By Annabeth Miiler,
ShowMe Times Editor

It seems as though the City of Bloomfield and Sheriff Carl Hefner have a “one-two punch” of a problem.

“Punch one” rests in the county jail. Prisoners from the jail will express their displeasure on things, take their t-shirt or other clothing item, and stuff it into the jail toilet.

The “second punch” comes with that piece of clothing starts moving through the sewer system and clogs the sewer pipe. Then the City of Bloomfield has to call workers out to dig to the pipe, remove the clothing, and clear the sewer line. And the city has to pay for employees to perform the task.

“It is invariably happens on the weekend or holiday,” said Bloomfield Ward I alderman Donna Medlin. Medlin and fellow Bloomfield alderman Donna Dierdorf visited with the Stoddard County Commission and Hefner at this week’s county commission meeting.

The commissioners asked Hefner to work with the city to find a solution to the problem. One possibility that will be investigated is the installation of a “trap” that would ease the job for city workers.

Board of Equalization

County Assessor Jody Lemmon met with the board and reported that two local companies have filed appeals to their personal property tax assessment.

Lemmon reported that Faurecia and Missouri Southern Healthcare have forwarded letters to him seeking an appeal.

Faurecia requested a waiver for the right to personally appear before the board and stated they anticipated no changes. Commissioners agreed that it was a unique appeal request - to file for an appeal and then state they anticipated no changes.

Lemmon explained his office uses information provided by the manufacturer to base the assessment.

“We use their figures, and now they want to protest,” Commissioner Frank Sifford said. Lemmon will continue his correspondence with Faurecia's representative.

Lemmon reported he also received an appeal from Missouri Southern Healthcare. He said the healthcare company’s representative wanted an additional three to four weeks to review the assessment. However, the Board of Equalization only meets for two weeks each year and the last day it will met in 2011 is Aug. 1.

Lemmon told commissioners that each year he does not receive a complete equipment inventory from MSH, only a list of equipment purchased in the previous year. He added his office has not received a complete inventory from the hospital in several years.

Sifford suggested informing MSH of the last date for BOE to meet in 2011 in Aug 1.

“Send that by certified letter," Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis said.

In other business this week, the commission:

• Met with Stoddard County Emergency Management/Flood Plains Director Kent Polsgrove and learned of meetings and training sessions he has attended recently.

• Sifford reported sales tax revenue to the county was up nearly $50,000 in June. Lemmon reported total valuation for 2011 in the county was up $12 million. He said the biggest addition was for new cars, trucks and SUVs. He said around 270 of the popular new SUVs were added to the books this year.

• Juvenile Office Mike Davis met with commissioners and asked that a regional training be held in one of the classrooms in the old Alternative School in September. Juvenile officers from 12-15 counties will attend the training. Commissioners gave their approval of the project.

• Received an update on the status of installation of the Amos Stoddard monument. The county is named for Stoddard, who was a Revolutionary War soldier, and the only commandant of Upper Louisiana for the French Republic and the only commandant for the District of Louisiana for the United States. A monument honoring Stoddard is set to be installed at the southeast corner of the old courthouse. The Bloomfield FFA is to remove bushes at the site before the monument’s installation.