January 7, 2021

Presiding Commissioner Bill Walker called the meeting of the Nodaway County Commission to order at the commissioner’s office. In attendance: Walker, Chris Burns, Scott Walk, associate commissioners, and Melinda Patton, county clerk.

Burns made a motion to approve the agenda as presented. The motion passed. Burns made a motion to approve prior commission minutes dated 1/5/2021 with a spelling correction.The motion passed.

Public Comment: None

Approved: Recorder Fee Report for December 2020; Invoice for Nodaway News Leader subscription; October and November, 2020 – 911 telephone tax receipt payments.

The commission hosted the quarterly meeting for officeholders with the following in attendance: Burns, Walker, Walk, Lisa Nickerson, Marilyn Jenkins, Dee O’Riley, Elaine Wilson, Caleb Phillips, Bob Rice, Rex Wallace and Patton. Officeholders gave updates to activities and issues within their respective offices. The next quarterly meeting will be April 1. Also in attendance: Kay Wilson, Nodaway News Leader and Geoffrey Woehlk, Maryville Forum.

• Phillips gave updates on the prosecutor’s office. He stated his office is on track to file approximately 800 cases this year, not counting traffic tickets, which is close to the same as 2019. The prosecutor’s office is working on back-logged cases due to the change over of prosecutors in 2020.

• According to Nickerson, the recorder’s office continues to work on back filing and the annual recorder’s association has been moved to August.

• Jenkins stated her office has collected 96.1 percent of 2020 taxes which is down from 2019. They are busy cleaning up payments with issues. Approximately 1,400 payments were dropped in the exterior drop box.

• O’Riley updated the group on where she is at with the transition.

• Elaine Wilson discussed the transition her office is making to the Show Me Court and Show Me Jury processes.

• Rice discussed implementing processes to ease the burden on both the prosecuting attorney and circuit clerk’s offices by changing up the dockets and increasing the number of law days. Rice stated his goal has been to increase his availability to the prosecutors.

• According to Wallace, the assessment office had a smooth assessment period and his office sent out 8,700 assessment sheets. The assessor’s office is working to get the second windfarm on the books for 2021. The tentative date for County Government Day is March 10.

• Patton gave numbers from the November election and discussed the filing dates or the April 2021 Municipal Election. Her office is working on FY2021 budget and end of the year reports and documents.

• Commissioners discussed the road and bridge plans for 2021. Seven bridges have been proposed. The county traded Softmatch for BRO dollars on Bridge #0411018, which will allow the county to utilize CDBG grant dollars on one bridge. The commission has been working on appealing a denial from FEMA on bridge #0085006. The north windmill project has wrapped up and the road maintenance has been turned back over to the respective townships. The south windmill project is still in progress. An update on the status of the CARES funds was given by Jenkins and Burns.

• Randy Strong was not able to attend, but stopped in later in the morning to give his departmental update.

The commission took a call from Stuart Oden of Oden Enterprises, Inc. regarding the bid that was submitted and accepted on Bridge #098007. Oden sent over a document showing the error, that was in the county’s favor, and the new amount.

Deputy appointments for Christie Swinford, Christy Matthews-Allen, Jessica Whaley, Leona Remus, Sadie Poe, Lorraine O’Donnell, Angie Cordell and Shirley Schmidt were approved by the commission.

The commission reviewed and signed the promulgation statement for State Emergency Management Agency.

Jenkins and Patton discussed an issue with state withholding on an employee that is causing a delay on processing W2 forms with Tyler Technologies.

Neal Minor, chief administrative officer and Gerry Quinn, advisor, with Agri-Genesis, dba Show Me Sunrise, met with the commission to introduce themselves and talk about the opportunity for a business in Nodaway County.

Burns made a motion to adjourn for lunch. All in favor.

Christy Forney, Nodaway County emergency management director, stopped in to discuss the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) board. Due to communication she had received from Mike Harris, executive director of the Missouri Emergency Response Commission, regarding emergency managers serving as chairpersons for LEPC. Forney recommended Jace Pine be appointed as chairperson for LEPC board. After discussion, Burns made a motion to approve Pine as chairperson to the LEPC board. All were in favor, motion carries.

The commission signed the FEMA FY2021, First Quarter for October 1 through December 31, 2020, disaster assistance quarterly report.

Ben Brooks, Evergy, called to discuss the energy DRI incentive program. Brooks stated they had changed some of the parameters of the program and is sending information out to the commission to review.

Walk made a motion for the commission to adjourn until 1/12/2021. The motion passed.