The Stoddard County Commission meeting opened their weekly meeting with the Pledge of Alligence and a prayer.
Stars and Stripes Museum, Laura Dumey
Mrs. Dumey with the Stars and Stripes Museum updated the Commission on Bloomfield being named a Historic Site Town. They will have a pre-meeting tonight, March 4th and then a meeting at 9 a.m. on March 19th to discuss.
ARPA Funds Update with Katelyn Lambert, Bootheel Regional Planning
Puxico Fire Dept
The signed portion of the Distribution Agreement has been signed and ready for the Commissioners to sign. The questions about the fire dept equipment being deemed a good project was approved by the County attorney. The Fire Dept is part of the city of Puxico and therefore is covered under the city of Puxico.
Motion to enter into the Distribution Agreement with the City of Puxico for the Fire Department and the City Library for the roofing project was made by Carol Jarrell, seconded by Commissioner C.D. Stewart. All three voted yes and motion passed.
Motion to accept $5,748.00 for the Puxico Fire Department equipment from ARPA funds made by Commissioner Carol Jarrell, seconded by Commissioner C.D. Stewart. All three voted yes and motion passed.
Bell City Fire Dept
Check was signed in the amount of $76,924.00 for foundation and framing. This has already been approved out of the ARPA funds.
Water District #2
Mrs. Lambert has received minutes showing they voted to request money. She is waiting on the cancelled checks and itemized invoice.
Closeout of the CDBG Broadband Grant
The ADA compliance form was not signed by the previous Commission nearly four years ago.
Before signing the compliance form and completing this paperwork after the fact Mr. Mathis asked if a letter from Bootheel Regional Planning Commission could be obtained to make sure everything is legal. Since the grant has not been totally closed out and there are no repercussions financially on the County. "We just want to be covered," commented Mathis. "We are dating it today and not backdating this document to when the previous Commission should have filled it out."
Lambert stated that they are still waiting on the monitor to come and completely review all the documents to make sure everything is filled to properly.
Tweedy Law Firm - Tweedy Law Firm sent a letter to the Honorable Robert Mayer and Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis.
"This letter is to formally alert you of the dangerous condition in our courtrooms. The chairs at counsel tables are too tall for most litigants. I have personally witnessed two individuals almost fall out of the chairs as they tried to get into the chair and the chair rolled backwards. One individual, almost rolled into the wood railing that is perpendicular to the swinging doors as she fell; the other was going straight down before someone caught her."
"Further, shorter members of the bar, sit with their feet on the base of the chair, because their feet do not touch the floor when setting in the chair. It is only a matter of time until someone actually falls out of the chair and is injured."
Commissioner Mathis will take letter to the Mrs.Yancy, Circuit Clerk and go over the chairs with her.
Other Business:
Three County vehicles were sent to auction. One Tahoe received $1,300, a second Tahoe for $2,100 and the Dodge Avenger for $400. Minus the Commission fees for Jacob Goodin Auction a positive number of $3,515.00 was paid to the County.
Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis and Commissioner C.D. Stewart attended a County Commissioners of Missouri annual training Conference at Osage Beach, MO. Mrs. Jarrell was unable to attend because of appointments already on her calendar.
Carl Hefner, Stoddard County Sheriff
He updated the Commission that there are currently over 90 inmates housed in the new jail.
The regular meeting ended at 9:59 a.m. without motion.
10:00 a.m. Bid Opening Meeting Clean-Out of Ditch #19
Shannon Morgan Excavating - $87,000 w/o GPS and $127,000 w/GPS
Kinder Brothers Excavating - $68,000
Donald Bond Construction - $77,250.89
Roper Excavating - $74,275.00
Hessling Construction $39,616.78
No motion to accept Hessling Construction as the lowest bidder as Mr. Mathis will contact the owner and make sure everyone is on the same page on the clean-out. The Commission will make a motion on Monday, March 11, 2024 to accept the lowest bid.
Recorders Office - Candy Collier, Stoddard County Recorder
She spoke about deedwatch.com as an online service that will notify and help you against deed fraud. Anytime there is a deed that comes through their office then you will be notified. You have to set it up first then when there is any action on a deed then you will be notified of that information. It won't stop deed fraud, but will help notify if there is any action taken on a deed in your name.
Dee Loflin, ShowMe Times has a Tax-Payer Contact her on Sunday
The concern was off-duty deputies shopping at a local business using their work vehicle.
"Prior to our current Sheriff, Mr. Carl Hefner, Steve Fish, was the sheriff," stated Mathis. "All deputies drove their own vehicles and they were reimbursed their milage....The Commission thought it better at that time to purchase vehicles for the county and not pay milage."
It was decided by that Commission that it was an additional public relations move to see the Stoddard County deputies out at church, a basketball game, a grocery store etc to driving their work vehicles," continued Mathis. "It was a good tool to see an officer in regular street clothes as normal everyday people and put a face with the public. They are on call 24/7 as well."
After Carl Hefner was elected the policy remained the same. Since that time another person in the community made a complaint about the use of county vehicles and the Commission once again agreed to keep the same policy in place for on and off duty officers.
"It has not been abused," commented Mathis. "Carl Hefner has never came to us and asked us to continue this policy. Since 2003 or 2004 this has been the policy and we will continue this policy," stated Mathis.
"The deputies understand and know when they are in those cars," continued Mathis.
"They can only drive their cars within the county," commented Hefner.
Jacob Clary - Stoddard County Assessor's Office
The Assessor's website was down for three days, but it is up and running now.
"We did decide to extend two weeks for those filing online as well as the hard copies. March 14th is the deadline," commented Clary.
Closed Sessions
After Mathis spoke to the County attorney this week, moving forward the practice will be to put those wishing to be heard in closed session for personnel and cyber security and such shall be put on the Agenda for Closed Session.
"We need to change the dynamics of our closed session," Mathis said. "We will give our office holders this information and make sure they are on the Agenda if they need to be heard in Closed Session."
Motion to enter into Closed Session made by Commissioner C.D. Stewart made at 11:02 a.m., seconded by Commissioner Jarrell. All Three voted yes and motion passed.
