BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- The Stoddard County Commission tabled action on an appointment to the SB 40 Sheltered Facilities Board, opting to speak with two candidates for the position prior to making a decision. The commission met July 17 in regular session.
SB 40 Board member June Moore resigned on May 19 from the board because she moved from the area.
The Stoddard County Sheltered Workshop submitted Don Rhodes, a Bloomfield attorney, as a candidate for the SB 40 Board. The Sheltered Facilities Board submitted Dan Robinson, a licensed professional counselor and clinical social worker, as a candidate for the position.
Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis asked the associate commissioners if they would like to speak to the two candidates before making a decision.
"I think that would be fine, if they want to come," responded Associate Commissioner Carol Jarrell.
Associate Commissioner Steve Jordan also expressed his agreement that inviting the two candidates for the board to speak to the commission was a good idea.
Mathis said the two candidates should be contacted and asked to meet with the commission at their July 14 meeting.
County Clerk Joe Watson was asked to contact both men to ask them to attend the commission meeting next week.
The commission made three appointments to the board in May 2017. Joe Weber, Clay Prough and Larry McGonigal were reappointed to another term on the board.
Parking request
The commission decided to ask all county elected officials and employees not to park in front of the Veterans Memorial Monument at the southeast corner of the courthouse. The monument pays tribute to veterans who were killed in foreign wars -- WWI, WWII, Korean and Vietnam. Parking is allowed around the courthouse which sits in the middle of Prairie Street, also called Highway AA.
Mathis noted that Jim Mayo had requested last week that parking be prohibited in front of the memorial out of respect to the veterans. Mayo did not object to parking around the courthouse, but did express his personal opinion that it was disrespectful in front of the Memorial.
Mathis said the road was part of the state highway system under the Missouri Department of Transportation, and therefore he didn't believe the county had authority to prevent parking on the highway. He also noted that the City of Bloomfield may have more authority over parking than does the county.
Mathis suggested the commission could ask elected officials and employees not to park in that location.
"I agree," said Jarrell.
"Are you going to make it a request or a directive?" asked Watson.
"I think a request," responded Jarrell. "If that doesn't work, we can reconsider it."
All three commissioners then asked that a memo be sent out to all county offices asking office holders and employees not to park in front of the memorial.
BOE
The Stoddard County Board of Equalization received a letter from Ameren Missouri requesting a meeting with the board. Joseph LaMacchia, a representative of the company, will appear before the board on July 24.
Union Electric Company d/b/a Ameren Missouri has appealed the tax appraisal set by the County Assessor for components of their commercial gas distribution center.
Ameren first appealed the assessment in Stoddard County in 2013. Stoddard County is one of 16 counties where appeals of tax assessments have been filed by Ameren. Other southeast Missouri counties are Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Butler and Scott.
The county board has denied previous appeals by Ameren.