Hoffman and commissioners urge caution for roadside workers

Posted 12/8/21

Osage County 911/EMA Director Ron Hoffman spoke about two Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) workers killed while working near St. Louis. Hoffman, a firefighter himself, has often been on …

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Hoffman and commissioners urge caution for roadside workers

Posted

Osage County 911/EMA Director Ron Hoffman spoke about two Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) workers killed while working near St. Louis. Hoffman, a firefighter himself, has often been on his feet by the side of busy highways during his career. He knows the danger faced by tow truck drivers, EMTs, and highway workers close to traffic, and is very concerned about drivers who go by too fast. Some don’t move over when possible to add distance between their vehicles and workers. In those situations, “everybody needs to slow down,” said Hoffman.

Osage County Presiding Commissioner Darryl Griffin, a retired truck driver, has observed this dynamic on several occasions. He’s also familiar with Missouri’s law requiring a lane change when possible. It also requires reduced speed in almost any similar situation. “It’s so sad they had to make a  law,” said Griffin. “Common sense should prevail.”

“I hope they do lose their license,” said Osage County Sheriff Mike Bonham, speaking of drivers who commit major offenses of that law.

Hoffman then addressed his current manpower shortage.  Recent resignations have yet to be offset by hiring. Once a candidate has been hired, training can take weeks, and in some cases months. One new trainee is expected to be completely online near the end of February. Until then, it appears the work ethic shared by Hoffman’s current team will carry them through. “Everybody is volunteering,” said Hoffman. “It’s just working out.” 

He has yet to mandate any undesired overtime to compensate for staff shortages. Through March, the crew has volunteered to take 75% of the missing shifts.

“The citizens of Osage County should know we have a good group,” added Griffin.

ROAD AND BRIDGE

Koeltztown resident Shawn Kell addressed commissioners on the condition of county roads near his residence and provided photos of problem spots. Particular concerns were after heavy rains. Many of his photos were of washouts after downpours. “To me, it looks like there’s a lack of material,” he said.

Commissioners were sympathetic and agreeable with his basic conclusions. Beyond the lack of material, “the road needs some crown,” added Western District Commissioner Larry Kliethermes, whose jurisdiction includes Kell. He added, “It probably should have some ditching.” 

He also spoke of recent troubles with mismarked and improperly buried AT&T cable. Commissioners agreed about budget problems inhibiting the purchase of enough gravel. There are also personnel shortages prohibiting delivery when it’s available.

Kell offered some civil protest about the budget issues. He’s an advocate for obtaining “free” gravel from creeks, especially the Maries River. He said many citizens on the river have harvested and screened stockpiles of rock. 

“I’ve had one individual talk to me about selling gravel,” said Kliethermes. “And he’s never put any numbers [to what we’d have to pay him].” 

Lack of manpower in the Road And Bridge Department has kept the county from getting creek gravel because it’s a labor-intensive operation. It requires multiples of man and equipment hours compared to purchasing from quarries.

Osage County Eastern District Commissioner John Trenshaw agreed with Kliethermes. “When I first got to the county 30 years ago, there were stockpiles [of screened creek gravel] everywhere,” said Trenshaw. Now, “we get $1,000 per mile [to maintain a gravel road], and $1,000 per mile is not enough. We’ve got to figure out an asset management plan. I don’t know if there’s a silver bullet.”

Griffin added that hiring private trucks was no solution. “Some of these guys with dump trucks are so busy, they don’t have the time,” he said. 

Drivers who contract their equipment are now commanding rates too high for the county to pay.

Osage County Assistant Road and Bridge Foreman Justin Carnes had some records of the department’s response to calls made by Kell and others in the Koeltztown area. He also showed Kell and commissioners records of maintenance from recent years. He didn’t pretend it was enough but emphasized a sincere effort made by the department. In his view, manpower has been the main culprit. “We’ve had a heck of a time finding help,” he said.

There’s a new employee on the grader in Kell’s area, and Carnes defended his diligence in learning the job. He predicts better performance soon. Osage County Road and Bridge Foreman Ron Kempker agreed with that assessment.

In response to plans to install a new culvert on CR 608, Carnes has driven some test probes. There has been concern that bedrock sits too shallow to properly bury an adequate pipe to transfer water. However, his probes revealed it would be possible to bury an 18-inch diameter drain. Excavation can go as deep as two feet. Additionally, a utility locator service has been ordered. Work should begin as soon as those utilities are properly marked.

Assuming continued favorable weather, the department will harvest some gravel from Loose Creek. The target is near the junction of CR 424 and Rte W.

Commissioners asked Kempker to try closing the purchase of two leased graders by the end of 2021. Budgeting and other issues make it desirable to make the final payoff before Jan. 1.

Department employees performed service on Grader #06; crews are performing bridge repair on two structures on CR 741; and graders worked on CRs 300, 310, 317, 318, 503, 504, 525, 604, 605, 606, 612, 613, 621, 637, 638, 727, 738, 802, 803, 804, 805, 811, and Turn Back Now Trail.

OCHD

Osage County Health Department (OCHD) Administrator Kim Sallin reported 2,479 total COVID-19 cases in Osage County. There were 36 currently active, three citizens hospitalized, and two additional fatalities at the time of her report. Four current cases had broken through in fully vaccinated citizens. There were 361 total cases in young people under 18, 11 of them current as of last week. Most of these are under the age of 10. There were no additional cases of influenza diagnosed, leaving the total at three. Activity in the OCHD office continues to be vigorous. “It has been so crazy down there,” said Sallin.

A neighboring county health department director has volunteered to send case trackers. “I may be taking him up on that,” said Sallin.

She refused to speculate on when, or how hard, the Omicron variant of COVID-19 will hit the county. “I’m not even going to try to predict what will happen with that,” she said. “I don’t know how OCHD is going to go through another wave.”

Sallin addressed citizens who are overweight and afflicted with high blood pressure. These two health issues are the most likely to combine with COVID-19 to be deadly. While the vaccine remains effective, these ailments are prevalent in breakthrough cases. They’re especially common in those that are fatal.

Griffin told Sallin that Berendzen, Porter, and Associates, of Ashland, the architectural firm contracted to plan the remodeling of the OCHD building, will be in touch with her soon. “I’ll be happy to talk with them,” she said.

Meanwhile, the current office remains busy and crowded.

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Public Health Information Technology Coordinator Susan Thomas has asked Sallin to look into the OCHD internet facilities. DHSS pays $1,000 per month for county health departments to have internet service. However, each department is responsible for arranging the hookup. At this time, OCHD works with the same provider as the rest of the county offices. Thomas is interested to know if the state could save some money if OCHD were to shop for a different service.

OCHD has its internet paid for by DHHS. So the line to that office is not included in the service provided to the rest of the Osage County Courthouse and Administration Building (Annex). One outcome DHHS would welcome is for OCHD to join the Annex service. Then, DHHS would reimburse OCHD for its share. 

“How much would it cost if we add OCHD to it,” asked Kliethermes. 

Trenshaw explained the rate is based on bandwidth. Someone would have to calculate how much would be added to join two separate services.

“I’m not against it but I’d like to know how it will affect the system,” added Kliethermes. 

Consensus formed to get analysis from Eric Reichel of Remote Computer Services (RCS) in Westphalia, the county’s contractor. Commissioners agreed in theory that this could be done. However, if DHHS should agree to pay the difference, not just the OCHD share, “it should help the state out,” said Kliethermes.

“Be careful,” said Trenshaw to Sallin. “You are about to get your own,” referring to the department’s upcoming move to their own building. There are, though, months, if not more than a year before then.

Commissioners were also interested in system security should OCHD do this. Sallin said DHHS provides a separate firewall. 

SHERIFF

Bonham announced one of the two vehicles recently damaged in deer strikes is repaired and back in service. The other will have to wait for a while as parts are unavailable. Locating them will not happen overnight. “Then there’s the transportation for getting them in here,” he added.

Bonham previewed his budget work not yet submitted for 2022. He emphasized those numbers will reflect increased expenditures, which are largely offset by increased income from fees and grants. 

“We’re taking in revenue,” said Bonham, preparing to show those numbers in a few weeks. 

His hedge is that the expenditures will show as coming from the Sheriff’s Office budget but the income goes to county general revenue. Getting those numbers to balance to a casual observer’s view is difficult.

Bonham is also studying compensation for deputies for work beyond their basic assignments. Now, they’re subject to the same compensatory time, or “comp time,” as are other county employees. 

“Comp time has been excessive this year,” said Bonham. He’s putting a pencil to the difference between that and paying straight overtime. Also, much deputy overtime is covered by income from grants.

A county deputy was recently involved with a tragic animal rescue. A neglected dog was extracted from a basement filled with feces and urine. It is still so ill it’s not certain whether it will survive. Meanwhile, the exposure to the unsanitary condition resulted in the officer contracting respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The incident resulted from a drug crime investigation. So the workers’ compensation claim has been submitted to the insurance company covering the Mid-Missouri Drug Task Force. The dog is being housed by the Humane Society in Union.

Miscellaneous

Commissioners signed outgoing checks.

Commissioners confirmed Josh Krull, Art Mueller, and Carla Butler as members of the Osage County 911 Advisory Committee.

Commissioners, as required by statute, approved an update to the county procurement procedure. There were increases on limits for purchase and construction appropriation. The ceiling for purchases without a bid was raised from $6,000 to $12,000. Construction contracting without a bid was raised to $10,000. 

“Those are the only changes ... made, on those amounts,” Osage County Clerk Nicci Kammerich concluded.

Acting Osage County Assessor Tina Kammerich was officially sworn into office on Monday, Nov. 29.

All Osage County offices will be closed Friday, Dec. 24, in observance of Christmas Eve, and Friday, Dec. 31, in observance of New Year’s Eve. 

Meramec Regional Planning Commission Environmental Programs Manager Tammy Snodgrass will conduct a Hazard Mitigation Plan meeting at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 8.