VIENNA — FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) Project Manager Kristi Moses visited the Maries County Commission on Oct. 9 to review ongoing recovery work and provide guidance on federal project submissions. She presented a report on the County Road 213 bridge. Western District Commissioner Patrick Kleffner had inspected the bridge just three days earlier, following concerns about erosion next to the structure. Commissioners approved the FEMA report.

Moses then moved on to speak about roadside embankments projects.

“We are good on the roadside embankments, and have gotten everything I need from you on that,” she said, noting she was only waiting on the mitigation team to complete their portion of the report.

Though Moses could not provide exact project specifics, she described the types of work FEMA is overseeing. Assessments of bridges for erosion, maintenance and repair of roadside embankments, improvements to low-water crossings, installation or upkeep of box culverts, debris removal from roads and waterways and administrative work related to preparing FEMA submissions, known as Category Z projects.

Moses walked commissioners through FEMA’s workflow.

Submitted projects first go to the Consolidated Resource Center for verification and cost estimates, followed by mitigation review, then onto environmental and historical preservation checks and then finally onto state obligation.

“When it obligates, the payment goes to the state,” Moses said. “And so then it’s up to the state to decide how they want to distribute it to you.”

She added that if all of that goes smoothly, the process typically takes around 60 days.

Category Z projects, the last submission after all other projects are done, cover paperwork and meetings and can account for up to 5 percent of total project obligations or actual labor costs, whichever is lower.

Moses also said this would be the final in-person meeting for the current FEMA field team, as staff would return to Kansas City and wait for reassignment.

While the FEMA updates provided a federal framework, the commission handled routine county business. Officials discussed a bill granting a potential $14,000 salary increase for the county coroner, a voted on position, pending approval by the salary commission. They also reviewed property and utility assessments, noting that most revenue comes from state-assessed sources such as pipelines and telephone lines.

During the meeting, a tax sheet for the previous month was presented to commissioners. One notable statistic showed sales in Maries County had dropped 20 percent in September. Treasurer Angie Pasley said she is not worried, noting the early birds who start their Christmas shopping should help boost revenue as the holiday season progresses.

A workers’ compensation claim involving a county employee’s injury was also addressed. Commissioners agreed to process the $826 medical bill through workers’ compensation, noting any potential insurance rate increases would likely be minor.

In other business Maries County Commissioners approved a $2,600 autopsy bill.

Sheriff Mark Morgan joined the meeting at approximately 10:35 a.m. and told commissioners his department is currently down two employees. He said one of his officers, Brandon McDougal, has accumulated more than 200 hours of compensatory time.

Presiding Commissioner Vic Stratman asked Morgan if there was a way to bring comp time down for employees.

“Is there a way that we can keep that comp time down,” Stratman said as he questioned Morgan. “Either you can staff and require people to take time off, or is it you just don’t have enough staff that you’re using depending on the same people.”

Morgan said staffing shortages are the concern at the moment, particularly within 911 dispatch.

“The problem right now is dispatching,” Morgan said. “For the fact that we’re down one in the jail and we’re down one in dispatch, which automatically means we’re going to accumulate comp time to staff those positions.”

The ongoing 911 dispatch sales tax and the update on the $5,300 missing from June are covered in separate articles in this week’s edition of the Advocate.

In addition, the Maries County Sheriff Department is looking into a $50,000 grant to help with jail infrastructure upgrades.

Editor’s Note: In last week’s edition of the Advocate, it was printed that there is ongoing litigation involving Windstream and Maries County. There is currently no litigation taking place and county commissioners are exploring all options to bring the issue to a close. The Advocate regrets this error.