Stoddard County Commissioners addressed requests made last week from a group of concerned taxpayers advocating for the developmentally disabled of the county regarding Stoddard County Sheltered Workshop financial documents over the last decade.
"Give me a little more time and I will try to find more answers," Commissioner Carol Jarrell said to citizens in attendance. "But I think you could find some answers at the SB40 board office from (administrator) Dana McClure and if you want more answers I think you could go straight to Sheltered Workshop board members."
Jarrell reported she spoke with Sheltered Workshop interim director Devin Miller regarding a breakdown by year of the amount of money received by the SCSW from the taxpayers of the county for the last 10 years.
"I feel like Dana McClure could give that information since she is the administrator of the SB40 board," Jarrell said. "Devin said he could go through some files and look."
As far as a breakdown of all county taxpayer money spent by the SCSW for the last 10 years, Jarrell said records were available, but was unsure of the amount or if receipts were available.
"Dana probably has records of vouchers or bills paid," she said.
The group also requested the highest rate paid to a client and the average rate paid to all clients, which Jarrell said could be obtained from the Sheltered Workshop board.
Mike McCollough, who is the spokesperson for the group of citizens, asked Jarrell if by recommending the group seek answers from SB40 if that meant she would not help get the requested information.
The request was made by taxpayers out of concern for developmentally disabled individuals, said McCollough, adding he believes Jarrell should be as concerned as any other taxpayer.
Jarrell replied she was just suggesting the group could go to the SB40 board office for the information.
"I will help you all any way I can," she said. "I'm a concerned taxpayer and that is why I went to bat for the Stoddard County Sheltered Workshop, because I'm a very concerned citizen of the taxpayer's dollars and I'm very concerned and compassionate for those whose funding was cut."
Several questions were also directed to Jarrell last week, one including whether or not SCSW employees were being paid with Walmart gift cards so as not to effect their government benefits.
Jarrell said she asked about the gift cards and was told they were given to individuals for lawn mower gas, but not given to clients.
"I have not had a chance to find all these answers," Jarrell said. "If I had the questions before I possibly could have more for you today." McCollough added he and the group were not expecting answers to all the requests this week and realized it could take several weeks.
A letter presented last week from a former SCSW employee's mother stated Miller told the mother her daughter would not be allowed to return to the workshop once giving her notice of terminating employment with the workshop.
Jarrell said she believed since Jim LaBrot is no longer the SCSW manager and Miller is, he has thought about the comment and believed he had taken a couple of employees back to the workshop.
"He (Miller) is not his grandfather, he has totally different ideas," Jarrell said.
McCollough said no one has left Progressive Industries to go back to the SCSW, but believes there are some that have left the SCSW to go to Progressive Industries.
Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis reported SCSW board president Sam Huey Jr. visited him last week and said he would "make an effort" to get requested materials to the group, but it would take some time.
Mathis added he and Huey would keep in contact regarding the financial documents requested.
The SCSW will be appointing new members to fill the vacated spots of Danny Griffin and Josh Hester, who were appointed to the SB40 board by the commission, Mathis said.
While unsure of the exact date, Mathis encouraged the group members and anyone else interested in serving on the board to contact Miller or Huey to be considered. The Stoddard County Commission does not appoint Sheltered Workshop board members.
Jarrell said if anyone has concerns, questions or comments, to please feel free to contact her at 573-421-1878 or thejarrells007@sbcglobal.net.
Castor Township Clerk
The commission unanimously accepted Castor Township Vice President Steve Larsen's request to appoint Kim Williams as clerk of the township following the appointment of former clerk Virginia Gant to treasurer.
"She was the only one who expressed any interest in the clerk job," Larsen said.
Williams, Larsen said, is a teacher with the Dexter School District and wife of Castor Township Supervisor Brian Williams.
Jail Expansion
Financing
Commissioner Steve Jordan and Sheriff Carl Hefner were to meet with Sheriff Gary Stolzer of Ste. Genevieve County this week to discuss their previous jail expansion project, which is similar to Stoddard County's project.
Attorney Ivan Schraeder, who is paid for a certain amount of hours to provide Stoddard County legal advice, was involved with Ste. Genevieve County's contract, which used a lease purchasing deal with a bank opposed to a bonding company.
"We are just looking at avenues of what this could save us," Mathis said. "We are also looking at bonding companies so we will be able to make and educated decision on how to move forward and fund the jail expansion."
Request for Deputy
and Jailer
Hefner requested from the commission to hire another deputy and jailer before the end of the year.
Mathis asked Hefner to prepare some numbers to present at next week's commission meeting.
Hefner reported while he is back to "original full staff" from several months ago, he is still short employees.
"Being as short handed for as long as I was, we now have extra money in our budget that was not expended on salaries," he said.
Justice Center
Water Leak
Mathis reported a line from a water fountain leaked overnight last Friday evening causing water to get in offices.
Maintenance Supervisor William Dowdy removed the water fountain and repaired the line. He also removed trim and placed fans to dry the area.
Mathis said Dowdy would not proceed with the damaged baseboards and sheet rock until it was dry to see the condition and decide what direction the commission should go with repairs.