Commissioners approve work-comp payment, detention medical contract, rebid of maintenance supplies and mower purchase

St. Francois County commissioners approved a series of routine financial and procurement actions during a county commission meeting.

The items adopted included payment to the Missouri Association of Counties for workers' compensation adjustments, renewal of the county's detention-center medical contract with AccuCare, rejection and rebid of maintenance-supplies bids, and purchase and modification of a roadside mower and related tractor work.

The actions matter because they affect the county's near-term budget and maintenance operations. The work-comp payment covers an audit adjustment; the AccuCare renewal maintains medical staffing at the detention center; the rebid aims to secure acceptable product quality for paper and trash-bag supplies; and the mower purchase is intended to reduce roadside debris and improve crew safety.

Votes at a glance: county actions taken

- Approved payment to the Missouri Association of Counties for workers' compensation adjustments, $62,759 (motion passed). The payment was described by staff as the audit-determined balance owed above the county's budgeted amount.

- Approved rejection of existing bids for paper products and trash bags and authorized rebidding (motion passed). Commissioners said two vendors who bid were new to the county and that no product samples had been submitted with those bids.

- Approved posting a 25 mph speed-limit sign on Clay Street (in Bon Terre) and clarified enforcement would be under state statute (motion passed).

- Renewed the AccuCare contract for detention medical services, $250,000 (motion passed). County staff said the new contract is roughly $4,000 less than last year because mental-health services were removed from this contract and are now covered by a grant-funded program.

- Approved purchase of a mower through Sourcewell for $43,350 and separately approved hydraulic and engine work on a tractor for $2,113.77 (two motions passed). Commissioners directed that the $43,350 Sourcewell purchase come from road-and-bridge reserves and that the $2,113.77 local John Deere work be paid from equipment-maintenance or road-and-bridge funds as clarified in the meeting.

Missouri Association of Counties payment

County staff explained the $62,759 payment resulted from the association's year-end audit of workers' compensation experience, payroll and staffing changes during the year, and claims history. A county official said the association waits until final year tallies to calculate any additional amount owed and that the $62,759 represents that adjusted balance. Commissioners approved the motion to pay the association.

Rebidding maintenance supplies

The county discussed rebidding paper products and trash bags after staff said two bidders were new and did not provide product samples. A commissioner said the lack of samples meant the county could not assess product quality; commissioners voted to reject the bids and rebid the procurement.

Speed limit sign on Clay Street (Bon Terre)

A commissioner requested posting a 25 mph speed-limit sign on Clay Street near Place Street in Bon Terre after residents reported high speeds. The commission clarified the sign is outside city limits, enforcement would be under the state's traffic statutes (RSMo), and the sheriff's office indicated it could enforce the posted limit. Commissioners voted to install the sign.

AccuCare renewal for detention medical services

Mike Grama, Grants and Financial Services, presented the AccuCare renewal and said: "This is just our annual renewal of the AccuCare contract for our medical services at the detention center." Grama said the contract covers RN, LPN and EMT coverage during daytime hours seven days a week, an on-call RN for evenings and nights, and a doctor providing about 12 hours per week. He said the contract is approximately $4,000 lower than last year because mental-health care was moved out of this contract into an RSAP grant-funded program. The commission voted to renew the contract at $250,000.

Mower purchase and tractor modification

Road and Bridge staff described a plan to replace bat-wing mowers with boom and side mowers to eliminate grass being discharged onto paved roads. Staff said the Sourcewell cooperative purchase price for the mower is $43,350 and that parts and labor to alter the tractor's hydraulics (John Deere dealer) would cost $2,113.77. Commissioners approved both motions and clarified the Sourcewell purchase will be paid from road-and-bridge reserves and the local hydraulic work from equipment-maintenance/reserves.

Meeting procedure and next steps

Most motions carried after the standard "all in favor, aye" voice votes; neither roll-call tallies nor recorded individual votes were provided in the transcript. Several commissioners asked for clarification on funding sources before approving the mower and tractor work; staff confirmed available reserves would cover the purchases. The commission set deadlines and instructions for staff to rebid the maintenance supplies and to proceed with procurement and contractor work for the mower and tractor.

Ending

Commissioners concluded the meeting after other departmental reports and set the timeline for the next agenda. The meeting record shows the commission approved the items listed above and directed staff to proceed with the rebid and equipment purchases.