Former maintenance director urges county to release asbestos testing and records after his termination

William Jackson, who identified himself at the meeting as a former Bourbon County maintenance director, told the commission he found deteriorating insulation and building materials in the 1930 courthouse that, in his view, warranted asbestos testing.

"If there is no hazard, prove it," Jackson said, asking commissioners to release inspection records or conduct transparent testing. He told the commission he was terminated about 12 hours after raising his concerns as maintenance director and said the issue went beyond his job: "every day the issue is ignored is another day employees and the public may be exposed to a preventable risk." He asked the commission to choose "transparency over silence and public health over politics."

Commissioners later noted that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) had toured and inspected the courthouse and provided a clean bill of health; the chair said KDHE had inspected the building and annotated findings but reported it as acceptable for general public use. Commissioners acknowledged that the building is older and that hazards such as asbestos are more likely in older construction, and they emphasized that handling or disturbing suspect materials (which can create airborne fibers) is the main exposure risk.

The commission did not vote on immediate testing at this meeting; commissioners asked staff to ensure records are located and to follow up with Jackson’s request for documentation. Jackson urged officials to publish any inspection or testing records or to allow independent testing if records do not exist.