VIENNA — Sheriff-elect Mark Morgan and Western District Commissioner-elect Patrick Kleffner joined the Maries County Commission for its Nov. 7 meeting.

One topic the group discussed was repairs to the jail, which is currently closed due to a lack of staffing. The commission, Morgan and Vienna Police Chief Shannon Thompson, who Morgan has said he plans to make a reserve county deputy, toured the jail the prior week to see what they could do for maintenance before reopening the jail.

Presiding Commissioner Victor Stratman said he would like the county to advertise for someone to repair some holes in the ceiling that had been cut out in the past for maintenance and patch some rust on the metal. Another consideration was adding tamper-proof screws in some places.

Eastern District Commissioner Doug Drewel asked Morgan what he thought about painting in the jail, where the walls had peeled in several places.

“I would (paint) while it’s empty,” Morgan said. “Plus, it’s a headache to fool with moving people around because once we have people back there it’s going to be a nightmare.”

“I agree with him,” Drewel said. “I think now’s the time to fix it if you’re going to fix it.”

Drewel suggested talking with outgoing Sheriff Chris Heitman before making arrangements, and Morgan agreed.

Stratman asked Morgan what he thought about the property the county purchased at the intersection of Highway 28 and Route Z that the sheriff’s office has been developing as a gun range and storage site.

Morgan asked about the cost to insure the gun range. He said that it is already built, so if the insurance cost is feasible, it makes sense to use the gun range because of the county’s investment in the property.

Stratman said he thought the county had spoken with its insurance provider MOPERM about the property, but he planned to ask about it again.

Drewel asked Morgan what he planned to do with extra vehicles at the sheriff’s office. Morgan said he planned to evaluate the use of the vehicles against their costs to operate and maintain.

Stratman asked Morgan about his plans for staffing the sheriff’s office.

Morgan said he cannot begin hiring until he joins the sheriff’s office. If nothing happens before the new year, that is when he will take over. However, he said that Heitman had contacted him after the primary in August to let him know that if he won in November, the plan was to bring him on early for a smooth transition. He had not heard from Heitman since his win in the general election.

Stratman’s last question was about Morgan’s planned changes for the sheriff’s office.

“One of my biggest priorities is I think we need to get the jail back up,” Morgan said. “I think we’re bleeding money between outhousing and having to run back and forth taking them to court. As a short-term goal, let’s really try to come up with a workable timeline for that.”

Morgan added that separating the responsibilities of jailers and dispatchers remains a top priority.

“I just think trying to do both down there, I think the liability for the county is too high,” he said.

Morgan said if the budget allows, he would like to keep two deputies working overnight.

“I’m going to have to sit down and see how they have it all structured now,” he said. “I know with budget constraints that’s difficult to pull off.”

Morgan plans to attend a training for new sheriffs at Lake of the Ozarks in December.

Western District

Throughout the meeting, the commissioners told Kleffner about how meetings worked and informed him about some of the ongoing projects the commission is overseeing.

Stratman said the current holdup with the Maries Road 213 bridge project over Fly Creek is an issue with the threatened and endangered species environmental study results, which found the project could affect a species of darter fish found about 5 miles downstream. The Missouri Department of Conservation is looking into the issue.

Western District Commissioner Ed Fagre invited Kleffner to visit the Road One shed some time to meet the crew. Kleffner said he would and that he would appreciate it if Fagre would let him ride along any time he goes out looking at county roads before the end of the year.

Stratman said a resident had shared concerns with him about potholes in Maries Road 505. Fagre said the road crews had just started blading again after rain and cleaning up storm damage.

Coroner

Stratman asked how the election of a new coroner for the first time in 48 years would affect the county. Voters chose Tom Tramel over incumbent David Martin, who owns Birmingham-Martin Funeral Home and used his business’s building and equipment in his role as coroner.

“It’s probably going to cost us some money,” County Clerk Rhonda Rodgers said.

Stratman pondered if the county would have to buy a vehicle for the coroner because Martin owns the van he has used. He also asked if the county would have to make accommodations for a morgue.

“(Martin) had all that stuff,” he said.

Stratman left a message for Tramel inviting him to an upcoming commission meeting to discuss his plans for the coroner’s office.

Tramel came to the Nov. 12 meeting to talk with the commissioners about his new role.

“I’m still compiling a lot of information,” he said. “There are a lot of aspects and rules and regulations. I’m still sifting through the job itself. I didn’t realize there was quite as much involved as I’m finding out.”

Tramel said he had talked with the Phelps County Coroner’s Office, which had helped him learn a bit more about the job.

Drewel asked Tramel if he had a vehicle to transport the recently deceased.

“That’s what I don’t know,” Tramel said.

“You’ll have to tell us,” Drewel said. “You’ll have to have something to move bodies.”

“I know,” Tramel said. “That’s one of the bumps in the road. I’d never even heard of that. I just automatically figured that would be provided by the county. Maybe not.”

“No, it never was,” Drewel said.”

Drewel mentioned that the only equipment regularly provided to the coroner’s office by the county is body bags. Martin has always used his own supplies.

“The best thing probably is for you to get with (Martin) and try to talk with him to find out what you need,” Drewel said.

Tramel said he would contact Martin to discuss the coroner’s responsibilities.

“I’m still committed,” he said.

Tramel said he saw a need for a deputy coroner.

“(Martin) never did have one,” Fagre said. “We didn’t pay for it.”

Although Martin has had deputy coroners, the county has only paid for a deputy coroner to attend training. It does not offer compensation for the deputy coroner position.

Tramel said he planned to attend more county commission meetings in the future to further discuss the coroner’s office.

Miscellaneous

A supply line leading to the heater in the employee restroom at the courthouse broke last week, which created a mess in the restroom and the sheriff’s office conference room below it. Stratman said he had shut off the boiler while the issue persisted and Maciejewski Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning was working on it.

During the meeting, a technician brought a rusted piece of pipe to the commissioners that he had pulled from the line. He planned to replace it.

Stratman said county residents should let the county know about indoor flooding from recent rain so the Meramec Regional Planning Commission can document it for possible flood relief.

The commission received a letter from the Missouri Department of Agriculture letting the county know that Show-Me Land Surveying opted out of the contract to survey a handful of corners in the county yearly as part of the state’s corner monumentation project.

Stratman shared that the University of Missouri Extension Fall Beef Dinner and Century Farm Family Recognition will be at the Vichy Volunteer Fire Department on Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door. Those wishing to register can do so by calling 573-422-3359 ext. 1125 or emailing mariesco@missouri.edu. The evening will feature a variety of presentation topics.