VIENNA — The Maries County Commission met Sept. 22, 25 and 29 at the Maries County Courthouse, with several visitors attending and multiple topics discussed during the three sessions.

State Rep. Mayhew, district 124 representative discusses jail costs and mental health

State Rep. Don Mayhew, Republican party representing district 124, who also serves as chairman of the Corrections Facility Committee, stopped by Sept. 29 to speak with commissioners about the financial challenges rural counties face in housing inmates.

Mayhew said the cost of holding inmates in county jails often falls heavily on local budgets, particularly when individuals are placed on probation, violate terms and cycle back through the system. He described it as being “like a game of ping pong.”

To address this, Mayhew distributed questionnaires for commissioners and Sheriff Mark Morgan to help fine-tune inmate cost calculations for each county. He also discussed an 11.15 waiver through the Medicaid expansion program, which could help reimburse counties for certain healthcare costs.

Mayhew discussed mental health concerns and how they remain a priority. There is a push to move individuals deemed incompetent to stand trial or under a judge’s mental health order out of local jails and into specialized facilities. He noted that deputies are often not equipped with the training needed to handle such cases.

The Department of Mental Health is working on a plan to establish a holding facility for rural counties, with a goal of implementing solutions by May 2026. The special treatment facility will serve the sole purpose of dealing with mental health, while trained proffesionals are staffed. Mayhew encouraged local officials to testify in Jefferson City as proposals advanced. He committed to keeping the commission updated on developments.

Rep. Bennie Cook addresses local and legislative updates

State Rep. Bennie Cook, member of the Republican Party and representative of District 143. attended the meeting, providing updates on a variety of topics. He spoke about a greenhouse project in Vienna and the unveiling of a new flag marking the county’s 250th anniversary.

“Its an honor to be the state representative for Maries County and to have that flag to present to the commission and all of Maries County is a huge honor,” Cook said. “I never thought I’d be doing something like that, I grew up over in Belle. I never thought I’d be presenting a flag to celebreate our 250 years here in the Unites States to our elected officials here in Maries County.”

Cook also spoke briefly about the ongoing concerns with DWI cases involving marijauan use recently.

He explained blood draws for such cases require certified phlebotomists and strict adherence to procedures. However, it is important to note that the local ambulance district has refused to conduct blood draws, complicating enforcement.

Mayhew chimed in and explained that marijuana is stored in fat cells or tissue in the body. Therefore, unlike alcohol where tests can tell immediately with a breathalyzer, someone who gets pulled over and hypothetically smoked on a Sunday night could test positive Monday, and not be “high,” creating challenges.

Cook also discussed “truth in sentencing” legislation, which aims to bring more transparency to how sentencing is carried out in Missouri courts. Cook announced plans to file for state representative one final time, as he is nearing the end of his term limit.

Commissioners were reminded of the upcoming South Central Commission meeting scheduled for Oct. 10 in Houston.

Ongoing concerns continued

County Prosecutor Anthony (Tony) Skouby reported challenges related to inmate per diem payments and jury trial costs, noting that retrials have forced the county to forfeit some reimbursements.

Morgan highlighted difficulties in accessing timely mental health services, sharing a case where an inmate experiencing hallucinations was sent to Phelps Health but returned without treatment and was told Benadryl would be sufficient.

Morgan also updated the commission on 911 operations. He noted that while a proposed 911 dispatch system upgrade from Phelps and Rolla would cost over $7,000 for installation and $1,500 for project management, the current system remains functional.

Morgan emphasized that if voters approve a proposed one percent sales tax this November, funding for system upgrades and redundancy would become more feasible, in fact, would be one of the first moves done as soon as the tax gets passed. In the meantime, he has cut nearly $9,000 from unused budget items to redirect toward 911 operations.

Presiding Commissioner Vic Stratman, Eastern District Commissioner Doug Drewel and Western District Commissioner Pat Kleffner all decided to table the recommended dispatch system until after the ballot in November.

Looking ahead, commissioners said if the proposed sales tax is passed and a 911 board is created, Maries County could explore providing emergency services for other entities to generate additional revenue, another source of income for the county.

MU Extension Office provides update

During the Sept. 25 meeting, commissioners heard from both the University of Missouri Extension Office and the Phelps-Maries County Health Department.

Dawn Hicks, the sole employee currently operating the Maries County MU Extension Office, told commissioners she has been running around all day and night trying to keep programs going and find solutions to the ongoing challenges. Hicks said residents can be assured that the office will remain open.

“Everything is being worked on and set to be up and running by late October or early November,” Hicks said. “We will know more by then as time goes on.”

Hicks explained that she works with multiple people and multiple jurisdictions, the area is large and she can only come to the courthouse about once a week, depending on her schedule. She also touched on the possibility of adding a virtual face-to-face option with MU to provide Maries County citizens easier and more reliable access to services in the future, something to look into for the future.

Regarding adding people and more hours to the office, she spoke about the lack of money and time restrictions.

Despite the obstacles, Hicks emphasized that she is doing her best with the resources provided and pledged continued updates as the situation develops.

Phelps-Maries County Health Department director introduces herself

Also attending the Sept. 25 meeting was Sonya Berry, who became director of the Phelps-Maries County Health Department in April. Berry introduced herself to commissioners and reviewed the department’s contract obligations.

“I know we do inspections for child care centers and some of your grocery stores,” Berry said.

Stratman noted that Maries County has two gas stations and a deli.

“We come in for that as well, so like your Dollar General and gas stations,” Berry said.

She explained that the department inspects all Maries County schools, including Maries R-1, with inspectors reviewing cafeterias and childcare facilities.

“I don’t know any issues we have anywhere in regards to the Health Department,” Stratman said in response.

Berry noted that nursing homes and jails do not fall under her department’s authority, as those facilities are inspected through other state programs.

Before leaving, Berry and commissioners agreed to formalize the county’s contract with the health department. She also asked commissioners to share information about upcoming community events so her department could promote its services and be more visible to residents.

Stratman suggested that Berry place informational literature at pharmacies throughout the county to increase public awareness. He also asked if the department offered flu and vaccination drives for schools or county employees.

Berry said discussions are already underway with local school nurses.

“We’ve been in contact with some of the school nurses here about coming in as well,” Berry said. “But we’re hoping to get a little bit more involved, even if it’s just like helping with kindergarten screenings, or even if it’s just us coming in and doing those eighth-grade shots, which are usually like two shots, even sometimes one.”

Berry closed her remarks by reminding commissioners that they can contact her directly or visit the department’s website for more information.

Absences noted during meetings

County Clerk Rhonda Rodgers was out for the day attending a training event as well as noting that Eastern Commissioner Doug Drewel was absent for both meetings last week as well. The Sept. 22 meeting was due to Drewel overseeing concrete pouring outside city limits and the Sept. 25 meeting was due to undisclosed reasons.

Sept. 22 meeting highlights local business and 911 proposal

The Maries County Commission met Sept. 22 at the courthouse, discussing local business updates, recent training and the ongoing 911 tax proposal.

Commissioners noted that Casey’s gas station in Belle has resolved its recent fuel shortage and is now fully operational.

The group also discussed training that took place the previous week in Kansas City, completed by County Clerk Rhonda Rodgers and Deputy County Clerk Renee Kottwitz.

The majority of the Sept. 22 meeting focused on the 911 tax proposal, with Morgan and Skouby joining commissioners to discuss the measure. Morgan and Skouby both had their own remarks regarding the solution and said the proposed one percent sales tax, upcoming on this November’s Ballot, is just what the county needs. A brief overview is below.

At the moment, the current 911 center and sheriff’s office work together to man the phones. This is not the job responsibility of the sheriff’s office. The proposed tax, according to Skouby, will provide enough funding for the 911 dispatch center to become a completely separate entity and establish its own 911 dispatch commission, with qualified individuals running the operation.

“I don’t think the dispatch has any business inside the sheriff’s department, it’s a separate function,” Skouby said in a serious tone.

Morgan added that the tax would provide the upgrades needed to ensure emergency services for Maries County. He did however say if the proposed 911 tax is not passed, emergency services would still be available in Vienna but would have to be outsourced to surrounding agencies, which would increase response times.

Both Presiding Commissioner Vic Stratman and Western District Commissioner Patrick Kleffner agreed with the statements made by Skouby and Morgan.

The 911 tax proposal was covered in last week’s edition of The Advocate and will continue to be reported in future articles.