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.
