K-State researchers and specialists, are available through the university’s Publications Library, www.bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/ Another alternative is to research the information provided on the Southwind website, www.southwind.k-state.edu/ In 2020, we are working toward making more information and resources available to you in a digital format – but that initiative is a work in progress!
Not all of our services can be found on the internet. One of the most utilized resources is soil testing. K-State Research & Extension can test soil for $12 per sample or $10 apiece for two or more. Soil testing is recommended for gardeners, farmers, testing for lawn & turf problems, or pasture management. Feed and forage testing is also offered. The only way to know for certain the quality of the feed is to get a lab analysis of it, to take a forage test. A forage test may run from $12-24 per sample, depending on what you want the sample tested for. Other tests that are available include Radon Test Kits ($6) and Water Quality Testing resources.
Have you ever wondered what that unidentified pest or plant lurking around your home may be, or even how you can get rid of it? The Extension Office has expertise and resources available to identify pests that are common to our area and in Kansas. This includes home and crop insects, weeds, and various plants. We can also provide information on how to remove or control the pest, depending on your situation.
One of our “best kept secret” products that we offer for sale are odor neutralizers. Ecosorb ($28) is used in numerous homes, farm and industrial/commercial applications. Most of our clients seek this product to control the odor from fuel spills, mold smell, or skunk sprays. Neutroleum Alpha ($35) is a concentrated product utilized in a similar fashion to control strong odors. Because it is a concentrate, it can be used in a larger area.
This time of the year, we sell quite a few Farm and Family Account Books ($4.50 – $8.50). If you haven’t made the transition to computerized record keeping, this resource allows for an accurate accounting of your finances in a form that makes completing taxes easier.
Extension publications are very accessible to the public, and most are free if you pick them up in the Extension Office. The Kansas Garden Guide is a new publication that is available for only $6. If you are looking for resources on planning a garden, seeding & planting, or details about a specific crop, this publication is a must-have. Extension offers many, many publications on home gardening so please stop by if you are looking for something specific.
Area farmers and ranchers often utilize the Kansas Performance Tests for various crops to determine which varieties will grow best in this area of the state. Next month, the 2020 Hybrid Reports for Corn, Soybeans, and Grain Sorghum will become available in the Extension Office. This is in addition to the Wheat Seed Book that is always available in late summer after wheat has been harvested and data collected.
The 2020 Chemical Weed Control Guide will be published in January and provides suggestions for chemical weed control in several major crops. It offers recommendations, and guidelines for crop specific chemicals.
If you are involved in a club or organization that requests presentations, the Southwind District offers a “Speakers Bureau” brochure, which contains the public speaking topics offered by the Extension Agents. Let us help you with your educational topics during your meetings. We try to mail this to civic and social organizations on an annual basis, but you are also welcome to pick up a copy in any of our four offices.
As a consumer, you have many options for finding the answers to your questions. By choosing to use the Extension Service, you can be sure you are getting research-based, unbiased information. We encourage you to use the Southwind Extension District Offices in Erie, Ft. Scott, Yates Center and Iola to help answer your questions. Or you can find us on the web, www.southwind.k-state.edu/
Carla Nemecek
Southwind Extension District
Director & Agent
[email protected]
620-365-2242
1 North Washington, Iola, KS 66749
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The Fort Scott Police Department Daily Reports Jan. 9-12
Click below:
FSHS Thespian Troupe Receives State Honors
The Fort Scott High School Thespian Troupe #7365 attended the annual KS State Thespian Festival on Jan. 9-11 in Wichita.
Twenty-six students attended three days of theatre-related workshops, competitions, and performances accompanied by FSHS Thespian Director Angie Bin and FSHS English teacher Don Parsons.
The following students competed in Individual Events and received Superior Ratings qualifying them to compete at the International Thespian Festival in Indiana in June: Senior Mesa Jones and sophomore Jenna Stockstill qualified in Musical Solo and junior Ashanti (Bell) Green qualified in Monologue.
FSHS also once again received the Gold Honor Troupe Award, the highest honor given, for their performances, community involvement, and participation. Jones was recognized for serving this past year as a State Thespian Officer. She was one of five student officers from across the state elected to plan and facilitate this year’s festival.
Two FSHS seniors auditioned for all of the colleges in attendance. Wendy Monahan received call-backs from 15 colleges and Mackenzie Peoples was called back by 9 colleges.
Other students who competed in Individual Events included senior Dominic Cannon with junior Sage Hill and Monahan with junior Amber Russo in Duet Acting; and Peoples and sophomore Christina Ramirez in Musical Solo. All FSHS attendees also competed in Improvisational Acting, Speed Charades, Creative Costuming, or Theatre Quiz Bowl.
Bin taught workshops entitled “Unlocking the Mystery of Immersive Theatre” and “Let’s Play! Building Your Theatre Program Among Kids” throughout the weekend.
The FSHS spring theatre season kicks off with auditions for the play “Radium Girls” by D.W. Gregory on Jan. 13 and 14. Performances are at 7 p.m. on Feb. 27-29 in the FSHS Auditorium.
Uniontown 4-H Club December Report
By Marley Sutton, Uniontown 4-H Club Reporter
Uniontown 4-H Club members have been busy preparing for the Southwind District 4-H Days by practicing their 4-H skit. The club will perform the skit, which is about 4-H facts, for judges at the event on February 1st in Moran.
On December 30th Uniontown 4-H Club members attended the Southwind District 4-H Skate Party in Chanute. Members skated and ate pizza with 4-H members from all four counties in the district.