VIENNA — Maries County Prosecuting Attorney Tony Skouby visited the commissioners on Nov. 28 to discuss the Fish Hollow lawsuit that names the commissioners.

At a meeting in March, the commissioners learned of the lawsuit, which pertains to ownership of 550 feet encompassing the end of Maries County Road 306 and the locally-known Fish Hollow Access to the Gasconade River. Eugene M. Appel and Jacqueline M. Appel filed the lawsuit, which asked the Circuit Court of Maries County to determine the ownership of the road and Fish Hollow Access.

Skouby said there was a request for documents related to funds and labor expended on the county’s portion of the road. County Clerk Rhonda Rodgers said she was not sure if the county kept those records because it had never had to keep those records before.

“We have stuff from a month ago,” Eastern District Commissioner Doug Drewel said. “But old stuff we don’t.”

He added that there are no specific work orders or schedules for each road.

“Anybody who looks at pictures can tell that the road has been maintained.”

Skouby said he would just need to explain that the county does not typically keep those records.

At the Dec. 1 meeting, Rodgers and Drewel reviewed a list Skouby requested of people who had worked for Road Two since 2010. Rodgers said she and Drewel would likely have to attend deposition meetings.

After discussing the lawsuit, Presiding Commissioner Victor Stratman asked Skouby to write an agreement to clarify payment responsibilities for repairs to the repeater on Highway 28. Dixon Fire, Vienna Fire, Vienna Police and Maries-Osage Ambulance District use the repeater to communicate by radio.

Stratman named the four entities that use the repeater and told Skouby they wanted to split future costs four ways. Skouby left the meeting to write up the document, and he returned later to give it to Stratman, who said it looked good.

Courthouse projects

Stratman talked to Brad Neier on the phone about the price to complete some projects around the courthouse. Installing a counter in the treasurer’s office will cost about $3,000 and include a glass screen and door for access. Stratman said the payment will come from the county’s buildings and grounds fund. The commissioners want the project in the treasurer’s office done before the end of the year.

Adding a steel door and extending banisters near the jail will cost about $3,500, but that does not include electronic locks. Stratman said he needs to talk with Maries County Chief Deputy Scott John to get specifications for the project.

Neier will charge $200 to disassemble and dispose of an old judge’s bench in the courtroom. Stratman asked if there is a plan to put new carpet over the spot because there is none under the bench now. Drewel suggested using any leftover carpet if the courthouse has some or redoing the carpet if there is not enough. Stratman said he would look into carpet prices.

Stratman told the other commissioners that he had been measuring the front steps of the courthouse to have them redone before spring. Funding will come from the $244,645 allocated for courthouse maintenance from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) which the county received in October. Stratman discussed the costs of labor and concrete for the project, and Drewel estimated the county would pay about $25,000 for the new steps.

The county received no bids on a new heat pump. The commissioners discussed rebidding the pump without specifying a brand in future listings. Western District Commissioner Ed Fagre said someone had talked to him about the pump, but the man did not have the Daikin brand pump that the request specified. At the Dec. 1 meeting, Rodgers said she had relisted in the paper. The commissioners will open bids on Dec. 15 at 10 a.m.

Stratman said Jamey Snodgrass did a great job cleaning leaves from the courthouse campus and gutters.

Maries County IT manager Shane Sweno joined the meeting to request covers for the TVs in the jail. He said that every year the county has to replace about one TV in the jail.

“Every year a jailhouse inmate thinks they’re a backyard mechanic and can get one more channel while they’re messing with it,” Sweno said to explain why the TVs break. “TVs aren’t that expensive, but when you replace one a year, that adds up.” He said the cheapest cover he could find was $1,087, but Fagre said he would see if a couple of road crew employees could make the frames.

Money

Stratman shared data he had found following a conversation with Drewel about average salaries by county in Missouri. According to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, $36,704 was the average amount of total wages in 2021 for Maries County residents. Compared to bordering counties, that number is lower than the $42,818 average in Osage County, the $42,735 average in Pulaski County, the $41,827 average in Phelps County and the $37,073 average in Miller County. It is higher than the $35,341 average in Gasconade County.

Drewel and Fagre discussed fuel prices for the vehicles they oversee. Drewel said he paid $3.46 per gallon for a recent order, which he got from Mt. Sterling Oil Co. Fagre said he paid about 70 cents more per gallon.

Fagre said he would talk to his oil provider about getting a lower price.

Stratman asked Rodgers when the county will begin budgeting for next year.

Rodgers said it will be sometime after Dec. 12, but she has already started some of the paperwork. If the commissioners wanted to wait until the county received all revenue, they would have to start in January.

“Trying to get everybody a raise will be the main thing,” Fagre said.