OSAGE COUNTY — Osage County commissioners discussed plans for an Oct. 14 ribbon cutting at the new Westphalia Bridge, reviewed easement offers for the CR 522 bridge project, and awarded a $28,625.96 culvert replacement contract during their Sept. 29 meeting.

Western District Commissioner Dale Logan said the ribbon cutting would be held at noon, providing an opportunity to recognize the community and the completion of the bridge. He also asked about photographs of the truck breaking through the old bridge that could be used in television coverage.

• Paul Winkelman of Howe Engineering presented offer letters for easements from two property owners adjacent to the CR 522 bridge project. He said the properties had been appraised, and the proposed payments reflected those appraisals.

Winkelman requested commissioners’ signatures on the letters, which would be sent to the owners with supporting information. He said the county would be responsible for its matching share of the federally funded costs. The letters asked the owners to respond by the end of October.

Logan said it would be good to get the easements wrapped up. Winkelman said the project would move quickly afterward.

No motion to approve the offers was made during the discussion with Winkelman, and the amounts were not read aloud.

• In other business, Eastern District Commissioner Jeff Peters asked whether commissioners had approved Greg Muenks to perform contract grader work. Presiding Commissioner Darryl Griffin said they had not received a written statement showing how many miles would be graded for the proposed price and wanted that information before proceeding.

• Commissioners also discussed obtaining final payment and change-order figures for the Pentecostal Bridge. Griffin said Joanie Prenger needed to present the information at an open commission meeting before settlement. Boessen said she could schedule the meeting, and Griffin asked her to let Prenger know commissioners meet on Tuesdays.

• Griffin reported the Recorder of Deeds Office had moved into its expanded space over the weekend.

• Patrick Kliethermes asked whether commissioners had heard any objections to a proposed vacation of right of way. Commissioners said they had not heard any.

• Peters also reported that a dump truck that did not belong to the county had scattered large creek rocks along a highway and CR 302 the previous day because its tailgate was not latched. He said Road & Bridge Foreman Neil Mantle had to pick the rocks off the county road by hand, and the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) had to clean up the highway.

ROAD & BRIDGE

Mantle discussed storm repairs, equipment problems, and staffing needs with commissioners, who reviewed five bids for culvert replacement work.

Mantle said he had told contractors the county would supply the pipe and rock, while the contractor would provide trucking to bring material in and remove dirt. Commissioners discussed differences in how the bids were presented, including charges by pipe size, separate prices for driveway and cross-road culverts, and additional charges for chipping rock.

Peters asked whether the bids had been totaled to determine the lowest price. Mantle said Mera Excavating of Bonnots Mill was the lowest overall and that two other bids were substantially higher.

“Goodness gracious, it’s just all over the board here, isn’t it,” Logan asked.

Commissioners unanimously approved Griffin’s motion to use Mera Excavating for replacements on CR 711, 712, 715, 716, 717, and 718. Peters seconded the motion.

The approved bid listed driveway culverts at $766.38 each and cross-road culverts at $978.04 each, for a total of $28,625.96. Mantle said he would contact the contractor that day and expected work to begin promptly.

He said the work represented only one section of the storm repairs, with three additional sections still needing attention. The entire project had to be completed within 18 months, per Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requirements.

• Treasurer Valerie Prater later provided commissioners with copies of statutes covering the bidding process.

• Mantle reminded commissioners about a FEMA meeting at 1 p.m. the following day, and said at least one commissioner needed to attend. Peters said he would do everything he could to be there, and Logan said he could attend.

Road & Bridge employees had spent a couple of days the previous week photographing damaged culverts for FEMA documentation. Mantle said he still needed clarification about which ditch-cleaning work could be claimed as storm damage rather than normal maintenance.

He said the storm had washed material into the ditches, and attempts to reach the FEMA contact for answers had not resulted in a return call. Once those questions were answered, employees would take additional photographs and GPS coordinates of the worst areas.

Peters asked Mantle to inspect two damaged crossings on CR 741 and determine whether they could qualify for FEMA assistance. Peters described missing material from the top of the first slab and a settled support beam at the second crossing.

Mantle said the road was on the county’s list, but he did not know whether the crossings could be covered. He agreed to inspect them and noted the county could be close on the money needed to carry the repairs.

“Well, you go look at them down there, and you tell me that they don’t rank higher than some other stuff we’re doing down here,” Peters said.

Mantle said he was not disputing that but did not remember the crossing being that rough when he last drove through.

• Logan and Mantle also discussed arranging a visit to inspect the bridge on CR 542 near Meta. Logan requested base rock for a road maintained under the county’s agreement with Maries County, and Mantle asked for contact information so he could coordinate delivery with a grader operator.

• Mantle reported that a grader at Martin Equipment in Columbia had been dismantled to its main frame for repairs covered by warranty. Its motor, transmission, and tandems had been removed, and the shop was investigating why its brakes were not working properly. He hoped to have it back toward the end of the following week.

• A small white dump truck had been leaking coolant. Employees used dye to locate the leak, obtained parts, and were putting it back together that morning.

• A two-door Dodge 5500 remained in the shop after problems involving its starter, air-conditioning compressor, and ability to run.

• Mantle said the road tractor did not sell online, and offers for the belly-dump trailer and another truck were too low. He planned to wait a couple of months before listing the equipment again.

• A prospective employee from the Bland area was expected to submit an application. Mantle said the man had a Class B commercial driver’s license and about 10 years of dump-truck experience and wanted steady work closer to home.

Griffin asked whether the department had room in its budget for another employee. Mantle said it technically did not. Prater noted that some budgeted part-time labor had not been used, and Mantle said those figures would need to be considered, although the department’s year-end position was already expected to be close.

• The new rock chipper had arrived and was being used by the pipe crew. Mantle said the crew knew it needed to remove rock from the ditch line on CR 203 that week. He also hoped to get employees to CR 314 that afternoon after tree work on CR 712, with work on CR 512 to follow.

• Griffin said he had contacted MoDOT Engineer Preston Kremer about dips on Rt. C where culverts had been installed and the highway surface settled. Griffin had received reports of trailers coming unhitched at the dips. Mantle said the same thing had happened to the county, and Griffin said MoDOT would check the problem.

• The road report for Sept. 22-28 showed quarry rock was hauled on CRs 412 (233.86T), 503 (98.69T), 504 (47.92T), 505 (72.01T), 610 (137.24T), 611 (105.38T), 612 (142.84T), 613 (170.22T), 614 (119.01T), 635 (64.94T), and 803 (119.01T); a culvert was replaced on CRs 412 (x4) and 705; trees were trimmed on CR 712; brush mowers were working on CRs 416, 801, 808, and 810; and grader operators were active as follows: G01 (CRs 412, 431, 503), G02 (CRs 231, 235, 412, 503, 504, 505), G03 (CRs 711, 803, 810), G04 (CRs 610, 612, 613B, 635), G06 (CRs 303, 310).

• Whipper W43 (2007 John Deere 6615 w/Alamo Machete Mower) was serviced in-house. Whipper W43 (2007 John Deere 6615 w/Alamo Machete Mower) and Grader G05 (2023 672G John Deere) were serviced out-of-house.

• Compliments were received about CR 811.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT

Health Department Administrator Kim Sallin reported that Quick Care saw 30 patients the previous week, matching the week before.

Peters said he was “pretty happy with that.”

About one-fourth of patients were State Technical College of Missouri students, Sallin estimated, while approximately 10 county employees and dependents had also used the clinic.

Logan requested a monthly breakdown of Quick Care expenses. Sallin said she already tracked those costs and would provide a spreadsheet. Beyond salaries, supply costs remained low.

• Sallin said she was preparing a proposal for Rural Health Transformation Program funding, due in two weeks. The federal money would be distributed through the state, with Osage and Gasconade counties sharing one hub and a county match of at least 50%.

The request would include part of the nurse practitioner’s salary and equipment to help keep patients out of the emergency room. A portable X-ray machine and ultrasound were being evaluated. Sallin described one patient whose leg infection required an ER referral because the clinic could not rule out deeper infection or a blood clot.

Items funded this year could not be requested again next year, Sallin said. She planned to leave the medical assistant’s salary out of this proposal because that employee also handled regular Health Department work.

Peters asked when funding decisions would come. Sallin did not know but needed an answer before the end of December to prepare her budget.

• Beginning in October, the Health Department will remain open until 6:30 p.m. every Thursday for flu shots. Those extended hours would be for vaccinations, rather than Quick Care visits.

• Sallin said the Quick Care grand opening was “wonderful,” although television stations had not attended. Logan said he was disappointed because both stations had told him they were coming.

After speaking with two vendors at the event, Sallin was exploring having food trucks set up in the Health Department parking lot once or twice a month. Vendors had displayed departmental flyers during the grand opening, and she said recurring visits could provide additional exposure for services. She wanted to reach out to interested vendors and establish a schedule that could be advertised.

• Sallin also reported that the Tri-County Coalition would meet Oct. 7 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Community Christian Church in Jefferson City. Although the group had gathered county-level data, she said it still needed more input from residents who could not attend daytime meetings in Jefferson City or lacked transportation.

The coalition planned to organize town halls within the counties to make participation easier. Sallin mentioned Chamois, Linn, and Westphalia as possible locations in Osage County. The goal was to complete the town halls by February 2027, allowing time around the holidays. “If they can’t come to us, we’re going to make sure we get to them,” Sallin said.

She said the coalition had spent substantial time developing bylaws and other organizational requirements because it intended to seek funding for larger events and training in the future.

• Other figures reported for August were as follows; Birth Certificates (45), Death Certificates (47), Vaccines (62), Animal Bites (2), Dressing Changes (0), Lice Checks (0), Medication Injections (20), Blood Draws (29), Blood Pressure Checks (16), PPD Testing (6), EPHS Inspections (14), Oral Health Reviews (1), Fluoride Varnishes (1), WIC Caseload (123), WIC Appointments Completed (37), Drug Testing (4), Prenatal Classes Held (3), Lactation Visits (0), Car Seat Checks (0), Car Seats Issued (0), Lead Testing (0), CPR Certifications (52), Social Media Posts (34), Foot & Nail Visits (47), School Health Screenings (155), Health Screenings (1), STD Screenings (3), STD Treatment (0), Daycare Providers (Clock Hours) (4), Daycare Health Promotions (4), Daycare Inspections (1), Community Health Promotions (14), Nurse Visits (4), Drive Thru Customers (55), Diapers/Wipes provided (13), Water Test Kits (6), Notary (0), CD Investigations (13), Lead Cases (8), Influenza A Reported (0), Influenza B Reported (0), Covid (2), Quick Care Visits (87), Quick Care Physicals (32), Quick Care County Employee Visits (4), and Phone calls made/received (1013).

FINANCIAL

• Bills totaling $564,148.93 were approved by commissioners, with the following totals by department: 911/EMA ($1,946.30), Assessor ($1,475.38), Building & Grounds ($547.65), Commission ($136.30), County Clerk ($208.31), Election ($555), Health Department ($17,144.10), Misc. ($6,503.49), Prosecuting Attorney ($13.70), Public Administration ($1,660.01), Road & Bridge ($103,170.79), Sheriff-Jail ($57,598.48), Treasurer ($12), and Road & Bridge Misc ($373,175.30).

• Checks were submitted for signatures.