States, counties and cities in the United States will be receiving stimulus package money that includes $350 billion in direct aid to state and local governments in the American Rescue Plan recently passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden. 

Two weeks ago the Maries County Commission received notification the county and its cities all will receive two payments. At last Thursday’s county commission meeting they had a bit more information although they are awaiting information and guidance on how the money can be spent. In the United States, $65.1 billion will be given to counties, $19.5 billion will be given to cities with populations less than 50,000, and $45.6 billion to cities with population greater than 50,000. 

Maries County was informed it will receive $1,686,730. The funding must be spent by the end of the 2024 calendar year. 

Funds can be used to provide government services affected by a reduction in revenue, relative to revenues collected in the full fiscal year completed prior to the Covid-19 health emergency. The American Rescue Plan also provides funding for necessary investment in water, sewer or broadband infrastructure, among other uses. Payments will be made in two revenue distributions as half will come within 60 days of enactment with the balance distributed 12 months later. More information about eligible uses “is forthcoming.”

The commissioners had a stack of paper detailing how much the counties and cities in Missouri are expected to receive. The amounts are based on population using 2019 Census data. Cities in Maries County and in the area are to receive the following revenue: Belle $272,413, Vienna $109,407, Bland $97,251, Argyle $29,470, Dixon $267,072, Freeburg $77,911, Meta $40,521, Rolla $3,763,138, St. James $743,013, and Westphalia $69,807.

Eastern District Commissioner Doug Drewel commented the money “will help these little towns.”

Land Sale Public Hearing

The county commission had some visitors at the March 15 meeting as at 9:30 a.m. a public hearing was held about selling a surplus of 3.56 acres located at Junction E and MCR #512 in western Maries County. The land was donated to the county 130 years ago to be used as a church or a school. Attending the meeting were attorney Albert Crump, Jr., Quentin Davis, Gerard Newport, Joan Prenger, and Franz Bell.

Crump said the county plans to sell the property located at Section 32, Township 39, Range 9 on MCR #512. The commissioners must make a motion to declare it surplus property and not necessary to operate the county. The 3.56 acres of land will be sold at auction to the highest bidder on the courthouse steps. 

Presiding Commissioner Victor Stratman said it was donated to the county to benefit a church or school and the proceeds from the sale will go to a church and school. Crump asked if there is a church in that township. Western District Commissioner Ed Fagre said the Kenner Church is and the students in that township attend Maries R-1 School, Vienna. Davis said there were several schools in the township such as Bell, McMinn and Kenner and in the 1960s they were combined with Hayden Heights and later reorganized into the Maries R-1 School District. 

Crump asked for a motion to declare the 3.56 acres as surplus property, to sell it, with the proceeds going to the church and school. Drewel made the motion, Fagre gave the second, and the commissioners all voted in favor. 

Crump said he will prepare a formal order for the commission and start the advertising. It probably should run four weeks, the same amount of time a tax sales is advertised. Stratman said they want to do it right. 

In further reporting, this reporter was told by a person who lived in the area that there was an old church on the property, which was called “the old log church.”

Assessor closer to GIS 

Maries County Assessor Dana Simmons was at the meeting briefly to discuss the progress of the GIS system. The assessor purchased the mapping system with $168,000 of CARES Act money from SAM (surveying and mapping), a company out of Maryville. The federal money gave the assessor the opportunity to upgrade to this much-needed mapping service.

Simmons said they have three townships to finish up and then will begin putting in the 911 addresses. She said this should be finished by late summer. 

Stratman asked if there are any additional expenses with the GIS. Simmons said there is a $3,600 annual fee to host the website. Stratman wondered if this can be handled in house by the technology coordinator. Fagre said for $3,600 it probably will be money well spent as the SAM employees are familiar with it and may frown on someone else doing it. 

There will be some income from the GIS as the county can sell subscriptions to real estate companies and others to access more details that the public can see. It will be free to the public to access but the information will be limited. 

Stratman asked if it could be used to figure out where and what type of internet is available in areas. Simmons said it could be a mapping layer but she is not sure where this information can be found. 

Flood damage

It was a rainy week. Stratman said he measured 3.6 inches from the total rain event.

He said people who have structures that flooded can possibly receive some disaster assistance, although he is not sure. Persons with flooding issues are asked to contact him about the assistance at 573-690-9917 before they clean up. 

Farmer’s Meat Market

Stratman spoke with Chris Brundick, who is one of the partners developing the Farmer’s Meat Market off Highway V, Vienna. He told him they started killing animals on Monday. Brundick said they are waiting on a scale and have had to use a platform scale, which is time consuming. People are very interested in doing business with this new butcher business. 

Pump it out

County Clerk Rhonda Rodgers informed the commissioners that MFA had put over 1,000 gallons of propane into the courthouse’s tanks and charged the county $1.89 per gallon for a total bill of $2,523.39. The problem is that MFA no longer has the contract with the county to provide propane. Three Rivers is the current propane provider chosen by the county as the company had the low bid of 88 cents a gallon. Rodgers said she talked to a MFA company representative who she said was very nice and who took responsibility for the error. The company will come and pump out the propane it put into the tanks and will give the county a refund.

Workers Comp

Stratman was looking over information on the county’s workers compensation claims with MOPERM, which is the current provider. In 2014 the county paid a premium of $24,016 and the company paid out claims totaling $71,264. In 2020 the county paid an annual premium of $37,609 and the company paid out claims totaling $1,755. The 2021 premium paid is $37,980 and as of yet no claims have been paid. 

Building and grounds

Stratman said the courthouse lawn “looks a mess” and needs fescue seed in places where there is no grass. He thinks it needs to be fertilized as well.

The commissioners discussed taking photographs of county employees for the website. Rather than hire a professional photographer, Beth Wulff, who works in the collector’s office, has volunteered to take the photos. Also, Stratman said he’d like to have a flyover drone photo of the courthouse and he thinks the county can use one taken in 2017 by Emily Helms. 

Technology Coordinator Shane Sweno said he will look at the Zoom meeting held in Osage County about improving internet capacity. Also, Sweno said all of the outside cameras on the courthouse are in place and working. He may add some conduit to cover the wiring so it won’t be seen.