Highway 60 in Butler and Stoddard counties will be reduced as contractor crews remove and replace islands at various intersections.

As work is underway, eastbound and westbound Route 60 will be reduced to one lane in each direction in the vicinity of the intersection.

This section of roadway is located between County Road 565 in Butler County and County Road 717 in Stoddard County. 

Weather permitting, work will take place from Monday, May 13th through Friday, August 16th from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

The Stoddard County Commission met on Monday, April 29, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. in the government building in Bloomfield, Missouri.  Presiding Commission Greg Mathis began the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer over the County including the farmers who are planing this time of year.

Katelyn Lambert, Bootheel Regional Planning Commission

1.  Bell City Fire Department seeking $10,000 extra to finish out their fire department building.  They would like some additional lighting and concrete. 

Motion to give Bell City fire Department $10,000 to finish out their fire department building from ARPA funds made by Commissioner C.D. Stewart, seconded by Commissioner Carol Jarrell.  All three voted yes and motion passed.

2.  City of Advance - Lambert has been in communication with the mayor.  He did a sole source procurement letter as there is only one company that manufactures this type of camera for the sewer.  This money has already been approved by the Commission.  The city is just wanted tome some funds from one project to this camera project.  The cost is $22,995.  Motion was already made in a previous meeting for $11,500 however this camera costs almost twice as much.

Motion to move forward for the city of Advance to purchase this camera in the amount of $22,995 from the ARPA funds which is included in their original request made by Commissioner Carol Jarrell, commissioner C.D. Stewart seconded.  All three voted yes and motion passed.

3.  Dudley Special Road District has the proper paperwork to be signed by the Commission for procurement for gravel and maintenance and infrastructure improvements.

Other Business:

Motion to enter into the Distribution Agreement with the Dudley Special Road District made by Commissioner Carol Jarrell, seconded by Commissioner C.D. Stewart.  All three voted yes and motion passed. Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis will sign the document.

Motion to approve payment to Smith and Co Engineers for design services for Stoddard County Road bridge #752 in the amount of $4,803.52 and will be reimbursed out of the MoDOT BRO fund made by Commissioner C.D. Stewart, seconded by Commissioner Carol Jarrell.  All three voted yes and motion passed.

Motion to approve payment to Smith and Co Engineers for bridge replacement #766 in the amount $10,685.05 by Commissioner Carol Jarrell, seconded by Commissioner C.D. Stewart.  All three voted yes and motion passed.

Motion to allow Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis to sign the cancellation policy release for the earthquake insurance that was voted down at the previous meeting made by Commissioner C.D. Stewart, seconded by Carol Jarrell.  All three voted yes and motion passed.

Motion to accept the April 22, 2024 regular session meeting minutes made by Commissioner C.D. Stewart, seconded by Commissioner Carol Jarrell.  All three voted yes and motion passed.

Motion to accept the Bid Opening Meeting minutes for the digital radio repeaters on April 22, 2024 made by Commissioner Carol Jarrell, seconded by Commissioner C.D. Stewart.  All three voted yes and motion passed. 

Presiding Commissioner Mathis stated, " Please note that Wednesday, May 8th the Stoddard County offices and government buildings will be closed for Harry S. Truman's birthday."

Motion to enter into closed session at 11:-05 a.m.for the purpose of cyber security made by commissioner C.D. Stewart, seconded by Commissioner Carol Jarrell.  All three voted yes and motion passed.

The Stoddard County Commission began at 9:00 a.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer from Presiding Commission Greg Mathis over our County.

"Katelyn you are first on the list this morning," commented Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis.

Katelyn Lambert, Bootheel Regional Planning Commission/ARPA Funds

"We have three draw downs on approved funds from the ARPA account," stated Lambert.

1 Bell City Fire Department was approved for ARPA funds for $3,039.33 for building of their new fire department building.

Motion to reimburse Bell City Fire Department the amount of $3,039.33 made by. Commissioner C.D. Stewart, seconded by Commissioner Carol Jarrell.  All three voted yes and motion passed. 

2. Stoddard County EMA - They were approved for $61,560.00 for reimbursement for the radios.  "I just need a copy of the cancelled check so we can that monies reimbursed out of ARPA," Lambert said.

Motion to pay Battles Communications for the EMA radios in the amount of $61,560.00 made by Commissioner Carol Jarrell, seconded by Commissioner C.D. Stewart.  All three voted yes and motion passed.

3.  Water District #2 - "I do have a copy of the invoice and the cancelled check; however the money originally selling them the meters has sold their company to Mid South MTR and also located in Hot Spring Arkansas.  The transaction occurred on October 16, 2023.  It is still the sole source procurement, just a different company now.  They are requesting $69,357.98 in ARPA funds that have already been allocated.

Motion to reimburse Water District #2 $69,357.98 from ARPA funds for water meters made by Commissioner C.D. Stewart, seconded by Commissioner Carol Jarrell.  All three voted yes and motion passed.

Dudley Special Road District - "They are going to create and  official letter to request funds for gravel in the amount of about $40,000," commented Lambert. "They should send an email or bring in an official request for ARPA Funds shortly."

City of Advance - Looking to purchase a camera for their sewer district.  They wanted to move $11,500 of ARPA funds to purchase this camera. 

Motion to approve Dudley Special Road District in the amount of $40,000 from ARPA funds to be used for infrastructure made by Commissioner C.D. Stewart, seconded by Carol Jarrell.  All three voted yes and motion passed.  The reason for requesting this money was due to the fact that the .35 road levy having failed at the April 2023 Municipal Election.  Their road district lost a potential $80,000 in revenue in 2023.  The road levy did pass on the 2024 Municipal Election so going forward they will have money coming in to help repair eroding ditches, roads and areas around bridges.

The Stoddard County Commission received $5,637,766.00 in ARPA funds.  To date they have $86,651.75 that are not committed funds to anyone.  The funds must be used for infrastructure.

Bid Opening for 20 Digital Radio Repeaters for the Stoddard County Sheriff's Department at 10 a.m.

Motion to enter into the Bid Opening Meeting at 10:04 a.m. for the 20 Digital Radio Repeaters for Stoddard County Sheriff's Department made by Commissioner Carol Jarrell, seconded by Commissioner C.D. Stewart. All three voted yes.

One bid was sent in from Battles Communications.  $91,800.00 for Pyramid VHF Vehicular Repeaters. Each radio was $4,590.00.

Andy Holden from the Sheriff's Department and Sheriff Carl Hefner reviewed the bid documents during the meeting and agreed that the specs were the same as they requested.

Motion to accept the bid from Battles Communications in the amount of $91,800 made by Commissioner C.D. Stewart, seconded by Commissioner Carol Jarrell.

Motion to close the Bid Opening meeting at 10:29 a.m. made by  Commissioner Carol Jarrell, seconded by Commissioner C.D. Stewart.

Other Business

Cecil Weeks, County Clerk, distributed the Earthquake Insurance quote for the Commission to review.

Currently Traveler's Insurance taps out at 2.5 million in claims with a 1 million deductible.  The Leavitt Group (formerly County Wide Insurance) submitted a quote for Earthquake insurance above the Traveler's Insurance as they already broker with the County.  This is a supplemental insurance to coincide with Traveler's Insurance.  Cost is $149,680.00 with a 5% deductible for 23 million dollars in coverage in addition to the regular coverage..

Motion to accept the proposal from the Leavitt Group for Earthquake Insurance in the amount of $149,680.00 made by Commissioner Carol Jarrell, seconded by Greg Mathis.  Commissioner C.D. Stewart voted no, Carol Jarrell voted yes, and Greg Mathis voted no.  The motion did not pass.  The Commission will NOT be getting addition coverage for Earthquake Insurance up to 23 million to cover the cost of replacing the government buildings.

Motion to accept the minutes for April 15, 2024 made by Commissioner C.D. Stewart, seconded by Commissioner Carol Jarrell.  All three voted yes and motion passed.

Motion to attach the copy of the April 15th minutes to the April 1st minutes showing there was an amendment made on that date made by Commissioner C.D. Stewart, seconded by Commissioner Carol Jarrell. All three voted yes and motion passed.

Motion to accept the closed session minutes for April 15, 2025 made by Commissioner Carol Jarrell, seconded by Commissioner C.D. Stewart.  All three voted yes and motion passed.

Motion to adjourn at 11:19 a.m. made by Commissioner C.D. Stewart, seconded by Commission Carol Jarrell. Both voted yes as Mr. Mathis left the meeting about 10 minutes early.

The Stoddard County Commissioners opened their meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer by Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis.   He prayed for Brent Stidham, who lost his grandmother, and the family of Mrs. Lisa Reitzel,  Administrator Cape Girardeau County. He also said that we needed a little rain for the farmers.

Kevin DeArman, Dental Minister for Smiles of Hope

"This is the 14th year for the Smiles of Hope in Stoddard County.  We host a volunteer dental extraction clinic and have extracted over 16,000 teeth for 9,000 people.  Cost is $10. Veterans and inmates are free. Stoddard, Scott and Mississippi counties are locally served.  A new building is being built with over 30 chairs to serve our area," stated DeArman.

Sheriff Hefner has asked the Commission that a dental conic be set up at the Stoddard County Jail.  This will be the first type of its kind.

Dr. William Kane, Dexter, is the chief dentist and is responsible for the clinic. There are a few hurdles would have to be worked out, but they are not that huge for instance the sterilization of instruments, the x-ray machine which is hand-held certified by the state and a certified person to run the machine.  There would be no expenditure on the part of the county except the hand-held x-ray machine and having a place within the jail to place a chair.  Cold sterilization would be used on the instruments so that eliminates other equipment.

"We have everything to donate as far as a chair, the instruments, etc," stated DeArman.  "We are covered in liability under the Smiles of Hope so there would be no liability on the County."

"The biggest thing that the public needs to know is that we are not spending tax dollars, but using the commissary money that the inmates have actually built up by purchasing items that they need.  This is money that the inmates spend while inside the jail and can only be used for the inmates."

The cost of an x-ray unit is about $7,000 - $8,000.  

Inmates are shackled hands and feet when they have to deliver them to the Smiles of Hope. This would eliminate the cost of deputies having to take them and the expense of the gas and time as well.  There are no narcotics given for pain only amoxicillin as the antibiotic and over the counter ibuprofen.

The Commissioners made no immediate decision on the Smiles of Hope Clinic, but would like to include Dr. Kane in the discussion.

Katelyn Lambert, Bootheel Regional Planning Commission

GoSEMO Fiber gave 101 pages of supporting documents for their rural Puxico project and are cleared for the $229, 467.20 and can now be paid.  They have $1 million pre-approved in ARPA funds for rural Puxico.  This will be their first draw on that amount.

Motion pay SEMO Electric Cooperative $229,467.20 from the ARPA funds for their fiber optic project in the rural Puxico area made by Commissioner Carol Jarrell, seconded by Commissioner C.D. Stewart.  All three voted yes and motion passed.

City of Puxico has requested $5,748.00 for fire gear from ARPA funds.

Motion to reimburse the city of Puxico $5,748.00 for fire gear out of ARPA funds that was previously approved by the Commission made by Commissioner C.D. Stewart, and seconded by Commissioner Carol Jarrell.  All three voted yes and motion passed.

Water District #6 gave cancelled checks to Mrs. Lambert and they are approved to be paid for their $12,000 of ARPA funds.

Motion to approve the County Distribution Agreement for ARPA funding for Water District #6 made by Commissioner Carol Jarrell, seconded by Commissioner C.D. Stewart.  All three voted yes and motion passed.

Motion approves the Intergovernmental Cooperative Agreement Commissioner and Water District #6 made by Commissioner Carol Jarrell, seconded by Commissioner C.D. Stewart.  All three voted yes and motion passed.

Motion to reimburse Water District #6 in the amount of $12,000 for the month of March and February to Cas Construction from the ARPA funds made by Commissioner C.D. Stewart, seconded by Commissioner Carol Jarrell.  All three voted yes and motion passed.

Jeremy Billington, Billington Insurance Agency, Inc.

"I have a different TPA now and I just picked up the city of Cape Girardeau this year," commented Billington.  "I am just stopping by and letting the Commission know that if there is anything I can do or take a look at I would gladly do that."

"I have a couple direct contracts with Southeast Hospital now Mercy, and that direct contracting is to remain in place. I have Cape School District as well," continued Billington.

He is currently using Crescent Health Solution based out of Asheville, North Carolina as his new TPA, a third party administrator, not-for-profit company. 

"When we were with them before, if you had a major health issue you could go off the insurance as an employees and go onto the ACA MarketPlace/Obamacare and that would not hurt the overall cost of the healthcare plan to the County.  They sweetened the pot by paying the deductibles, etc." commented Mathis. 

"Health Insurance is just about shifting the cost to somewhere else, but to who?  Discounts are in place at different hospitals" stated Billington.  "Doctors can charge a million dollars, but healthcare is nothing more than shifting costs.  The doctor knows he won't get that million dollars, he may only get $250. Yes we still do some of that shifting to the ACA MarketPlace/Obamacare Insurance Plans."

Josh Speakman, Stoddard County Collector/Treasurer Discussed the MACA Convention 

"They discussed SB190 bill at the Conference," commented Speakman. "There are more questions than anything. There will be a lot of work on the County if this passes and no one is sure how it will look and how it will be even implemented."

"Not sure yet what Stoddard County is doing with regards to supporting the SB 190 bill," commented Mathis. "There will be additional cost to the Collector's office. There is about a $30,000 cost just for the software alone plus maintenance for each year.  It will take one person full time to do title work research for those 62 and older that own their own home."

Here is the proposed bill....

PROPERTY TAX CREDIT

This act authorizes a county to grant a property tax credit to eligible taxpayers residing in such county, provided such county has adopted an ordinance authorizing such credit, or a petition in support of such credit is delivered to the governing body of the county and is subsequently submitted to and approved by the voters, as described in the act.

Eligible taxpayers are defined as residents who: 1) are eligible for Social Security retirement benefits; 2) are the owner of record of or have a legal or equitable interest in a homestead; and 3) are liable for the payment of real property taxes on such homestead.

The amount of the property tax credit shall be equal to the difference between the real property tax liability on the homestead in a given year minus the real property tax liability on such homestead in the year in which the taxpayer became an eligible taxpayer.

A credit granted pursuant to this act shall be applied when calculating the eligible taxpayer's property tax liability for the tax year. The amount of the credit shall be noted on the statement of tax due sent to the eligible taxpayer by the county collector.

The amount of property tax credits authorized by a county pursuant to this act shall be considered tax revenue actually received by the county for the purposes of calculating property tax levies. (Section 137.1050)

This provision is identical to a provision in HCS/SB 247 (2023) and is substantially similar to SB 715 (2022) and to a provision in SS/SCS/SB 133 (2023), as amended, SS/SB 540 (2023), as amended, and SS#2/SCS/SB 649 (2022).

RETIREMENT BENEFITS INCOME TAX DEDUCTION

Current law allows taxpayers with certain filing status and adjusted gross income below certain thresholds to deduct 100% of certain retirement and Social Security benefits from the taxpayer's Missouri adjusted gross income, with a reduced deduction as the taxpayer's adjusted gross income increases. For all tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2024, this act allows the maximum deduction to all taxpayers regardless of filing status or adjusted gross income. (Sections 143.124 and 143.125)

These provisions are identical to SB 448 (2023), SB 241 (2023), HB 662 (2023), HB 1206 (2023), SB 871 (2022), HB 2853 (2022), SB 157 (2021), SB 847 (2020), and HB 1725 (2020), and to provisions in HCS/SB 247 (2023), and are substantially similar to SB 585 (2023), HB 156 (2023), and HB 456 (2023), and to provisions in HCS/SS#3/SCS/SB 131 (2023).

Speakman also asked about the Juror Pay that he presented to the Commission at a previous meeting.  The Commission is still researching the idea.

Dee Loflin, ShowMe Times 

Mrs. Loflin asked that the Minutes from April 1, 2024 be amended as they are not correct. with regards to a discuss she had with the Commission over Vacation Pay for County employees.  It was not about FMLA which is Family and Medical Leave.

Motion to amend the Minutes from April 1, 2024 made by Commissioner Carol Jarrell, seconded by C.D.Stewart. Mathis is abstaining since he wrote the paragraph.  Jarrell and Stewart voted yes.

Motion to accept the Open Session Minutes from April 8, 2024 made by Commissioner C.D. Stewart, seconded by Commissioner Carol Jarrell.  All three voted yes and motion passed.

Motion to enter into Closed Session at 11:03 a.m. made by Commissioner Carol Jarrell, seconded by Commissioner C.D. Stewart.  All three voted yes and motion passed.