TUESDAY, FEB. 25, 2020
Osage County Road and Bridge Foreman
Ron Kempker informed commissioners
his crew is mainly working in the shop
until the rain clears out. They're trying to
catch …
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TUESDAY, FEB. 25, 2020
Osage County Road and Bridge Foreman
Ron Kempker informed commissioners
his crew is mainly working in the shop
until the rain clears out. They're trying to
catch up on equipment maintenance. Plus,
"I hate to get dump trucks out on the road
now and tear the road up worse than what
we're doing," he said.
Osage County First District Commissioner
John Glavin raised concern about a
hill on CR 317, a box culvert on CR 423,
and general maintenance on CRs 736, 312,
and 313. About CR 313, Kempker said, "I
have that one down on my desk.”
Osage County Second District Commissioner
Larry Kliethermes asked about
CR 621. "Yes, we addressed it," said
Kempker. "We put two-inch base in it."
Kliethermes then mentioned a low
water crossing on CR 508. "I was down
there Monday," said Kliethermes, "but the
rain washed it out."
Kliethermes also mentioned CRs 501,
608, and 609. "There's so many spots in
there, the road looks like a muffin pan,"
said Kliethermes. Kempker assured him it
wouldn't be much more than a day before
the crews were there.
Osage County Presiding Commissioner
Darryl Griffin has heard there is a lot of
gravel available in Sugar Creek near Meta.
It takes a permit to get it, but Kempker
knows the process. Glavin mentioned a
similar situation near CR 315; and the
landowner only wants the gravel used locally.
Kliethermes mentioned a lot of gravel
has washed into ditches in his district. It
wouldn't be hard to salvage and reuse.
* Rock has been hauled on CRs 251,
275, 435, 503, 512, 621, 711, 713, 736, and
740; service has been done on Grader #06,
and Trucks #31, and #35; a culvert was
repaired on CR 512; and grader operators
have been active on CRs 251, 275, 435,
503, 512, 621, 711, 713, 736, 740, 252,
312, 314, 316, 514, 602, 639, and 754.
Osage County Building and Grounds
Janitorial and Maintenance Worker John
Kennedy announced the Administration
Building generator has been repaired.
Heritage Tractor of Jefferson City performed
the installation of a new engine
control module (ECM) Friday, Feb. 21.
The technician offered some diagnosis of
what caused the problem in the first place.
"The problem is where they mount
them," said Kennedy, passing on what
he heard.
The unit catches more engine vibration
than it should. There are now no codes
showing and the machine is fully operational.
The Osage County Courthouse elevator
phone is now hooked up. It's now possible
to place an emergency call, but now it
won't hang up at the elevator end of the
line. Towner Communications, LLC, of
Mission, Kan., will need to install one
more switch to complete the job.
* Osage County University of Missouri
Extension Program Director John
Gulick dispensed a handbill advertising
the "Stories of Chamois," a free event 7
p.m. Saturday, March 14 at the Chamois
Lions Community Center. Local historian
Susan Sundermeyer will share some of her
research about the town.
* Osage County Chief Deputy Clerk
Valerie Prater introduced new clerk's office
employee Heather Gyorkos, whose first
on-the-job training will be to take minutes
of the commission meetings.
* Osage County Health Department
employees did not receive scheduled raises
in February's first paycheck. Glavin said
he would work on the problem.
* Commissioners approved county
employee time sheets.
THURSDAY, FEB. 27, 2020
Kempker presented a total of $9,246.45
cost to repair the Pentecostal Bridge on CR
611 across the Maries River. Kliethermes
intends to present it to Missouri Department
of Transportation (MoDOT) Central
District Local Public Agency (LPA) contact
Kimberly Tipton, who can apply it as "soft
match" funding for future Bridge Rural
Offset (BRO) projects in the county.
He also presented price lists from Barrett
Materials, Inc.; Capital Quarries Company;
Boone Quarries (ConAgg); Higgins
Quarry, LLC; Stieferman Construction
Services, LLC; and Tavern Creek Quarry,
LLC. The Road and Bridge Department
purchases from each provider, depending
on proximity to the roads being maintained.
* Kempker said he's getting emails
from the public, and he likes that. "We've
addressed a few of them," he said, adding
they're all on his list.
* Work on CRs 608 and 609 has been
completed using County Aid Road Trust
(CART) funding from the Missouri Department
of Conservation (MDC). "Almost 20
loads went up there," said Kempker.
* Work on CRs 315, 316, and 319 was
scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 27.
* All trucks are running with the weather
drying up. "We're moving as much rock
as possible," said Kempker. "We'll be
hauling all next week and the graders will
be operating. Dry weather will go a long
way." One load of gravel covers 150 feet.
The difficult weather patterns can set the
department back quite a bit.
Glavin advocated contracting independent
dump truck drivers to haul creek
gravel.
Kliethermes said, "If you start that, you
have to offer it [in public], but it might be
something to look at."
* Some bids have been received for the
tuck-pointing work on the Administration
Building, but none have yet to come in for
the basement sealing project.
* Griffin mentioned the meeting Tuesday,
Feb. 25, with the Osage Ambulance
District (OAD) Board, the commission, and
officers from the Osage County Emergency
Operations Center (EOC). It was closed
to the public by recommendation of legal
counsel to both parties due to ongoing
litigation.
Griffin was not free to offer any details
discussed. "All I can say about it right
now is it was a very positive meeting," he
said. "Everybody thought it was a positive
meeting."
He believes details will begin to emerge
after the Osage County 911 Advisory Board
meets on March 4.
Everyone at the meeting was supportive
of the 911 Continuation Sales Tax issue on
the April 7 Municipal General Election
ballot. They pledged to work for its passage.
* There is approval of the progress on
installation of the Priority Dispatch ProQA
911 call center program.
* Commissioners discussed funds to
repair or replace the damaged bridge on
CR 608 across the Maries River.
Osage County 911/EMA Director
Andrea Rice brought grant contracts for
$7,500 in funding to the EOC ID card
provider.
She also invited the commissioners to
view the new consoles installed.
"All we need is carpet," she said,
commenting on what it takes to finish
some scheduled remodeling of the EOC.
"Eventually we'll do some paint touch up,"
she added.
That will wait until the basement leaks
are stopped.
Commissioners signed outgoing liability
checks.
* Tuesday, March 10, is the Presidential
Preference Primary Election. There will
be no regularly scheduled Osage County
Commission meeting.
* The West Central Commissioner
Quarterly meeting is scheduled at Wilmore
Lodge in Lake Ozark March 19. It is to be
hosted by Miller County.
* The "Stories of Chamois" is scheduled
for 7 p.m. Saturday, March 14 at the
Chamois Lions Community Center.
* Tuesday, March 31, is the last day
for candidate filing for the Aug. 4 Primary
Election.