The Stoddard County Commissioners opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer for our county.
City of Dexter Update:
Dexter City Administrator Dave Wyman asked the commission to enter into an agreement for the $800,000 ARPA Funds for the new hotel project. He said both the city aldermen and the Commission are required to enter into this agreement for the ARPA Funds for the sewer.
Motion to accept the intergovernmental cooperative agreement for $800,000 for ARPA funds for the city of Dexter. Commissioners Carol Jarrell made that motion. Seconded by Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis.. Both voted yes and signed the agreement.
Ivan Schrader Update:
“As you all are aware a warrant (also known as a payment voucher) was given to the Treasurer’s office at the end of 2022 in the Sum of $4730.18 check number 50196 drafted in 2022 budget, for the Treasurer to sign a check and release funds for an Invoice resulting in legal fees Ivan Schrader Law Firm performed,” said Speakman. “At the time I was given conflicting opinions of the legality of releasing these funds. (commissioner, county counsel, and retained counsel).”
Josh Speakman stated, "I was given conflicted opinions on dispersing the check to Ivan Schrader. I reached out to the Attorney General. State Statute 49.070 I then reached out to the County's legal team, Mr. Sawyer Smith.
"What fund did this come out of," asked Mathis. Speakman said you would have to look at the voucher.
The Collector's only obligation was to either release the funds or not.
"Ivan Schrader should not have been called in the first place," stated Jarrell. " We had another attorney that we voted for to represented the County. Spending another $4,730.18 out of the taxpayers money is awful. Cecil Weeks and Danny Talkington should have never called Schrader and gotten involved. We should have hired Travis Elliot, who is the County's attorney on record,
Speakman said he then signed the check and it has since cleared the bank.
Insurance
I believe there are some issues with COBRA. The County just got COBRA information two weeks ago; however some employees retired or terminated employment as far back as January 1, 2023. County employees who served 20 + years and have not reached the age of 65 can continue to be on the Healthcare Plan," Mathis said. "They do not have to COBRA."
$783.74 is what Pam Wheeler, County Clerk's office who handles the insurance and Human Resources duties had on record for Retiree's to pay; however one retiree who attended the meeting said she was paying $776.21.
COBRA folks to send check tot he COBRA administrator. Any monies that people have paid to the Treasury. They need to be paying to the COBRA administrator.
We didn't have a COBRA administrator prior to 1/1/2023 per Cecil Weeks so former employees were paying directly to the Treasurer/Collector's office. Since they now have a COBRA Administrator who is a third party to the insurance company the former employees were to pay them directly for continuation of coverage. They were never told this and have been paying Speakman's office.
"We did not have COBRA until last week," stated Pam Wheeler. "Once we put a spreadsheet we discovered there were two different amounts."
Speakman asked, " What do we do with the revenue that has already been taken in for a retiree or terminated employee?"
Also the number the Clerk's office has for the number of employees is different than what Arch Brokerage/HealthEZ is charging and has not been right for the invoicing for the past three months.
Weeks stated that they have not been reconciling each month with an updated employee census, but they needed to start. He also said that they have refunded the County and prorated employees; however the invoice do not clearly show those changes.
The COBRA premium was set under the plan with Arch Brokerage at $731.11 for each employees and COBRA is $776.21.
"Bottom line, I am calling Arch Brokerage and find out what is going on," stated Mathis. "We will have Speakman, Weeks, Wheeler, myself, Jarrell, and Stewart on this conference call!"
"I think we are trying to kill a mouse with a hand grenade. So we will get this taken care of this week," continued Mathis.
"I am showing 59 employees and Wheeler is showing 69 employees with the HealthEZ," commented Speakman. "Pam looked att he census this morning and they still haven't taken some people off."
Human Resources
Mr. Week's office handles the Human Resources duties for the county, all the paperwork, insurance, benefits, liability insurance, etc. He and Wheeler stated that they do not get new hires and termination information timely from the sheriff's department.
Before a new employees starts he/she is come to the Clerk's office and fill out new hire paperwork. Also as soon as that employees is terminated or quits information must be sent over to the Clerk's office timely not two weeks later.
"We will get with the Sheriff's department and get this cleared up," stated Mathis.
Outlaw Report for Tax Year: 2017
Speakman brought in the Outlaw Report for Personal Property Taxes that is from 2017 to write off about $40,000 which is down by 20% over the past years. This is on people who have passed away or moved out of the area. Motion to accept the Outlaw Report for Tax Year ending in 2017 made by Commissioner Jarrell. Seconded by Mathis. Both voted yes.
Katelyn Lambert, Bootheel Regional Planning Commission
The staff had a meeting for the rural broadband for Puxico School District. They reiterated that they are working on the Engineering Report. Once that is completed they will put out for bid.
City of Bloomfield's ARPA funding request is a good request for the $400,000.
City of Advance has completed their administrative proposals and have applied for the CDGB Grant.
Lambert asked if the Commission could sign a contract to request an additional $47,796.00 for a CDGB Grant for the Bootheel Regional Planning Commission building project. Motion made by Jarrell. Mathis seconded it. Both voted yes.
Hazard Mitigation Plan for Stoddard County Resolution No. 02-2023
Motion to accept the Hazard Mitigation Plan update made by Commissioner Jarrell. Seconded by Mathis. Both voted yes.
The Resolution stated the Stoddard County Commission adopting the Stoddard County 2023 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update.
Whereas the Stoddard County Commission recognizes the threat that natural hazards pose to people and property within the Stoddard County Commission and no community is immune from hazards whether it be tornado/severe thunderstorm, flood, severe winter weather, drought, heat wave, earthquake, dam failure, or wildfire and recognizes the importance of enhancing the ability to withstand natural hazards as well as the importance of reducing the human suffering, property damage, interruption of public services and economic losses caused by those hazards; and
Whereas the Stoddard County Commission has participated in the preparation of a multi-jurisdictional local hazard mitigation plan, hereby known as the 2023 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update, hereafter referred to as the PLAN, in accordance with the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000; and
Whereas the Stoddard County commission recognizes that land use policies have a major impact on whether people and property are exposed to natural hazards, the Stoddard County Commission will endeavor to integrate the PLAN into the comprehensive planning process; and
Whereas adoption by the Stoddard County commission demonstrates their commitment to hazard mitigation and achieving the goals outlined in the PLAN.
In accordance with the Stoddard County policies, the Stoddard County Commission adopts the final FEMA-approved plan for Stoddard County for the purpose of building a safer community by reducing natural hazard vulnerability.
Advertising Letter of Depository Bid (4) Year Term
The County Clerk drafts the Depository spec information and Mathis asked for a copy during the meeting.
The Clerk's office will send out a letter to each bank in the County. The Commission will open the bid and talk to the banks and then decide. This is in reference to checking and savings account for the County.
Mrs. Jarrell had to leave at 11 a.m. so it will be voted on next week. The Commission has until late April to make a decision so they have plenty of time to get the information out to the banks.
C.D. Stewart, New Stoddard County Commissioner
The committee did approve his appointment and now it goes to the main floor of the Senate. The Senate will be back in session on March 20, 2023. Once his confirmation is voted on when they return from spring break then he will be sworn in at the Commission Chambers.
Update on Generator for Sheriff's Department
The letter will be made today, certified and they will have 10 days to respond once received.
Meeting adjourned at 12:05 p.m.
