OSAGE COUNTY — In last week’s meeting, Presiding Commissioner Darryl Griffin said they had received the updated employee manual from County Attorney Amanda Grellner, and would be reviewing that with employees.

Griffin said they had also finalized the form required for the county to check annually to ensure all employees who drive company vehicles possess a valid driver’s license.

“Once you guys send that form out for the driver’s license, do we just email a copy every Year?” Assessor Tina Kammerich asked. “Do we just need a copy in our office?”

“We want to have it up to the clerk’s office,” Griffin said.

• Griffin also said the owner of the building west of the Annex asked that county employees not park between his building and the administration building. 

“Have you told the vendors that?” Sheriff’s Office Chief of Staff Andi Rice asked. “Because they’re the ones that generally park there.”

Griffin said he’d noticed both vendors and employees parking there. “If he comes over and gets mad again, I’m going to send him to you all, because I don’t park over there,” he added.

• Kammerich and Collector Denise Nolte spoke about Senate Bill 3, which had been sent to Gov. Mike Kehoe’s desk for signature. That is covered in a separate article.

• Osage County University of Missouri Extension Office Engagement Specialist Elizabeth Anderson updated commissioners on her office’s work. Staff members are working on scheduling summer day camps for kids, as well as preparing for Kids Day Out at the Osage County Fair.

A second Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention class is being scheduled.

“Toward the end of September, we’re actually going to be hosting a fall Farm and Garden workshop out at the library,” Anderson said. “They did a version of it in Gasconade a month or two ago, and it was really successful. So, we’ll be doing another version of that, and we’ll have our agronomists, horticulturalists, livestock specialists, and one of our other specialists come out and offer different workshops on composting, fall gardening, preserving foods, all kinds of stuff like that. It would be an all-day event.”

They are also working on organizing Taste of Osage County, scheduled for Sept. 13.

Anderson said she and Jenn Millard of Central Missouri Community Action recently applied for a local food systems grant through Missouri EATs (an Extension program).

“So, knock on wood, we’ll hopefully hear about that,” she said. “I think we turned in a good application.”

• Central Electric notified commissioners they will be rebuilding the power lines between Chamois and Portland.

• There was no Thursday meeting last week due to the West Central Commissioners Association quarterly meeting.

ROAD & BRIDGE

Osage County Road & Bridge Foreman Justin Bridges told commissioners the plow truck that has been in the shop for over two years is being brought back without being repaired.

“(I) got a report the other day that there’s no compression on two of the cylinders,” Bridges said. “So, basically, I told the guy to send the bill, and we’ll pick it up and get it moved out of there. The bill is going to be astronomical, because they’ve been playing with parts and pieces for two years.

“We had it back for part of one day, and as it was being driven home, apparently a turbo went out, and I guess it sucked a bunch of stuff up in the driver’s side bank of the injectors and ruined a set of injectors,” Bridge went on. “So, when they hauled it back down and put it back together, then it didn’t have compression on a couple of cylinders.

“Talking to other people, one possibility is to cut your losses and move on,” he continued. “We’ve got thousands of dollars worth of equipment on that truck that would be valuable to be switched over, if that’s what you chose to do. The bill itself, without it running, as it sits right now, it’s about 12 grand. Most of that came before January.”

“How do we have 12 grand in engine work and don’t have engine that runs?” Western District Commissioner Dale Logan asked.

Commissioners discussed how much money had already been spent compared to how much a new engine would cost.

“The price tag, apparently, where it sits with a changed-out motor, will be pushing 22 or 23 (thousand), including the bill that’s already against it. So, maybe that’s something you can consider,” Bridges said.

“The problem with that is then all of a sudden, we’re at a third of the cost (of buying) a brand-new one,” Logan said. “And we’ve still got a 17-year-old vehicle.”

“Is this one that could go to (State) Tech?” Commission Clerk Brandy Boessen asked.

“That would be a possibility,” Bridges replied.

Griffin said they would discuss the matter further after Road & Bridge gets the truck back.

• Griffin asked Bridges what Road & Bridge was doing on CR 512, and the foreman noted crews were using a plate compactor, which Bridges owns, on the smaller potholes.

“We fill a hole heaped over (and) compact across it,” Bridge said. “Most of those are not very deep.”

Eastern District Commissioner Jeff Peters asked if that seemed to be working well, and Bridges said it was.

Logan pressed Bridges about getting the work done.

“It’s a mess,” Logan said. “It’s a mess. We talked about this couple weeks ago. We didn’t get anywhere. We got to get that fixed. We got to get it fixed. We got to get it fixed. Yesterday - Facebook - I saw your comment on there. I had to break my thumbs to keep myself from typing responses. We are not getting it done. We got to get it done. Just - we got to get it done. We’ve been talking (CR) 512 for a month now.”

Bridges said they were loaded to go back out there after he left the meeting, but only had two people who could work on it that day and three the following two days. He added that the work likely wouldn’t get done before the end of the week.

“What’s the problem with (CR) 512?” Peters asked.

“It sucks,” Logan responded.

Peters clarified that he was asking about the specific problem.

Bridges said the end of the road, where the pavement meets the gravel, has been deteriorating, and a combination of freeze/thaw cycles and large trucks have exacerbated the problem.

“The road just — it gave up,” Bridge said. “We can patch it. It’s not a huge deal, other than just time getting it done. But it’s not going to seal the road. That’s going to have to be hit again with chip and seal relatively soon, or we’ll continue to have the same problem.”

Brush trimming, he said, should be done by the end of the week, even though the road work likely would not be.

Discussion turned to the fact that Road & Bridge does not have enough people to handle the crises that keep occurring while simultaneously performing routine road maintenance.

“I think we’ve made progress,” Logan said. “I do. I think I’ve said that up here to these two gentlemen. I think we’ve made progress. I think our road and bridge department is better than it’s been in years, at this point. I wasn’t here years ago, but just the camaraderie (of) living here 15 years and listening to the people driving a lot of these roads, I think we’re better than we were, but we’re not good enough.

“We’re not doing quite good enough yet in some of our roles, and obviously we all know that, and we’re getting better, but I think we got to focus on, there is positive in this as well,” he continued. “There is positive in this. We just need more positive, and we need to start on (CR) 512 please.”

•Commissioners authorized up to five loads of rock for the citizen-provided upgrades to the intersection of CRs 522 and 524.

• Griffin reminded Bridges that Road & Bridge still needs to do the work authorized on CR 274B.

• Creek rock has been hauled on CRs 300 (16 tons), 305 (16 tons), 551 (48 tons); quarry rock on CR 551 (27.1 tons), 415 (45.72 tons), 508 (348.35; road work was done on CRs 300, 305, 415, 508, & 551; a tree was removed from CR 414; a whipper worked on CR 516; and grader operators have been active as follows: G01 (CRs 506, 507, 508, 542, 551), G02 (CRs 711, 715), G03 (CRs 201, 202, 432, 434, 435, 801), G04 (CRs 506, 507, 508, 542, 551), G05 (CRs 415, 421, 423, 508, 602), and G06 (CR 213).

• The following equipment was serviced: dump truck 27 (2000 Sterling Single Axle), dump truck 32 (blue 2004 Peterbilt), pavement roller 40 (1987 Rexworks SP400 ART/VIB), and plow truck 47 (2008 Ford F450).

• Citizen contact was made regarding slab work on CR 202, rock placement on CR 415, brush hogging concerns on CR 501, and road condition on CR 602.

• Compliments were received about grading on CRs 432 and 435, and work done on CR 603.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT

Osage County Health Department Administrator Kim Sallin reminded commissioners and department representatives that the department currently pays for an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which is available to both full and part-time county employees.

“It’s not just (for) emotional problems,” Sallin said. “They deal with financial, marital, eating disorders, alcohol and drug abuse, job-related issues, obviously, as well. So, you have your initial consultation, and then six free visits afterwards, and that does not have to be for yourself. So, if you have a family member who lives in your home, even if that’s a parent, you can transfer one of those appointments to them. You can transfer six of those appointments to them. If you need three for yourself, and they want to have three, then you can do that. There’s no cost at all.”

Sallin notified department heads that because of decreased grant funding and related budget cuts she’s being forced to make, she is not sure the health department will be able to pay for the program next year.

“It’s about a $1,200 cost to the health department,” She said. “ I still have a grant that would pay for it, but I’m thinking I’m gonna have to use all that for salaries because of the other grants that were cut this year.”

“I know we don’t use it all the time,” said Rice. “We might not even use it once a month, but it is very beneficial. And if it’s only $1,200 a year, is that something the county can pick up instead of the health department?”

“Are there a lot of people using it? Do you have any way to track that?” Griffin asked.

“In 2024, there were 48 visits,” Sallin responded. She went on to say the EAP has been a valuable tool for managers with employees struggling at work due to issues in their personal lives.

Bridges suggested the departments split the cost in next year’s budget, instead of the health department paying the full cost.

“If Funnel Rock Farm survives this year, it will make a donation towards it,” Bridges added. “If my little business makes it through this year, it will make a donation towards it.”

• Sallin reminded everyone that the department’s annual pool party will be held on June 28 from 4 - 6 p.m.

“It’s going to be at the city  pool, but it’s also the grand opening of the new Osage County All-Inclusive Community Playground,” Sallin said. “So, it’ll be more. That whole street from the pool down to the park will be closed, and there’ll be stuff going on all down that street.”

The ribbon cutting for the playground is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.. Sweet Bee’s Shaved Ice will be providing free shaved ice, and Linn Scouts of America Troop 17/3017 will be selling pork burgers. There will also be prizes and games.

“Law enforcement, EMS, and fire trucks will all be there for the kids to tour,” Sallin said. “It should be a good time.”

• The health department’s June 17 Blood Pressure & Bingo event has been canceled. The department will instead be joining Pizza Haus - Westphalia’s June Bingo Night on June 23 at 6 p.m., and conducting blood pressure checks there.

FINANCIAL

• Bills totaling $262,982.78 were approved by commissioners, with the following totals by department: 911/EMA ($1,763.66),  Assessor ($4,972.38), Building & Grounds ($2,759.58), Circuit Clerk ($620.61), Collector ($2,569), Election ($157.55), Health Department ($1,105), Juvenile & Family Court ($3,204.48), Misc. ($12,443.76), Prosecuting Attorney ($387.56), Road & Bridge ($55,543.85), Sheriff-Jail ($2,823.03), Treasurer ($159.47), and Road and Bridge Misc. ($174,472.85).

• Sales tax distribution received from the state of Missouri showed $482,505.39 collected in May, including $64,635.45 to General Revenue, $70,593.77 to Jail Renovation (JR60), $35,273.80 to Capitol Improvements (CI88, $31,746.42) and Building & Grounds (BG89 $28,571.78), $70,410.82 to Prop P, $68,002.33 to Prop R, $70,594.06 to 911/Law Enforcement, and $102,995.16 to Use Tax.

• Checks were submitted for signatures.