VIENNA — When the Maries County Commission convened for its Jan. 11 meeting, the three commissioners found court orders at each of their seats. Last week, Judge John Beger filed his judgment in the Fish Hollow petition (see related story).

The commissioners spoke favorably about the ruling, which declared Maries Road 306, its hammerhead turnaround and the gravel boat ramp into the Gasconade River as public property. However, the commission still had some questions about the order.

Although the order says that the hammerhead turnaround is public, it also says that the parking area is private. The commission was uncertain where the parking lot begins and ends.

The order’s requirement that the county pay for a survey of the road showing 15 feet on either side of the centerline raised another question. The order gives the county 120 days to submit the survey, which Presiding Commissioner Victor Stratman calculated would make for a May 8 deadline. The commission was hesitant to move forward with the survey immediately because of the possibility of an appeal. Stratman contacted a surveyor to have the county put on a list so the county would not miss the deadline.

Western District Commissioner Ed Fagre said he thought the commission should talk to Prosecuting Attorney Tony Skouby about the order, but Skouby was unavailable at the time of the meeting.

EMT Training

At the Jan. 11 meeting, Fagre asked Chief Deputy Scott John about a post made on Facebook on Jan. 10 by the account Maries Countians for Accountability. In one of the anonymous account’s earliest posts from Dec. 29, 2023, it states: “This page is dedicated to those Elected Officials who Enforce and show Accountability in their work. Accountability is not just showing up for your work assignment, but being transparent with the citizens of Maries County and the Municipalities within.”

The Jan. 10 post by the account says: “To the Maries County Commissioners: Can you confirm that we are paying for an Emergency Medical Technician program, (normally employed by Ambulance Services), for a County Employee, the total cost appears to be in excess of $1,500.00. What would this training be utilized for? Can you tell us for which office this expenditure is for?”

John said he did not know where anyone got the information. One of the employees of the sheriff’s office is attending EMT school, but the sheriff’s office is not paying the cost.

“Sheriff (Chris) Heitman and I had discussed paying for it,” he said. “We try to send each deputy every year to a school of some sort that would be beneficial to the office and to the deputies’ furtherment of their careers.”

John said the employee is covering the cost of the training.

“You guys know we haven’t paid for it,” he told the commission. County bills need signature approval by at least two commissioners.

“I wouldn’t have a problem with it myself,” Fagre said. “For $1,500, to have that EMT on the staff…”

“Even if we paid for it, having a medically trained deputy, especially one that’s supervising the jail, that can make medical assessments with more training…” John said. “Nine times out of 10, on serious medical calls, a deputy beats an ambulance to the scene.”

“It could maybe keep somebody alive until the ambulance got there,” Fagre said.

“Exactly,” John said. “Why they would have an issue with a deputy receiving paid medical training is beyond me.”

County Roads

Stratman asked Eastern District Commissioner Doug Drewel if he knew about a tractor-trailer that had recently driven into a ditch on Maries Road 313. Someone from the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) had contacted Stratman because a resident had sent MoDOT a photo of the scene. Stratman said it is not MoDOT’s responsibility to close the road to large trucks, but the county could do it.

Drewel said he knew about it. The road was closed for a couple of hours while the wrecker came to get the truck out of the ditch, and the road closure upset some drivers.

“They think that the road ought to have signs up there,” he said. “No semis on that road. When you do that, where do you stop?”

“Leave the road open,” Fagre said. “It’s a public road.”

License Office Contract

Last spring, the commission applied for the county to continue operating the Vienna License Office. The county received the contract award from the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR). The county has continued to operate the office.

Last November, the commission received notice from the DOR that an error had happened on the application. The document asked applicants to answer several questions about the facility. One of the questions asked about the locations of the restrooms. The county’s application said the restrooms were within the office, but the restrooms are only within the building. The commission submitted a request to modify the contract to reflect the actual placement of the restroom to DOR.

On Jan. 11, the commissioners received a letter from DOR informing them that their request to modify the contract was denied. Stratman contacted Meramec Regional Planning Commission Executive Director Bonnie Prigge for help with how to proceed with the license office contract.

Sales Tax Revenue

Treasurer Angie Stricklan provided her first sales tax report of the year.

In January, the first sales tax fund brought $26,447.76 to General Revenue compared to $31,401.34 last January. January 2024 decreased by about 16 percent from last January’s total.

The second sales tax, which gives one-third to each of General Revenue, Citizens Safety and Roads, brought the county $26,173.97 in revenue in this month. January 2024 decreased by about 16 percent from the previous January.

The third sales tax brought in $26,173.91 in revenue in January. Two-thirds of the tax supports Citizen Safety. Roads and General Revenue split the other one-third. January 2024 decreased by about 16 percent from the previous January.

The law enforcement sales tax brought in $8,689.73 in January. This month decreased by about 17 percent from last January’s total.

The use tax on online orders brought in $22,571.32 in January, which is about 11 percent less than last January’s total.

Other Business

The commission discussed remodeling the courthouse restrooms after taking a look at the upstairs restrooms. The projects would redo the floors and walls. Although the idea is still in its early stages, the commissioners decided it would be best to do each restroom one at a time.

Stratman mentioned that the Missouri Department of Economic Development recently awarded $7.9 million in grants as part of its Cell Towers Grant Program to improve cellular service around the state. Branch Towers VI LLC received $3,235,912.72 for five projects that will serve Lincoln, Pike, Maries, Osage, Pettis, Saline, Boone, Callaway, Audrain, Cole and Miller counties.