MARIES COUNTY — The courthouse is a big, old building that always is in need of a repair or upgrade. Recently it seems as though the Maries County Commissioners have been dealing with issues ranging from a smelly supply closet, additional shelving in the boiler room to the installation of security cameras.

The commissioners spoke with the courthouse contracted IT person, Shane Sweno, about his progress. Sweno wanted to know who his supervisor is when he’s doing IT work. He also works as a sheriff’s dispatcher in the 911 Call System. He asked if courthouse staff needs him, should they go through a commissioner or can they come to Sweno directly.

Presiding Commissioner Victor Stratman said Sweno knows his job and he should go ahead and do the work he is tasked to do and also help courthouse staff with their IT issues. But, if there is a substantial expense to a project, he needs to get it approved through the county commission. Sweno has been handling IT for the county for about seven months and thinks he’s doing an okay job. He said he’s been “pokey” about some things but is making progress. The last issue with the phones was with Mytel and he could not control it. Stratman said he’s still working with AT&T to get a billing/line issue resolved. Sweno wondered if the county could get a different 911 vendor such as Century Link. County Treasurer Rhonda Slone said Century Link is not here in Vienna. Stratman said Sweno can check into this, but asked him not to agree to any changes before talking to the commissioners.

Sweno said the last couple of months the internet has been working well and there is plenty of broadband for everyone. He has 22 cameras installed and on the system. The second and third floors and sheriff’s office are on one computer and it is maxed out. They have an older PC and he wants to put some of the cameras on it. The first floor is still not wired. Stratman said there is more of a chance of violence on the first floor. Sweno said the cameras are always on, all of them archive on the computer and there is still plenty of space. He said the computer recordings are live action 10 grams per second versus television which is 16 per second. He said they can save money by using another computer.

Sweno said he will report back next week. Stratman told him he’s “real pleased with your work.”

County Clerk Rhonda Rodgers reported Stephanie Plassmeyer’s daughter returned her computer.

On Stand By

Stratman said when the area had the heavy snow, the courthouse custodian, Shane Eaton, cleared the sidewalks. They had discussed hiring Jamie Snodgrass who has a lawn care business to remove the snow when it is a heavy snowfall as using a four wheeler with a blade is a lot quicker than using a shovel on the sidewalks into the building and all around the square. Stratman said there usually is not that much snow.

Eastern District Commissioner Doug Drewel said they have to get the snow off of the sidewalks. He suggested asking Snodgrass to be on stand by during heavy snow and ask him to come when they call him.

Smelly Closet

A few days later, Deputy Clerk Renee Kottwitz said there is a terrible smell in the supply closet in the commissioner’s meeting room. Custodian Eaton and Stratman investigates They found stuff piled up and covering a drain downstairs, which was keeping the air out, and they found nasty, soiled towels around the upstairs jail area. The commissioners asked the messes be cleaned up and that more chemicals are added in the drain.

Dry

The commissioners previously spoke with Ken Stratman about the buckling in places the concrete floor covered in carpet tiles in the sheriff’s office hallway. He pulled up some tiles in the hallway, drilled into the concrete and found it to be dry. He said he will work up something to see how the county can get it fixed.

Outside the Yellow Line

Custodian Eaton approached the commissioners about adding shelves in the boiler room in an attempt to get stuff off the floor. Stratman talked to Sheriff’s Deputy Lt. Scott John about Eaton keeping the boiler room in order and clean from now on. Stratman asked if everything could be kept outside the yellow line that surrounds the boiler and that nothing be piled on the drain.

Needs Salt

The water softener came up as it needs salt and Eaton asked where they got it from. The county had a contract with Ecowater Systems, but the contract does not require salt be purchased from the company. They decided to stay local and called MFA and will start buying it from MFA.

County Property

County Clerk Rhonda Rodgers reported Stephanie Plassmeyer’s daughter returned her computer.

Rodgers said former Vienna License Office Manager Stephanie Plassmeyer had returned county-owned property she possessed, including her notary embosser, metal seal and a stamp. All of this was paid for by the county for over $100, purchased through a bonding company.  Stratman said the papers should be shredded and the other items should be disposed of.

Newspaper Bids

Because there are two legal newspapers in Maries County and there are legal notices of election information, ballots and other legal advertisements such as financial statements the county is required to publish in a legal newspaper, the commissions must decide the fairest way to handle it. Rodgers said there is a lot of election information published in the newspapers and the county can’t afford to advertise in both of them, so they will have to choose. She thinks the fairest way is to bid it out. One of the commissioners asked if she meant all of it for a whole year and Rodgers said she’s not sure. They had a lot of questions and the commissioners asked that the two publishers meet with them at 9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 13.

Minimum of $500

There has been a renewed conversation about doing something different with the old, pot bellied, metal safe that once was in the collector’s office, but for years has been in the custodian’s room. It is old, heavy and it is locked. A “Safe Fund” was begun several years ago and Treasurer Slone checked the account and it has $139 in it. The fund was started in an effort to renovate the old safe because it is a piece of the county’s and courthouse’s history.   Stratman contacted Abbco Lock about getting the safe open and he was told it will cost a minimum of $500. The commissioners voted to leave the safe as it is for now, but they may move it into the front foyer as a public display.

MAC

Clerk Rodgers had paperwork for the commissioners to sign to use Missouri Association of Counties (MAC) for the county’s worker’s compensation insurance for 2020. This is a switch from Missouri Employers Mutual (MEM) as that company was underbid by MAC for the county’s business.

The commissioners also gave their approval for a third person to work in the License Office on the last day of the month.

Complex Project

Stratman received paperwork stating a trial use agreement has been reached between Missouri Central Railroad and Missouri Department of Natural Resources for rail-banking of the rail line in the counties of Cass, Pettis, Benton, Morgan, Miller, Cole, Osage, Maries, Gasconade and Franklin. This covers a large and complex project, consisting of about 144 miles of rail corridor. The development of this trail ultimately could lead to the reason of a 400-mile rail-to-trail loop in Missouri.