Bloomfield, MO - Notice of Public Hearing - Notice is hereby given that a Public Hearing will be held on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. in the Commission Chambers, Stoddard County Government Building, Bloomfield, MO on the 2021 Stoddard County Budget.

After January 8, 2021 the proposed budget may be examined between 8:30 a.m and 3:00 p.m. weekdays in the County Clerk's Office.

Cecil Weeks

Stoddard County Clerk

Dexter, MO - The City of Dexter is accepting resumes of persons interested in applying for the office of City Administrator.  

Qualifications as set forth in Section 115.180 of the City Code is:

The person appointed to the office of City Administrator shall be at least twenty-five (25) years of age and shall reside within five (5) miles of the City limits of Dexter at the time of the effective date of such appointment and shall be a graduate of an accredited university or college majoring in public or municipal administration or shall have the equivalent qualifications and experience in financial, administration and/or public relations fields.

Resumes are to be submitted to the Mayor’s office at City Hall, 301 E. Stoddard St., Dexter, MO 63841 on or before 5 p.m. on February 1, 2021, with envelopes addressed “Resume - City Administrator’s Office”.

HONORING UNITED STATES CAPITOL POLICE OFFICERS 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

A PROCLAMATION  

As a sign of respect for the service and sacrifice of United States Capitol Police Officers Brian D. Sicknick and Howard Liebengood, and all Capitol Police Officers and law enforcement across this great Nation, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, January 13, 2021. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.

President Donald Trump

Bloomfield, MO - The Stoddard County Commissioners met in a regularly scheduled Monday morning meeting on December 28, 2020 at 9 a.m..  Three business owners were on hand to ask the Commissioners about the process used to determine who received COVID-19 CARES Act money and why they had not received any funding.

First to speak was Waylon Owens, owner of Bernie Fitness Center.  He told the Commission that he had submitted his application in mid-November and was told first his application may have been missing, later found, and now his application is missing a signature.

“We turned in our application in the middle of November. That’s the last I heard of it,” Owens said. “I called Mr. Killian on Nov. 30 at 12:17 p.m. I did talk to Mr. Killian that day, and he said he would call me back. We did not hear back from him. I didn’t hear anything else.  I started seeing who all was receiving funds in the newspaper and the huge amounts some businesses were receiving.”

“I called Miss Jarrell. That was the week before Christmas,” Owens said. “Miss Jarrell, after a few days, tried to get to the bottom of it and told me that my application was nowhere to be found. She could not find my application. That went on for about a week or so until this past Friday when I was told my application was missing a signature. So I’m here to see what we can do about getting some of my money back.”

Presiding Commissioner Danny Talkington said the paperwork was not lost and the commissioners received it; however the application was missing a signature and considered it an invalid request.

Owens said, “I understand that and I understand we may have missed the signature. I mean, I understand that it is entirely possible. We turned in our application in mid-November - how did people that turned in their application after us, how did they get paid? And if we did miss a signature, how is it that we weren’t notified that we missed a signature?”

Frank Killian, EMA Director at the time, was paid $20 per hour to make sure all applications had the proper signatures and receipts on each application that was submitted prior to sending them over to the Commissioners.

“So, in my thinking, even if I was missing a signature, we could have started the process of remedying it that day,” Owens said. “That was still before the deadline and before some people even submitted their applications, and they still got paid. So I guess at this point, I’m just here to air a grievance because I understand there’s no more money, but if there is any more money, I think it’s fair to say that I feel like I should be at the top of the list.”

Chris Huggins, co-owner of Main Street Restaurant in Bernie, also spoke.  

“We got everything filled out like we should, made a few phone calls and were able to get it here on time before the deadline,” Huggins said. “But when we hear that other businesses that filled their paperwork out after the deadline, I think, got paid, and then that multiple businesses had received two checks that exceeded our amount that we requested, and what we requested wasn’t even all that we could have requested. … And so I’m just here to see what’s going on. What’s the process here?”

Huggins learned during the meeting when Dee Loflin, ShowMe Times, stated that during the Thursday, December 31st meeting scheduled for 9 a.m., but did not start until 1 p.m., he was approved for partial funding in the amount of $13,624.85. No one had called him to let him know.  This seems to have been the trend for businesses when receive funds.  They would either learn from the newspaper or just receive a check in the mail. (What if that check got lost? Dexter Queen had to have a check issued again because they did not receive it in the mail).

Kristie Whitehead, co-owner of Whitehead Electric, asked about her second request.  She is grateful for the amount she has already received, but when others were getting mortgage and other funding she filled out another application. She has learned since that time that other businesses were not required to fill out a second application, but just submit proof of payment for mortgage, etc.  

"Why were some businesses told they had to fill out a whole new application, while others could just submit supporting documentation?  Our application now gets buried in the pile and not funded while others got two, three, and even four checks."

"Also are you going to go back and ask those six businesses for the $23,000 in payroll that you all paid out and have told businesses that you were not going to pay for payroll."

Dee Loflin, ShowMe Times, asked how that would be handled; a personal phone call or via USPS mail?  Talkington said he would personally call businesses as well as send a letter by certified mail.

Shane Taylor, an owner of Farm First Crop Insurance LLC in Essex, voiced concerns about the rule changing after the deadline.  Certain items became ineligible for reimbursement. (A full story on the exclusions is on the ShowMe Times under News).  Click HERE to read!

“Who makes the rules?” Taylor asked. “For instance, the paperwork I saw, there’s no mortgage payments. None of that was allowed. Later that changed, but we were not notified. Then I saw the insurance companies were paid, and I saw you came back and said insurance companies should not be paid. I mean, where does all this come from?”

Talkington said the initial guidelines came from the federal government.  The Commissioners received the CARES Act money on May 6, 2020, but did not begin approving funding until September 2020. In September additional information was issued by the federal government.

“The grants that were being made to municipalities, police departments and ambulance districts, we had very specific guidelines, but the businesses we had one short sentence,” Talkington said. “We finally started getting some guidelines that came out in September and then again in October with revisions as to what could be included. That’s why those things changed."

The businesses fought for the mortgage as defined by the federal government in their guidelines that were issued.  Some businesses were aware, but others were not.  This also goes to the four months of reimbursement vs the eight or nine months of reimbursement funding that other businesses were allowed to ask for and were funded.  

On December 14, 2020 the Commission approved a new exclusion list to businesses as they saw monies were running out. Click HERE to read more!

On Thursday in a special meeting they approved four more businesses for partial funding.

The following businesses received CARES Act funds:

+ Lucas Florist, $3,800.42 They had asked for $17,828.20.  Under the new exclusions were eligible for $7,473.79  They were previously funded $3,673.37

+ Tips and Toes, $598.92.  Requested a total of $2,348.92

+ Bootheel Counseling Services $8,689.97  Were pre-approved for $18,855.00; however only turned in receipts for $8,689.97

+ Main Street Restaurant, $13,624.85  Requested a total of $22,703.26

+ Stoddard County Senior Citizens Agency, $5,118.87  Requested a total of $19,438.21  If any monies are returned in the form of payroll or any monies comes down the pipe from Congress, the Senior Citizens Agency (The Lunch Box) would be first in line to receive additional funding.  They are eligible for a total of $13,704.67.

Total Checks: $31,833.03

The Dexter Police Department had originally requested and was approved for funding in the amount of $23,227.16; however turned in receipts for $20,244.13.  That check was issued on December 28, 2020.

The city of Essex was issued a check in the amount of $107.041.00; however that was an overpayment of $10,000.  The check has been cancelled and a new check was issued in the amount of $97,041.00.

Bootheel Regional Planning Committee was approved in an October 2020 meeting for a new HVAC system in the amount of $76,500.00.  Check issued December 28, 2020.

Stoddard County Health Department was issued a check in the amount of $236,849.88.  Funding was for overtime ($180,000), phone system ($7,000), copy/fax machine ($5,000) and for masks for the public and facial gators (two for each student in the county for free) ($41,000).  These amounts were given by Ben Godwin, Stoddard County Health Dept. and are rounded figures.

The Stoddard County Ambulance District was approved on October 13, 2020 to purchase Lucus CPR devices for $146,412.10; four 2011 ventilators for $67,410.88, and ten digital handheld pulse ox machines for $5,700.00 for a total of $219,522.98.  Also on the same date SCAD was approved for an additional $193,657.12.  On October 19, 2020 Commissioner Steve Jordan made a motion to approve the reimbursement for the $193,657.12 for SCAD.  A check was issued on the same day. 

Moving forward to late December 2020.  Chuck Kasting, SCAD Director, received a call from Commissioner Talkington that at this time there was zero funds left though Kasting had turned in receipts in early December for the pre-approved $219,522.98 amount.  SCAD will not be funded through the CARES Act for that amount. It will not have to come out of the SCAD budget as the products have already been purchased and in use on the ambulances.

In other business, not related to the CARES Act, James Hensley spoke to the commissioners about the Johnsongrass Tax on the Personal Property Tax form. "Could it be discontinued?"

“The way that it was started is there had to be a revenue statute, which 100 people in the county had to request be done, and then it goes to the Secretary of Agriculture, who then appoints a board,” Talkington stated. “I didn’t see any provision for how to get rid of it at this point. I’ve only answered part of your question as to how it got started, but I don’t know how to get it to stop.”

Talkington said he would need to contact the Secretary of Agriculture office to figure out how the tax could be taken off.  

Hensley also addressed his concerns about the deer carcasses along the sides of the roads along with beer cans and bottles.

“Coming out here this morning from my driveway to town, there were five dead deer lying on the road,” Hensley said. “We as a society drive down the road (and say) ‘well look, there’s a dead deer.’ We just keep going. Nothing’s thought about it. … MoDOT is always broke. They’re not going to pick them up. And I’m not gonna pick them up, I don’t think. … It’s an eyesore and we as a community should be ashamed of ourselves for letting that happen.”

Hensley asked the commissioners if they could draft a letter telling MoDOT people are concerned about it and those animals need to be picked up. Talkington said the commissioners could do that.

Loflin also asked about the EMA Director position again.  Frank Kilian resigned his position effective December 31, 2020.  Last week this reporter had asked for a job description and a public notice that this position would be open to the public to apply.  Talkington said again that he would get that information to the newspapers next week.  "This is a part-time job and if anyone wants to apply they can send their resumes to P.O. Box 110, Bloomfield, MO 63825."

Bloomfield, MO -  Several local business owners and representatives showed up at the Stoddard County Commissioners' meeting on Monday, December 21st to discuss the CARES Act funds as none of the people who attended had received a phone call from Danny Talkington, Presiding Commissioner who did say in the December 14th meeting he would personally contact businesses who had not been funded to let them know the amounts they would be getting since there was only about $43,000 left in the account.

The state of Missouri gave Stoddard County $3,405,212 of CARES Act money to distribute to small businesses and government and community entities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jim Thrower, manager of Dexter Queen, and owner Lori Hawkins attended the meeting.  Thrower felt the commissioners were not proactive reaching out to small businesses.  There was no press release and very little information in the paper.  

“I’m talking about how some businesses were allowed to turn in payroll and for mortgages when we were told we couldn’t turn in payroll or full mortgages,” Thrower said. “And then when the extension came in a couple of weeks ago, nobody notified us except for (Dexter Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Alisha Trammell), but it’s your job to let the public know these things. Why have you guys not notified the public, and why did some businesses get multiple checks when some got none. Where were your priorities?” 

Talkington said last week that originally CARES Act money was not allowed to be used for payroll because of the Paycheck Protection Program handled that. Once the PPP ended, the government said in September that CARES Act funds could be used for payroll reimbursement. “We said we are not going to (do that),"  Now a week later is has been confirmed that more than $23,000 of the CARES Act funds were paid out for payroll according to Talkington.

Commissioner Steve Jordan said the county should attempt to retrieve payroll that was mistakenly paid.

“I’m only one vote, but I’m in the opinion we need to go back and try to claw that back,” Jordan said.

The question remains unanswered as to how this happened as there are three county commissioners who are reviewing the applications and the commissioners hired two people to also review and input the information into the State website for approval.

This reporter contacted Frank Killian, EMA Director until December 31st, for specific information on the procedure of how applications were reviewed and approved.

"As for the CARES money the role the Commissioners asked me to fulfill was the following,"

- Collect paperwork which included 4 parts, application which included W-9, invoices for reimbursement request, proof of purchase or payment and a summary sheet with totals as well as grand total requested. (I did not total anything so no one could say I didn’t total something correctly)

- Ensure application was signed in all the correct locations

- Fill out submission sheet for Commissioners with the grand total along, list of items being requested and my signature which indicated the folder had a signed application, invoices a and proof is purchases.  Early on, almost every packet turned in did not have all the information required by the Commissioners and would take several emails or visits with each business/entity to get corrected to a point of being able to be submitted.  Alisha Trammel with Chamber of Commerce graciously volunteered her time to help because each folder would take days.  Without Alisha’s help getting all the folders in order would have been impossible.

- Submit folder to Commissioners 

- Commissioners would return folders to me if certain invoices or bills were not in folder, if Commissioners denied any portion or had any questions about anything in the folder.  (I did not approve or deny anything financial, I just ensured all signatures were in place, invoices and cancelled checks or credit statements were in folders.)

- I would contact the business or entity concerning questions or rejection by Commissioners and what possible plan of action they might have which included going and talking with Commissioner's.

- If folder was approved by Commissioners it was passed along to clerk’s office so after turning folders in if folders were not returned to me for corrections or rejections I assumed folders were passed along to clerk’s office.

Mr. Killian stated that when he would receive a folder it was the following Monday when he would return it to the Commissioners at their regular weekly meeting.

Associated Commissioner Carol Jarrell spoke to why businesses such as Econo Lodge hadn’t received any money (application was submitted on November 12th same day as another hotel who received 100% funding) and others who made requests afterward did receive funds.

“I don’t know how they got out of whack coming down the line to us. I have no idea,” Jarrell said. “Nov. 4 (the day French Market requested funds) should have been (at the) top, and then Nov. 12th (Econo Lodge) should have been right there with the other motels. … I do not know what happened. And I’m sorry for that. I should have been more observant.”

Jarrell said she “failed, big time.” “And I know saying I’m sorry and all that’s not going to help the French Market, not going to help anybody, but I will take full responsibility for my (part).”

Dee Loflin, owner of the ShowMe Times, voiced concerns about how the payment of these funds was documented. Loflin suggested these items should be included in the minutes to the weekly meetings. To date the reporters have had to ask the County Clerk's office for a list of businesses with the amounts or ask the County Collector's office for a print-out.

“So when you all make these decisions on who gets the money from the CARES Act funding, you all should be making a motion,” Loflin said, “(saying) we will fund ‘x’ businesses for ‘x’ number of dollars. That should be seconded and approved, but I’m not seeing that on any of the minutes that I’ve requested. All the minutes that I have received are basically an attendance record not full minutes."

Talkington explained that information was available through vouchers the commissioners signed to approve payments.

“But not in your minutes from your commission meetings?” Loflin said. “Why not because you’ve got to make that public? People aren’t going to come up here and ask for the voucher information. People don’t know to do that off the street so it should be in your minutes.”

Talkington told Loflin she made a good point.

“That’s where the transparency is not and the public views it that you are being secretive, and there’s no reason to be secretive with the monies,” Loflin said.

Talkington announced that $526,431.94 remained in the county’s CARES Act account, and that $462,468.04 were allotted for public entities and businesses who received pre-approval to purchase items the government deemed acceptable, leaving $63,963.90 available to small businesses.  However last week there was only about $43,000 left according to Tallkington and on December 15th a transfer into the CARES Act fund in the amount of $53,451.14 was made according to the County Collector's print-out.  (The ShowMe Times was not able to obtain a print-out form the County Clerk's office.  Another Sunshine Law Request Form was submitted on December 21st asking for just a COVID-19 CARES Act Journal Report).

Loflin also asked about the Lambert Engineering & Surveying funding.  "This is a Scott County business and not a Stoddard County business.  They were issued a check for $10,293.40 on December 14th."  Upon further discussion it was discovered that L&M Locksmith requested $4,603.84 CARES Act funds, but received a check for $14,897.24. The owner returned the check and was issued the proper amount.  The remaining money was to go to L&M Enterprise, LLC, but was entered as Lambert Engineering & Surveying.  Looking at the journal report print-out there was never a $14,897.24 check written or voided.  There are two checks written for $10,293.40 and one for $4,603.84.   The matter was brought to the attention of Cecil Weeks and has hopefully been corrected.

According to Talkington as of December 14, 2020 there was $526,431.94 balance in the CARES Act fund.  Monies promised, but receipts have not been submitted to the commissioners are: 

City of Essex $107,041.00

Bootheel Regional Planning Committee $76,500 for new HVAC System (I asked if this was a budgeted item or covered under the CARES Act and was told yes by Commissioner Talkington)

Stoddard County Health Dept $236,849.88 ($180,000 overtime, $41,000 for masks including two gators for students at every county school as well as 1 gallon of hand sanitizer for each classroom, $7,000 new phone system, $5,000 printer/fax machine 

Dexter Police Dept and Park & Rec $23,222.16 

Bootheel Counseling $18,855.00

Totaling $462,468.04

The commissioners voted 3-0 to approve guidelines to award funds to small businesses who have applied for CARES Act funds but had not received any money and would not receive their full requests because the county did not have enough funds remaining to pay requests in full.

Here are the "new" guidelines set by the Commissioners since monies have all been exhausted.....

• exclude any requests received after the Nov. 30 deadline; however one business was fully funded and application was submitted on December 3rd.

• exclude any requests from schools;

• exclude any requests from social organizations, private clubs and membership-based organizations;

• exclude insurance companies;

• exclude mortgage payments, interest payments, vehicle payments, insurance, rent and labor; and

• exclude any person or company who has previously received CARES Act funds.

Here is a list of businesses who received partial funding, including amount requested and amount funded. They are listed in the order they were received:

Cape Home Oxygen LLC (A+ Medical), ($76,431.02), $5,106.67;

French Market ($10,917.99), $2,458.27; Turned in application on November 4th per Mary Ruth Boone

Sadguru LLC (Econo Lodge), ($103,943.02), $29,621.52; Turned in application on November 12th per owner Mr. Patel

Law Office of Yewell G. Lawrence Jr., ($24,687.77), $2,889.85;

JSR Environmental Services LLC, ($49,116.62), $1,104.54;

Carla Moore Jewelry Sales, ($3,600.05), $2,081.05;

Wooldridge Construction, ($12,380.59), $2,272.91;

Peking Garden Dexter LLC, ($9,925. 80), $6,209.92;

Ryson Diesel Repair, ($3,352.79), $810.35;

Stefanie Hodges Beauty LLC, ($8,215.22), $827.79;

Walker Towing, ($7,062.40), $664.22;

Medler’s Cleaning, ($12,867.67), $5,004.02;

Phelan Company, ($4,316.38), $1,329.42;

Lucas Florist ($17,828.20), $3,673.37, Lucas Florist was approved for $7,473.79 but the county only had funds available for $3,673.37.

The following companies requested funds by the November 30th deadline but money was not available to pay them. 

Lucas Florist, $3,800.42

Tips and Toes, $2,348.92

Main Street Restaurant, $22,703.26

Senior Citizens Agency Inc., $19,438.21

ShowMe Times $6,061.39

Stoddard County License Office, $495.51

Sheila LeGrand (Sheila’s Shoppe), $1,679.73

Mulberry Manor, $10,542.27

Taxes and More, $8,665.09

Michele Owens Photography, $1,816.07

Custom Crete Works LLC, $97,975.88.