Commission approves purchase of a
new excavator
Osage County Road and Bridge Foreman Ron Kempker brought more details about the Bobcat excavator he has proposed the county purchase. In response to the commission’s request, he had researched the hydraulic flow options. The 20-gallon per-minute specification he had requested is the best offered on this model. Commissioners wondered if the greater flow offered from others would be better but Kempker insisted, “That’s more than enough to run a rock hammer.”
He’s satisfied the machine will be strong enough.
The big selling point is utility. Its reach is about 20 feet, better than the 15 feet of the old machine the county is selling. “This has a significant amount of extra reach compared to the old machine,” said Kempker. “This machine has everything we need to accomplish everything we need to do.”
Smaller, it can squeeze into tighter spaces with a much tighter turning radius.
Noting the rubber tracks, Osage County Presiding Commissioner Darryl Griffin observed, “That thing could get on the roads.”
Kempker is also enthused that parts warehouses and technicians are all local.
“I don’t have a problem with it,” said Osage County Western District Commissioner Larry Kliethermes. “I believe they’d use it quite a bit.”
Commissioners granted Kempker’s request to order the excavator.
Kempker then updated the commission on the bidding process for asphalt. Kliethermes has asked him to try and “piggyback” on purchases made in eastern Cole County for use on western Osage County asphalt roads. Bids are now open and will close on April 16. The sale unit seems to be square yards of material rather than miles of road. It is divided into “chip-and-seal” and “overlay” procedures.
“I’m going to contact them and find out a little more about how that works,” said Kempker, assuring the commissioners he will have everything submitted properly early in the month.
Osage County Eastern District Commissioner John Trenshaw called Kempker’s attention to potholes on CR 420.
Purple Wave Auction House visited the Road and Bridge Shed Tuesday, March 30 to photograph the five pieces of used equipment approved for sale last week by the commission.
The department hauled rock on CRs 274B, 511, 609, 610, 612, 613A, 710, and 727; crew members performed service on Truck #32; and grader operators worked on CRs 212, 274A, 274B, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 309, 421, 435, 511, 516, 521, 522, 523, 608, 610, 611, 612, 613A, 613B, 621, 708, 709, 710, 711, 727, 801, 806, 808, and 810.
911/EMA
Osage County Emergency Operations Director Ron Hoffman announced he may be asking for an assistant manager in his department. His staff has been covering their responsibilities very well but he’s thinking he could use some assistance at the top. He’s still too new at the job to decide with certainty but he’s sure it has nothing to do with his regular workers. There’s still a full-time opening, but that’s not causing undue difficulty.
“The part-timers are working out just fine,” said Hoffman, praising those employees’ willingness to take on hours as asked.
Hoffman displayed his ideas for new signage in the Osage County Courthouse. The current “directory” has endured some amendments that leave it a little unsightly. Hoffman’s ideas would be cleaner and occupy less wall space. Now, if any office changes occupants, it requires the entire directory to change. His system of six different signs would allow any one of them to change without altering the other five. They would be white with black letters, visible from the south entrance to the main floor. They’d also appear immediately on arrival to the second and third floors by either the stairway or the elevator. Commissioners liked the presentation and Hoffman will compose a proposal with cost analysis.
Hoffman has supervised the updating of the fire extinguishers in the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Those cost more money than other extinguishers, but they’re specialized. With the electronics in the EOC, fire extinguishers spraying foam would be unacceptable. Carbon dioxide (CO2) models are required. “We’re making sure the gauges work, they’re charged, and the hoses are tight,” said Hoffman.
In one case, a replaced unit turned out to be a 1986 model. “It finally went out of service,” he said.
However, Hoffman refuses to waste the expired units that still work. He uses them for employees to practice putting out real fires. He lights sample fires in controlled containers. Then his people pull the pins and extinguish flames. CO2 extinguishers act differently from foam sprayers. He wants his employees to be less surprised should such an emergency occur.
BUILDING AND GROUNDS
A new blower motor was installed in the air-conditioner/furnace unit in the Osage County Jail. Once started, it ran for five minutes and shut down. The circuit board was inoperable. A new one was installed for $600, finally fixing the problem. There’s now $2,100 in the repair project.
”Everything went out simultaneously but it’s taken care of,” said Osage County Building and Grounds Janitorial and Maintenance Worker John Kennedy
Commissioners, without much choice, approved the emergency expenditure.
They also praised Kennedy for deciding to have the circuit board replaced on the spot. Otherwise, another service call would have been necessary, costing hundreds more. Keeping the temperature steady around a lot of electronic equipment is needed. Early in the year, it’s no real challenge, yet, to the budget line item.
OCHD
Osage County Health Department (OCHD) Administrator Kim Sallin updated the commission on current COVID-19 statistics. The county as of last week reached 1,663 total cases, of which 10 were active. Daycares and schools are predominantly involved in the current cases. One case at Linn R-2 schools had 30 contacts to trace and with a transmission rate now running at 80%, Sallin expects more cases next week.
“That really contagious variant they’ve been talking about, I suspect it’s here,” she said.
Current cases are now affecting young people who have not been vaccinated. In one confirmed R-2 case, the child refused to wear a mask at school. Other students exposed by that case are now quarantined. They would not have been if the one was wearing a mask at the time of exposure.
“I understand it but that’s not fair,” said Sallin. “It’s a shame.”
Linn R-2 has a mask mandate for the purpose of keeping students in school. This case is another reason she expects more confirmed cases next week.
OCHD staff members were scheduled to travel to the Quaker Windows plant on Thursday, April 1, and to the LSC plant on Friday, April 2. There were 275 Quaker employees requesting the shot, and 15 at LSC. On Monday, April 5, Sallin had 500 booster doses scheduled to give at the Osage County Community Center, State Technical College, and Fatima.
“We’re staying busy,” she concluded.
The National Guard will be increasing its efforts to help give COVID-19 immunizations. Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Region F will be aided by four teams of five workers each. Osage County will have access to one team every Monday for the next several weeks. The team should be here for the April 5 clinic.
“We are grateful to have that help,” said Sallin, adding she is also grateful for the continuing steady stream of volunteers, six of whom worked at the clinic Monday, March 29.
Her staff is still tapped out. A part-time nurse is leaving the office, so Sallin has hired another full-time nurse. The new employee will relieve Sallin of her Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) duties. That was a responsibility Sallin was already meeting before becoming full-time with the department.
MISCELLANEOUS
Griffin updated the commission on a recent meeting of the US 63 Alliance. There are now drafted by-laws proposed for incorporating the organization. Dues to finance its operation have been roughly calculated in two different ways. The variable is whether or not Cole County joins the cause. Osage County’s dues might be $2,850 without Cole County, or $1,860 with it. A matching grant for $9,200 with, or $14,250 without Cole County, might be available. Cole County is not now attending the meetings but the group hopes to sell the idea to them. “It’s a small investment, but we’ve got to be ready,” said Griffin.
Trenshaw remains skeptical. “This is (the Missouri Department of Transportation’s) MoDOT’s business,” he said. “They should mind it.”
Kliethermes talked about communications with the company whose truck wrecked the Pentecostal Bridge. The lead lawyer, Kevin Case of Case Linden, P.C., Kansas City, has responded. He has promised a proposal for the county to review by April 8.
“We have navigated around the end of March deadline successfully,” he wrote, without explaining how.
Osage County Attorney Amanda Grellner stands, for now, against filing a lawsuit. She wants to see the proposal. “We’ll see what April 8 brings,” said Kliethermes.
Griffin announced the receipt of two bids for the fencing around the courthouse antenna. Both include eight-foot fences. One offers a 10-foot option and privacy features. The other offers enhanced visibility reduction. The bidding specifications included tear-down and removal of the old fencing but only one bid explicitly provided for it. Trenshaw wanted a few days to study the bids and clarify the tear-down and removal so the commission decided to wait until Thursday, April 8, at least, to award the contract.
Commissioners approved paying bills from March 16 through March 29 as follows by department: 911/EMA ($11, 822.88), Building & Grounds ($1,150.88), Circuit Clerk ($223.58), Collector ($60), Health Department ($181.59), Juvenile and Family Court ($1,797.41), Miscellaneous ($505), Prosecuting Attorney ($130.47), Recorder ($543), Sheriff-Jail ($20,635.76), and Treasurer ($159.99), for a total of $37,210.56.
Commissioners signed outgoing checks.
Griffin and Sheriff Mike Bonham will visit city council meetings in the county as follows: Freeburg, at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 12; Belle, at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 13; Meta, at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 14; Argyle, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20; and Westphalia, at 6:30 p.m., on Tuesday, April 27.
The Osage County 911 Advisory Committee meets at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 19.
The Meramec Regional Planning Commission Annual Dinner is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 21, at Missouri 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.