Bourbon County commissioners approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Freeman as presented and authorized the chairman to sign the document. Commissioners also approved an equipment list Freeman requested to retain and agreed to sign an IRS-directed letter Freeman asked the county to send, which states Freeman’s commitment to open no later than June 1, 2025.

The items were added and discussed after a public comment amendment. A motion to accept the MOU and to allow Chairman Harris to sign passed on a voice vote. Commissioners agreed the requested equipment was not worth reclaiming and authorized the chair to sign the equipment agreement.

On the IRS letter, commissioners emphasized that county funding remains contingent on Freeman meeting the opening commitment specified in the letter. One commissioner said the written commitment — "they are committed to be open by no later than 06/01/2025" — was the first time that timeline had appeared in writing and called it "excellent" for purposes of county oversight. The motion to approve the letter and to permit the chairman’s signature was seconded and carried.

Next steps: the signed MOU, equipment agreement, and the IRS letter will be added to county records; commissioners indicated they will monitor Freeman’s progress against the June 1, 2025 timeline before releasing or continuing related county funding.