BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Corrections notified the Stoddard County Commission $10 million has been deposited with the department to pay counties in the state for jailing offenders who have been sentenced to prison, but are not immediately transported.
Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis said Stoddard County is owed $282,000 for housing state prisoners. The state pays a per diem of $22.75 per prisoner for counties to house inmates.
The state has fallen about "six months behind" in reimbursements to counties. Spokesperson Karen Pojmann said prior to November 2016, the state "lacked appropriate review of its jail refund process, leading to uncertainty in how a $19 million deficit accumulated."
In a letter to counties, the department said "Current funding levels and reimbursement schedules combined with a per-exisiting backlog of approved invoices had led to a slowdown in paying newly approved invoices."
"Hopefully, this will cut into the deficit owed to us," said Mathis.
Brenda Miller, grant administrator for Catholic Charities, asked the commission for a letter of support for a grant application by the agency to provide a program to assist low-income residents who risk being evicted for failure to pay rent. She said the purpose of the program was to help people who might otherwise be homeless.
Miller said Catholic Charities has offices in Sikeston, two in Cape Girardeau, Springfield and Joplin. She said people who have received an eviction notice, even if not court ordered, would be eligible for assistance under the program.
"We have received calls from people in Stoddard County for assistance, so we would like to include it in the service area," said Miller.
Mathis noted that some people are adept at "knowing the system" and asked how the program would screen applicants.
Miller said there is a thorough screening process that includes case management. She said the agency looks at the causes of the problem, such as the loss of a job, injury or other situations that led to being in arrears on rent. Miller said the program can pay up to six months of back rent.
She said follow-up was designed to "prevent it from happening again."
Commissioner Carol Jarrell made a motion to send Catholic Charities a letter of support for the grant, and it was approved by a 3-0 vote.
Mathis said he had received phone calls from both Kay Davis and Pat Kirby that the situation on County Road 527 regarding a blocked railroad crossing had improved. Both are residents of the area near the Union Pacific Station at Dexter, and had complained that the crossing on CR 527 was blocked for long periods of time.
The commission talked with Lindsey Douglas with UP about the problem, and she said it was a unique situation of which new management at UP at the Dexter office was unaware. She promised to look into it.
"I have received confirmation the superintendent has been briefed and has indicated an understanding of the steps Union Pacific must take to comply with the (a judge's) order," wrote Douglas to the commission.
"Hopefully, this is rectified," said Mathis.
The commission voted 3-0 to approve a resolution establishing the National Incident Management System (NIMS). Mathis said County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director Kent Polsgove asked the commission to approve the resolution.
Under a directive from Homeland Security, the NIMS "would provide a consistent nationwide approach for federal, state, local and tribal governments to work together more effectively and efficiently to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity."
County to take bids on health insurance
The Stoddard County Commission will take bids for 2018 Group Health Insurance for employees and elected officials in the county. Bids will be accepted until 10 a.m. on Nov. 15.