HERMANN — Judges regularly ask for quiet in their courtrooms. Now, there’s one asking for a little noise in his.

Circuit Court Presiding Judge Craig Hellmann is asking the Gasconade County Commission to install a system in the second-floor courtroom that produces “white noise,” which would be aimed at preventing sidebar discussions held at the bench during proceedings from being heard by the audience and the jury.

Jennifer Schneider, deputy circuit clerk and unchallenged Republican candidate to succeed retiring Circuit Clerk Pam Gruenke, Thursday morning relayed Hellmann’s request during the Commission’s regular weekly session. The system needs wiring installed in the big courtroom to allow a sound system to produce white noise of some sort to shield the conversations held at the bench.

Schneider said the courtrooms of Osage and Franklin counties, the other counties in the 20th Circuit, are outfitted to accommodate a sound system that produces white noise.

The Commission took under advisement the circuit judge’s request.

Budget amendment reflects CDBG funds 

allocated to Peaceful Valley sewer upgrades

In other matters, the county administrators amended the operating budget to include a $750,000 Community Development Bloc Grant obtained by the county on behalf of Public Water Supply District 1 for a wastewater system upgrade. That grant was received from the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

“The budget has been prepared to receive the $750,000 and disperse it,” said County Clerk Lesa Lietzow. She explained there will be a test made of the payment transfer system to ensure it works properly before “the real bills” start arriving for payment on the project. The PWSD 1 project is also being funded by a $1-million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The entire project has a price tag of just over $2 million.

The county’s involvement in the project lasts only as long as the CDBG money lasts. The grant money will be used first and then the USDA loan money kicks in, officials said.

Sheriff seeks grant for deputy salaries

Also regarding grant funds, Sheriff Scott Eiler is asking the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) to prepare the paperwork for applying for a COPSFAST grant that would fund the hiring and equipping of three full-time deputies. Eiler told the Commission he also hopes to hire three more deputies with money generated by the half-cent sales tax for law enforcement that was approved in April. The first dollars from that tax aren’t expected until the end of this year. That money will be share on a 75-25 basis with five of the six municipalities in the county.

The COPSFAST grant is a 3-year program with the grant providing 100-percent payment for the deputies the first year and then decreasing amounts in each of the next two years.

Eiler said if he’s successful in bringing on board six more deputies, his staff would have 15 deputies.

Thursday morning’s session was attended briefly by Tim Schulte, one of three Republican candidates seeking to succeed retiring Presiding Commissioners Larry Miskel, R-Hermann. The other candidates are David Slater and Jerry Spurgeon.

Schulte, who in April won re-election to the Gasconade County R-1 School District Board of Directors, said he wanted to see what the Commission was working on before kicking off his campaign for the county’s top elected office. He is the only candidate of the three to attend a Commission session thus far.