County Commission - Regular Meeting

I'm saving that one. Okay, we're going to go ahead and call the meeting to order. It is Tuesday, April 7, 2026. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay. Minutes and reports received and filed.

Yes, we have the county clerk's March 2026 fees, the recorders March 2026 fees, and the auditor's March 2026 revenue and expenditure report. Okay. Uh, commissioner committee leaison reports upcoming meetings and events.

Election day today. HBA board meeting this afternoon. Building commission. Uh building committee review tomorrow. HBA board meeting tomorrow or HBA meeting tomorrow night. General membership solid waste management district meeting Thursday. Um Friday at 900 p.m. Highway 50 West and East are going to be closed until Sunday sometime. I understand for the removal of the tri level. So we may want to go out of town this weekend or avoid that area at least. Um Saturday then is the 12th annual youth in agricultures scholarship for cattleman's. Is that what it's called?

Oh I thought you were involved in that Christie. Okay. So that's Saturday night. That's state dinner not chicken. So I think that's it. See, tomorrow is a solution six meeting uh a fundraiser for Reverend Steve George who's undergoing some treatment. Uh Thursday, Chief's meeting in the 6 p.m. Saturday, Rangi illness wellness. Right. Right. the for wellness event to celebrate National Public Health Week 110th anniversary.

Yes. So like a.5K or something that I forgot how far it is. Yeah. Okay. I'm good until Thursday and then our Cole County 250th committee is doing a program at learning and retirement. Harry got us hooked on that. Uh we have a 911 meeting uh with the city chief's meeting Saturday the health department 110th anniversary celebration from 9 to 11 at the Run Center and I do have a poster here but anyway

if the weather cooperates we'll be outside. If the weather does not cooperate we will be inside. So we will have it rain or shine. Okay. Okay. So we will go with proclamations national public health week April 6th through the 12th. So, I don't know if you all want to come up here and and stand and I will read parts of this. Stay back here. That's go blue today.

Okay. This is a a proclamation by the Cole County Commission. The Cole County Health Department recognizes National Public Health Week, April 6th through the 12th, by promoting this year's national theme, ready set action, good health doesn't just happen. In Co County, we celebrate the staff that advocate for health, create in innovative partnerships, and champion the role of a strong public health system. Whereas during National Public Health Week, first established by the American Public Health Association, we recognize the vital contributions of public health professionals who work tirelessly to prevent disease, promote wellness, and protect the well-being of all people. And then we'll skip down. Uh whereas the challenges of emer emerging infectious diseases, environmental threats, that's for Joe, mental health concerns, that's for Jeff, and chronic illnesses underscore the continuing need for strong public health systems. Uh now therefore, we the county commissioners by virtue of the authority vested in us by the laws of Missouri do hereby proclaim the week of April 6th through the 12th, 2026 as National Public Health Week 2026.

Thank you. How's that? Perfect.

And thank you all. And I do have a poster here. So anybody wants to get more information on the Saturday event. She did. Yes. Some of the prices we had wonderful donations from community businesses. We have prizes for at the end. Jeff, you might There's little boats you can play with at the lake. See what the grand kids are doing.

There's There's prizes more catered for adults, too. Oh, like renegades tickets and prison brew. Prison brew. Prison brew gift cards. West pizza. We can go do the challenge. Oh, yeah. remote. Okay. Well, we will we will keep moving forward and uh this is presentations from staff, consultants, invited guests, and it is the health department and EMS safe sleep kits. This article in the paper today, I believe. Oh, good. Good.

Yes. So, unfortunately, there's still um the leading cause of death for those infants are unsafe sleep conditions. And I think many parents think, "Oh, my baby's sleeping with me. It's safe." No, the safest place for them to sleep is alone. And there's some people that um don't have adequate, you know, safe sleep environments for their kids. So, a new innovative program that we're doing is partnering with EMS to where if they are in someone's home, and it could be for grandpa having a heart attack or whatever, and they see a situation where there's an infant and there's not a safe sleep for that safe sleep um area for that infant to sleep alone that we are providing them with kits so they can provide this to people so they have a safe place. And um I kind of came back with the idea and Nikki and Katie ran with it. So, if you want, they'll be happy to answer questions. Nikki made badge buddies for EMS to have on their badges to talk to people about um the proper way for those infants to sleep. And they're going to put kits. Well, Chief Po will tell you where they're going to put the kits and then they can show you the kits if you're interested. I mean, this is just a pack of play. We're not going to take it out.

But,

yeah. So, you know, across the country, we see a lot of agencies making a push for community risk reduction and community parame medicine. And, you know, I've been a strong advocate that our agency will evaluate those requests and find partnerships that actually bring value to our community and fulfill needs. Um, not just addressing, you know, things that we could perceive as problems. So, um, when the health department approached us with with this, you know, we we still see these, uh, unfortunate events and these are some of the most devastating events that we go to. Um, so the ability to be proactive and address that and have the ability to, you know, do this in people's homes where where they are and and meet them where they they need it, um, is is really a no-brainer for us. You know, like I said, we we go into uh, you know, several tens of homes per day. um we're we're uh you know in a position where we can offer those assistance and we're also staffed 24/7 365 so if somebody needs this um they can access it and our crews are more than happy to to facilitate that and provide the education and equipment. So um we're going to carry this on our um battalion chief vehicle um you know they'll be able to respond out and and drop the kits and spend a little time doing whatever um education or risk reduction that needs to be done. And uh this is really a nice way for us to dip our toes into that project water without really making a huge financial investment or some of the other things that are out there. So um it's great work. Appreciate Katie and the health department partnering on this and uh happy to answer your questions.

Great. This from a grant with the HSS. We have we have two we have a safe crib program which people have to be eligible for. We can um provide cribs that way. Then we also have the material child health program and the focus area for that is safe sleep. So, we were able to provide those kits through those two contracts. I don't know if you want to see what's in the kit. Oh, yeah. Good partnership. Yeah, it's amazing. It used to be sleep vulnerability. I mean, it was a long time ago, like two years ago for me, but back to sleep. There's some safe sleep education. I know, but it used to be. It used to be, but now it's back to sleep. I think it changed it between even between my kids. So, so well they used to be like bumpers and all the stuff. Now you

Now you got to educate your grandparents so we know. Yep. Exactly. But it's the way we used to do it, you know. So every pulled my belt off the other day, give them a spank and they said come with the um sheets to go inside. Um there's a pacifier, a little baby goat teeth on it and stuff. No, just look. Um a little safe sleep. um sack that's like a little wearable blanket um and then some education and our information.

I I think you know one of the the important things is not only is it you know the crib piece but it's all the other things like a fitted sheet and you know the the sleep sack and all of those sorts of things that um we we have learned that help us prevent you know some of these traffic outcomes. So, um, the fact that we can provide all of that at no cost to anybody who needs it, no questions asked, I think is a great thing for our community. Wonderful. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate

y comments. uh signing ofou between Cole County and Jefferson City on building code. I think the city approved and signed their mayors last night. So,

I'm going to make a motion to uh sign theou with Jefferson. Seconded. Okay. All in favor? I

I not crazy about it. Okay. Uh, signing of Easy Liner Soul Source. Good morning. This is the sole source for equipment for public works paint striping truck. The parts must be compatible with their current truck. This ad's already run in the paper and today we just need the signature. Who said that? Oh, it's going to be on the post. Okay. Uh, good. I'll make a motion to sign the easy liner soap source.

Not sure what that is, but what it's for the paint striping truck. Okay. All in favor? I I for the striper truck. Striper truck. Striper truck. Is it striper? Is it different than a striper or because used to we had a striper vehicle is a little different. It's a whole truck and we're rebuilding. So, not the truck, but the striping part of it. So, a lot cheaper than buying a new one at about 600,000. We almost bought a stripper one year because of a misprint. Be careful with that. Yeah, I did that at one. Oops.

That was you. I'm No wonder they wanted one, too. What boat do getting one? That's why you you voted. They won't pay attention to signs more then. Okay. Approval of purchase of pickup truck for public works. We got to keep moving ahead. Jeff just Jeff's out of control.

Speechless. Speechless. Um, so we have a truck. This is uh with Jim Butler Chevrolet. It's on the Missouri buys contract and the amount purchase price is $53,966 and it replaces a 2015 that has 170,000 miles that we will hold on for a little bit as a pool vehicle or a loaner for central maintenance. Are we getting a cast off out of this there? There is one coming your way. It's probably not this one, but it could be. All right. So, yes. Good.

All right. I'll make a motion to approve the purchase of the pickup truck for public works from Jim Butler Chevrolet. $53,966. Second. All in favor? I I And we are going to table the approval of MIDMO telecom and security estimate for the assessor's office. So we will table that. So we go into new business accounts payable review. There are none. Okay. Uh senior tax freeze discussion. Uh I know Larry had

I'm not sure. Uh Larry he couldn't be here. Okay. Well, um I can just say that we're going to um start um online applications tomorrow. Um and we're not going to do in person until May 1, after May 1st. So, that's all I really know about that. If you have questions, I might be able to answer them, but Well, it's it's tentatively planned for Wednesday, Thursday, Fridays.

I think that's what he's thinking right now. But again, he's got to get volunteers, I think, from different departments to help with that. Um, so I I don't know what the status is on people. Well, it's it's it is too soon to broadcast it completely. This is what we're going to do, but we're planning on um Wednesday, Thursday, Fridays in the commission. Yeah, it will be here in the commission chamber. Once in a while there's potentially a conflict of the use of the room, but yeah, generally speaking, and it would start, as you say, on after May 1st is what we were saying right now, probably right uh June 30th is the deadline for all of it. So,

he did mention potentially pushing it a little bit because of the late start, but I'm not sure about that. Yeah, that's all. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Discussion regarding parking issues. Commissioner Hellure.

Okay. I'm gonna blame this on the assessor. No, it actually did kind of come up because we were talking about some of the stuff he's got going on. And one of the things was that he has had to had to add staff to do the stuff he's doing. And you put on five or basically you're going to need some parking places for them. We really don't have anything. So, we're going to look at getting some in some of the city lots. We still have 18 or 19 spots at Adam Street that we lease to the library. And it to me it doesn't make sense for us to lease them to the library when we can have our people parking there and using it. Um, I did email Claudia and warn her and she did respond. I'm still alive. So, that's good news

because I didn't know how well that would go over because it is a nice spot for them to still use. Um, I don't know if we need any kind of formal action today, but I think we need just need to give them some kind of a notice and 30 or 60 days and let them find some other options. Maybe they can get some spots over in the Jeff City. I think lot six is back behind the chamber. They may just have to they can take over our places that we have there. And right now, um, according to Melody, we've got 26 spots that we lease from the city, and it's about the same price as we get paid from the library. So, it doesn't seem like it's any a reason to go on like that. We just need to take over that lot, be a county lot. Yeah, I I agree with you, Jeff. I really do.

And then I was also going to make a motion that you take over parking. You got like eight months left, Sam, cuz it doesn't matter you make them at this point, right? You don't Well, hopefully it parking is an issue on Adams and but but with the new company that is handling parking now, it it's more difficult for the county just to even make the payments on those 26 spaces. And it'd be one thing we're making a substantial amount of money from from leasing those to the library, but it's basically it's kind of a break even. So, so, um, I think we we need that lot for our county park.

Yeah. We just let our county employees walk across the street instead of from behind the chamber and up the hill and stuff. And then we al also have county vehicles that are out in the field and we have found some spots to park them to where we're not taking up our parking with uh, you know, vehicles that are just sitting or anything for a lot of time. So, we're just going to run with that. I guess we'll figure out a letter or something. Yeah. Let's let's give the library some notice and stuff to do. You're okay taking new signage? I am. It's Yes. taking over the park. I'll just give you the five. No. But anyway, I I do agree with you, John. I think it's

with the new uh company that's taking over parking. We need all of our own parking that we can get. So, okay. Unless you want to vote on something and we'll just keep rolling. Stay away. It's It's toxic. It's kryptonite. Yeah. I told presiding commissioner one time when I came in and said, "So and so called me about the parking." Goes, "Oh, yeah. I hear here." Parking has always been an issue in the downtown area now with the garage down. So, all righty. Okay. Well, got your blessings. Yes.

Okay. Uh approval of assessment clerk one position for the assessor's office.

All right. So I think this is the last piece of the puzzle. Uh so we we are uh just doing a little bit of reconfiguring crossraining um kind of reassignment of of duties and uh in that uh moving someone to office manager. uh it's going to create a void in the personal property department. And so what I'm wanting to do is hire a personal property clerk who would uh basically just pick up a lot of the uh data entry volume uh that that is that that is there during so many times of the year. um when I started in September. I'm just kind of settling into we we've been ch changing everything operationally, but just trying to to figure out what the es and flows are to the different uh seasons of the office. And uh we will be crossraining uh uh two at least two of our personal property clerks uh on the residential side. And then our residential field inspectors who aren't out yet are uh help are pitching in and helping personal property with call volume and walk-in volume and that sort of thing. But my goal with this is to have uh at at a minimum two people working the window. If anybody walks into my office, they're going to see there will be someone at the window greeting them and and they'll they'll be uh instantly taken care of when they come into the office. I'm good with I don't know if we need to have some kind of motion. I think is

just just running it. Just being transparent. Just want to make sure we're all pulling in the same direction. So, yes, we do. Yes, sir. Yep. So, I think one of the things too was we talked about it last week is that the uh state tax commission had recommended that you'll have this many people plus you'll have this many assessments and stuff you're trying to do and when we get done with this that if you don't need that person that the position could be eliminated by attrition later on. So, that's correct. Yes. To try to help them keep their heads above water at this point. So

yes, as as we're taking on this reassessment, it's definitely going to be uh it's going to thin the amount of resources we have after we get through that. I don't think it's going to on on an annual basis going to going to require that that same workforce. So if someone were to move on to greener pastures or, you know, whatever, uh it's you know, it's quite likely we wouldn't refill the position at that point based on the workload that we had at that moment in time. Well, appreciate it. Yep. Okay. Thanks, guys. Okay. Uh, first reading of budget adjustment number three.

Jezebel left me notes. Um, and I know Jay is going to jump in with some additional remarks. This is the first reading of budget adjustment number three in the amount of $1955. $191,55. This is due to the 27th payroll last year. the EMS contingency line decreased and we're needing monies in there for the work comp costs assessment um that was done due to the audit. After talking with the auditor um Jessica and they discussed it with Chief Hoy, it was decided to put the line the line item back to a $200,000 level. Um as far as Jessica's piece, there's no action needed today. We'll hold it for 10 days. So, as a result of the 27th pay period, more cash was spent out of the enterprise fund at the very end of the year. So, the netting out or the contingency line was only set at like just under $9,000. So, it was one of those due to the 27th pay period adjustments made during that last budget cycle, we knew this was going to more than likely be an issue. And and now Chief Hoy is asking uh for us to increase the contingency in the enterprise fund to $200,000. And

I think the important note is that this is just a shift from sales tax contingency into operational contingency. Um, annually we usually build in about $200,000 in operational contingency for things like fuel expenses, medical supplies, repairs, any of those overbudget items that we generally can't forecast due to call volume or other economic forces. Um, and this would just restore that account and give us that flexibility back. So, it is not taking money from any other pot of money. simply moving it from one contingency to another contingency.

Good. And the reason we wait 10 days is because that's what the statute says we will do. Correct. Yes. Yes. Got it. And we will not be requesting a special commission meeting. So, we'll request this or bring it to you for final approval uh two weeks from now.

Okay, that's our first reading, so we're good there. Uh unfinished business, ADA compliance update on document remediation. There was a good article I know we received in the county newspaper on the ADA because this is nationwide. It's not just Cole County on on what other counties throughout the United States are doing. So I gave that to Brian. Okay. And uh but it's a it's a pretty good article. So Okay.

Um well um we're making progress. Um, I would say we've got 19 total documents so far from my end remediated. I think there's way more than that because I'm still contacting different offices and finding out where they're at. I have a meeting with Anniia and Mac today at EMS to talk about their documents and see what we need to do with those. Um, again, the senior tax freeze application, I got that one done, so I can post that one today and get that up. Um, I will say there are have been a few documents that have been extremely challenging. Um, there's um issues with how they were created. um or there's one that is um difficult because it is a scan document and it is not able to be read by OCR to be able to be turned into a word document easily. So, um I may come back to you guys and ask if we can potentially have the prep um them have them uh assist us with those remediations on some of those more challenging instead of me spending over a day trying to figure get it working. They can do it quickly because they do it on a regular basis. So,

who is they prep? But they have a outsourcing um prep that program that we purchased to do the remediation. They have an outsourcing option also that we can pay um a small fee and they will remediate documents for us too. So any of these documents that are like super challenging um it might be just worth it for us to just pay them to do. I I would say I would just tell we have till the 22nd of April. So 24th 24th. So the clock is ticking.

Yeah. And I mean some of the documents are not as challenging as others. I am still learning this program. We actually have our first training Thursday. Um and it's not something that you also would just learn in a day. So I'm, you know, going in there and working on these documents. and I'm actually learning a lot. But um you know it takes time to learn a new program and like there's a lot it there was a lot to it with the way I was doing it but it's a lot easier with this. That's still a lot of stuff you have to learn. Are are there a significant number of documents that you sort of take down because it's just too difficult at this time to make them comply and then that if you take them down we sort of get a period of grace to put them back compliant. uh at some point are we looking at some equipment and some software that will make that snappier uh to do that?

Well, uh at this point we really, as far as I know, we really haven't taken down any documents that people are really accessing right now. We're just trying to get them remediated. We're really only taking down the documents that really aren't being accessed or used. I haven't done anything with any of the agendas and that kind of stuff yet. Um I'm not sure, Lexi, where you would um you were cleaning up some of your stuff on the purchasing side. Yeah, I kept the most relevant years. Yeah, I'm working on those years to meet.

So, um so and I'm still like meeting with the different departments and been busy with that senior tax-free stuff, too. So, I haven't really had commissioners A great example is our audit. It's prepared by our external auditors. I've requested that um the audit we're going through right now that those documents be ADA, but Williams Keepers has never had to deal with this. So, they're struggling themselves of how they're going to get the audit documents to be ADA compliant. Well, but that's one of those that

we really need to have a copy of our audit on our website, but if it's not ADA compliant, what do you do? I will tell you though, I did run one of the old financial documents through prep and it did a lot better than I thought it would and

and that one really seemed like it would be a complex one. Some of the ones that I think are going to be easy are a nightmare. It's just so like all over the place because like some documents, you know, when they were made back in the day, they might might have use like five different fonts and those fonts may not even be there anymore and they're not embedded in the document. I mean, there's all kinds of little things that are that pop up when you're trying to fix these documents or they may made made a job application from using all all tables and like all the table cells. Some are merged, some are, you know, they're not lined up. That is a huge issue with um remediating documents. So, I mean, there's just a lot of moving parts with it. Brian watched me remediate one the other day, and he's like, "This is like nails on chalkboard."

It's so It's so tedious. You have no idea. I was sitting there, I'm like, and it was it was one that I thought would be an easy one. It was an agenda, actually. So, ridiculous. Yeah. And counties uh have to comply a year before other political subdivisions do. It goes by population. 50,000 or higher has to be this year. Um 50,000 or under is next year. Next year. Yeah. Okay. It's not counties, it's size. It's size of your look at that.

Yeah. So, for example, Jefferson City, they're under 50,000. So, they won't have to have theirs until next year. But this is nationwide. So, it's not just us. No. Have we heard anything from Missouri Association of Counties on that? When we had our West I don't think so. Uh I haven't seen anything from MAC and of of Missouri.

14 counties plus the city saying we got 100 Well, say 114 counties. I'll bet you I don't know. There aren't more than a dozen over 50. Maybe maybe all all first class counties might be, but that's 16 and then there's four charter counties. So, there's a lot of counties that that that doesn't concern yet. Well, they kind of indicated there was going to be some kind of legislation they were working on, but I don't know exactly what it is because the state's having to deal with it, too. nation is a national

the state can't do anything to stop it. It's a federal rule. They can make some kind of regulations to deal with some of these people that are the problem. I think is well the problem is the federal government authority to it's the people that are suing people for having a picture on there that's not ADA compliant. I understand. So that's but that's part of it. But there is there are some ways to deal with it. Do you have any governors all get together and tell the president he's changed the you got job security?

I do have job security that's for sure. Commissioners, two items. Um auditors are on site next week and then the week of April 27th through May 1st. So, we'll need cooperation from all departments on request and things they need. And then we did receive a letter this week from Department of Revenue requesting the remaining refund of the marijuana sales tax money. So, it's $65,683.18. So, we'll be cutting a check. We'll be processing a check to Department of Revenue to to zero out our marijuana sales tax fund.

Up in smoke. That's literally it. Okay. Uh I have nothing else on the agenda. Uh, is there anything else before we adjourn? I would entertain a motion. I'll make a motion to suspend in recess until 4:30 p.m. Second. All in favor? I