OSAGE COUNTY — During their meetings last week, Osage County Commission voted unanimously to promote Road & Bridge Assistant Foreman Bradley Sneller to foreman. Commissioners also discussed ongoing recruitment for grader operators and dump truck drivers, repeating that competitive pay and steady work schedules may appeal to applicants wishing to work locally.

• Commissioners also received a year-end update on MoDOT’s Highway 63 project after Western District Commissioner Dale Logan traveled to Springfield for the latest Highway Commission meeting. He explained in detail that MoDOT’s governing body voted to approve the proposed route around the east side of Westphalia and that his presentation emphasized local concerns, including access, land impacts, and bridge capacity. Logan reported explaining to MoDOT that “we understand progress… we just demand that it’s done right.”

He further described success in persuading commissioners to add a requirement that MoDOT study a south entrance into Westphalia, noting that an amendment to include it passed unanimously. He also discussed traffic effects on nearby county roads and sought MoDOT’s assistance in evaluating the condition and potential chip-seal needs on a cutoff route expected to experience heavier use during construction. This is covered more thoroughly in a separate article.

• Commissioners also spent significant time discussing ongoing problems with the county telephone system. Staff provided an explanation of misrouted extensions, dropped calls, and failures of automated options. Commission Clerk Brandy Boessen reported difficulty obtaining timely responses from the system vendor, TCS. Commissioners instructed Boessen to contact the representative directly and ask him to attend a meeting, with the warning that the county was prepared to consider alternative vendors if problems persisted.

• Library board appointments were also completed. Following a request from the Missouri River Regional Library for county representatives, commissioners appointed Mary Rose Noll Hilkemeyer (Rose), Karen Gabelsberger, and Jacqueline Fick Cleare.

Email correspondence also required attention. Presiding Commissioner Darryl Griffin reported receiving repeated inquiries from BrightSpeed seeking approval for installation in the road beds of county roads. He noted that the matter had already been decided. Boessen was directed to ensure all previous emails were located and forwarded so the subject could be formally closed.

• Several matters involving coordination with outside agencies were discussed. Commissioners again prepared for an upcoming MRPC meeting and the requirement to select a county bridge project to submit for potential funding. Eastern District Commissioner Jeff Peters stated, “I’m more interested in working on some roads first. We got a lot of new bridges done here recently, but that’s just my opinion.” He agreed to continue evaluating structures on his side of the county before finalizing a recommendation.

• Other general business included a brief discussion of a failing printer at the Health Department, the coordination of upcoming state-auditor visits, the organization of interview materials for Road & Bridge applicants, and the need to update internal scheduling for next week’s departmental reporting due to time conflicts.

• Commissioners also continued general budget prep conversations as year-end requirements approach.

ROAD & BRIDGE

Foreman Bradley Sneller confirmed substantial recent repair expenses on two older Peterbilt dump trucks, noting that one truck currently at the mechanic’s shop had experienced significant drive-train damage. “The blue one’s back up at the mechanic shop now,” Sneller said. “Because the tag axle’s - the stop on it, I guess - broke off. So that tag axle’s coming up and hitting on the drive shaft. It was cutting the groove in the drive shaft, so it’s up there getting worked on now.”

• A substantial portion of the meeting focused on resident Jordan Pope’s concerns after she was unable to reach her home on CR 631 due to ice from the previous night’s snowfall. “I feel like we pay to maintain our county roads in all weather conditions, whether it’s rain, snow, dry, whatever,” Pope said. “I was pretty disappointed in the lack of preparation for the snow. It didn’t seem like there was any pre-treatment done on hills or roadways that are especially steep or have embankments and things on them that make them more dangerous than others.”

“(I’m) not trying to make excuses,” Logan responded. “You had a horrible experience last night. I hate that for you. I hate for anybody that has to go through that. Obviously, I feel terrible for you, anybody that’s off the ditch, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say we weren’t prepared. We didn’t get enough to justify sending people and equipment out to do it. I mean, literally, it was an inch or so. And you just can’t run road graders on the roads for an inch.”

“Roads can be dangerous whether there’s five inches of snow on them or inch of ice,” Pope countered. “If it’s impassible, it’s impassible. It shouldn’t matter how much snow is on the road. And, like I said, what happened yesterday was the fact that had been driven on so much by bigger vehicles that it had all just turned to ice, and it’s all slick. I really feel like there was no reason that the hill couldn’t have been bladed.”

“We want to do better,” Logan said. “Obviously, we got a hill that needs to be addressed, and that’s something we can improve upon, we hope. But I don’t know if it’s ever going to completely satisfy you. These type of snows are the worst, in some ways, because we don’t give it as much attention, because we literally can’t.”

“We don’t (plow) two or three inches,” Griffin added. “We don’t blade it because it tears those blades up on the grader. Now, we’ll cinder the hills. Yes, we probably should have got out there, but there’s a priority — a route that they do a rotation. And there’s certain people in this county that’s on life-support. You know, you have to get to them and make sure they have access in and out.”

“This actually happened last night,” Peters said. “I got off the phone. I felt horrible. I absolutely — I was talking to Dale, actually, when this happened, and I told my wife. I said, ‘I’m just gonna call her and go get her, take her home.’ And my wife put an X on that. She said, ‘You can’t go help everybody that needs help in the county. You can’t drive around.’ I said, ‘Well, the poor girl needs to get home.’ So trust me. I do care up here.”

Commissioners acknowledged that communication and prioritization needed improvement, especially regarding steep hills. Discussion also revealed shortcomings in the county’s after-hours phone system. Pope reported difficulty reaching anyone, and commissioners accepted responsibility for missed follow-up calls. Commissioners committed to updating voicemail instructions and clarifying emergency protocols.

• Conversely, Logan relayed that Rudroff Bus Company owner Joe Neuner praised the county’s responsiveness after the storm, stating, “Because of Osage County Road & Bridge, we (Fatima) have school tomorrow.”

• Commissioners and Sneller reviewed grading results on multiple gravel routes. CR 512 had received favorable comments from residents. CR 401 near the vet clinic and a daycare, however, was described as severely deteriorated. Logan reported, “It is a mess. Oh my good god, it’s a mess.”

Other roads, including CR 610, CR 602, CR 312, and Old Highway 63, were reviewed for material needs, brush cutting, and traffic volume. Commissioners noted that traffic counters placed on two roads recorded speeds of 74 mph on CR 602 and 77 mph on CR 512.

For the week of Nov. 17 - 23:

• Quarry rock was hauled on CRs 203 (435.27 tons), 804 (187.75 tons), and 807 (172.35 tons); road work was done on CR 203; brush mowers were working on CR 411, 601, & 608; and grader operators were active as follows: G01 (CR 503), G02 (CRs 727, 734), G03 (CRs 203, 804, 806), and G05 (CRs 411, 412).

• Grader G02 (2014 772G John Deere) and plow truck PT34 (2005 Ford F550) were serviced in house. Dump truck DT31 (white 2004 Peterbilt), plow truck PT39 (2005 Ford F550), and pick-up truck PUT55 (2007 Ford Crew Cab) were serviced out of house.

• Contact was received from citizens regarding CR 612 and ditch work on CR 503.

For the week of Nov. 24 - 30:

• Quarry rock was hauled on CRs 512 (35.39 tons) and 612 (278.47 tons); and grader operators were active as follows: G01 (CRs 512), G02 (CRs 726, 203, 204, 205, 209), G04 (CR 612), G05 (CR 412).

• Dump truck DT32 (blue 2004 Peterbilt) was serviced both in and out of house.

• Contact was received from citizens regarding road conditions on CR 602, rock issue on CR 512, CR 612, and rock size on CR 611 and 612.                                               

HEALTH DEPARTMENT

Health Department Administrator Kim Sallin requested approval to close at noon on Christmas Eve and asked whether the department could plan for a closure on the Friday after Christmas. Griffin replied, “You can plan, but if something would come up, I don’t want you to be broken hearted.”

Commissioners noted that the governor typically issues holiday guidance in advance and agreed to revisit the Friday question once statewide direction is known.

• Commissioners supported Sallin request to survey 25 participants in the county’s foot and nail care service. She will distribute the survey with prepaid return envelopes.

• Sallin also reported that the county’s employee assistance program would no longer be sustainable on her department’s budget alone, noting that more than 40 counseling sessions had been used in the most recent year. Logan stated that the program should be preserved and suggested incorporating it into the county’s medical-benefits package, saying the county needed to “make sure we keep that service.” Commissioners agreed to revisit the matter in concert with departmental budget submissions.

• She further reported that the department’s printer was approaching failure and that replacement parts were discontinued. She is obtaining quotes from multiple vendors and will present options once she has cost comparisons and compatibility information.

• Sallin again expressed to the commissioners how impressed she is with AAA Enterprises, which handles snow removal for her offices, and how proactive they are. When asked, Sallin confirmed she had entered into a three-year contract with them.

FINANCIAL

• An income report for the County Clerk for the month of November showed a monthly total of $134.50, including Notary ($60.00), Plat Books ($70.00), and Misc/CC ($4.50).

• The end-of-month bank balances for November showed a total of $14,430,218.21, including AS23 - Assessment ($211,704.78), AX08 - Annex Building ($332,332.29), BG89 - Building & Grounds ($234,507.30), CC55 - Conceal Carry ($7,256.79), CI88 - Capitol Infrastructure ($1,530,135.35), DS61 - DSSSF Fund ($120), ES48 - Election Service ($17,944.66), FC46 - Family Court ($33,375.73), GR01 - General Revenue ($1,468,267.98), HD23 - Health Department ($267,061.43), IS63 - Inmate Security Fund ($10,037.65), JR60 - Jail Renovation ($2,510,136.94), LACTF - Local Assistance ($114,147.53), LE25 - Law Enforcement ($1,194.59), LERF - Law Enforcement Restitution ($6,812.00), LF38 - Civil Fees Fund ($3,587.22),  OE22 - Emerg. Management ($78,930.01), OPIO - Opioid Settlement ($104,594.49), PA18 - Bad Check ($15,502.83), PA26 Prosecutor Training ($5,059.87), PB21 - Pentecostal Bridge ($1,558,406.46), RB02 - Road & Bridge ($615,772.12), RF36 - Retirement ($77.50), RF42 - Recorder’s Fund ($41,292.98), RR30 - Rollback Reserve ($814,468.95), SE19 - Special Elections - ($5), SF49 Law Enforcement-911 ($515,646.04), SR25 Sheriff Retirement ($55), UT33 - Use Tax ($3,923,654.15), VD24 - Domestic Violence ($70.52), and HA56 - HAVA Elections ($8,060.05). Please note that not all of these funds are controlled by the county commissioners. Some are controlled by elected officials or committees.

The county also has $582,871.78 in CDs, including Road & Bridge ($111,145.86), Rollback Reserve ($444,946.19), and Law Enforcement-911 ($26,779.73).

• Time sheets were approved by commissioners.