Maries County Courthouse reopens to public

Stratman encourages businesses, residents to do all they can to keep people from getting sick

By Laura Schiermeier, Staff Writer
Posted 5/6/20

Maries County — The Maries County Commission has decided to reopen the county on Monday, May 4, following the governor’s order earlier in the week for this to be done. This includes all …

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Maries County Courthouse reopens to public

Stratman encourages businesses, residents to do all they can to keep people from getting sick

Posted

Maries County — The Maries County Commission has decided to reopen the county on Monday, May 4, following the governor’s order earlier in the week for this to be done. This includes all county businesses, churches and the courthouse. The commission urges the public to continue to use social/physical distancing and other safety measures to avoid COVID-19 virus infection.

The commissioners made the decision at last Thursday’s county commission meeting. They will follow Missouri Governor Mike Parson’s plan to reopen the courthouse May 4 under guidance that will remain in place through at least May 31. The governor’s stay-at-home order expires on Sunday, May 3.

At the meeting to help the commissioners with the decision were Maries County Emergency Management Director Scott John and Phelps-Maries Health Department Director Ashley Wann. They also talked about spending and documenting expenses of $1,020,000 Maries County will receive from the federal CARES Act to pay for the expenses the county has incurred due to the COVID-19 coronavirus.

The Vienna License Office located in the courthouse causes the biggest concern. Presiding Commissioner Victor Stratman said they have taken the bench in the license office out of it and put it in the lower end of the hallway. They want to discourage mass gatherings. There will be three clerks working in the license office and they will allow only three people in the office at one time. Plexiglass was installed by custodian Shawn Eaton at each of the license office work stations. Stratman said Eaton has been doing a lot of extra work keeping the courthouse sanitized. There will be people in the hallway and social/physical distancing is encouraged. Stratman said they need to keep the six feet of spacing between others as best they can. Stratman noted citizens will not be ticketed or fined until after July 15 if they have expired license plates. He said people don’t need to be in a hurry to renew their licenses.

On Monday, May 4, the commissioners reported the license office was doing a brisk business.

Open up Completely

Stratman asked John and Wann if they recommend they open the county up completely? Wann said not completely, but follow the governor’s order. She said the only thing she sees that’s not opened up are public playgrounds. Restaurants have to do required spacing, no more than 10 people at one table, all families sit together, but the order does not limit occupancy. “They will know what they can do,” she said. Bars will be open but sitting beside others at the bar is discouraged.

Public playgrounds have common touch areas so will remain closed. Wann said she is “leery” of opening up ballfields and thinks that will be up to the cities. John said they can’t have kids sitting side by side in the dugouts. Wann said she thinks its “counterproductive” to have the ballfields open but the playground 50 feet away is closed.

Stratman asked about hairdressers. Wann said they have to limit the number of people in the area at one time and people may have to wait outside in their vehicles instead. “Just because the governor said it does not mean it has to happen,” she said. “Some people are not comfortable with it.”

Stratman said they are allowing all businesses to open with precautions. Wann said they are acknowledging the governor’s order so they don’t contradict it. 

For churches, John, who is the pastor of the Broadway Baptist Church, said they are encouraged to have plenty of hand sanitizer available, use social distancing by spreading out inside the church, masks for people taking care of children, sit with your family and there will be individual communion cups. Stratman said people who are over 60 are asked not to attend and John said people with high-risk health problems should stay at home as well.

John noted it appears business is picking up and he’s noticed there is a lot more traffic in the county.

Wann said in the surrounding counties the number of positive COVID-19 cases has leveled off. In Maries County, there have been two but nothing currently active. Wann did not state how many people had been tested.

She will write up the new opening up order for Maries County and Stratman will sign it on Monday, May 4. It will extend through May 31. The state of emergency lasts until June 15 when it will be revisited. Stratman said he wants to remind businesses to respect their employees and themselves and to do all they can to keep people from getting sick.

Summertime Fairs

Rodgers asked Wann how long she thinks the social/physical distancing order will last because she has concerns about whether or not the county fairs will be able to be held. Rodgers is on the Belle Fair Board and said they can’t put the fair together in a week. It takes time. Wann said she doesn’t know. Rodgers said the fair board has entertainment signed and money has changed hands. The fair board can’t get the money back, but if the governor says they can’t have the event, then they can get the money back. Stratman said maybe they can have the livestock auction for the kids and their animals. He thinks people will step up and help. Rodgers said they are trying to figure out an alternate plan. John suggested a Facebook live auction. Wann said they can figure out ways to do things but need to keep social/physical distancing. Rodgers said they have concerns about the carnival and the crowds. John said there would be people near each other on the bleachers. Rodgers asked how long should they wait and will they know more by the end of May? Wann said she hopes so. The order they are making today goes through May 31 and later it may be extended in some fashion but, again, they don’t know what it will be. This is the first phase.

Rodgers said if the order is in place, the fair board can get its money back; if not, they have to pay. John said they could not have a demolition derby or a concert, the events that make the most money. Rodgers said they have to pay the carnival a lot of money and if they have to pay the entertainment and people can’t come to the fair, they will be in bad financial shape.

Stratman wondered if there could be cooperation with the Belle Fair and Maries County Fair. Also, he said before they cancel the fair they might consider calling the entertainment company. The right thing to do for that company is to refund the money or apply it to next year. John said the county commission could write a stricter order to close the fair.

No Driver’s License exams

Rodgers spoke with Highway Patrol License Examiner Nichoel Stratman who said they are beginning to do license exams in some locations. However, Maries County is one of the locations they will not be resuming at this time due to the close quarters for the exams in the courthouse. Fagre said if they did there will be “people standing around everywhere.”

Stratman said they apologize these exams will not be possible for a while but “It’s out of our hands.”

Outbidding 

Stratman said he was told there is an entity outbidding the owner/operators of license offices in the state. Before, the license offices were not very profitable, but recent state legislation has changed this. Fees were increased and now there are people who are bidding to obtain the license office contracts. It is possible this may happen in Maries County when the license office contract is up in 2023. The commissioners want to retain control of the office and not have it leave the courthouse. “We have to make sure we watch and do a good bid,” he said. They would like for MRPC to work on this with the county.

June 2 Election

Rodgers reported receiving a Helps America Vote Act (HAVA) grant from the Missouri Secretary of State’s office for COVID-19 election expenses for $20,224.72. It will help pay for the extra expenses the county will have with elections because of the coronavirus. She anticipates expenses getting polling sites ready for the June 2 election. They already have ordered shields for the table where voters sign the book. She plans to call election workers next week about their intent to work at the polls and thinks she may have trouble getting workers. She can use the money for supplies and staffing.

Bigger Dumpster

It was reported Waste Management has asked the county to mark where it wants its new six-yard dumpster to be moved to. It was placed last Thursday, but it was set in a handicap parking spot and needs to be moved. This new dumpster replaces a four-yard dumpster because it was deemed not large enough for all the trash generated at the courthouse.

AT&T Credit

Some good news is AT&T credited the county $3,450.24 on the closed account. Stratman said he hopes the telecommunications company will do the same with the other account they’ve been talking to the company about. IT Coordinator Shane Sweno has been talking to AT&T also and said he thinks there will be more money coming.

Stratman said its hard to get anywhere with AT&T and each time he calls them he has to speak with four or more people, basically telling each of them the same thing. It takes time and it takes patience. He said, “It’s quite an ordeal” and thanked Sweno for his efforts.

Looks Good

The commissioners said the new mulch around the trees looks good. Custodian Shawn Eaton did the work in the yard last week. He asked about replacing a tree that was cut down. The commissioners agreed a redbud tree should be planted in the same place.