Fort Scott commission agenda includes Evergy franchise, $2M investment
The Fort Scott City Commission's Aug. 4 meeting agenda included several significant items, including a tabled electric franchise ordinance for Evergy Kansas South and a $2 million certificate of deposit investment. Minutes from the meeting have not yet been published, so outcomes are not available.
Electric franchise and investments
The commission was scheduled to consider Ordinance No. 3800, which would grant Evergy Kansas South an electric franchise. The item had been tabled from the July 7 meeting. Also on the agenda was a request to consider bids for a $2,000,000, 12-month certificate of deposit investment.
The consent agenda included an appropriation ordinance of $860,430.86 for payments made July 15–28, 2026, as well as a tabled consent agenda from July 7 with $442,389.03 in expenses. A separate request sought approval to pay Gilmore Bell $11,500 for Davis Lift Station services.
Other business
The commission was also set to discuss amendments to Municipal Code chapters on alcoholic liquor, cereal malt beverages, and beer gardens, as well as contractor licensing and a land bank ordinance. Public comment and an executive session were also scheduled.
In items not in the agenda packet, the commission reviewed final reports from seven businesses that received Small Business Grants in 2025. The reports documented how funds were spent and results achieved. For example, Clifton Chiropractic received $3,000 for a new exterior sign and reported 13.9% and 9.8% patient visit increases in April and May. Hercules Hobby received $5,000 for technology, showcases, an arcade game, and inventory. H. Witt Fabrication received $5,000 for a welding table. Whitetail Resurrection received $5,000 for taxidermy equipment and supplies. Sawyer Automotive received $10,000 for garage door and roof repairs and reported selling 25 vehicles generating nearly $60,000 in gross sales.
Also presented was a report from Care to Share, a local 501c3 charity. The organization reported paying out over $72,000 in assistance from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2026, averaging $12,000 per month, up 50%. It helped more than 125 cancer fighters in 2026, including 90 in Bourbon County, 23 in Crawford, and 12 in Linn. The report also noted over $15,000 in Bourbon County sales tax paid in the last three years, and that FortFest25 had over 2,500 distinct visitors with an average stay of 151 minutes.
Coming up
The commission will hold a regular meeting on Aug. 18, 2026. The agenda includes a public hearing on Resolution No. 32-2026 to direct repair or removal of an allegedly unsafe structure at 1403 E. Oak. The consent agenda includes an appropriation ordinance of $2,739,846.79 for expenses from July 29 to Aug. 12, as well as payments for the Davis Lift Station project: $16,491.64 to Earles Engineering & Inspection, LLC, and $159,305.50 to Jeff Asbell Excavating & Trucking, Inc. The commission will also consider accepting a donation of land, revisit contractor licensing and a Municipal Code Chapter 5.08 amendment, and hear presentations on a wildlife parks grant, walk-in hunting contracts, and a solar proposal. An executive session on housing development is also scheduled.