Osage County Commission - 8-25-21

Posted 8/27/21

Commission delivers Preliminary Acquisition Notice to Campeotto

Craig Campeotto of Campeotto-DeMaria, LLC, the current owner of the Popcorn Buddha building at the western junction of US 50 and MO …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Osage County Commission - 8-25-21

Posted

Commission delivers Preliminary Acquisition Notice to Campeotto

Craig Campeotto of Campeotto-DeMaria, LLC, the current owner of the Popcorn Buddha building at the western junction of US 50 and MO 89 South, received a “Preliminary Acquisition Notice” from the Osage County Commission. This is a formal letter of intent to purchase the building, hoping to convert it into a facility for the Osage County Health Department (OCHD). The acquisition is subject to formal appraisal, survey, and a thorough inspection. There’s a lot of red tape to hack through before this is a done deal but it reflects the commission’s preference of Campeotto-DeMaria’s proposal. After he formally accepted, commissioners voted to proceed with inspection, survey, and appraisal.

OCHD Administrator Kim Sallin distributed copies of her “Osage County’s Guidance for K-12 Schools.” 

The document advises elementary and secondary schools throughout the county. It promotes mitigation against COVID-19 transmission. 

It emphasizes, “This guidance is not mandated, or state required. Schools have the authority and flexibility to meet their individual needs and be responsive to their school communities....” 

This guidance covers sanitation, face masks, quarantining, and information-sharing. It gives responses for substantial, moderate, or low spread of disease in each school. Sallin continues to meet with school officials and her department is conducting several back-to-school and COVID vaccination clinics.

Sallin urged school districts to start off requiring face coverings. They then leave themselves free to loosen the requirement if conditions merit. It’s easier to loosen a restriction than to add more restrictions afterward. “Start off with masks and see how that first month goes,” she said.

Students riding buses are required to wear masks by federal regulation. 

The number of school-aged cases is up. There have been 80 since June of 2020, but that has spiked by nine in August. “That is a trend,” she said. “It’s affecting kids much more than previously.” 

They are not as ill as older patients, but they are getting sick.

The OCHD was working 53 active coronavirus cases, bringing the county’s total to 2,046. There are two county residents in the hospital, one of whom had been vaccinated. There now have been 37 breakthrough cases, five in the last week. The fatality total remained at 18.

Sallin is especially concerned with the rate of acceleration. There have been 431 new cases in the county since March, but 330 of those have been since June. 

“Our numbers have gone up significantly,” she said. 

One piece of good news is that hospitalizations have gone up at a much slower rate. The Delta variant remains much more communicable but it does not make as many people seriously ill. Breakthrough cases remain much milder, as well. When rare cases are hospitalized, the stays are shorter. Her review of the data at large leaves Sallin very enthusiastic yet about the COVID vaccines.

Sallin reported 47% of Osage County eligible residents are now fully vaccinated. That counts only the population ages 12 and over. The OCHD is now getting calls and visits requesting, or at least asking about, COVID booster shots. There is, though, no official guidance now, although the topic is all over the media. 

“I don’t have any of that information,” she said. “I can’t administer a third shot right now.” 

Besides no authority for giving those boosters, her department is already at capacity. Just giving approved doses, as well as tracking cases, has them maxed out.

Given that situation, Sallin prepared commissioners for a coming request. She may want to hire more help to get through the rest of the COVID crisis. Commissioners responded by telling her not to wait. Employees are hard to come by in all fields. American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds are already on hand. Final guidance is not yet available, but it certainly would be available to pay more help for the next year or two. 

Sallin appreciated the encouragement, saying, “We are working really, really hard down there. We are not keeping up.” 

Her office space is limited so expanded use of the commissioners’ room was offered to alleviate that problem.

Sallin is also receiving numerous calls and visits requesting COVID testing. 

“We do not do testing at the health department,” she said. “You shouldn’t be walking into any establishment knowing you’ve been exposed.” 

She emphasized such citizens should call first.

Osage County Eastern District Commissioner John Trenshaw followed that by requesting patients who self-test to “please report self-testing to the county, so we can keep track.”

ROAD AND BRIDGE

Osage County Road and Bridge Foreman Ron Kempker introduced a new driver/operator, Hunter Brumbaugh. “Getting to work is not a problem,” said Brumbaugh, answering a question about his commute and willingness to respond to winter snowplowing calls. His hiring brought the department within half of an operator of being fully staffed. Kempker also has on hand another application. It’s a former employee who would like to return to county employment. Commissioners would like to have him but they wanted to examine future budget considerations before granting approval.

Trenshaw urged Kempker to pay extra attention to CRs 201 and 212 in the coming months. The Contrary Creek Bridge on Rt. N closed on Wednesday, Aug. 18, for reconstruction. A lot of traffic will reroute to those county roads while the bridge is closed.

Osage County Western District Commissioner Larry Kliethermes brought three concerns for CR 608. In one location, large rocks had been shoved through a fence. That apparently happened during a grading operation. If it were county graders which did the damage, county crews should repair it. 

Bad erosion near a driveway entrance has also been pointed out by a resident. Better ditching or a culvert installation may be necessary. 

Finally, there is damage to an existing culvert that needs to be repaired; or else the culvert may need replacement.

Department employees hauled rock on CRs 310, 312, 317, and 805; crew members performed service on Trucks #31, #35, #49, and Trailer #22; crews removed trees on CR 734; and mowers worked on CRs 501, 503, 504, 505, 634, 635, 725A, and 726.

MISCELLANEOUS

Commissioners approved the release of Scott Patterson, a Priority Dispatch Corporation instructor who has worked independently for Osage County 911, evaluating telecommunicators. Unfortunately, Patterson has fallen behind his duties due to some troubles with COVID-19. According to 911/EMA Director Ron Hoffman, there is no optimism for him to catch up. Meanwhile, commissioners approved a discounted package from Priority Dispatch that will replace Patterson’s services. 

All evaluations of dispatcher performance with the recently purchased ProQA program for Priority Dispatch will be caught up and continue.

Commissioners approved the appointment of rural Chamois resident Steve Smyth to the Osage County 911 Advisory Committee. Smyth, an information technology (IT) professional, will serve as a citizen-at-large.

Commissioners approved paying bills from July 29 through Aug. 16 as follows by department: 911/EMA ($2,999.87), Assessor ($460.34), Building & Grounds ($1,614.66), CARES Act ($99.75), Circuit Clerk ($884.83), Collector ($1,626.95), Commission ($112.50), County Clerk ($244.42), Elections ($509.52), OCHD ($4,587.44), Juvenile and Family Court ($1,693.59), Miscellaneous ($6,311.84), Prosecuting Attorney ($63.20), Recorder ($604.28), Road & Bridge ($31,130.44), Road and Bridge, Pentecostal ($29,600.38), Surveyor ($983.60), and Sheriff-Jail ($15,308.93): for a total of $98,836.54.

Commissioners also signed outgoing checks.

All county offices will be closed Monday, Sept. 6, in observance of Labor Day.

The Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) annual dinner is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 21, at State Technical College. The 2020 dinner was canceled, so there will be two years worth of awards given. Local government and other community leaders will be invited.