OSAGE COUNTY — The Osage County Commission spent much of its June 23 meeting discussing improvements to County Road 303, a proposed countywide paid time off policy, and the future of the Highway 63 expansion project near Westphalia.

The meeting opened with a discussion between commissioners and resident Keith Monroe, who requested an update on planned improvements to CR 303. Eastern District Commissioner Jeff Peters said crews are widening portions of the roadway, cutting back banks to improve visibility, improving drainage, and reshaping areas where water has historically collected.

Peters said the project also includes moving fence lines in some locations, replacing deep roadside ditches with gradual drainage slopes, and improving sight distance in several areas.

Much of the discussion centered on avoiding conflicts with an existing water line serving the Twin Ridge area. Presiding Commissioner Darryl Griffin said he would check on the line’s depth before excavation begins, while Peters said the county will likely pothole the utility before cutting into the bank.

Monroe said he has waited decades to see improvements.

“I’ve been waiting for that road since 1980,” he said, adding commissioners had promised then that the road would eventually receive a chip seal surface.

“We’re in process right now,” Peters replied. “Everybody’s excited about this. Chip and seal’s not far from it right now.”

Monroe also suggested posting 35 mph speed limit signs after the project is complete.

Commissioners later returned to CR 303 after hearing concerns from another property owner about how the work could affect a water meter and landscaping. Peters said the county’s goal is to improve drainage in several areas by flattening steep banks rather than taking additional property.

“We’re doing an improvement,” Peters said. “They get rid of the dust, they’re going to get rid of the rough road, it’ll make their yard better.”

Western District Commissioner Dale Logan agreed, adding that the improvements would “make the property more valuable.”

Griffin said commissioners plan to meet with the affected property owners before additional work proceeds to make sure everyone understands the proposed changes.

• The commission then spent considerable time discussing a proposed paid time off policy with Osage County Sheriff Michael Bonham.

Bonham warned that combining vacation and sick leave into a single PTO bank could significantly increase costs for departments that operate around the clock, particularly the Sheriff’s Office and Osage County 911.

Unlike offices that close at the end of the workday, Bonham said deputies, jailers, and dispatchers must be replaced whenever they are absent.

“If we pull somebody out, we’re going to have to backfill,” Bonham said. “That’s where the problem is.”

He said the proposal would provide employees with more flexibility and make county employment more attractive but would also increase overtime costs because employees would likely use more leave than they currently use under separate vacation and sick leave policies.

Commissioners agreed that recruiting and retaining qualified employees remains one of the county’s biggest challenges.

Bonham also suggested improving health insurance and retirement benefits could help the county compete with neighboring agencies. He cited the Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System (LAGERS) as an effective recruiting tool used by surrounding counties.

Commission Clerk Brandy Boesen questioned whether limiting PTO accruals could create hardships for employees facing extended illnesses under the Family and Medical Leave Act, particularly newer employees who have not accumulated significant leave.

Commissioners agreed additional work is needed before adopting a final policy.

The commissioners later returned to the broader issue of county road maintenance as Peters explained why crews have shifted their focus from routine grading to repairing flood damage.

Responding to concerns about potholes, Peters said the county must first ensure emergency vehicles can reach residents.

“There are roads in Osage County that aren’t accessible right now by ambulance or a fire truck because of the weather we’ve had,” he told one resident over the phone. “I’ve got to keep the roads open for emergency vehicles. That’s a little more important than a pothole.”

He said recurring road problems stem from poor drainage rather than deteriorating road surfaces.

“You can’t physically spend any money on that county road until the ditches are pulled and the culverts are fixed,” Peters said. “Any dollar that you put on that county road is literally getting washed right back off.”

Instead of repeatedly grading roads after every storm, Peters said he wants the county to invest more time rebuilding drainage systems, pulling ditches, replacing culverts, and crowning roads correctly.

“At some point this squirrel chasing his tail has to quit going in circles and fix the problem,” he said.

Logan agreed permanent improvements will eventually require additional funding.

“We’re tapped out on rock,” he said. “If we want to continue to improve our roads, we’re going to need another half-cent.”

The conversation shifted to county sales taxes and whether state law would allow commissioners to seek additional voter-approved road funding.

Treasurer Valerie Prater said she would contact the Missouri Department of Revenue’s taxation division to determine what options remain available.

Prater reminded commissioners that Prop R has no expiration date, while the county’s capital improvements sales tax and the JR60 sales tax are both scheduled to expire Dec. 31, 2027.

She said the capital improvements tax generated about $426,000 last year, while the JR60 tax generated approximately $855,000.

Commissioners discussed how state statutes and the Hancock Amendment affect local sales taxes and acknowledged the process can be confusing.

• Storm recovery also remained a major topic throughout the meeting.

Officials said recent storms caused nearly $3,000,000 in damage to county roads, bridges, and low-water crossings. Griffin said the county has submitted paperwork seeking federal disaster assistance, while Boesen reported Missouri has now met the $12,000,000 threshold for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance.

FEMA representatives are expected to meet with county officials July 2 alongside the State Emergency Management Agency to begin the reimbursement process.

Peters emphasized that the county must complete eligible repairs before receiving reimbursement and said the financial commitment makes him reluctant to authorize unnecessary purchases.

• Attention then shifted to the Highway 63 expansion project near Westphalia.

Logan updated commissioners after meeting with Missouri Department of Transportation Director Ed Hassinger and project engineers, saying MoDOT has confirmed it will not construct the requested southern entrance into Westphalia.

“I had a disappointing conversation,” Logan said. “MoDOT is like what I’ve been telling you for months now. They are not going to allow us to have the south entrance at Westphalia.”

According to Logan, transportation officials initially cited engineering concerns before acknowledging that cost drove the decision.

“They slipped up not long after that and mentioned that it was just going to cost too much money,” Logan said. “So, you got to the bottom line.”

Logan said he intends to continue opposing the decision by speaking before the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission and increasing public awareness.

“We’re not done yet,” he said. “I’m going to get the media involved.”

Commissioners argued the project favors through traffic at the expense of Westphalia businesses and residents.

“The main comment was, ‘We really think that down the road this is going to be a good thing,’” Logan said, referring to MoDOT’s explanation that future development would eventually benefit the area. “I said, ‘So we can starve to death for the next 19 and a half years until this new stuff all starts coming in?’”

Logan also questioned spending an estimated $100 million to save motorists roughly 30 seconds of travel time.

“We’re not being invested in,” he said. “We’re being run over.”

Eastern District Commissioner Jeff Peters shared Logan’s concerns and said the Highway 50 bypass around Linn has again fallen off the state’s priority list.

“We just found out last week at the MRPC meeting that Linn isn’t even on the state’s radar anymore,” Peters said. “They’ve taken it completely back out.”

Commissioners also criticized MoDOT’s reliance on fatal crash statistics to justify the bypass.

“They definitely use that for leverage,” Peters said.

Logan argued many of the crashes cited by the department resulted from driver behavior rather than roadway design.

“None of them were because of road conditions,” he said, citing distracted driving, failure to wear seat belts, and motorists crossing the center line.

Griffin said earlier discussions about improving Highway 63 focused on straightening dangerous curves between Freeburg and Westphalia, not constructing a bypass around the community.

“Nothing was ever said about that Westphalia bypass,” Griffin said.

Logan also objected to the project crossing county roads and dividing century farms without consultation with county officials.

“They’re going through two of our county roads, and not one time has anybody come and talked to the commission,” he said. “I’m not done fighting yet. I think it’s a huge uphill battle, but I’m going to fight until they lay the last strip of asphalt.”

• Logan also expressed surprise at the amount of public opposition he has heard regarding the proposal to eliminate Missouri’s state income tax.

“I’m surprised I’ve heard a whole lot more negative comments about that than I have positive,” he said.

Several county officials around the table said they are concerned replacing the income tax with higher sales taxes could increase costs for many residents.

• Commissioners also reviewed the county’s internal control policy for federally funded transportation projects after auditors requested additional documentation.

Rather than questioning whether the county follows federal and state requirements, officials said auditors want the county to document which offices are responsible for each step of the reimbursement process.

Boesen said she plans to review the policy line by line before bringing recommended revisions back to the commission.

• Before adjourning, Logan invited county officials to attend a July 3 community fireworks celebration near the Knights of Columbus Hall in Westphalia. Hosted in partnership with Osage County Towing, the event will include food vendors, children’s activities, bounce houses, an ice cream truck, and a fireworks display beginning around 9:15 p.m.

• The meeting concluded with commissioners scheduling a follow-up meeting with affected CR 303 property owners, continuing work on the internal control policy, and preparing for FEMA’s July 2 visit to begin documenting eligible storm damage projects.

ROAD & BRIDGE

Quarry rock was hauled on CR 303 (190.29T), 621 (88.44T), 706 (189.03T), 712 (52.85T), 722 (66.32T), 723 (76.12T), 724 (142.58T), 734 (186.86T), 741 (69.17T), & 801 (204.88T); a culvert was replaced on CR 801 (18.67T placed at culvert site); brush mowers were working on CR 275 & 512; and grader operators were active as follows: G01 (CR 403, 404, 404, 411, 608), G03 (CR 202, 204, 205, & 302), G04 (CR 612, 711, 716, & 717), G05 (CR 734), & G06 (CR 275 & 318).

• Grader G02 (2014 772G John Deere) was serviced in house.

FINANCIAL

• Bills totaling $122,420.81 were approved by commissioners, with the following totals by department: 911/EMA ($1,530.85), Assessor ($4,236.00), Building & Grounds ($375.25), Circuit Clerk ($2,399.00), Commission ($1,390.74), County Clerk ($3,285.56), Election ($3,691.00), Health Department ($3,155.17), Juvenile & Family Court ($500.00), Misc. ($7,079.81), Prosecuting Attorney ($538.48), Road & Bridge ($64,372.48), Sheriff-Jail ($7,237.23), Treasurer ($1,076.50), and Road and Bridge Misc ($21,552.74).

• County Aid Road Trust (CART) distribution received from the state of Missouri for the month of June was $88,860.75, including Motor Fuel Tax ($69,395.07), Motor Vehicle Sales Tax ($13,338.68), and Motor Vehicle Fee Increases ($6,127.00).

• Checks were submitted for signatures.