Presiding Commissioner Steve Black presented the recommendations from the Crawford County Opioid Fund Disbursement Board on March 31 that were sent for approval.

First was an application from Rachel’s Angels for $4,000 to help fund the cost of artwork, vinyl installation and rental of a billboard along westbound Interstate 44 in Bourbon. The organization’s mission is to stop children from experimenting with and becoming addicted to drugs, usually focused on a local community level.

A motion to approve the recommendation was passed with a 3-0 vote.

Compass Health was approved for $40,000 about a year ago to fund transportation needs for its clients, but several other organizations have since implemented transportation services for those in need. Compass Health used very little of the awarded funds, so they requested to reallocate the funds to a new project focus.

The Opioid Board is recommending $46,613.02 to go towards Compass Health’s project to help addicted people get off the streets or away from unhealthy situations with roommates. They want to use the funds to get them established with an apartment and provide first month’s rent and utility deposits with the expectation that the recipients will become employed in order to support themselves and/or their families. The recommendation was passed with a 3-0 vote.

It was added that the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office make a request for a new camera system to help combat the fentanyl coming into the county. After review from the opioid board and the Meramec Regional Planning Committee (MRPC), the request was denied for not meeting the requirements of the opioid guidelines, and they could not find a precedent for this request within the state.

They informed the commission of one final application from the University of Missouri (MU) Extension 4-H to implement a program called Health Rocks. It would be a school curriculum course and would require them to hire a full-time coordinator for the program.

Since grant applications aren’t typically used for funding personnel, the opioid board tabled its recommendation until the next meeting, when it will get more details on the program.

Associate Commissioner of District 2 Jared Boast made an update on the finished repairs on the High Point Road bridge.

“The bridge has been repaired from the flood. The new bridge, it should be open as of right now, so we went ahead and left it barricaded off this weekend due to some drying time of some concrete, so should be fully open and restored as of this morning,” Boast said.

Boast added that there has been an increase in phone calls throughout the year about road signs and road sign replacements.

“So, since the first of the year, we purchased and installed approximately $20,000 worth of road sign materials. Now that’s posts, stop signs, the actual road signs itself and the brackets that go on there,” Boast said. “They’re taking them down just as fast as we can put them up.”

He explained that the signs last about two to three weeks before they are vandalized, and they are working hard to replace them, but those operations will soon be suspended.

“It’s supposed to rain the rest of the week, and we’ll have to get back on grading some roads, and then it’ll be time to brush cut,” Boast said.

Layman asked that the commissioners start contacting him when signs are vandalized because they are in the process of getting more cameras that will be strategically placed throughout the county. 

“It doesn’t (necessarily take) pictures of the driver. It takes a picture of the plate and the vehicle itself,” Layman said. “If a stolen vehicle drives past us, it will let us know that it’s stolen. If it’s a sex offender that is absconded, it will immediately notify us.”

Black addressed a post made on the Crawford County Mo. Only Political Facebook page, that referenced a fire at the Crawford County Courthouse about a month ago, with a comment attached about a lack of insurance.

Kellie Vestal mentioned that there was an incident that they might be referencing, but it had nothing to do with any county buildings.

“It was Christmas Eve, and it was the building next door to the collector and assessor’s office,” Vestal said. “The firefighters were up on the roof at the assessor’s/collector’s office spraying water into that building on Christmas Eve.”

A comment on the post by Linda Moss attacked Black for not knowing the building wasn’t insured.

“I guarantee you will not hear anything about it. And you know why? They had no insurance. Steve Black thought they had insurance, but come to find out, they didn’t,” Moss said.

In response, Black announced that at the next commission meeting on April 14, since there won’t be an April 7 meeting due to the election, there will be an opportunity to ask the county’s insurance provider, Higginbotham Insurance, questions.

Associate Commissioner of District 1 Mark Pfeiffer brought up the hot topic of the commissioners giving themselves a 135 percent raise in their salaries.

“Here is the...presentation that was put together that shows a minimum of 12 years without a salary increase, and some, depending on the election cycles, was 14 years without a salary increase,” Pfeiffer said. “So I would like to know anybody that would sign up for a position or do a job without a pay increase whatsoever for a dozen years.”

Black mentioned a rumor that the city employees are required to get the same increase if the commissioners get a salary increase.

“That couldn’t be farther from the truth,” Black said. “There is a state statute that says if the commission...and/or the salary committee gets a COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment), that is a fact, that the employees are due that same COLA.”

He explained that it doesn’t apply to salaries.

Vestal added that during the 12 to 14-year time period without the salary increases, employees were given Cost of Living Allowance raises, but the elected officials didn’t get one.