June 23, 2020 Tuesday 9:00 am
The Bourbon County Commission met in open session with all three Commissioners,
the County Counselor and the County Clerk present.
The following were also present, (some were present for only a portion, some were present for the entire meeting), Jason Silvers with the Fort Scott Tribune, Mr. & Mrs. Clint Walker, Michael Hoyt, Anne Dare and Mary Pemberton.
Nick made a motion to go into a 10 minute executive session (due to the increased COVID-19 cases) for matters relating to the security of a public body or agency, public building or facility or the information system of a public body or agency, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting would jeopardize the security of such public body, agency, building, facility or information system, Jeff seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks). Later the Commissioners discussed the increased COVID-19 cases in Bourbon County; Lynne said the Treasurer’s office is taking appointments as well as walk-in customers, the Clerk’s office is taking walk-in customers through a window, they have distancing markers in place and Court isn’t in session. Lynne suggested implementing that anyone coming in to the Courthouse is required to wear a mask and that they have a person taking temperatures as people come in the Courthouse. Lynne said employees need to have their temperature checked when they come to work. The Commissioners recommended that if an employee can distance themselves from others they don’t have to wear a mask, but all visitors must wear a mask. Lynne said masks, social distancing and good hygiene are important to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Jerad Heckman and Jim Harris with Road & Bridge met with the Commissioners; Jerad said since the recent increase in COVID-19 cases they are back to social distancing, using masks, hand sanitizer and sanitizing vehicles. He said it is safe for the truck/grader drivers to continue as normal since they are usually the only ones in the vehicles. He said it is too hot for the paver operators to wear masks and said they can’t stay 6’ apart; Lynne told him to check their temperatures when they report for work, he said if they have a temperature they need to use sick leave and go home and isolate, he said if they do not have a temperature then the paver/asphalt operator’s don’t have to wear a mask. If there is more than one person in a vehicle they need to wear masks.
Jerad said they have finished wedging the shoulders on the Landfill road; they are doing some hot patching there and plan to re-open the drive soon. He said they have finished patching and the ditching on the Lake Road last week, he said they still have one culvert on the road that needs done.
Jerad presented the Schwab Eaton bridge inspection to the Commissioners, there are 139 bridges on the report, 12 of them need rehabbed and 41 need replaced.
Jerad said they are short one blade operator, one asphalt employee, one mower operator and will be short a truck driver after this week; he said employees had left employment and hadn’t been replaced. Jerad suggested that they replace the blade operator. Lynne made a motion to replace the blade operator, Jeff seconded and all approved. Nick made a notion to hire a truck driver, Jeff seconded and all approved.
Jerad said they are setting up equipment at the Blake Quarry and plan to start crushing and making chips and road rock.
Jerad said they have a 1998 tractor with a cracked head, he said they previously got quotes for the Commissioners, he said even if it was fixed he didn’t have an employee to operate it; Nick made a motion to sell the tractor on Purple Wave, Jeff seconded and all approved.
Nick questioned if the mowing crew was keeping up with only 3 employees; Jerad said yes they are keeping up with the blacktops. Lynne said they needed to get the corners cleared and mowed prior to school starting, Jerad said they would.
Jerad said they are viewing a low water crossing near 80th between Hackberry and Grand Road.
Economic Development Director Jody Hoener met with the Commissioners to discuss the CDBG-CV grant, her presentation was as follows:
“BOURBON COUNTY CDBG-CV Grants
Program Parameters
This is the guiding document for the grant program being offered by Bourbon County. It sets the parameters for who is eligible, how to apply, funding limits, and minimum required documentation. The grants will be scored and consequently awarded on a first come first serve basis to those that are eligible and approved by the county commission. The grants will be awarded until all funds have been expended or June 15, 2021, whichever occurs first.
Who is Eligible
• Businesses located within Bourbon County but outside of the city limits of City of Fort Scott are eligible for application.
• The business must have no more than 50 employees and can be as small as one employee.
• No less than 51% of the jobs impacted must meet Low to Moderate Income Levels.
• Grants are for COVID 19 related hardship only.
• Farmers/Ranchers not eligible under this program because they can apply for USDA Coronavirus Food Assistance program:
• The USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program is open for applications from impacted producers. The application can be found HERE. And more details about the program’s eligibility and payment structure can be found here at https://www.farmers.gove/cfap. Producers will receive 80% of their payment now with the additional 20% distributed at a later date. Contact your FSA office for questions and assistance.
• Non-profits are not eligible under this program
How to Apply
Applications will be available to submit online or accepted by the Bourbon County Economic Development Director. The contact information is:
Website: https://www.bourboncountyks.org/emergency-funding-application/
CDBG-CV Grant Program
Attn: Jody Hoener
210 South National
Fort Scott, KS 66701
jhoener@bourboncountyks.org
Once an application is submitted, required supplement forms will be sent by email to the applicant business. They may also be downloaded online at: https://www.bourboncountyks.org/emergencyfundingapplication/. The County Clerk will provide applications via hard copy at the County Clerk’s office. Questions regarding application should be directed to Jody Hoener at 620-215-5725. An application will only be considered once it is fully completed with all requested documentation required to support the requested funding.
Minimum Required Documentation
• Completed Application Form
• Letter of statement that hardship has been caused by COVID 19
• Job Certification of jobs to be retained
• Most recent tax return for self-employed applicants
• Payroll report if more than one employee
• Invoices of expenses to be covered by this grant
• Tax clearance certificate available at ksrevenue.org/taxclearance.html
• The county reserves the right to request additional documentation
Parameters
• Grants may be considered for working capital expenses for a 60 day period
• Grants are available for those that have already received previous relief. However, funds cannot be used for the same need as was utilized under the previously awarded relief program.
• Funds can only be used for qualified working capital expenses incurred during the 60 day period beginning March 1, 2020.
Process
• A complete application must be submitted online or to Mrs. Hoener in electronic or paper form
• Additional information may be requested for clarification
• Economic Development Director will score application and make recommendation to County Commission.
• County Commission will approve/decline/adjust request at a regularly scheduled public meeting
• County will issue check for approved expenditures.”
Jody said the State of Kansas provided a template to use for the application process. She said she offered to work together to help the City of Fort Scott with their grants, but the City decided to move forward on their own. The grant money will be awarded through a point system, the maximum grant amount available is $10,450, and the minimum is $2,090. Jeff made a motion to adopt the presented parameters, Nick seconded and all approved and Lynne signed the program parameters.
Jody Hoener met with the Commissioners to discuss the CARES Act/SPARK funding; The State of Kansas is disbursing money to the Kansas counties; Bourbon County will receive $2.9 million. Jody said there will be guidelines on how the money can be spent and said there will be a resolution regarding the CARES Act for the Commissioners to approve.
Anne Dare later asked what would happen to any money that wasn’t disbursed from the CDBG or CARES funding; the Commissioners expected all of the money to get disbursed. Anne Dare asked if Jody was the only one to score the recipients’ receiving grant money; she said she would like to see a committee for this purpose, she didn’t feel the person overseeing the grants should be the only person overlooking the applications. The application process was discussed; Jeff said the scoring system is transparent.
Lynne briefly discussed the Road & Bridge budget; he said for the last 4 years their budget has been less than 10 mills, but prior to that it was over 10 mills.
Kendell Mason presented the 2021 budget for the Clerk and Election department; for the Clerks budget she requested $86,900 (the same as approved in 2020), she said if there was any carryover in this budget it went back to the General fund. She requested $111,917 (the same as approved for 2020) for the Election fund, she said if there was any carryover in the Election fund it would be put in the Election Reserve fund to be used for the future purchase of election equipment.
Lynne made a motion to go into a 20 minute executive session for consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship, Nick seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks). After the session, Jeff said the County and the City of Fort Scott had entered into an Interlocal agreement for the County to provide asphalt and crushed rock, he said the County wants a waiver of liability in place stating that the County isn’t responsible for the base conditions of the road being asphalted. Jeff made a motion that the County Counselor write a waiver of liability for asphalt services and that Lynne sign the waiver once completed, Nick seconded and all approved.
Justin Meeks presented a draft agreement for a mobile ventilator system for an ambulance. Via Christi is loaning the equipment to the County, but leasing it in case it gets damaged and so that they get their equipment back; Nick made a motion to accept the leased equipment, Jeff seconded and all approved.
Lynne made a motion to go into a 5 minute executive session for personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel, Jeff seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks). No action was taken.
Nick made a motion to hire a temporary person to take temperatures and provide masks as people enter the building as well as to post signs stating that anyone entering the building would be required to have their temperature taken as well as wear a mask, Jeff seconded and all approved.
Jeff made a motion to go into a 5 minute executive session for personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel, Nick seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Kendell Mason and Lora Holdridge). No action was taken.
Lynne Made a motion to go into a 5 minute executive session for personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel, Jeff seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Kendell Mason, Bobby Reed and Bill Martin). After the session Nick made a motion to allow an employee to be eligible to use the community pool time or to have vacation time donated to them, Jeff seconded and all approved.
The Commissioners briefly discussed airing the Commission meetings on YouTube; Nick and Jeff told Lynne to do this if there was any COVID-19 relief money that could pay for the equipment to do this.
At 11:45, Nick made a motion to adjourn, Jeff seconded and all approved.
THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS
(ss) Lynne Oharah, Chairman
(ss) Jeff Fischer, Commissioner
(ss) Nick Ruhl, Commissioner
ATTEST:
Kendell Mason, Bourbon County Clerk
June 30, 2020, Approved Date