Dec. 26, 2019

The Gasconade County Commission met with Presiding Commissioner Larry Miskel at the Courthouse beginning with Pledge of Allegiance.

PRIOR MINUTES

Commissioner Jerry Lairmore made a motion to approve prior commission minutes dated Dec. 19, 2019. Commissioner Jim Holland seconded the motion. The motion passed by vote:

Jerry Lairmore (Yes),

Jim Holland (Yes),

Larry Miskel (Yes).

ROAD CONCERNS AND COMPLAINTS

Commissioner Lairmore had stopped at Drake first this morning and one of the operators was working on the brush cutter which was broke down and several employees’ are on vacation. Commissioner Holland reported some road name signs down and a few minor calls.

Clerk Lietzow said now that budget work is going to begin, she contacted Archer‑Elgin to get an idea how much to budget for the BRO project in 2020; the timeline indicates it will not be completed until 2021, so the expense and revenue line items will need an amount entered in. She handed out the budget worksheets for road and bridge and Commissioner Lairmore will drop them off on his way back through Drake; Commission took copies also to look at so when meeting there on Jan. 2, time can be spent putting it together before coming to Owensville.

GENERAL DISCUSSION

Presiding Commissioner Miskel had been asked by Hermann Mayor Robert Koerber who would be assuming the duties of the EMD until a new hire was in place and he was told the three Commissioners’ would be; in fact, he will be attending a meeting at the Callaway Nuclear Power Plant on Jan. 10. Applications are being accepted through Jan. 8; Commissioner Lairmore said he will move the Mobile Command Post either today or tomorrow, from Owensville to the Sheriff’s Satellite Office property at Swiss.

Commission held the first budget hearing with no public comments offered; Clerk Lietzow said all individual budgets would be handed out today to elected officials and department heads, including their own. All are marked with a return date of Jan. 6, so Commission agreed to meet Jan. 7 for the first look at them. Clerk Lietzow’s office and Treasurer Mike Feagan will have closed out the revenue for the year of 2019 and balanced and projected 2020 income by then also. Commission recommended elected officials pencil in three percent raises as a starting point when filling in budget requests. Presiding Commissioner Miskel wanted it mentioned for the record that elected officials are to be commended for staying within a very tight budget for another year; many other city and county governments are struggling financially, even borrowing. He had also been contacted by board member of the Gasconade County Courthouse Society saying that this organization will be disbanding, so they will turn over their funds to the Courthouse Restoration Fund.

Commission was notified that MoDNR and Missouri Central Railroad have reached a trail use agreement for rail‑banking of the rail line known as the Rock Island line corridor; they also received letter from legal counsel Ivan Schraeder asking if Commission wanted to renew the legal services agreement for 2020, which they do.

MOTION/VOTE

Commissioner Jerry Lairmore made a motion to renew legal services agreement with Ivan Schraeder for 2020. Commissioner Jim Holland seconded the motion. The motion passed by vote:

Jerry Lairmore (Yes),

Jim Holland (Yes),

Larry Miskel (Yes).

ADJOURN

Commissioner Jerry Lairmore made a motion to adjourn commission until Jan. 2, 2020. Commissioner Jim Holland seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned.