[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6521389,"mediaKeyId","5097198-48ccbd6d1372f3f5ab8367f47e001cb3","parentId",5097198,"title","Bourbon County commissioners approve routine business, form benefits committee and authorize elevator repair; several decisions tabled","audioSeconds",50,"startMs",90000,"endMs",140000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5097198-48ccbd6d1372f3f5ab8367f47e001cb3&start=90&end=140","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5097198-48ccbd6d1372f3f5ab8367f47e001cb3/thumbnail_90000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6521389/Bourbon-County/Kentucky/Bourbon-County-commissioners-approve-routine-business-form-benefits-committee-and-authorize-elevator-repair-several-decisions-tabled","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521389-1bddd9766e834409636b907401262a14/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166472&Signature=TO~Bd~qBYzD3dQ9-z-YND76wQpfFblwLlui1cN26LjwSTlqtqojUrwQpBy9ryK3OQW~9hRR3se769kj2oVIxLx5PTFmzUY5Sorv0Y2DnNzTy24h3ZKmy9HaLXZsVFKWofLsqJ2OSrJM2UxQqNeMJ8EAa0eZ6v8nyvlb4itaSMGKhV-L0Blxw3KkFV1kKSH3-WyK1Yyo-fytjp2yKcN9XeuObrx5fiAiQB0QYEMLIfLjk0cEYmNAFFcYuBzIaY4sN9csfCpnYughcNdvpZK1M9pFLdmhXmhyFiXBJckYYaoyVBeHKUIzDTvlO~PgnzLGTC2a-tasSv62zJb3IvYIM9A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-06-24T02:02:31Z","article","Bourbon County\u0000Board of Commissioners on June 23 approved routine agenda items and a set of administrative steps, formally created an employee benefits advisory committee and authorized immediate elevator repairs for the courthouse, while tabling the county appraiser reappointment and a proposed change to an historic mental-health levy.

The commission voted to approve the meeting agenda as revised and adopted minutes for the June 16 meeting. Commissioners approved the consent agenda, which included accounts payable totaling $220,396.49 and May financial reports. The board also adopted a procedure to formalize the role of a parliamentarian to advise meetings and enforce existing resolutions on decorum and public comment.

In formal actions the commission:
- Appointed Joseph D. Smith to the budget committee to replace a resigning member.
- Formed a Bourbon County Employee Benefits Committee to work with the county's broker and make recommendations on premium renewals and plan structure; members will include a commissioner, the clerk, payroll clerk and five employee representatives covering single, spouse, children, family and non-enrolled categories; committee members must complete HIPAA training and meetings will not be open to the public.
- Authorized county staff to sign a purchase order and proceed with immediate elevator repairs (estimated to be up to $30,000) so the courthouse elevator can be used for upcoming court business; commissioners said the county will pursue larger modernization work later and may use sales-tax revenue designated for courthouse repairs.
- Set a public hearing (July 7) on an application to close a county alley/road submitted by a property owner and agreed to publish and notify affected parties.
- Approved the signature of the chair on a fireworks permit for a Mapleton event.

The board tabled several items for further review: the county appraiser renewal/resolution (to allow review of prior documents and state compliance requirements) and a proposed repeal of a 1961 half-mill mental-health levy (the commission asked for a week to review a draft resolution and accompanying letter). Commissioners also asked for additional documentation or financial details before acting on a request to change the terms of a county NRP (neighborhood revitalization) rebate from a 10-year to a 5-year schedule.

Votes were recorded verbally in the meeting and by voice assent; no roll-call tallies with named yes/no votes were entered into the public transcript for many items. Where the transcript showed approvals, the chair and the present commissioners verbally indicated agreement.

Items that require further follow-up include the full price quote for elevator replacement/upgrades, the county appraiser documents requested for July, and the draft resolution and supporting materials on the proposed change to the mental-health levy.

Ending: The commission scheduled follow-ups and hearings as part of its July calendar; several items were explicitly put on next meeting agendas for additional review and formal action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Bourbon County Budget Meeting 06/25/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Bourbon County Board of Commissioners on June 23 approved routine agenda items and a set of administrative steps, formally created an employee benefits advisory committee and authorized immediate elevator repairs for the courthouse, while tabling the county appraiser reappointment and a proposed change to an historic mental-health levy.","taxTitle","Bourbon County, Kentucky","taxId",71615,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6521374,"Two IT firms pitch managed services and cybersecurity to Bourbon County commissioners",1085,1268000,2353000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5097198-48ccbd6d1372f3f5ab8367f47e001cb3&start=1268&end=2353","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5097198-48ccbd6d1372f3f5ab8367f47e001cb3/thumbnail_1268000.jpg","/articles/6521374/Bourbon-County/Kentucky/Two-IT-firms-pitch-managed-services-and-cybersecurity-to-Bourbon-County-commissioners","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521374-9427c9d4cd016911e519782850a2b3b9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166473&Signature=gUuEV~7JSMy2p5aeIeEC9Cwcm6KeZyHJVIUhLMB7Bap2rqCYoa1sMzR3JG-DX9TNNQr-hneD-~DlwhpApikdNzpsTmRd8KGouAmoBpy7Y~PDy34~cFpfQocfHQRzwRdvCge5r1P07RfKh9pZ3AQji7ad~nOHMiJY9xjnG59As2vIymN71NrjyzbdilfUi5IJnHjBveZkASWxB1SIEWD783ajPo3IBGguGYg3bJuasrs4~ftHVrFvCK43Y4wCRUOP2xxs2eC5-lD8GOc51Vs1py3J9UUljKNqUo5zGTHKyc32zQyy0GYUn-3JUQF0qmi5jo-9YH5MQ8EaLi~C3klFyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representatives from two information-technology firms summarized their services and fielded commissioners' questions about managed services, cyber-security, backups and contracting.

Steve Prasco, representing Advantage Computers and the Jayhawk Software division, described a regional, bank-audited approach to IT service delivery. Prasco said the firm builds its own PCs and servers, provides monitoring tools that generate proactive alerts, offers nightly backups and custom \"black box\" backups that transfer only daily changes to an off-site vault. He said Advantage supports many district courts and counties in the region and recommended routine security testing and employee cyber-awareness training; he cautioned there is no 100% protection against attacks but that layered defenses and training reduce risk.

Jason Rinkner and Avion (chief technical officer) of Stronghold Data described a service model emphasizing assessments, NIST/800-171 alignment, CJIS compliance for law-enforcement systems, frequent automated backups (Stronghold stated a standard 4-hour backup cadence), vendor-management practices and incident-response capabilities. Stronghold offered quarterly business reviews with county department heads, 24/7 U.S.-based call-center support that triages issues and escalates to on-call engineers, and an underground SOC 2 Type II audited data center for disaster recovery. Stronghold said it can help with grant applications and policy development and emphasized collaboration with insurers and law enforcement for incident response.

Commissioners pressed on cost, on-site staffing levels versus contracted managed service, and on the ability to tailor services (\"a la carte\") to county needs. Both firms said they can provide flexible contracts, on-site visits as needed and support models ranging from periodic on-site service to full managed-service contracts. Both firms recommended a technology assessment as a first step. The county did not take any procurement action at the meeting.

Ending: Commissioners asked vendors to provide follow-up materials and pricing; the county requested detailed proposals and cost comparisons before any procurement decisions.","Advantage Computers and Stronghold Data presented managed-IT, cybersecurity and backup strategies to Bourbon County commissioners, outlining services that include NIST-based assessments, CJIS compliance for law-enforcement systems, regular backups and options for hybrid on-site/remote support.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6521379,"Southeast Kansas Mental Health presents service growth; commissioners take proposal on county levy repeal under advisement",910,5780000,6690000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5097198-48ccbd6d1372f3f5ab8367f47e001cb3&start=5780&end=6690","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5097198-48ccbd6d1372f3f5ab8367f47e001cb3/thumbnail_5780000.jpg","/articles/6521379/Bourbon-County/Kentucky/Southeast-Kansas-Mental-Health-presents-service-growth-commissioners-take-proposal-on-county-levy-repeal-under-advisement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521379-91861c7d32831a3556e954f1cc14b700/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166473&Signature=Cjp3BFTH-GPh8VAwESJ-tTgxq49C06EEkwpk~OVoKcwEBLFY-AlpcWLZis338gGaQBGs-YJtfCIJwLsPA9rlCkU2Fz1-u5LrkIr9DBhdOA9oI0IekORM96hx3a4lh7nRSD6gRypbBHHQWPI-fwWdHw3gDJdPUjUFFPzLkPPQ7gc0mkh24Jf3hGATkn0L0d6HhuQo867C-htMZk1mexzSM-ZMmr-3cwlJVAP-auI-QO5DXtnUPgWuDouSDDLWDDYPf5JkKe-F2cOpQ7eyfc8JvZrBX0FhJ8BUgJW6rC5d5dObCse-MDygAQROmOk-M2mN0JJwIRkBc6Cp-4XWnSTJ-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Nathan Fossen, CEO of Southeast Kansas Mental Health (SEK Mental Health), briefed Bourbon County commissioners on June 23 about the agency's growth in services and partnerships and presented a draft resolution and letter that would rescind a 1961 half-mill levy while affirming county support for the center and continued county board representation.

Fossen described the center's evolution: from roughly 30 staff in earlier years to more than 500 employees across six counties, about 80 of whom serve Bourbon County. He said SEK Mental Health expanded service capacity after receiving federal grants and certification as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic; the center said it provided 35,482 services in Bourbon County in 2024 (the packet distributed to commissioners provides service counts broken down by year).

Superintendent (Fort Scott) Jeff Brown and Sheriff Martin spoke in support of SEK Mental Health. Brown described the district's expansion of school-based therapists (from one to a therapist in every school) and integrated behavioral supports; Sheriff Martin said the agency and law enforcement have a strong working relationship and that SEK crisis services are called frequently and promptly assist local law enforcement.

Commissioner (not specified) presented a draft resolution repealing the 1961 half-mill levy and a supporting letter stating the county will continue board representation and appoint qualified members without conflicts of interest. The resolution text acknowledges the county's historical financial support and proposes to shift from a standing levy toward non-financial support now that SEK Mental Health has diversified funding sources.

Commissioners asked for time to review the draft and supporting materials. The board agreed to table the resolution and letter for at least one week so commissioners could study the historical resolution and the packet SEK provided; Fossen confirmed the center may request additional funding in future budget cycles, but he said the organization is less dependent on county funding now than it once was.

Ending: The commission requested printed copies of the 1961 resolution and scheduled the matter for follow-up at the next meeting; SEK Mental Health will return materials and await the commissioners' decision.","Southeast Kansas Mental Health leaders told commissioners the center now provides tens of thousands of services in Bourbon County and asked the board to replace a 1961 levy resolution with a modern statement of support; commissioners asked for time to review and tabled a final decision to a later meeting.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6521384,"Director urges Bourbon County to re-engage with regional juvenile detention center amid low local bed use",1926,3742000,5668000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5097198-48ccbd6d1372f3f5ab8367f47e001cb3&start=3742&end=5668","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5097198-48ccbd6d1372f3f5ab8367f47e001cb3/thumbnail_3742000.jpg","/articles/6521384/Bourbon-County/Kentucky/Director-urges-Bourbon-County-to-re-engage-with-regional-juvenile-detention-center-amid-low-local-bed-use","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521384-7c0e99e42b0031e46bfe2c6c6ec1a70e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166473&Signature=ckKQumo7pFoQdP-CULeajhqGRyMEJMdtgkiredlLYni1Kuklv0A-wQbx6gU24l1S6waoc5dwlnJTgJbtAiadR2kUcL4IfXl5iK5pBj1~D7qi5eKDQgex4nfItkU8Q9IUfdgly11LIgIob-5GBXr-f5G1Xlaai812CKtSs9RWAdRD6YeRgYAghBV-k~aezbPTugf0KoLweZRXRC~EAEqdDSvjocUQYI3HNN~TmOMia9FkQiE7CcFW-VXscfkYWmXn3H-doqLXzTL4rjL0ovfWu7IUtMYQJ6IGq~WS6oNsnneriCGTgVezHRYZfnKDHnAltFwJaVF6pg4QfLZfe0j-gw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Michael Walden, director of the Southeast Kansas Juvenile Detention Center (SEK JDC), told Bourbon County commissioners on June 23 that the detention center is a regional facility formed to meet federal and state juvenile detention standards and that sustained county engagement is needed to preserve local access and control.

Walden said the SEK JDC was constructed in 1994 after state planning and bond financing to meet the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (the JJDP Act) requirement that juveniles be housed \"sight and sound\" separate from adults. He described how the region moved from per-diem billing to a multi-factor funding formula that uses a four-year average of bed-days plus county population and valuation to set each county's share. Walden said that funding design recognizes that counties contribute different amounts based on use and size.

Walden and his leadership team explained operational constraints unique to juvenile detention: staff must meet state-mandated hiring standards (workers must be 21 and have behavioral-health coursework), and centers must meet specific physical standards for lighting and space. He said those requirements make the facility more expensive to operate than a simple adult holding facility but are mandated by state and federal rules.

Walden briefed commissioners on utilization and placement issues: he said many juveniles in Southeast Kansas are being placed outside the region because the state or other agencies cannot place them locally; that creates transportation and fiscal burdens for rural counties. He told the commission there is legislative activity (a House vote referenced to repeal 75% of Senate Bill 367) and that the Kansas detention placement instrument (KDAI) is under review; he characterized the instrument's implementation and training as inconsistent across the state and said his center is working with the Kansas Department of Corrections on improvements.

The director said Bourbon County currently has funds and property interest at the center (he estimated roughly $400,000 in county funds and property value attributable to the center under the regional agreement) and he asked commissioners to become more engaged. Walden said the center is exploring use of up to seven beds for other revenue-generating placements that would not displace detention capacity; he estimated a potential $540,000 revenue opportunity for the region if permitted by state rules, which could reduce county shares. He asked Bourbon County commissioners to attend board meetings and remain present for governance decisions; he also invited commissioners to tour the facility.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about historical agreements (a regional agreement dating to 1992/1993 was discussed) and whether the board could negotiate different terms; Walden said that decisions about altering the interlocal agreement rest with the detention center board. The commission agreed to have staff coordinate contact between the sheriff's office and the detention center director and to pursue additional information, including a line-item breakdown of the county's financial stake.

Ending: Walden left materials and said the detention center board will meet July 23; he encouraged Bourbon County representation at that meeting and asked for continuing dialogue on possible alternative placements to generate regional revenue and lower per-county costs.","Southeast Kansas Juvenile Detention Center director Michael Walden briefed commissioners on the center's history, the regional funding formula and concerns about low utilization and state placement practices; he urged Bourbon County representation at board meetings and said a proposal to use additional beds could generate local revenue.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bourbon County commissioners approve routine business, form benefits committee and authorize elevator repair; several decisions tabled

Two IT firms pitch managed services and cybersecurity to Bourbon County commissioners

Southeast Kansas Mental Health presents service growth; commissioners take proposal on county levy repeal under advisement

Director urges Bourbon County to re-engage with regional juvenile detention center amid low local bed use