CEDAR COUNTY COMMISSION

The Cedar County Commission met May 9, 2023. Present: Kenneth Thornton; Presiding Commissioner; Don Boultinghouse, Northern Commissioner; Ted Anderson, Southern Commissioner; Heather York, County Clerk.
Met with Assessor Staff
Requests to process court order #28795-28811 to add-on the assessed valuation of newly purchased personal property.
Met with Sheriff McCrary and Deputy Jeffries
Inmate Housing – 23
McCrary presented a quote for body cams, car cams, and a secure storage system from NROUTE due to a requirement from our current insurance carrier after their risk assessment performed in April 2023. The quote consists of a few optional items but comes in at just over $200,000. The risk assessment requires the use of the body cam’s due to the liability exposure to Stockton Lake. Body cams are available in a wide range of prices, but those also come with limitations of use and dependability, data storage capacity limitations, transfer abilities, and communication limitations with existing computers. County Clerk York is relating the information to the insurance company for their response. If this requirement stands it would be an unfunded mandate from the carrier, with the threat of non-renewal in 2024, or sooner as a deadline of June 21, 2023, has been provided by the carrier. Our insurance agent is working with the carrier for alternative options and possible alternative carriers.
Met with David Hickman, HIC Insurance
Hickman requests the opportunity to provide a quote for health care coverage for the 2023-2024 plan year. HIC’s
insurance model is unique in how they process claims and work with budgets, often maintaining the same budget or less, but reducing the cost to the employee by reducing out of pocket costs for medical and RX. County Clerk York will check with participating counties for their experiences with HIC. The Commission will consider responses from other counties before deciding to go through the census process with the HIC.
Resident stopped in to report complaints about how the sheriff’s office is handling a civil case he is involved in, and possibly expanding to a criminal matter with a neighbor. He says MO AG’s Office directed him to the County Commission. The Commission followed up with Ty Davis, Prosecuting Attorney and confirmed that the commission has no jurisdiction over this matter and that the resident will need to continue in his court proceedings.
Met with DJ Ford, Road and Bridge Supervisor
Reviewed where graders are in the county. Conservation rock is almost complete, should be done by the end of the week. The turbo went in the CAT, so they are waiting for that part to come in, hopefully tomorrow. Ford recommends replacing Hopewell Bridge on CR1320 for the 2024/2025 BRO project schedule as this will be a cost prohibitive bridge if left at the county’s expense alone but would be manageable with the new BRO program. Resident called to request maintenance on CR350/CR701; these roads are already in the current working schedule. Ford also requests re-advertising for openings in his department.

Called Jason Sivils, Great River Engineering to request the top two bridges for the 2024/2025 BRO project schedule. The maximum request is two. The Commission is formally requesting Hopewell Bridge#2500017, and Goose Creek Bridge#4460046. Sivils will work up the request.

Met with Ryan Peters, Dillon Harness, and Katie Hunter with Kaysinger Basin Regional Planning Commission to present the 2023 Transit Plan
Bruce Rogers, City Manager of El Dorado Springs was also present.
Peters presented the 2023 Transit Plan which must be reviewed and updated every 5 years. The City of El Dorado Springs, MO receives around $143,000 in grant funding through the Transit program, so it is important that this plan be maintained. This funding has been used for the taxi service that the City of El Dorado Springs offers. Rogers notes that this serves 40 to 60 clients. Peters report indicates that this program also supports funding for the OATS program offered statewide. Peters also mentions that a transportation program called New Growth has been developed recently that offers taxi service to residents who don’t fit within the OATS program requirements or are after hours for their services. FTA grants for elderly usually fall under the 5310 requirements, and anyone outside that bracket usually falls under the 5311 requirements, which essentially require different training. Funding is no longer available for 2023, but advanced planning for 2024 is wise. Peters will accept comments or change requests to the 2023 Transit Plan until May 17, 2023, when he will present it to the TAC Board for adoption. The City of El Dorado will work directly with Peters if they have any requests. County Clerk York will report this meetings information to the City of Stockton as they may be unaware of the opportunities available through this program.
Met with Bob Clark, Roeslein Alternative Energy
Clark presented updated information from his original presentation, now with an alternative primary path, which will be approximately 22,000 feet instead of the previous 18,000 feet. It is important to note some differences in this operation vs other pipelines. This industry utilizes lower pressure, plastic pipes, and operates an average of 6 months out of the year as colder temperatures prohibit operations. Oil and other gas pipelines use higher pressure lines, with 24/7 operations. At 4’ depth with 100 lbs pressure pin holes create very limited damage, explosions are non-existent. Roeslein calculates rates based off of local area per acre real estate prices, plus 30% per acre, then divide out per linear foot just to purchase the easements needed. A 25-foot easement is needed for the construction phase. If there were to be a severance of use for a year, the lines would remain open until reactivation. If the lines are non-productive longer than that, the pipeline is crimped on both ends to sever productivity but left in the ground. Clark ensures that Roeslein will bore under the road instead of cutting through the middle. Clark also reports that Roeslein will conduct any changes to the pipeline adjacent roads if the road requires alteration in future. The Cedar County Commission is keeping in weekly communication with the Vernon County Commission as this pipeline will connect through our borders.
Cedar County Memorial Hospital submitted a request to approve surplus property disposal. Motion by Anderson to approve the list, second by Boultinghouse. Anderson – Yes; Boultinghouse – Yes; Thornton – Yes
Reviewed the Cedar County Library District 2022 audit report.
Approved the Hidden Springs Subdivision plat with approval from Chris Young, Cedar County Health Department Environmental Public Health Specialist, and letter denying the obligation of Cedar County or its Special Road Districts to maintain the roads.
The Commission and County Clerk’s Office scheduled attendance at a training at the Cedar County Library with the Mo Attorney General’s Office on June 5, 2023.
Reviewed applications by two individuals for the Cedar County Library Board. County Clerk York will forward copies to the library for consideration as well.
Approved monthly reports submitted for the Recorder of Deeds, and County Clerk’s Offices.
Approved accounts payable.
The Cedar County Commission met May 15, 2023. Present: Kenneth Thornton; Presiding Commissioner; Don Boultinghouse, Northern Commissioner; Ted Anderson, Southern Commissioner; Heather York, County Clerk.
Met with Assessor Staff
Requests to process court order #28812-28820 to add-on the assessed valuation of newly purchased personal
property. Discussed needed repairs on the 2004 Nissan Titan King Cab truck; an appointment was scheduled to have the transmission looked at on Wednesday, 5/17/23 at Don’s Automotive in Nevada. Other automotive shops were contacted during the meeting but either don’t work on transmissions, didn’t answer, or wouldn’t be able to schedule so soon. After the shop gets back to the commission, they will evaluate whether to repair, or replace the truck.
Conference call with Chris Young, Cedar County Health Department
The Commission discussed several sites of concern with Young. He will do site inspections based off reports of complaint he received last week. County Clerk York will follow-up with Ty Gaither, Prosecuting Attorney concerning one of the sites to see if he should handle any valid reports of complaint. Sheriff McCrary will send an officer with Inspector Young as needed.
Met with Sheriff McCrary
Inmate Housing – 23
McCrary reports an officer responded to a report of a resident taking rock from a county road and putting it on his personal driveway, the resident was found applying rock to his personal drive but denied pulling rock from the road; Officer gave a warning.
The new ARPA funded MOSWIN radios for officers and patrol cars are being installed this week. McCrary hopes to have the new cars on the road right after that.
McCrary and Jeffries have a webinar with a second company for a quote on the body cams. The insurance carrier is using a Homeland Security recommendation from 2015; technology has changed since then. McCrary says they have tried several different styles of cameras with variable prices throughout the years. The Commission called Dennis Talley, Mid Missouri Insurance to explain the circumstances of the county and request advisement. Talley will go back to the insurance carrier to see if non-compliance by the June deadline will allow mid-year termination, or if coverage will remain until 1/1/24.
Received a call from Seth Ehlers, Cedar County Meat Market, inquiring about the EEZ process for taxes. He has been approved, just not sure what he needed to do. Clerk York will reach out to the EEZ board again for clarification.
Resident reported complaint of road needing ditched, she is in El Dorado Special Road District.
DJ Ford, Road and Bridge Supervisor on vacation today. The Commission traveled to several sites to view severity and status.
Motion by Anderson to approve an order to submit the following ballot question to the voters of Cedar County, Missouri, at the Special Election, to be held on August 8, 2023, to authorize the County Commission to impose the local use tax pursuant to §144.757-144.761, RSMo., as follows:
“Shall the County of Cedar impose a local use tax at the same rate as the total local sales tax rate, provided that if the local sales tax shall also be reduced or raised by the same action?
[] Yes [] No
If you are in favor of the question, place an “X” in the box opposite “YES”. If you are opposed to the question, place an “X” in the box opposite “NO”.”
Second by Boultinghouse. Anderson – Yes; Boultinghouse – Yes; Thornton – Yes
Motion by Anderson to approve a resolution of membership to Kaysinger Basin Regional Planning Commission & Economic Development District, Resolution #2023.05.15, and further resolve to appoint Associate Commissioner Don Boultinghouse to represent Cedar County at the meetings of the Kaysinger Basin Economic Development District, Board of Directors; seconded by Thornton. Anderson – Yes; Thornton – Yes; Boultinghouse abstained from the vote to appoint himself but is willing to continue filling the position.
Motion by Boultinghouse to approve the Workforce Contract received for the Cedar County Health Department in the amount of $132,479.79, CFDA#93.354, for the contract period of 10/1/22-6/30/24; second by Anderson. Anderson – Yes; Boultinghouse – Yes; Thornton – Yes
Approved accounts payable and payroll.