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Bourbon County authorizes emergency department funding agreement with Freeman Health and fund transfers
Summary
The commission voted to approve an emergency department funding agreement involving Freeman Health System and the City of Fort Scott, to transfer funds from the General Equipment Fund to the General Fund and to authorize Chairman Harris to sign the agreement. City approval was reported at 5–0; county motions included use of ARPA funds as part of the financing plan.
Bourbon County commissioners voted on Oct. 20 to approve an emergency department funding agreement involving Freeman Health System and the City of Fort Scott and to authorize related financing steps.
County participants reviewed an agreement negotiated with the city’s attorney and other parties; the meeting record shows the City of Fort Scott had approved the agreement 5–0. Commissioners discussed a date error on a draft and agreed it could be amended to reflect the county’s approval date. The commission then approved a motion to: sign the funding agreement (with the date corrected as needed), transfer funds from the General Equipment Fund to the General Fund to support the payment plan, and allow the county chairman to execute the agreement on behalf of the county. The motion passed by voice vote.
Commissioners also stated that ARPA funds would be included in the financing plan in combination with the General Equipment Fund transfer. The motion included direction that the county clerk and finance staff implement the fund transfer; an additional motion explicitly authorized Chairman Harris to sign the agreement because some signatures were on the city form but not the county form.
Why it matters: The agreement is part of the county’s support for an emergency department project tied to Freeman Health System and the City of Fort Scott; approval moves the county from review into formal financial commitment steps documented at the meeting.
What’s next: County staff will complete the fund transfer and the chairman will sign the agreement as authorized. Commissioners said engineers will test ER equipment the next day; the county expects a report on testing outcomes at a future meeting.
Attributions: The city’s attorney and county staff reviewed the agreement; the city’s approval was noted by county participants. The county’s actions at the Oct. 20 meeting provide authorization for signature and fund transfer; the commission did not provide a dollar amount on the record for the transfer during the vote (county staff to follow up).
