[{"_1":2,"_122":-5,"_123":-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",[32,74,86,98,110],{"_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",6656920,"mediaKeyId","5109408-621cd8a71a8d806c0dc461366cbe33da","parentId",5109408,"title","Commissioners debate proposal to separate landfill from Public Works; public raises environmental, staffing and cost concerns","audioSeconds",1492,"startMs",9608000,"endMs",11100000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5109408-621cd8a71a8d806c0dc461366cbe33da&start=9608&end=11100","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5109408-621cd8a71a8d806c0dc461366cbe33da/thumbnail_9608000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6656920/Bourbon-County/Kentucky/Commissioners-debate-proposal-to-separate-landfill-from-Public-Works-public-raises-environmental-staffing-and-cost-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6656920-fe4578764625a7ce7e27e2abb94b410b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771183205&Signature=InU7mqy2PIQmPIAWsqkw1xA1wWM8XHiBC5w7qOnjnimGezDWeTrW0sBeUzwgBBHTIr45v7hYftRDLLCqPavBqnjKx4ZeWqPRJsrTOCnRCsnKWW78EOkG6tEdQRffxuxhhtskK6Gp8TNMR0Kov9BiW5Y2bH6VC1BOZECVT9aiGHiCh23AdardAE9Una-Gp13np0-WkjFylK2xsKOQ~H6Qx0WJPQVkBJ0V0EBa-svFXP5gbUNTS91v590ppJ2eUbrZCIperhjVSleAr82FI8KuuM6cHV4EbX8-OHu8WWGPsCFP2s33FuOY7NxYJfng0O7AfOIfnztS9zsz6pbNb8OVqQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-07-01T02:51:25Z","article","Commissioners held a work session to consider the feasibility of separating Bourbon County's transfer station and landfill from the Public Works department. The discussion included a formal presentation from Commissioner Gerbauer proposing a restructure and a staff-led operational review, followed by extended commissioner discussion and public comment.

Gerbauer said the landfill already appears in the county budget as a largely user-funded operation (separate salary line and cash reserves) and argued separation would improve supervisory focus and operational clarity. He said the three driving factors commissioners should evaluate are risk assessment, benefits analysis and cost analysis.

Gerbauer recommended a new supervisory arrangement reporting directly to the commission, an additional landfill position, and a separate maintenance group to handle equipment and building upkeep. He also proposed a safety-coordinator role and emphasized requiring itemized procurement bids and robust PWS statements to avoid \"lump-sum\" contracts.

Commissioner Tran and other commissioners cautioned that recent management changes and the county's new HR presence should be allowed time to work before a structural split. Tran urged commissioners to give the new HR-led oversight and the recently hired public-works leadership a chance to resolve personnel, morale and safety issues before reorganizing reporting lines.

Public commenters included Jay Hanley, a former public-works employee, who strongly criticized landfill management and operations and warned of environmental contamination and higher long-term costs. Hanley said the landfill had been built with a mid-construction design change that forced more manual handling and increased costs and said the county's clean-rubble practices may not comply with state statute. He urged immediate management changes.

County public-works director Eric Bailey described existing safety and operational processes: a county safety committee that meets monthly, vehicle- and equipment-inspection procedures and a mechanic shop that handles repairs based on work orders. Commissioners and staff examined proposed staffing numbers and salary estimates Gerbauer provided and discussed how salaries and positions would reallocate under the proposed split.

No formal reorganization vote was taken. Commissioners said they would not make an immediate organizational change and directed further review. Commissioners invited public-works staff and the public to provide more operational detail at a future meeting and said they would consider the three driving-factor analyses (risk, benefit, cost) before bringing a reorganization motion to a formal vote.

Ending: The commission kept the item at discussion level, asked staff to provide detailed operational and budgetary breakdowns, and agreed to hold further meetings; several members of the public said they would provide additional documentation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Bourbon County Commission Meeting 06/30/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Commissioners discussed separating Bourbon County's landfill/transfer station from Public Works in a work session that included a presentation proposing a split and public testimony raising safety and environmental concerns.","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},6656924,"Commissioner seeks phased courthouse repairs; volunteers to audit building, report Aug. 4",1085,6265000,7350000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5109408-621cd8a71a8d806c0dc461366cbe33da&start=6265&end=7350","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5109408-621cd8a71a8d806c0dc461366cbe33da/thumbnail_6265000.jpg","/articles/6656924/Bourbon-County/Kentucky/Commissioner-seeks-phased-courthouse-repairs-volunteers-to-audit-building-report-Aug-4","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6656924-15b52ef97f7a3e76c84779164c2b0789/orig.mp4?Expires=1771183205&Signature=ZapwqC2h1cRXr0gJp3f9X0vdD7ODo872QDnvc8RjYjcZidPQeKTO5JV2OPQSduf01CZgcyKpAP~eb47Npvu-0UBPBqqAX5Xy6111ws~U9Yv5wBdE2oJ45Dj2ZOJWkfG8pUC5OiToIxR5rS-BhUdZZsB96u1R2r2miuhFoKLVgh3KqBCpLuzLOUISsFf1YrFT7cnkwt9OLpQMwEkgAiEn~YncT2ERNiub6dhZpl0nZE9e4Sc5LHJBzBnyaVkBh6YUNyXlCyvM-HL0FdYWNAIqGLGmVFgGcZ-AOSpHECKtG6fHq~uJwXCMuxiLonsjX0f60uUgvN4~4QPMAkqJoe8d3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Commissioner Tran presented an itemized, multi-phase plan to address repairs across the Bourbon County courthouse complex, the annex building and the SEK Health Department facility. The presentation included contractor-provided lump-sum estimates for a range of work: exterior cleaning and tuckpointing, HVAC and boiler replacement, courtroom HVAC, roof replacement, fire-system work, phone-system updates, floor restoration, and IT upgrades.

Tran summarized the proposal's high-level totals and raised concerns about the proposal's lack of itemized bids: \"The cost proposal does not include line item cost estimates nor bids from contractors. The numbers are lump sum amounts. There is no line item breakout,\" Tran said, urging the commission not to accept lump-sum estimates without verification.

Tran estimated a 10-year cost for courthouse repairs in the proposal documentation at more than $1.1 million and said the annex and the health department work add to that total. He called for prioritizing envelope (roof, windows, tuckpointing) work first and recommended the county require itemized bids, a performance work statement (PWS) for procurements, and three competitive bids when practicable.

Because the county lacks a formal operations-and-maintenance (O&M) budget and a maintenance staffing plan, Tran proposed leading a volunteer inspection team of county citizens to document defects and prioritize repairs. He pledged volunteers would not charge the county; he asked for authority to inspect spaces only when building occupants invited him inside.

The commission voted to authorize Commissioner Tran to inspect the courthouse and related buildings with volunteer assistance and to report back on Aug. 4 with a prioritized assessment and recommended procurement approach. The motion included a weekly status update commitment to the commission.

Ending: Commissioners discussed the trade-offs between deep rehabilitation and replacement of aging facilities; Tran and commissioners emphasized the need to avoid mission creep, demand line-item bids, and involve the judiciary and other building stakeholders in prioritization and scheduling to limit operational disruption.","Commissioner Tran presented a multi-year cost estimate for courthouse, annex and health department repairs and asked the commission to authorize a volunteer-led, building-by-building inspection and a phased bidding approach; Tran will report back Aug. 4 with findings and a prioritized plan.",{"_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},6656928,"Zoning committee urges limited, forward-looking county zoning; calls for protections for property owners",156,7404000,7560000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5109408-621cd8a71a8d806c0dc461366cbe33da&start=7404&end=7560","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5109408-621cd8a71a8d806c0dc461366cbe33da/thumbnail_7404000.jpg","/articles/6656928/Bourbon-County/Kentucky/Zoning-committee-urges-limited-forward-looking-county-zoning-calls-for-protections-for-property-owners","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6656928-0d5fb5248197863e4bf21111c88dc8dc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771183205&Signature=GQYyF6KImcgCA45qQ1nCF7o3CVcgF1ihnKidLw5JZPy8gXjwXpunj7XwWfc1I1Y8IP~VBJVqdjrLLIk7rl-awi2XyeoX88omsTex44ah4SJ6hONxLqPaO01I1bzMlnbaAuE5xAbmiORaL6vfAJs4kpsi0zA3i~NfIFK5DnQcJhd9~YY5bIw2EsEXCpb8S8g6e2cjepRe5~mcCi7bm4OkelJqYWcJ~fl9Vm5~xc0fRWBft~wng8Uc7xSqwTHpRc-FnHOjmNXvifF-cCuhfFJrArGpJrFtxhdrX4e-I-SPqxZbVGqE2AIxcelfQTk93ogIH0QYckLjqAHZOEOIp0kctw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A citizen zoning committee presented its final recommendations to the Bourbon County Commission after several meetings and three town halls. The committee recommended the county pursue \"limited zoning\" that initially zones unincorporated land A-1 (agricultural) while establishing clear definitions and processes for large commercial (C-1) and industrial (I-1) development.

The committee argued the approach would preserve productive farm and ranch land while allowing the county to define thresholds that trigger review: examples discussed included building footprint or percentage of a lot, noise at property lines, hazardous-material thresholds, vehicle-traffic impacts, energy-output levels for generation projects, and project monetary value.

Committee members said zoning must protect personal-property rights while also protecting neighbors' interests. The report recommends grandfathering existing businesses in their current location while allowing reasonable ownership changes or limited expansions; the committee said a phase-out requirement should not be included.

The recommendation also calls for requiring environmental and property-value studies for large projects, reasonable setback and visual screening standards, and consideration of a county-wide limit on acreage allowed for large-scale industrial development expressed as a percentage of unincorporated land.

Committee co-chair (presenter) Kenneth told commissioners: \"It is the recommendation of this committee to begin by zoning the entire county A-1, which would be agricultural land,\" and described the committee's view that \"zoning must be business friendly\" and should use a reputable planning firm to help limit implementation costs.

Commissioners thanked the committee for the work and said they would hold commission work sessions and public hearings before any action. The commission also said it would invite the committee back and review the committee's bylaws and findings before deciding how to proceed with ordinance drafting.

Ending: Commissioners said the recommendations would be the starting point for commissioner-led work sessions and public hearings to create an implementation pathway if the commission chooses to proceed.","A citizen-led zoning committee recommended Bourbon County adopt a limited zoning framework that starts by designating unincorporated county land agricultural (A-1), requires conditional-use permits or rezoning for large commercial or industrial uses, and includes environmental and visual-screening studies for large developments.",{"_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},6656933,"Auditor: Bourbon County issued a clean regulatory-basis opinion; credit-card documentation flagged",1834,7566000,9400000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5109408-621cd8a71a8d806c0dc461366cbe33da&start=7566&end=9400","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5109408-621cd8a71a8d806c0dc461366cbe33da/thumbnail_7566000.jpg","/articles/6656933/Bourbon-County/Kentucky/Auditor-Bourbon-County-issued-a-clean-regulatory-basis-opinion-credit-card-documentation-flagged","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6656933-42dc6bf72421ade1064531f7f0ddb3a4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771183205&Signature=hjsh~eACJ1zaMb1VF5HyrThASyl3R1DP~N2pO6VqUw6TRQ-YHY1NQuZN~i6olE3J~0zmbm6YFtKVjPNLa5pnSKGrPFZ0yPnUXNvSuov~kfP43j8deS3SEtwa~mcMXTtofdKIufjs6Xlv01U-Whx7UhzRhktctVHVAfAJQiiaZq-ny4ZwfjV2NUBGAAMJRVqCn5cUQ1M3dfTsq6F~5opgGi6~gxG6NyfkHfQjzvEXtnZbCoBluDNG3lXVSfYssqdeOrfgyi5uzKn8paIh0qJONI5LJYsuRImKgBGXS2DuFyeWU0fwCP6Fbb~V-HGGN6l4PtTRyACR9mBTFSEt~6kWeQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Emily Frank, the auditor from Gilmore Phillips, presented Bourbon County's audit for the year ended Dec. 31, 2024, telling the commission the firm issued an unmodified opinion on the county's financial statements prepared on the Kansas regulatory basis of accounting.

Frank said the audit team issued an \"adverse opinion on gaps to generally accepted accounting principles because the county elected to follow the Kansas regulatory basis (cash basis).\" She added the regulatory-basis opinion should be read as a clean opinion for the cash/regulatory presentation the county uses.

The audit shows the county started 2024 with a combined ending unencumbered cash balance of about $4.15 million and ended the year with $3.69 million. After adding back encumbrances and accounts payable, Frank reported a reconciled cash balance of about $4.48 million at Dec. 31, 2024. She noted agency funds hold about $14.1 million of distributable ad valorem and other taxing-entity dollars that are not county spending authority.

Frank reviewed footnotes covering deposits and collateral, finance leases, the county's KPERS pension disclosures and compensated absence estimates. She said the county paid $235,000 in interest on long-term obligations during 2024 and carried a total long-term debt balance disclosed in the notes of about $8.32 million.

On internal control and management-letter matters, Frank told the commission auditors found a recurring deficiency \"with some credit-card receipts missing,\" a problem she said had occurred in prior years. \"When somebody goes to a restaurant, it should be a full receipt with all of the detail,\" Frank said, adding that missing supporting documentation increases the risk of having to repay grant dollars if a grantor requests evidence.

Frank also explained the audit includes supplementary schedules (budget comparisons and fund-by-fund detail) that are not part of the audited fund-summary statement but are provided to help management during the annual budget process. She encouraged commissioners and staff to review the management representation materials included in the audit packet.

Commissioners asked for copies of the audit packets and for the auditor to make available the management-letter materials online; Frank said the public packet would be submitted to the state and uploaded to the state website.

Ending: Frank offered to answer questions after the meeting and to provide copies to commissioners who missed parts of the presentation; commissioners discussed next steps for posting and using the audit figures in the 2026 budget process.","County auditor Emily Frank presented the 2024 audit, reporting an unmodified opinion on the county's regulatory basis financial statements, a $3.7 million ending unencumbered cash balance, and a management recommendation to improve credit-card receipt documentation.",{"_33":111,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":112,"_41":113,"_43":114,"_45":115,"_47":116,"_49":117,"_51":118,"_53":119,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":120,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":121,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6656915,"Votes at a glance: commission approves several resolutions, tables juvenile detention motion",2752,284000,3036000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5109408-621cd8a71a8d806c0dc461366cbe33da&start=284&end=3036","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5109408-621cd8a71a8d806c0dc461366cbe33da/thumbnail_284000.jpg","/articles/6656915/Bourbon-County/Kentucky/Votes-at-a-glance-commission-approves-several-resolutions-tables-juvenile-detention-motion","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6656915-521ffe3c6c635cd62962ddb080c56bb8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771183205&Signature=kXiivO-csEPgiDK06M-P0ZcztEDJVKEX2iP3c5~7FzEs51shDqNdmv8sCULoMb3hPPXBDadE2EZGbz9gClBdQo2zxdACI1EJjBZp8dhphpmHcgWYWcEhAqLPa1RLVnQRq2F10u28kFhcbmldyyMUoNUhc5EReIRk74kOcDAqHWuEKHobifuw6B29YOxzf3K6ML8oKjI8E0S6vn1vFs9IblhaNNBVn1vxc14zfabbEzeH0phfWaRNK5A4X2jyMFUOqPcQ41g3y~j85wBViSUa6QbF~S2DCWVQzLsNZQ1IUGZ0iJjEwo2UTQG7jw7CgmRluvcxcLOjASNX3UZF-TGiEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bourbon County Commission recorded several formal actions and votes during the session. This article summarizes the distinct formal outcomes recorded in the transcript.

- Agenda, minutes and consent agendas: The commission approved the meeting agenda (as amended), approved minutes for the listed dates and approved the consent agenda covering accounts payable and payroll items. These routine motions passed by voice vote.

- Executive sessions: Commissioners moved into and out of executive sessions under KSA 75-4319 subsections for personnel and for attorney-client matters. Those motions passed by roll calls; no final decisions were announced during the executive sessions other than returning to open session.

- Deviation of policy for Public Works director: After an executive session the commission approved a motion \"to approve deviation of policy and allow the public works director to work with HR as explained, within the written documentation\" for one occurrence. The motion passed with recorded \"yes\" votes from the commissioners present.

- Juvenile detention membership: A motion \"that we cancel our membership with the Gerard Juvenile Detention Center and adopt the juvenile detention with Johnson County on a case by case basis\" was moved but died for lack of a second and was tabled to a future meeting.

- Appraiser contract: The commission moved to rescind prior resolutions (Resolution 32-21 and O822) and adopt a new 2025 resolution for the county appraiser contract. Commissioners voted to adopt the new 2025 resolution (roll-call recorded as affirmative by commissioners in attendance). The motion passed.

- Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP): Discussion and requested materials were reviewed and the item was tabled for one week; staff will supply additional documentation and commissioners scheduled follow-up for July 14.

- Redistricting and staggered terms: The commission voted to set District 5 as a three-year term and District 4 as a one-year term as part of implementation of recent redistricting; the commission adopted Resolution 21-25 to implement the staggered terms.

- Resolution 22-25 (Southeast Kansas Bridal House support): The commission adopted Resolution 22-25 and signed a letter of support.

- Repeal of Resolution 19-25 (Benefits committee confidentiality clause): The commission voted to repeal paragraph 5 of Resolution 19-25 that had stated benefits-committee meetings would not be public; commissioners directed staff to prepare consistent bylaws/resolutions for several advisory groups.

- Courthouse inspection authorization: The commission authorized Commissioner Tran to inspect the courthouse and related buildings with volunteer assistance and report back Aug. 4; weekly status updates were requested.

Ending: Several routine items passed by voice vote; a number of policy- and organization-level items were approved conditionally or tabled for additional staff analysis. The meeting transcript shows multiple roll calls for executive-session motions and a cluster of resolutions adopted during the meeting; commissioners scheduled follow-up actions and several items were sent to later meetings for legal review and staff analysis.","During the meeting commissioners approved agenda and consent items, adopted a new appraiser contract resolution, passed redistricting and other resolutions, authorized courthouse inspection by Commissioner Tran and tabled several items; a motion to cancel membership in Gerard Juvenile Detention Center died for lack of second.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commissioners debate proposal to separate landfill from Public Works; public raises environmental, staffing and cost concerns

Commissioner seeks phased courthouse repairs; volunteers to audit building, report Aug. 4

Zoning committee urges limited, forward-looking county zoning; calls for protections for property owners

Auditor: Bourbon County issued a clean regulatory-basis opinion; credit-card documentation flagged

Votes at a glance: commission approves several resolutions, tables juvenile detention motion