Cass County approves public-health agreement, joins opioid settlement, updates utility rules and authorizes tax surplus payment

The Cass County Commission on Sept. 3 approved four separate measures including a public‑health agreement, participation in an opioid settlement, an ordinance regulating utility installations in county rights‑of‑way, and a tax‑sale surplus disbursement.

The commission approved Resolution 25‑89 to accept a readiness agreement with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services covering the county health department. Health‑department staff member Matt said the contract is “for the amount of $22,369” and that problematic verbiage in two sections had been corrected from prior drafts: “We’ve had those addressed and changed. I’d say that language issue is no longer present.” The commission recorded the vote as 3 in favor, 0 opposed; the resolution passed.

The commission also approved Resolution 25‑93 to join a national opioid settlement described in the meeting as the “nationalopioidsecondarymanufacturersettlementcom.” A county speaker characterized the item as “just another settlement along the opioid fund.” The recorded vote on that resolution was 4 in favor, 0 opposed; the resolution passed.

Commissioners adopted Ordinance 25‑06 from the Road & Bridge Department to amend county code section 510.13 to set installation and visibility requirements for utility facilities in county rights‑of‑way and to limit county liability for incidental damage during routine maintenance. Road & Bridge staffer Travis said the change responds to new fiber‑optic infrastructure and the placement of vaults and pedestals: the ordinance would require contractors to “clear the market, keep the weeds…away from it,” and would hold the county harmless for incidental damage during routine maintenance. The commission recorded the vote as in favor; the ordinance passed.

The commission authorized a disbursement from the Cass County Collector’s Office for certificate of purchase number 24‑10 (tax settlement 229), payable in the amount of $77,141.28 to “Casper to the LLC” as reported during the meeting. Collector Chris Molineux explained the background: the property owner, Robert Lee Morrison, had not redeemed the property within the one‑year statutory redemption period following a tax sale, and the investor who purchased the lien is entitled to surplus funds. The commission recorded the vote as 3 in favor, 0 opposed.

During the public‑comment portion, Collector Molineux also gave a summary of the county’s most recent tax sale: he said the office offered 25 properties (20 first offerings, four second offerings and one third offering), sold 21 liens, transferred one parcel to the Cass County Land Trustee (identified in the meeting as David Croftel), and had three parcels that did not sell. Molineux reported that the taxes, interest, penalties and related fees from the sale produced $365,142. He said changes in outreach and signage plus new software helped keep the sale smaller and more efficient while complying with “chapter 13 of the state statutes.”

No further public hearings or contested deliberations occurred on the items covered in this report.

Votes at a glance - Resolution 25‑89 (Cass County Health Department agreement with Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, readiness initiative): Passed, vote recorded 3‑0; amount $22,369. - Resolution 25‑93 (participation in national opioid settlement): Passed, vote recorded 4‑0. - Ordinance 25‑06 (amend county code §510.13 — utility installation/visibility and liability in rights‑of‑way): Passed, vote recorded in favor (record stated as 3‑0 in the meeting). - Certificate of purchase disbursement (certificate 24‑10; tax settlement 229; Robert Lee Morrison): Passed, vote recorded 3‑0; amount $77,141.28 payable to “Casper to the LLC.”