Road and Bridge losing two employees

Osage County Road and Bridge Foreman Ron Kempker announced last week the departure of two employees. That leaves him three full-time operators short of full staffing. “I’d say pay is the big thing,” he surmised. He is now deploying magnetic banners on the department’s trucks and similar signs on the fence near his office to stimulate recruiting.

Commissioners approved of his efforts to try and bring in more applications. They’re for “whatever we gotta do,” as Eastern District Commissioner John Trenshaw put it.

Trenshaw, Osage County Presiding Commissioner Darryl Griffin, and Western District Commissioner Larry Kliethermes are anxious to see if money from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) might be used to increase pay for operators, at least for the next couple of years. As “essential workers,” they should be eligible for such compensation.

A new part-time employee, Gary Storey, began work Wednesday, May 5 but Kempker said again, “I need truck drivers. The door is always open.”

Kempker introduced Storey to commissioners on Tuesday, May 4.

A new tractor for mowing and cutting brush, leased from Rosebud Tractor and Equipment, will be delivered soon.

Trenshaw passed on concerns from a constituent about CR 251. Like other stretches of road in the county, residents complain about gravel on the side of the road while the middle of the road is lacking adequate crown.

A road sign has gone missing from the intersection at CRs 423 and 424. Osage County 911/EMA Director Ron Hoffman reported a rash of similar sign thefts.

“I think it still falls back to fines for stealing the signs,” he said, reiterating his long-held opinion that an increase in the penalty is necessary.

Kliethermes spoke of better than a half dozen roads in his district that need attention. Kempker might pull another grader from its regular assignment to catch up on work there. However, Kliethermes did notify Kempker of citizens thanking him for good work done on CR 504.

The Purple Wave auction of surplus equipment unofficially netted the county $32,525. Beyond that, the car on the list must be rebid. Its value will be added to the total when finally sold.

The county has obtained a flatbed trailer through the Department of Defense (DOD) Excess Property Program, coordinated through Osage County Sheriff Mike Bonham. It can haul equipment used by both the Sheriff’s Office and the Road and Bridge Department. Its deck, though, sits too high to allow Kempker to use it for trailering graders to Columbia for service. He and Bonham continue to watch for a “low-boy” trailer, using the same DOD program.

Department employees hauled rock on CRs 212 and 726; crew members performed service on Grader #03; and grader operators worked on CRs 201, 212, 303, 316, 317, 421, 423, 424, 502, 504, 505, 512, 525, 531, 605, 609, 612, 622, 634, 701, 726, 727, and 801. Asphalt patching is complete.

OCHD

Osage County Health Department Administrator Kim Sallin announced a total of 1,697 COVID-19 cases in the county to date. Only four are now active with two of those patients being children less than 5 years old. Another victim has died, bringing that total to 16.

There has been a good response to the OCHD walk-in clinics at the Osage County Administration Building’s (Annex) Commission Room. On Friday, April 30, 31 people were vaccinated. Skipping Truman Day, Friday, May 7, the next clinic of this kind will be Friday, May 14. “I think we will probably continue those,” she said.

An on-site clinic at Quaker Windows provided 219 booster doses.

Sallin’s staff is now getting some relief from the incessant ringing of phones. Citizens are no longer calling to get on the list for vaccination as they were earlier in the year. The stream of people getting the vaccine remains steady, but at a lower rate.

“There are no large numbers of people getting vaccinated at this time,” said Sallin.

Therefore, she is now free to plan this summer’s back-to-school vaccination campaign. She expects to endure pent-up demand for those and other related services. Due to the coronavirus crisis, there is a huge drop in the number of wellness visits and school vaccines for children. Plus, plans now exist to reduce the minimum age for COVID-19 vaccination to 12, with a date not yet announced.

“I don’t think we’ll have a huge request for that in our county,” Sallin observed, noting, however, the wellness visits and other services may well pick up.

911/EMA

Hoffman announced the Annex backup generator worked well during the Ameren Electric maintenance shutdown on April 30.

His department is still down one full-time telecommunicator. The trouble that could cause has been mitigated by his part-time employees, who have been willing to work more than normal, and have been doing it well. “I still have a great bunch of part-timers,” he said, “but you can’t live like that forever.”

The emergency siren and communications test conducted on Monday, May 3, went off without a hitch. “It worked great,” said Hoffman.

MISCELLANEOUS

An income report from the County Clerk for April showed a total of $631, including auction ($268), notary ($20), conservation ($12), plat books ($321), and miscellaneous ($10).

Commissioners approved the reappointment of John Deeken to the Osage County Board of Equalization.

The commission has received word the county will receive an estimated $2.64 million in ARP funds.

Griffin expressed appreciation to county employees.

“When I call to ask a question, they all get back to me and answer,” he said.

Griffin singled out the OCHD nurses for “the hours they put in,” especially during the COVID-19 crisis.

“We have great people working with us,” agreed Trenshaw.

“I would agree with everything you said,” added Kliethermes, “very much so.”

The Osage County Anti-Drug Community Action Team (ADCAT) will meet at the Osage County Community Center at 1:30 p.m., on Monday, May 17. Dr. Sean Siebert will speak.

Griffin and Bonham will attend the Linn City Council Meeting at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 18.

The Osage County 911 Advisory Board will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 19.

All county offices will be closed Monday, May 31, in observation of Memorial Day.