Commissioners authorize up to $5,000 for courthouse elevator repairs; procurement and building-safety concerns flagged

The Bourbon County Board of County Commissioners voted to authorize up to $5,000 for immediate repairs to the courthouse elevator and agreed to pay for the work from the county sales-tax fund designated for courthouse and jail projects.

County staff reported the elevator failed after a temporary fix to its control cards; the vendor, KONE, found the remaining fault is mechanical in the hoist way and said a replacement part and repair work will likely occur next week. David, a county staff member who briefed the commission, said the repair vendor told him the problem is ‘‘in the hoist way’’ and that the control cards previously installed were a temporary measure.

The vote followed a lengthier discussion in which commissioners and staff raised procurement and facility-management issues. A county official urged the commission to seek written quotes, to avoid sole-source contracting and to solicit at least three bids for larger modernization work. That official also recommended specifying nonproprietary equipment so future vendors would not be locked into a single manufacturer.

Why it matters: the elevator is nearly five decades old and must meet state elevator code and fire-marshal requirements to remain in service. Commissioners said the courthouse sales-tax revenue is currently covering bonds and projected to yield excess cash after bond payoff; members agreed the fund could be used for the repair. Commissioners also flagged broader county financial controls they said are missing, including written purchasing policies and an approving-official process for card and purchase approvals.

Key details: the county’s staff described the elevator as 47–48 years old and said earlier work had addressed boiler-room components and hydraulic systems; the control cards had been installed as a temporary measure and stopped working within a day. Staff said KONE will email a written quote; commissioners requested that any quote be provided in writing to the clerk before work proceeds. During discussion commissioners asked for the vendor’s statement of work and recommended pulling sample service contracts and RFP boilerplates (one commissioner said Ms. Walker has a relevant document and asked that it be circulated).

Formal action: a motion to authorize county staff (David) to execute repairs up to $5,000 and to use the sales-tax fund for the expense passed on a roll call in which Commissioners Tran, Millburn and Bearbauer voted yes. No abstentions or no votes were recorded. Commissioners also directed staff to obtain written quotes and to evaluate whether a broader modernization and nonproprietary specification would be appropriate if longer-term replacement is required.

Other points from the meeting: commissioners discussed the county’s lack of a formal SOP for RFPs and a written financial policy, including approving-official (AO) procedures for purchases and credit-card reconciliations. Staff described practical needs in the courthouse basement — hazardous materials storage, labeling, and consolidation of supplies — and said some items (historic deed books) require special handling. Commissioners asked staff to present examples of purchasing policies (one commissioner offered the city of Fort Scott’s procedures and another offered Riley County’s examples) and to bring sample service contracts and an RFP template for future decisions.

Next steps and limitations: the immediate repair was authorized up to $5,000; staff will provide the written KONE quote and the clerk will distribute it to the commissioners. Commissioners discussed, but did not authorize, a full modernization at this meeting; they directed staff to gather competitive bids and nonproprietary specifications if the county pursues longer-term modernization. The county will rely on its sales-tax fund for this expenditure, consistent with the sales-tax language quoted in the meeting that allows revenue to be pledged for courthouse and jail facilities.