The Stoddard County Commissioners signed a Child Abuse Prevention Month Proclamation today, April 1, 2024.
Whereas, children are vital to our county's future success, prosperity and quality of life as well as being our most vulnerable assets;
Whereas, all children deserve to have the safe, stable, nurturing homes and communities they need to foster their healthy growth and development;
Whereas, preventing child abuse and neglect is a community responsibility affecting both the current and future quality of life of a community;
Where, communities that provide parents with social support, knowledge of parenting and child development and concrete resources they need to cope with stress and nurture their children, ensure all children grow to their full potential;
Whereas, effective child abuse prevention strategies succeed because of partnerships created among citizens, human service agencies, schools, faith communities, health care providers, civic organizations, law enforcement agencies, and the business community;
Therefore, the Stoddard County Commission does hereby proclaim April as Child Abuse Prevention Month and call upon all citizens, community agencies, faith groups, medical facilities, elected leaders and businesses to increase their participation in our efforts to support families, thereby preventing child abuse and strengthening the communities in which we live.
Motion made by Commissioner Carol Jarrell to adopt the proclamation, seconded by Commissioner C.D. Stewart. All three Commissioners voted yes and the proclamation passed.
Other events planned are a Community Pinwheel Walk on April 13th at 10 a.m. - Noon at West Park in Dexter, MO. No registration is needed. Wear blue and enjoy the free donuts and drinks, face painting and more! There will be vendors on hand with information. You might even win a prize.
The event is sponsored by the Stoddard County Family Resource Center and Dexter Community Regional Healthcare Foundation in partnership with the Missouri Prevention Program and Dexter, Richland, Bloomfield Parents as Teachers Program.
According to the flyers presented at the meeting, "Preventing child abuse is a community effort and there are many ways to get involved. The Community Pinwheel Walk is a great way to raise awareness about child abuse prevention and show solidarity with survivors of abuse."
The City of Dexter will have their annual Spring Cleanup during th month of April.
Bulk trash pickup is being offered by the city each Friday in April.
"Red Tags" may be purchased at City Hall or Harp's Grocery Store for furniture or other bulky items for $1.00 each.
Major appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers, and hot water heaters require a "Blue Tag" and can also be purchased at City Hall or Harp's Grocery Store. the cost for Blue Tags are $10 each. There is a limit of four (4) items to be picked up.
Red Tags may also be purchased for Yard Waste pickup.
You MUST call the Water Department at (573) 624-5527 by Thursday of each week to schedule either the bulk trash or yard waste pickup (one call per household please).
Missouri State Treasurer Vivek Malek visited Stoddard County Sheltered Workshop this morning to highlight the resources and opportunities available for individuals with disabilities. Stoddard County Sheltered Workshop is one of 89 workshop corporations located around the state of Missouri, which collectively provide employment for approximately 6,100 people with disabilities.
"I am pleased that Mr. Malek chose the Stoddard County Sheltered Workshop to visit and tour," commented Devin Miller, Executive Director of the Workshop. "These people are like family and really enjoy coming to work each and every day. They are very proud of what we do here and I just think they are great!"
During the visit, Treasurer Malek shared information about the MO ABLE program: “Achieving financial independence is a goal that all Missourians deserve to strive for. MO ABLE can help people with disabilities achieve this goal by saving money on qualified expenses, growing their savings through investments while preserving eligibility for the benefits they rely on every day.”
Through MO ABLE, eligible Missourians with disabilities have the opportunity to open an investment account and save money without losing eligibility for other benefits, such as Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Money from MO ABLE accounts may be spent for qualified expenses, including basic living costs, housing, transportation, employment training, education, health and wellness, and financial management. Earnings from these accounts are not subject to federal and state income tax when spent on qualified expenses.
In recognition of National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, Treasurer Malek continues a month-long effort to promote the MO ABLE program. He is visiting sheltered workshops across Missouri, and attended the Special Olympics “State Indoor games” in Saint Louis this past Saturday.
For more information about the MO ABLE program, please visit moable.com or contact (800) 439-1653. To learn more about Missouri’s sheltered workshops, visit moworkshops.org or contact the Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) at dese.mo.gov.
Pictured are Vivek Malek and Devin Miller, Executive Director of the Stoddard County Sheltered Workshop.
The Stoddard County Commissioners began their meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer over the County.
Old Business:
ARPA Funds
Motion to pay $11,500 to the city of Puxico for the new roof for the Puxico Library which was already approved out of the ARPA Funds made by Commissioner Carol Jarrell, seconded by Commissioner C.D.Stewart. All three voted yes and motion passed.
New Business:
Star Acres Subdivision
A new subdivision called Star Acres located on Shoplot Lane in Liberty Township has been newly created.
Motion to accept the plat for Star Acres located on Shoplot Lane in Liberty township made by Commissioner C.D. Stewart, seconded by Commissioner Carol Jarrell. All three voted yes and motion passed.
Other Business:
Canine Death Investigation Update - No updates at this time per Presiding Commission Greg Mathis and Sheriff Carl Hefner.
ADA Documentation Update - Document for the ARPA Funds has been signed by Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis and submitted to Bootheel Regional Planning Commission.
Juror Pay Increase Update: Commissioner Greg Mathis stated, "I will get input from the three judges regarding Jurors Pay." At the previous Commission meeting Josh Speakman had requested that the pay for jurors be raised.
Motion to accept the minutes from March 18, 2024 made by Commissioner C.D. Stewart, seconded by Commissioner Carol Jarrell. All three voted yes and motion passed.
Motion to go into Closed Session made by Commissioner C.D. Stewart at 11:02 a.m., seconded by Commissioner Carol Jarrell. All three voted yes and motion passed.
Commissioner Carol Jarrell began the regular weekly meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer over the county. Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis will arrived a little late this morning due to some unforeseen circumstances.
Old Business
Motion to approve the March 11, 2024 regular meeting minutes made by Commissioner Carol Jarrell, seconded by Commissioner C.D. Stewart. Both voted yes and motion passed.
Motion to approve the March 11, 2024 closed meeting minutes made by Commissioner C.D. Stewart, seconded by Commissioner Carol Jarrell. Both voted yes and motion passed.
Motion to accept the March 11, 2024 Bid Opening Meeting minutes made by Commissioner C.D. Stewart, seconded by Commissioner Carol Jarrell. Both voted yes and motion passed.
Commissioner Greg Mathis arrived at 9:30 a.m.
Motion to approve the Bid for Roper Excavating for the clean-out of Ditch #1333 and #14 in the amount of $109,140.00 made by Commissioner C.D.Stewart, seconded by Commissioner Carol Jarrell. All three voted yes and motion passed.
Pam Wheeler, Stoddard County Clerk's Office - 504 ADA Compliance
"We have many versions of this," stated Wheeler. "Actually we have three versions." After several minutes of hammering out the compliance issues motions were made.
Motion to adopt section 504/ADA Grievance Procedure made by Commissioner C.D. Stewart, seconded by Commissioner Carol Jarrell. All three voted yes and motion passed.
Motion to pass Resolution 03-18-2024 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the ADA act of 1990 to provide comprehensive civil rights protection to individuals with Disabilities in the area of employment, public accommodations, state and local Government services and programs, and telecommunications made by Commissioner Carol Jarrell, seconded by Commissioner C.D. Stewart. All three voted yes and motion passed.
Josh Speakman, Stoddard County Collector/Treasurer
Personal property falls off once it is five years delinquent. this could be due to death or a business closing that we can not collect taxes from. it is usually around $50,000 to $60,000 each year.
The collector does make attempts to collect by sending a letter each year to the individual. The 2018 amount is $66,718.94 that will not be collected.
Motion to accept the 2018 Tax Year Outlaw Report made by Commissioner Carol Jarrell, seconded by Commissioner C.D. Stewart. All three voted yes and motion passed.
Speakman also asked that the Commission consider increasing the pay for jurors along with mileage paid. Currently the state reimburses $6.00 per day for each juror. The County pays $12 per day to each juror if they are not selected and $18.00 per day if selected to serve in a jury trial. The county pays $.25 per mile to jurors to drive from home to the courthouse and back home again.
"I just feel like $12 a day is just too low," stated Speakman. "My recommendation is $25 a day for non-serving and $50 a day for those who serve and $.50 a mile."
Missouri State statutes 494.455 and 488.040 address the minimums required by counties to pay jurors.
The Commissioners will review and compare to other counties. They will decide at a later meeting.
Motion to make the payment on the Drainage Ditch #1333 in the amount of $13,675.41 and Ditch #14 at $75,275.76 cleanup shall be paid as follows out of Stoddard County General Revenue by Commissioner C.D. Stewart, seconded by Commissioner Carol Jarrell. All three voted yes and motion passed.
Motion to adjourn at 12:03 made by Commissioner Carol Jarrell, seconded by Commissioner C.D. Stewart. All voted yes and motion passed.
