VIENNA — The Maries County Commission voted to appoint members to the new Maries County Emergency Services Board on Dec. 1, starting the process that will shift control of county dispatch operations to an independent governing body.

The vote took place after Commissioner Doug Drewel arrived late to the meeting, as no official board action could occur until quorum was present. Once convened, commissioners moved forward with appointing seven members to the new board, structured with three members from the west side of the Gasconade River, three from the east side and one at-large representative. These appointments were part of the process to implement the new board, a byproduct of the Nov. 4 voter-approved funding for a new 911 Dispatch Center.

Appointed from the western side of the county are Allan Pollerisz, representing fire services; Don Lanning, representing ambulance services; and Steve Sinden, who serves in active law enforcement and has been a county resident for more than 10 years.

Appointed from the eastern side of the county are Stephen Conrad, a retired and former member of the ambulance board who will also serve as a general public representative; Keith Kilmer, a retired law enforcement officer from California will serve as a public representative and use his background in law enforcement; and Cindy Butler, president of the Ozark Central Ambulance District will represent ambulance services.

Bonnie Prigge, who is active with the Vichy Fire Department, was appointed chairman to complete the seven member board. Prigge will oversee the organization of the board’s first meeting and guide the group through its initial setup and transition process.

Commissioners said the board was intentionally structured to reflect a balance of experience across the county including residents, fire protection, emergency medical services and law enforcement from both sides of the county.

The seven members will serve only during the transition period leading up to the April 2026 election, when voters will elected new members. Appointed members are eligible to seek election if they choose.

Next steps are to reach out to Prigge. Once each appointee formally confirms availability, the board’s first official meeting will be scheduled.

Before the board voted, Conrad stopped by the meeting to speak with commissioners regarding general board operations and expectations for the new 911 governing body. He was later appointed as one of the eastern representatives.

In other business, commissioners also addressed several additional county matters during the meeting. Discussion took place regarding County Road 301, which ends near Turkey Hill. Commissioners noted the road is approximately eight miles in length, with about one-and-a-half-miles falling under Maries County jurisdiction.

“We take care of the part that’s in Maries County,” Western District Commissioner Patrick Kleffner said. “They grade the road for the cost we pay them.”

Kleffner brought up potentially re-negotiating the deal in the future for money saving techniques regarding grading costs.

“Could we run a grader down there twice a year after you pay $3,300,” Kleffner asked. “Because usually twice a year is all that’s gonna get done anyway. We might be able to save some money there.”

Kleffner said he will be looking into County Road 301.

An update was provided regarding staffing at the Maries County License Office. Sharon Miller was hired and began work on Dec. 1 with a starting wage of $19 an hour as a license clerk, according to Tiffany Kelley, manager of the license office. Miller in training this week.

“I’m very excited,” Miller said. “This opportunity allows me to be home with my family more and help serve my community that I’ve been born and raised in.”

Using her 14 years of prior law enforcement experience and nine years of experience as a municipal court clerk, Miller will now bring her talents to the license office.

Nicole Bexten, 911 dispatcher,  briefly stopped by the meeting to check on the progress of the 911 board’s creation but did not take part in formal discussion.

Commissioners also continued discussion regarding a stop-work order involving a septic system on property owned by Mark Bomback on HH Highway. According to information presented, the home has had a septic system in place for approximately 25 to 30 years, and work was underway to repair or replace the existing system when the project was halted.

Stratman made phone calls to the Maries-Phelps Health Department to try and resolve the situation during the meeting. After speaking with the department, Strataman was told they had no knowledge of the situation. Someone from the department then spoke with the contractor, Junior Strickland.

Uncertainty remains over whether the stop order was issued by the Maries-Phelps Health Department, surrounding angencies, or even a neighbor. As a final step, Stratman requested verification through a photograph of the posted notice and said a site visit involving health officials and the property owner will likely be necessary to determine how the matter should proceed. No action was taken.