Officials to seek middle ground on insurance requirements while delaying final vote until July.
FORT SCOTT – The Fort Scott City Commission unanimously voted last Tuesday to table a contractor licensing ordinance until mid-summer, citing a need for further collaboration with local contractors who argued the current proposal would stifle competition and hurt small businesses.
The decision to delay Ordinance 3799 followed a lengthy discussion led by Commissioner Julie Buchta, who reported that most of the 15 local contractors she interviewed were unaware the city was considering the change. Buchta presented feedback from local stakeholder Tim Bourassa, which warned that the proposed licensing board—composed almost entirely of active contractors—created a potential conflict of interest.
“I do not feel like it is fair for the five of us to vote on something that's going to affect their livelihood without making absolutely every effort for contractors to know what's going on so that they can voice their opinion,” Buchta said.
Local contractor Daniel Wilson, owner of The Repair Guy, told commissioners that while he supported the idea of licensing, the "red tape" and board composition were concerning.
“I'm definitely for it, but with less red tape and to make it a little easier for companies like myself.” Wilson said. “I've been in business for two years. I have schooling, I have the paperwork to show my license or my insurance, I have all that, but for other companies trying to get into this, I feel like it'd make it very, very difficult.”
Mayor Kathryn Salsbury noted that Fort Scott remains an outlier, as most cities of similar size in Kansas already require such licenses. However, the commission reached a consensus to table the ordinance until the second meeting in July.
In the interim, officials plan to hold work sessions and consider a "phased approach" that prioritizes insurance verification. The Commission later scheduled the next work session on contractor licensing for May 19th.
Design Review Board Officially Disbanded
With the city officially receiving Certified Local Government (CLG) status from the Kansas State Historic Preservation Office, the commission voted 4-1 to disband the Design Review Board, with Commissioner Van Hoecke voting against the motion.. The Commission also heard from downtown business owner Kathy Dancer, representing the local CLG board.
Dancer requested a 2027 budget between $10,000 and $25,000 for public outreach, workshops, and historic markers. She also urged the commission to revisit fine structures for "demolition by neglect," arguing that current weekly fines may not deter corporate owners from letting historic buildings deteriorate.
“If you have a genuine safety hazard... I would be concerned about what that says to our community,” Dancer said. “I think daily [fines]—there is a reason why every other community looks at those daily.”
Codes Technician Leroy Kruger clarified that any municipal fines must align with Kansas State Statutes (KSA), noting that Class B misdemeanors currently max out at $500.For more information on the Certified Local Government program, click here.
Matkin Shares Progress on Valu, Timken, and Moody Buildings
City Manager Brad Matkin reported last Tuesday night on what he said was significant movement in the city’s industrial park and the completion of several key infrastructure projects. The primary focus of the report was on two currently vacant buildings in the Fort Scott Industrial Park: the Timken building and the Valu Merchandisers building.
Matkin confirmed that the Valu Merchandisers building has been sold, with the new company expected to be operational by late fourth quarter of 2026 or early first quarter of 2027. Matkin noted that while he can’t yet name the new owners due to the fact that they are closing two of their other plants, they are already seeking a plant manager and will bring new jobs to Fort Scott.
Regarding the Timken building, Matkin said a recent price reduction had led to increased interest, and that a potential buyer toured the facility on the day of the meeting, with another tour scheduled for the following week. Matkin expressed confidence that the building would be sold within the next few months, potentially further boosting local employment.
Matkin also reported that the City was expecting to receive the title for the Moody Building in downtown Fort Scott imminently.
Editor’s Note: At the April 13 Bourbon County Commission meeting, Matkin said that the Timken building has been sold, with the owner planning on expanding the facility and bringing 200 jobs to the area. Matkin also said that the city is waiting on the title paperwork for the Moody building, and that they have a developer interested in turning it into apartments or a hotel.
State and Federal Concerns
Mayor Salsbury expressed opposition to recent discussions with the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) regarding the maintenance of highway miles within city limits. She said that KDOT is attempting to break the "continuity" of highways to shift maintenance costs to the county and city.
“They cannot give Wall Street back to us until they bring it up to their own code at their cost and zero to us,” Salisbury said. “I don't want to fix that road. They have to fix it.”
Commissioner Matthew Wells closed the meeting with a warning regarding proposed federal budget cuts to programs he said Fort Scott relies on, including the elimination of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), as well as cuts to Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the National Park Service . Wells noted that 65% of the local population utilizes heating assistance in the winter.
“These are programs that our community relies on,” Well said. ”Call them, write them, let them know these are programs that our community relies on and I don't want to see these programs be eliminated.”
A story detailing the City’s dispute with KDOT can be found here.
Other Business
In other business, the commission moved forward with several infrastructure repairs as well as a property lease.
- Gunn Park Repairs: Voted unanimously to approve a $66,000 bid from JCM Restoration was approved to repair approximately 3,000 linear feet of retaining walls in Gun Park using native limestone.
- Wastewater Improvements: Voted unanimously to approve the $25,860 purchase of new pumps and control panels for the Williamsburg and White Grill lift stations.
- Floodplain Property Lease: After a request from citizen Alex Swanker to use city land within the floodplain for tractor-trailer parking, the commission voted 4-1 to solicit bids for a five-year lease. The lease will include strict stipulations that the city is not liable for flood damage. Commissioner Van Hoecke voted against the motion, but wished Swank well with his business.
- Fire Equipment: Voted unanimously to authorize the sale of a 1997 pumper truck, with proceeds earmarked for new extrication equipment.
- Hay Rights: Voted unanimously to extend airport hay rights to three-year bid cycles.
- Work Sessions Scheduled: Following a discussion led by Commissioner Tracy Dancer, the Commission scheduled a work session on May 5 to discuss an increase in homeless people in Fort Scott, and another work session on May 19 to discuss contractor licensing.
Notable Quotes
- Commissioner Julie Buchta: "I feel like that this ordinance is going to affect, whether it be positive or negative... the livelihood of every contractor that works within the city."
- Mayor Kathryn Salsbury: "We're the weird ones right now that don't have it [contractor licensing]. So we need to kind of do something different, but we'll do something right."
- Commissioner Tracy Dancer: "The more we can do as a community to help those people [homeless], well, the higher chance we have of getting them off the streets."
- Commissioner Matthew Wells: "Over 65% of our population just in Fort Scott uses that program [LIHEAP] every winter to help make ends meet."
