VIENNA — The county commissioners during their April 13 meeting recognized the need for emergency procedures in case of active shooter or fire.

In their ongoing effort to revise their employee manual, the commissioners reviewed a version drafted in 2023 but never adopted.

The manual covers standards for health and safety practices.  For example, the handbook says that all employees are to be “familiar with safety requirements and practices applicable to their respective work assignments including building lockdown procedures.”

Deputy Clerk Renee Kottwitz noted that the courthouse doesn’t have an active shooter policy or safety drills.  She said that no one at the courthouse knows what to do if there is an active shooter and that most of the doors, which are glass, would be ineffective against stopping a threat.

Rodney Southard, nominee for eastern district commissioner, asked if there is a fire drill or a courthouse speaker system, to which the answer was no.

“I don’t really know if we have smoke alarms in here,” Kottwitz said

She then walked out of the commission and to check the hall for a smoke alarm, and she found one.

“There’s a real old yellow-looking thing up in the ceiling halfway down the hallway,” she said.

Kottwitz and the commissioners expressed concern over whether the fire alarms even work and Western District Commissioner Patrick Kleffner said they would need to call the fire department before testing.  Presiding Commissioner Vic Stratman suggested speaking with Sheriff Mark Morgan for guidance on courthouse lockdowns.

The commissioners also continued reviewing rules for drug usage for county employees, especially for those who drive county vehicles.  Stratman called Morgan, who agreed to come to the April 16 meeting to share about the different kinds of tests.

Kleffner is meeting with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and MECO engineering on April 15 to continue planning the Fly Creek bridge replacement on county Road 213.

Joanie Prenger, MoDOT transportation coordinator, emailed County Clerk Rhonda Rodgers regarding the project.  A few square feet from a few different property owners’ land were acquired for the project, but the deeds were altered with handwritten notes after being recorded.  This error means that the deeds will likely have to be corrected and recorded again.

David Honse of the Vienna Lions Club told the commissioners that he had heard that the Missouri University extension needed office space.  He said that he has a building that is infrequently used on Vienna Rolla Road and inquired about making a deal with the university.  Southard, the chairman of the extension, said that he would bring it up at the next meeting.

The commission meeting ended in closed session with Prosecuting Attorney Tony Skouby.