County commissioners, officials, EM director, discuss COVID-19 impact, courthouse

By Laura Schiermeier, Staff Writer
Posted 4/15/20

MARIES COUNTY — At the Maries County Commission meeting on Thursday, April 9, Maries County Emergency Management Director Scott John said at that time no more positive COVID-19 cases had been …

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County commissioners, officials, EM director, discuss COVID-19 impact, courthouse

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MARIES COUNTY — At the Maries County Commission meeting on Thursday, April 9, Maries County Emergency Management Director Scott John said at that time no more positive COVID-19 cases had been reported in the county. As of April 8, all of the previous cases had either been determined to be recovered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s clinical guidance for recovery or following two repeat negative tests at least 24 hours apart. He said there are guidelines to follow before persons who have had the virus can come out of the forced quarantine. One of the guidelines is being fever free for three days.

Presiding Commissioner Victor Stratman asked what happens when someone suspects they have come in contact with someone with the virus. John said the Phelps-Maries County Health Department provides guidance and there is a mandatory quarantine.

Stratman asked what the county can do during the uncertain time. John said he has been “over-documenting” because at this point they don’t know what will be financially reimbursed by the federal government later on. He has been keeping in contact with SEMA.

Western District Commissioner Ed Fagre said there are over six million Americans who filed for unemployment. There were more people who applied for unemployment last month than did in all of 2019. In Missouri more than 100,000 filed for unemployment claims last week, a 147 percent increase over the previous week, according to the Missouri Department of Labor.

John said besides the regular unemployment benefit, each person also gets $600 a week from the federal government. He said people can apply online and “get a check quick.”

Stratman said Missouri will receive federal money of $1 billion for COVID-19 and its impact on the state, with Kansas City and St. Louis getting their own money because of the size of the cities. The affected time period is March 1 through Dec. 30. He said Maries County needs to document COVID-19 expenditures. John added that any precaution the county takes, even if it’s buying sanitizer, document it because it later means revenue for the county.

John said there are numerous families in the county who are under quarantine because they’ve been in direct contact with a positive coronavirus case and individuals quarantined. Those under quarantine orders have not been tested for the virus or have not tested positive, according to the health department. These cases are monitored by the health department twice a day. In Maries County there has been a total of 15 known tests for coronavirus, with two confirmed cases, now classified as recovered as of April 8.

John said one Maries County family that has recovered and are negative for the virus is being harassed by other people and are talked about in the rumor mill. He’s seen messages from people saying they are out and about and objecting to it.

Stratman said with the kids out of school, there may be people who need to stay home and take care of their kids because they don’t have daycare and the kids are too young to take care of themselves. He wondered if this can be reimbursed if they can’t come to work because of it. John said child care facilities are still open and considered essential, although they are following stricter health department guidelines.

On Monday, April 13, License Officer Manager Jennifer Roberson told the commissioners people have been asking her when the courthouse will be open again to the public. Stratman said the governor said they are to remain closed until April 24 and it will be up to the governor. Eastern District Commissioner Doug Drewel said at that time if the courthouse is opened will depend on the situation. The courthouse may not be opened. They don’t know.

To Smoke or Not To Smoke

Stratman said the county clerk’s office sent out an email asking the smokers to use the containers outside for their cigarette butts/ends. They are still dealing with the problems of people using the building to put out their cigarettes which stains the building, and some people aren’t using the cigarette end container and instead throwing them on a pile on the sidewalk. It was noted the courthouse employees who smoke said they are not doing this. Stratman said they need to replace the cigarette end containers because the bottoms have rusted out of them.

It was noted there have been multiple complaints about the smoking outside the doors. Fagre said in the past when this was an issue, they talked about eliminating smoking on the courthouse grounds. Stratman said a lot of places do that and for the county it would eliminate a lot of issues.

Clerk Deputy Renee Kottwitz said the benches in the smoking area on the east side of the building outside that courthouse entrance are in bad shape and likely a liability. Stratman said they looked into getting a grant to buy three new benches, but didn’t so if they want them the county will have to pay for them. Kottwitz said it’s a nice place to sit. Treasurer Rhonda Slone said people still have to walk through smoke there when they come in that door. Stratman said the people who work in the assessor’s office want to be able to open their windows but when they do, smoke comes into the office. Some of the sheriff’s office smokers smoke on the exterior stairway into the conference room on the west side of the building. There have been complaints about when there are a lot of people smoking on the steps of the front entrance.

In the smoking area outside the east side doorway, both the benches and the table are no longer sturdy and the pavers are uneven. The courthouse custodian said the pavers need to be redone. He said he found a plastic cigarette butt receptacle and put it out there.

Stratman asked the group if they should eliminate smoking at the front entrance, on the steps into the building, and the front porch? He said most hospitals have done this at all entrances. Someone said people can’t even smoke in their vehicles on hospital property. Stratman said they should talk to Prosecutor Tony Skouby about his opinion on banning smoking from the premises.

Eastern District Commissioner Doug Drewel said on court days there might be 15 people out front smoking at the same time with cigarette butts all over the place. Someone asked if a deputy would need to stationed there on those days. “I don’t want to make people go around to the back of the building to smoke,” he said. “Let them smoke. We’re making a mountain out of a molehill.”

They talked about buying new benches for the front porch, one for the foyer, and now to replace the aging, wobbly benches in the smoking area at the east entrance. The benches are fairly expensive. Fagre said with the coronavirus fallout, the county will experience the need to make some very serious budget cuts, “If this thing drags on.” The Road One CART funds, gasoline tax revenue, was down about $4,000 in March. Treasurer Slone said they knew it would go down because people are not out driving. County Clerk Rhonda Rodgers said they probably need to start cutting back on expenses right now. Kottwitz said they don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on benches.

John suggested they make the whole place a non-smoking area. Drewel said the next thing is the whole county.

They also discussed moving the smoking area to the south door area.

Stratman asked if they want to make a decision about ceasing smoking at the front entrance, saying they can put up a sign. Drewel said before long they’ll be putting up a sign saying you can’t even scratch, and the group laughed. He asked if they really need the benches because they are so high in price. Fagre said they can take the benches out and see what happens as it may keep people from smoking at the front door area.

More on the Benches

On Monday, April 13, Stratman said he’s been thinking about the benches and thinks they should “just let it go. We need to watch our money.” The wooden benches on the front steps and the one in the foyer are still good, they just need to be painted. He thinks they probably were made by a local person and asked if anybody remembers who built the benches. “We don’t know how this will shake out, how long it will go on and what it will do with the county’s tax revenue,” Stratman said.

More on Smoking

On Monday, April 13, Stratman said the county clerk’s office sent an email to courthouse employees about the cigarette butt problem and they found out the tree trimmers knocked over the cigarette butt receptacle that made the mess in the east side smoking area. He said they still need to order a new receptacle.

Courthouse Closed

At the April 6 commission meeting (from minutes received on April 9) Ron Calzone of the Dixon area met with the commissioners outside the courthouse after obtaining entrance into the courthouse when it was closed to the public. Calzone said he thinks the county is breaking the law by not letting him into the building. The commissioners told Calzone the governor issued an emergency order, a stay at home order, and they intend to follow it to avoid mass gatherings at the courthouse. Stratman said Calzone thinks they are over-reacting to the coronavirus and will kill the economy with all of the closures.

Getting somewhere

Stratman reported he is “maybe understanding” the AT&T bills and the problems getting it straighten out. He contacted the company again last week. The county did receive a $900 credit applied to the two phone accounts it kept. However, the county still owes over $4,000 on two other accounts, the ones they’ve been trying to cancel since January 2019. “I think I got somewhere last week” during his over an hour-long phone call with AT&T.

Census

Stratman reminded people need to fill out their census and be counted if they have not done so. One thing he found out was the census is not sent to people who use a post office box. People with PO boxes are encouraged to go online and see what they need to do.

Building and Grounds

It was stated people are using the dropbox since the courthouse has been closed to the public. Most of the items in the dropbox are for the license office.

A representative of Norton Power and Equipment repaired the courthouse generator will be sending a bill. He figured out the battery was shorting out and putting extra voltage to the starter. Parts were purchased and the generator was fixed.

John said they are trying to keep jail numbers down because of the coronavirus.