OSAGE COUNTY — Representatives from the Missouri State Auditor’s Office were present at last Tuesday’s Osage County Commission meeting to formally begin a performance audit of Osage County. The routine audit will examine county operations for the year ending Dec. 31, 2025, and may extend to additional periods if deemed relevant. Audit staff explained that the review will focus on internal controls over financial and management functions, compliance with legal requirements, and the efficiency and economy of certain practices. Preliminary work is underway, with additional audit teams expected to return at a later date to review other offices.

• Commissioners spent extended time grappling with how vacation, sick leave, comp time and overtime are handled for county employees, a discussion sparked by their interest in revisiting employee leave policies, but complicated by questions about legal compliance and payroll practices. A lengthy and sometimes contentious exchange followed regarding proposed changes.

Interim Osage County Clerk Brooke Dudenhoeffer and Treasurer Valerie Prater explained that recent changes in labor and tax law have raised questions about whether the county’s current practices, particularly the use of comp time, remain permissible. Under the new interpretation, hours worked beyond 40 in a single workweek must generally be paid at time-and-a-half or flexed within the same pay period, potentially limiting the county’s ability to bank comp time indefinitely. The discussion raised additional questions about whether salaried employees should have been accruing comp time at all.

As commissioners worked through the issue, the conversation became tangled by overlapping concepts and terminology. At various points, the discussion touched on front-loaded vacation time, accrual-based systems, and the idea of paid time off, or PTO. However, commissioners made clear they were not yet aligned on whether vacation and sick leave should remain separate or be combined, nor on how much time employees should accrue or over what period. Several participants noted that confusion over definitions was itself complicating the conversation.

A significant concern centered on long-tenured employees who have accumulated large sick leave balances over many years. While sick leave is not paid upon separation, commissioners and staff discussed how any new system would need to account for existing balances, including whether they would be frozen, capped, or drawn down over time. Questions were also raised about the administrative burden of tracking multiple leave banks simultaneously, and how such changes would be reflected in payroll systems.

No decisions were made regarding accrual rates, caps, payout policies, or implementation timelines, and commissioners acknowledged that additional legal research is needed before moving forward. The matter was ultimately tabled, with plans to continue the discussion after Presiding Commissioner Darryl Griffin spoke with Amanda Grellner, the county’s attorney.

• Discussion then turned to the county’s employee assistance program. The program was previously paid for by the Health Department, using grant funding, however Health Department Administrator Kim Sallin recently told the commissioners her department would no longer be able to afford to carry that cost for all county employees. Commissioners expressed support for continuing the benefit and improving employee awareness of its availability, but were not in agreement over whether the county should pay for it as part of employee benefits or charge each department for part of the cost as part of their budget.

“I would recommend you guys take it from your employee fringe section, like you pay for life insurance,” said Treasurer Valerie Prater. “I would pay for that and not have it broken out by department,”

Most elected officials and department heads expressed a desire to keep the program, however no formal decision was made. 

• Commissioners also heard updates related to election preparation. Dudenhoeffer confirmed that candidate filing for the April municipal election was underway and that SB 190 would appear on the ballot due to a submitted petition.

• Recorder of Deeds Cindy Hoffman presented a proposal to refurbish nine index books dating from 1841 to 1993. Commissioners approved spending $34,106 from use tax funds for the project, which will include on-site scanning and digital access to the records. She noted the books are used daily and that digital access would reduce wear and improve efficiency.

• The commission unanimously approved giving county employees the day after Christmas off with pay, following action taken by the governor.

ROAD & BRIDGE

Early discussion centered on Road & Bridge staffing and internal communication regarding employee movement within the department. Road & Bridge Foreman Bradley Sneller explained he had not been aware of prior agreements tied to employee placement.

Eastern District Commissioner Jeff Peters said an employee was hired with the expectation of working in a specific area, near his home. “He’s not in it for driving all the way across the county to go to work every day in his personal vehicle,” Peters said.

“You made the agreement,” Griffin clarified to Peters.

“No, Justin did, too,” Peters responded.

“Look, there’s three commissioners here,” Griffin said. “Okay? Remember that.”

“Well, you should have helped hire him,” Peters said. “You get what I’m saying? Where I’m coming from?”

“No, no, you should have come in here and talked to all of us,” Griffin said. “We’re a team.”

Sneller said he had not previously known of the arrangement, prompting discussion of potential turnover if expectations were not met.

“He’s not in it for driving across all the way across the county to go to work every day,” Peters reiterated.

“Well, now that I know that, then he’ll have first dibs, because he’s got seniority,” Sneller said.

• Commissioners inspected several bridges, including those on CRs 726, 742, and 542, in preparation for the upcoming Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting. They noted the bridge on CR 726 is a priority due to visible damage underneath.

• Sneller provided an update on equipment issues, reporting mechanical problems with both whippers. He described a starter or fuel issue with one machine and a hydraulic hose failure and coolant loss on another. Commissioners stressed the requirement for daily equipment checks by operators, but Sneller said the operator of the machine with the hose failure and coolant loss claimed to have checked the machine before operating it.

• Snow removal was done throughout the county; brush mowers were working on Old Hwy 50/Loose Creek Hwy; and grader operators were active as follows: G01 (CR 512), G02 (CRs 705, 721, 733, and various snow work), G03 (CR 302 and various snow work), G05 (CR 412 and various snow work), G06 (CR 310 and various snow work).

• Grader G01 (new CAT) and grader G04 (2016 12M3 AWD) were serviced in house. Dump truck DT35 (2012 International 760) was serviced out of house.

• Contact was received from citizens regarding brushwork on Old Hwy 50, road safety on CR 631, and road lists with Rudroff Bus Company to ensure safe routed for pick-ups.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT

Health Department Administrator Kim Sallin reported on recent public health initiatives, conferences and emerging concerns related to cybersecurity and funding.

“I attended a conference Monday,” Sallin said. “It was one of the best conferences I have ever been to. It was a governmental public health summit.”

She described discussions at the conference regarding cyberattacks on public agencies and the long-term legal and financial consequences.

“They are like two years out from that cybersecurity attack and still dealing with lawsuits and different things that came from that,” she said of another county representative who spoke at the conference. She reported contacting county IT provider Eric Reichel and insurance representatives to explore risk assessments and training options available at no cost through the county’s insurance coverage.

Commissioners expressed interest but emphasized the need to coordinate with existing IT services and evaluate any associated costs.

• Sallin also reported on the Tri-County Suicide and Substance Use Prevention Coalition meeting and a recent “Shop with a Hero” event, describing both as successful and impactful.

• She noted that extended evening hours for flu shots were not well utilized this year and said the department plans to survey residents on preferred service times.

911/Emergency Management

Colet Davis, on behalf of 911/EMA Director Ron Hoffman, told the commissioners, “CentralSquare is been installed, and we’re going live next — either the 15th or the 16th — I just don’t remember what day exactly. Only the 911 lines are being recorded.”

Discussion followed regarding whether other county offices’ phone lines should be recorded, with concerns raised about attorney-client privilege, HIPAA compliance, and law enforcement investigations. Commissioners ultimately agreed to seek legal guidance before taking further action.

FINANCIAL

• Bills totaling $70,006.53 were approved by commissioners, with the following totals by department: 911/EMA ($7,189.93), Assessor ($4,715.14), Building & Grounds ($2,096.05), Circuit Clerk ($48.08), Collector ($1,325), Commission ($1,314), County Clerk ($83.99), Health Department ($10,420.80), Juvenile & Family Court ($3,127.81), Misc. ($4,827.08), Recorder Technology Fund ($114), Road & Bridge ($25,273.52), Sheriff-Jail ($9,366.65), and Treasurer ($104.48).

• Sales tax distribution received from the state of Missouri showed $519,537.28 collected in November, including $67,866.97 to General Revenue, $76,976.54 to Jail Renovation (JR60), $38,486.99 to Capitol Improvements (CI88, $34,638.29) and Building & Grounds (BG89 $31,174.46), $76,973.10 to Prop P, $76,367.15 to Prop R, $76,976.51 to 911/Law Enforcement, and $105,890.02 to Use Tax.

• The November Statement of Monthly Collections from the collector showed county tax distributions of $101,737.10 to General Revenue, $6,549.25 to the County Retirement Fund (CERF), $34,410.39 to the County Assessment Fund, and $342.96 to the County Collector’s Office.

Taxes collected for the school districts were: $113,087.96 to R-1 (Chamois), $408,766.35 to R-2 (Linn), $892,568.98 to R-3 (Fatima), $117,271.43 to Maries County R-2, and $649.96 to Gasconade County R-2.

A total of $87,343.64 went to special road districts, including Osage County ($72,453.44), Belle Special Road District ($1,291.29), Chamois Special Road District ($1,681.77), West Special Road District ($3,677.60), and Linn Special Road District ($8,239.54).

Ambulance districts received the following: Osage ($46,592), Ozark ($9,842.37), and Maries ($16,529.01), for a total of $72,963.38.

Fire Districts received a total of $60,262.86, including Belle ($6,808.50), Bland ($1,406.49), Chamois ($2,849.96), Cole ($65.30), Linn ($37,605.74), Meta ($6,482.53), and Osage ($255.66).

Cities received a total of $34,888.83, including Argyle ($1,011.55), Belle ($4,289.89), Chamois ($1,540.17), Linn ($21,373.81), and Meta ($6,673.41).

• Checks were submitted for signatures.