OSAGE COUNTY — Confusion over the status of Osage County’s preliminary Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) application led to a tense discussion during the Aug. 25 commission meeting, but 911/EMA Director Ron Hoffman later confirmed that the application had been submitted.

The application covered approximately 100 locations damaged during the June and July storms, while commissioners authorized spending up to $400,000 from the county’s use-tax fund on recovery work.

Before Hoffman arrived, Presiding Commissioner Darryl Griffin and Eastern District Commissioner Jeff Peters disagreed over whether the application was being delayed unnecessarily and what information Hoffman needed from Road & Bridge.

Griffin said Hoffman had requested the county’s storm-recovery expenses to date but had not received the information from Road & Bridge Administrative Assistant Samantha King. Griffin said Road & Bridge Foreman Neil Mantle believed the figures were not required for the preliminary application, while Hoffman wanted to include them. Griffin agreed that the figures were not required, but questioned why they were not provided upon request.

“My question or statement is: If Ron is doing it and he wants to fill out that form out one way, why don’t those people give him the information he wants, and let him fill it?” Griffin asked. “If they don’t want to give it to him, let them fill it out. He’s not saying he’s not going to fill it out. He just asked for some information.”

Griffin said Hoffman had called FEMA to clarify how to fill the form out, and had been told the information was not required but could be included. “It’s not that he’s saying he’s not doing it,” Griffin continued. “He just ain’t getting the cooperation out there, and that’s a fact. I heard it was myself in that phone call. Now you can take that wherever you want.”

“So where is the ball getting dropped?” Peters asked. “Because just now I’m pretty sure the way I way I take this is FEMA said that they didn’t need all that stuff right now and they can turn it in now without it. So, if you don’t need that right now, what is the holdup? What does he need if they don’t need that? What does Ron need that he’s not getting if they don’t need that?”

“I have a perspective,” said Commission Clerk Brandy Boessen. “I think the holdup is understanding why they need the numbers because Neil’s like, ‘I don’t know.’”

Boessen said the problem appeared to be a communication breakdown. She said Mantle had already provided damage estimates, while Hoffman appeared to be requesting actual expenses.

“He already did an estimate,” Peters responded. “That’s all we can do is an estimate, which he’s already done. That’s how this whole thing got started, with his original estimate. That’s all we can do for now.”

“Jeff, they already got some numbers of the work that’s been done in gravel and stuff, labor and stuff,” Griffin said. “They got those numbers. Why can’t he put that on the form there?”

“That right there is the hangup, though,” Boessen interjected.

“He didn’t say he wasn’t going to do it,” Griffin responded. “Anybody says that he didn’t say that he don’t want to do it, they’re a goddamn liar!”

Peters asked Griffin why he was so worked up and Griffin said he was tired of people on (Ron’s) ass all the time saying he’s not doing his job when he is doing his job, Peters said he’d never said Hoffman wasn’t doing his job.

“Well, I’m going to be honest with you, Darryl,” Peters said, “I’m very passionate about this, too. And if this ball gets dropped on this $3 million FEMA deal, you’re going to talk about somebody red-faced and mad. I don’t care what the situation is, whose side who wants to take. It needs to happen. That’s the bottom line. I don’t care whose side who’s on. It’s got to happen. I don’t care about anything else. That’s it. At the end of the day, it’s got to be done. So we have to come together to get this done.”

“Let me ask you this,” Griffin started to respond, but was interrupted by Boessen, who reiterated that Mantle had asked her why Hoffman needed the requested information.

“He has come and asked about, I don’t know why this number even applies. I don’t see where it would even go on the form. What is he asking for,” she said. “Because he thinks he’s needing estimates, but Ron is asking for actual numbers.”

Peters asked where the communication breakdown was between Road & Bridge and Hoffman, and Boessen said she didn’t know. Griffin said it was because Hoffman had asked King for the information and not received it.

Peters said he agreed there was a communication breakdown because he had just received a text from Mantle, who expressed concern that the application would not be submitted on time, but did not cast blame.

“I’m gonna ask a question,” Boessen said. “Don’t answer it because we’re on open record. So, just answer this to yourselves. But, when you get a message from Ron, and when you get a message from Neil, which one is easy to decipher? Which one’s straightforward? Which one you understand more? Or which one is kind of you have kind of figure it out, read it between the lines?”

Griffin called Hoffman and asked him to come up to the commission chambers, then reiterated that he felt Road & Bridge should give Hoffman the information to fill the form out the way he wanted to, since he was the one doing the work.

“It’s because he’s asking for information and they’re not giving it because they don’t understand what he’s asking for,” Boessen said.

Peters said he was sorry Griffin was upset but they were trying to figure out the communication breakdown. Griffin said he was passionate making sure the county received the funds, but, again, felt Hoffman should be allowed to fill out the form the way he wanted. “My problem is, if he wants to paint the wall red and it doesn’t bother anything to fill out his form, let him paint the damned wall red.”

When Hoffman arrived, he confirmed that he had completed the preliminary application using the information available.

“The application is done with the preliminaries of what our scope of our work is,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman said the application included tree removal, culverts, bridges, slabs, and lost gravel at approximately 100 damaged locations. He had contacted FEMA to confirm that he had completed the required portions and agreed to send commissioners a copy of the confirmation email and notify Mantle that the preliminary application had been submitted.

Although the initial application was complete, Hoffman said he would continue to need records concerning employee wages, work locations, materials and equipment used during recovery work, including identification numbers for individual pieces of equipment.

Commissioners proposed having King provide Hoffman with a weekly report of work performed during the previous week. Peters also proposed arranging a meeting between King and Hoffman so they could agree on the required information and format.

Hoffman offered to provide King with his fillable spreadsheet, allowing her to enter names, hours, and other figures directly into the form he uses for FEMA reporting. Peters asked Hoffman to contact him if he did not receive the information he needed.

• Commissioners and Treasurer Valerie Prater also discussed how to fund Road & Bridge work resulting from the storms.

Peters estimated that the county could spend between $300,000 and $400,000 on recovery work before the end of the year. Prater recommended transferring money from the use-tax fund into Road & Bridge through a budget amendment.

Road & Bridge will continue paying employees through its existing payroll accounts but must separately document labor, equipment hours, materials, and contracted services attributable to the disaster.

The commission unanimously approved transferring and spending no more than $400,000 from use-tax funds for the June and July FEMA disaster work.

Commissioners discussed hiring contractors for projects county crews cannot complete and separating projects for bidding when necessary. Damage discussed included roads, bridges, slabs, culverts, lost gravel and fallen trees.

• Sheriff Michael Bonham raised concerns about emergency access and response times associated with the planned Hwy. 63 bypass.

Bonham said he planned to attend an upcoming meeting with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) to discuss emergency access during and after construction.

Officials said the proposed configuration could increase response times by requiring emergency vehicles to travel around the bypass rather than allowing access at both ends of Westphalia. They advocated retaining the southern entrance to the city.

Additional concerns included truck traffic associated with Meta, the lack of a third lane, narrowed bridges, effects on local businesses, utility-relocation delays, and whether MoDOT’s project-ranking system adequately considers a bypass’s effect on small communities. Participants also discussed tanker access and other fire-response needs.

• Bonham also discussed the Sheriff’s Office’s difficulty recruiting and retaining deputies and detention officers. He said surrounding counties offer substantially higher pay and, in some cases, benefits such as childcare.

Bonham said Osage County continues to have relatively little violent crime compared with more populated areas. Domestic violence is the county’s most common violent crime, while speeding is the Sheriff’s Office’s most frequent complaint.

He praised the Mid-Missouri Drug Task Force, saying its work has made drug activity less visible and open.

• Bonham and commissioners also discussed inmate-housing revenue, anticipated jail capacity in neighboring counties, and apartment development associated with State Tech. Participants questioned what could happen if apartment construction eventually exceeded student demand and discussed the effects of continued growth on law enforcement, water service, and other local resources.

• Bryan Boyce of Great River Engineering checked on the county’s Bridge Rural Program agreement for the Brush Creek bridge on CR 631.

The county previously invested approximately $50,000 in the project before a property owner withheld the permission needed to proceed. Commissioners said the property issue had since been resolved.

Boyce discussed the possible continuation or expansion of federal infrastructure funding and a proposal that could reduce the local match on bridge projects. He reminded commissioners to document county work performed on eligible bridges so it could be submitted as soft-match credit.

Participants also discussed the number and condition of deficient county bridges and the limited funding available to Class 3 counties.

• Boyce said the county could provide portions of commercial driver’s license training for employees internally. The required online theory training could be purchased through J. J. Keller for $212.50 per employee, while the county could provide the range and public-road training.

Boyce offered to help establish the program and provide a contract template that could require an employee to reimburse the county’s training investment if the employee left within a specified period.

County Attorney Amanda Grellner said the agreement would need language permitting any required repayment to be deducted from the employee’s final paycheck.

• Circuit Clerk Beth Billington asked commissioners to authorize the county’s existing $2 domestic-violence shelter surcharge on civil and criminal cases.

Billington said her office had collected the surcharge since before she became circuit clerk, but she could not locate the commission order authorizing it. Without an order, the county could no longer collect the fee.

The money supports the Rape & Abuse Crisis Service, which provides domestic-violence services to Osage County residents. Billington said $1,733.50 was collected through the surcharge in 2025.

Commissioners unanimously approved continuing the $2 surcharge. Billington agreed to correct the district designations in the proposed order before sending it to Boessen.

• The scheduled tax-levy hearing was canceled because the figures were incorrect and needed to be corrected with the state auditor.

• The commission unanimously approved a proclamation recognizing Constitution Week. Griffin planned to present it during the Osage County Library’s Sept. 16 program.

• Commissioners also learned that the county’s conflict-of-interest resolution would expire on Sept. 15. The resolution establishes procedures for disclosing potential conflicts of interest and substantial interests.

The commission unanimously approved renewing the resolution. Boessen was to update the dates, and Interim County Clerk Brooke Dudenhoeffer offered to locate and provide an editable copy for signatures.

• A meeting with Alan Fay and a GBS representative was scheduled for Sept. 8 at 9 a.m.

ROAD & BRIDGE

Road & Bridge Foreman Neil Mantle reported that two identical 2019 four-wheel-drive diesel trucks were available for a combined $15,000.

One truck had approximately 200,000 miles, and the other had approximately 150,000 miles. Both had maintenance records and needed tires.

Mantle estimated that outfitting each truck with new equipment would cost approximately $18,000, plus as much as $5,000 to $6,000 for each steel flatbed. The county may be able to reduce those costs by reusing beds or other equipment from existing trucks.

Commissioners unanimously approved purchasing both trucks for a combined $15,000 from the capital improvements fund.

Five pieces of surplus Road & Bridge equipment had been listed through GovDeals.

• The commission also unanimously approved purchasing a Bobcat breaker attachment for $11,626 from the capital improvements fund. A competing price was approximately $3,000 higher.

• Commissioners did not approve a proposed $17,000 power washer. Peters and Western District Commissioner Dale Logan said they wanted an option costing less than $10,000, and Mantle agreed to obtain additional prices.

• Peters proposed installing GPS units on county road graders and dump trucks. Participants said the units could verify equipment locations and speeds, help address accident or damage claims, monitor vehicle use and maintenance, and potentially reduce insurance costs.

Mantle was asked to investigate available systems for possible inclusion in the budget. No purchase was approved.

• Mantle said internal CDL training could help the county hire otherwise-qualified applicants who do not already have commercial driver’s licenses. He agreed to work with Boyce to establish the program.

• Commissioners and Mantle also discussed a county dump truck whose mirror was struck by another dump truck on Highway 89 South. The other driver did not stop.

The incident was to be reported to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

• The road report for Aug. 18 to Aug. 24 showed: Quarry rock was hauled on CR 301 (35.74T), 303 (629.84T), 312 (310.10T), 315 (65.53T), 319 (128.66T), 621 (613.41T), and Loose Creek Highway (14.35T); culverts were replaced on CR 300 and 402A (32.75T placed at culvert site); road work was done on CR 402, 402A, 705, and Loose Creek Highway; trees were removed on CR 213, 235, 251, 315, 322, and 718; brush mowers were working on CR 241; and grader operators were active as follows: G01 (CR 501, 601, 608, 609), G03 (CR 221, 621), G04 (CR 621, 622, 624), G05 (CR 722, 723, 724, 725, 726), and G06 (CR 274B, 312, 315, 319).

HEALTH DEPARTMENT

Health Department Administrator Kim Sallin reported that the department’s Quick Care was operating smoothly and receiving positive feedback.

The service was seeing approximately six patients per operating day. Sallin said outreach at community events revealed strong interest, particularly among uninsured residents and self-employed people without conventional health coverage. She anticipated patient volume would increase as more residents learned about the service.

Commissioners and Sallin discussed whether the county should obtain additional malpractice coverage for the nurse practitioner providing Quick Care services. Sallin said the county’s insurer had previously indicated that additional coverage was not required for a nurse practitioner, although the county could still purchase it.

The county planned to obtain pricing and additional information before making a decision.

Participants also discussed revising the Quick Care employee-discount form to include an employee’s spouse and eligible dependents.

• Sallin also reported that the department had received additional Women, Infants and Children (WIC) funding.

• Sallin said the Health Department had a substantial credit with its propane supplier and did not recommend pre-buying additional propane. Commissioners discussed asking the provider about automatic tank monitoring and refill service. The consensus was to use the existing propane and credit before purchasing more.

911/Emergency Management

Osage County 911/EMA Director Ron Hoffman reported that Ameren plans to remove a tower at the Callaway plant and replace it with a freestanding tower on the same footprint. The county has a fourth repeater on the tower, and Hoffman said he believed Chamois also had an antenna on it.

The county may temporarily lose use of the repeater while the existing tower is removed and its replacement constructed. Hoffman said he was budgeting approximately $5,000 in 2027 to reinstall the county’s equipment on the new tower.

FINANCIAL

• County Aid Road Trust (CART) distribution received from the state of Missouri for the month of August was $92,861.07, including Motor Fuel Tax ($71,621.90), Motor Vehicle Sales Tax ($15,929.52), and Motor Vehicle Fee Increases ($5,309.65).

• Time sheets were approved by commissioners.