OSAGE COUNTY — Osage County commissioners moved closer to opening a county-operated Quick Care clinic and approved a new paid time off (PTO) system for county employees during meetings held June 9 and June 11.

A significant portion of the June 9 discussion focused on the Health Department’s proposed Quick Care service. Health Department Administrator Kim Sallin met with commissioners to discuss a proposed employment contract for a nurse practitioner, clinic hours, staffing needs, and operational plans for the new service.

Much of the conversation centered on whether the clinic should initially operate four days or five days per week. Sallin recommended beginning with four clinic days, likely Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, while reserving Tuesdays for administrative work, staff meetings, training, planning, and other health department functions. She said the department currently uses Tuesdays to coordinate projects, assign responsibilities, and conduct work that would be more difficult to accomplish while operating a walk-in clinic.

Sallin also said a four-day schedule would allow the department to schedule services such as foot care clinics separately from Quick Care patients. She argued that it would be easier to expand operations from four days to five if demand warrants additional hours than to begin with five days and later reduce clinic availability. Commissioners expressed a preference for operating five days per week, citing concerns that residents do not choose when they become sick and may be frustrated if the clinic is closed on a particular day. Sallin countered that some patients would inevitably be turned away regardless of the schedule because appointment capacity would be limited.

The discussion also revisited concerns raised during the previous week’s meeting about the clinic’s initial decision not to accept Medicare patients. Sallin said research conducted following that discussion found that fewer than 10% of urgent care patients nationwide are age 65 or older. She added that conversations with local senior citizens suggested many prefer receiving care through their established primary care providers because of existing medical conditions and medication management concerns.

Commissioners and Sallin also discussed maintaining consistent clinic hours and ensuring the nurse practitioner remains primarily available for services within Osage County. Officials agreed the clinic should establish predictable operating hours while retaining flexibility to adjust scheduling and staffing needs as the program develops.

Near the end of the discussion, Sallin asked commissioners whether she could move forward with offering the position to the selected nurse practitioner. While the commission did not take a formal vote, commissioners indicated support for proceeding and directed Sallin to continue the hiring process. Sallin said the candidate would likely need to provide four weeks’ notice to her current employer and that additional time would be required to purchase equipment, prepare the clinic space, and begin advertising services.

Sallin estimated the clinic would likely open in September if the candidate accepts the position. Commissioners expressed confidence the project would move forward and discussed promoting the new service once an opening date is established.

• The commission’s second major personnel initiative advanced on June 11 when commissioners unanimously approved implementation of a countywide PTO system, effective June 28, after months of work on the project.

Interim Osage County Clerk Brooke Dudenhoeffer presented her office’s recommended implementation plan, which outlined how employees would transition to the new accrual system while retaining previously earned leave benefits. The proposal used accrual rates previously developed by Western District Commissioner Dale Logan and prorated leave earned since each employee’s most recent anniversary date, allowing all employees to begin accruing time under the new system on the same date.

Commissioners also approved a transition period allowing employees additional time to use accumulated leave. Employees will not lose excess leave in 2026 and will have until the end of 2027 to reduce balances before normal carryover limits resume.

Commissioners discussed several implementation details, including leave payouts, carryover limits, and how the system may apply to sheriff’s office employees, who currently operate under a different vacation structure.

• Dudenhoeffer reported certified results from the Linn special mayoral election had been prepared and submitted for court filing. The certified results combined votes from the April municipal election and the June 9 special election ordered by the court.

The update prompted renewed discussion of ongoing annexation issues involving the city of Linn. Commissioners questioned whether the city should reimburse the county for costs associated with the special election and expressed concern that unresolved annexation questions continue to create confusion regarding voter assignments, emergency response responsibilities, and municipal boundaries.

In other business, county officials discussed revisions to employee evaluation forms. Dudenhoeffer said she shortened the proposed forms and incorporated a self-assessment component intended to help employees identify training needs and areas for improvement. Officials agreed to continue refining the evaluation process before implementation.

• Sheriff Mike Bonham discussed vehicle-stopping equipment used by neighboring counties and noted that Osage County continues to rely on spike strips.

• Recorder Cindy Hoffman reported the county’s historic records preservation project continues to progress. Deacidification of the record books has been completed, and the books are being placed in protective sleeves before being returned to the office. Hoffman said the books should be back soon and will be displayed on new shelving. Construction also has begun to expand the recorder’s office into space previously occupied by the Osage County Health Department.

• Collector Denise Nolte reported 24 properties are currently scheduled for this year’s tax sale, significantly fewer than the 37 to 42 parcels typically included. She said she expects many of the delinquent taxes to be paid before the auction.

Nolte also reported approximately 10 new participants have recently enrolled in the county’s quarterly tax payment program.

• Assessor Tina Kammerich said impact notices for qualifying property value changes would be mailed June 13 and that her office will close its books on June 24. She also announced the Board of Equalization is scheduled to meet on July 20 in the commission chambers.

• Treasurer Valerie Prater said the county’s financial auditor was expected to be on-site the following week.

ROAD & BRIDGE

Road & Bridge Foreman Neil Mantle reported county crews continue addressing widespread storm damage across Osage County and discussed several road and bridge concerns during both meetings.

Commissioners discussed two quotes to install a 60-inch culvert pipe on CR 705, where a bridge was damaged when a citizen felled a tree onto it. Although the main concern was safety, Eastern District Commissioner Jeff Peters noted, “The guy who felled the tree keeps calling and complaining that the bridge hasn’t been replaced yet.”

Commissioners approved hiring Mitch Bonnot to install the pipe for $2,500. The proposal included hauling rock and use of a rock chipper, which the county does not own, allowing the work to be completed while county crews focus on storm recovery efforts.

• Presiding Commissioner Darryl Griffin said he, Peters, and Mantle looked at some roads in the southern part of the county that are impassable without four-wheel drive. Peters added that residents had been parking at the top of the road and using side-by-sides to travel between their properties and homes.

Logan asked if they should consider replacing the crossings with traditional slabs and culvert pipes.

“I’m all for it,” Peters said, lighting up like a kid who just found out he was getting extra Christmas presents. “I just didn’t think I’d get anybody to bite on it, because we’re talking about a lot of money.”

Commissioners agreed to price options then revisit the issue.

• Commissioners and Mantle also discussed complaints regarding CR 723. Mantle said residents have reported that emergency vehicles may have difficulty navigating the crossings during high water and noted the crossings are located so close together that motorists can become trapped between them with no place to turn around.

• Commissioners also expressed concern that continued storm repairs will exhaust the county’s gravel budget. “We’re going to run through our entire road budget in three weeks,” Logan said.

Treasurer Prater advised that capital improvement funds could be used if necessary while the county continues seeking reimbursement through state and federal disaster assistance programs.

• The commission also approved purchase of a 94-inch Rake-Nator road maintenance attachment from Crown Power for $3,000. Peters said the attachment will help crews repair potholes, bridge approaches, and other damaged road surfaces more efficiently.

• June 4 to June 8: Culverts were replaced on CR 602 and 801; road work was done on CR 706, 711, 724, 725, 726, 734, 735A, 801, and 803; trees were removed on CR 412, 508, 634, 712, 733, and 801; brush mowers were working on Old Hwy 50, 274, 321, and 322; and grader operators were active as follows: G04 (CR 634), G05 (CR 735, 735A, 737), and G06 (CR 251, 252).

• Grader G01 (2016 12M3 AWD), dump truck 37, pick-up trucks PUT55 (2007 Ford Crew Cab) and PUT70 (2008 Ford F250) were serviced in-house. Car C36 (2020 Dodge Durango) were serviced out-of-house.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT

Sallin also reported she was meeting with representatives of the state’s Rural Health Transformation Program, which could provide future funding opportunities tied to expanding access to care in Osage County.

911/Emergency Management

Osage County 911/EMA Director Ron Hoffman updated commissioners on disaster-relief reporting related to recent storms and reminded officials of documentation requirements and reporting deadlines associated with potential assistance requests.

During his departmental report, Hoffman said a recent storm knocked the county’s 911 center offline for approximately 15 hours. Dispatchers continued operating using manual backup procedures while computer-aided dispatch functions were restored through a mobile hotspot. Hoffman reported that a power surge damaged the 911 server, resulting in a $995 repair cost, while damage to telephone equipment generated an additional $359 expense.

Hoffman also reported continued work on the county’s NG911 grant project and discussed improvements at the county hoop building, including installation of motion-sensor lighting and drainage work intended to reduce water entering the structure.

FINANCIAL

• Bills totaling $167,811.70 were approved by commissioners, with the following totals by department: 911/EMA ($12,950.05), Assessor ($230), Building & Grounds ($768.97), Circuit Clerk ($443.42), Collector ($802), Commission ($640.23), Coroner ($2,727.83), County Clerk ($653.33), Health Department ($1,002.53), Highway 100 ($2,784.15), Juvenile & Family Court ($3,639.91), Miscellaneous ($9,931.16), Miscellaneous ($1,207), Prosecuting Attorney ($247.11), Road & Bridge ($57,531.65), Road & Bridge Misc. ($1,413.95), Sheriff-Jail ($70,639.40), and Treasurer ($199.01).

• Sales tax distribution received from the state of Missouri showed $499,189.27 collected in June, including $68,343.50 to General Revenue, $76,556.73 to Jail Renovation (JR60), $38,278.29 to Capitol Improvements (CI88, $34,450.46) and Building & Grounds (BG89 $3,827.83), $76,560.44 to Prop P, $75,525.41 to Prop R, $76,556.70 to 911/Law Enforcement, and $87,368.20 to Use Tax.

• The May Statement of Monthly Collections showed county tax distributions of $3,858.09 to General Revenue, $6,984.53 to the County Retirement Fund (CERF), $934.87 to the County Assessment Fund, and $19.52 to the County Collector’s Office.

Taxes collected for the school districts were: $6,786.46 to R-1 (Chamois), $27,021.24 to R-2 (Linn), $11,541.91 to R-3 (Fatima), $2,857.35 to Maries County R-2, and none to Gasconade County R-2.

A total of $2,899.14 went to special road districts, including Osage County ($1,962.40), Belle Special Road District ($52.80), Chamois Special Road District ($857.69), West Special Road District ($1.90), and Linn Special Road District ($24.35).

Ambulance districts received the following: Osage ($1,840.48), Ozark ($230.60), and Maries ($147.92), for a total of $2,219.

Fire Districts received a total of $2,552.85, including Belle ($185.64), Bland ($44.15), Chamois ($172.04), Linn ($2,093), and Meta ($55.76).

Cities received a total of $2,400.20, including Argyle ($8.23), Belle ($6.97), Chamois ($88.02), Linn ($2,089.60), and Meta ($207.38).

• Checks were submitted for signatures.