St. Francois County commissioners approve 3% employee COLA, insurance contracts and grant-backed trail work

St. Francois County commissioners voted to approve a 3% cost-of-living allowance (COLA) for non-elected county employees, extend the jail’s lab services agreement with Quest, award a cyber insurance policy and keep workers’ compensation coverage through the Missouri Association of Counties trust, and authorize work tied to a $250,000 Recreation Trails Program (RTP) grant during their regular meeting.

The actions affect county payroll and multiple operating budgets, commit the county to several multi-year contracts and approve bridge and boiler repairs for county facilities.

The 3% COLA was approved for non-elected county staff effective Jan. 1, 2025. Commissioners said the increase is intended to keep county pay closer to surrounding first-class counties and to avoid lagging behind in an inflationary period; the county’s salary commission handles pay for elected officials and may set different adjustments for those offices. Commissioners discussed how elected officials historically receive a different adjustment mechanism tied to the salary commission’s schedule.

The commission approved extending the jail’s lab services agreement with Quest. Commissioners described the vendor as the largest regional provider and said the extension will let the jail continue routine testing services without interruption.

Commissioners approved a cybersecurity insurance policy with Evolve for $15,745.80 per year after confirming the prior procurement and bid cycle dates were recent. The board also reviewed workers’ compensation insurance options and voted to continue coverage through the Missouri Association of Counties (MAC) trust, citing MAC’s stability and concerns about short-term savings that could jeopardize future insurability. The county’s leadership and auditor’s office said MAC’s premium for the coming period rose substantially due to recent claims, but that leaving the trust could create a multiyear re-entry penalty and risk higher future rates.

On emergency management staffing, commissioners removed a contingency from a previously approved pay arrangement so that two emergency-management positions will continue to be paid by the county until grant reimbursement is expected in July. County staff said the change reflects lost grant funding tied to missed or late training events; staff estimated the near-term cost at approximately $14,000 for the full-time position and $7,000 for the part-time position, with reimbursement expected if the grant application is successful later in the fiscal year. Commissioners discussed whether a permanent, full-time emergency management hire should be considered in future budgets.

The commission granted permission to sign a professional-services agreement with Cochran Engineering to begin phase 2 of the Owl Creek Park trail system after the county received a $250,000 RTP grant. The Cochran contract for design, permitting and environmental review was discussed as roughly $106,000, with about half of that for design and environmental review. County staff said phase 2 will add under a mile of trail and, when combined with existing segments, will bring the park’s loop to roughly three miles.

John Gross, the county’s highway administrator, told commissioners the Sand Creek Bridge project required an out-of-scope change order after roadway sections adjacent to the bridge were underwater and deteriorated; the board approved an additional payment of $36,648 to address about 400 feet of roadway and related repairs so paving and bridge work can proceed.

The board authorized payment for a jail boiler replacement and related work totaling $26,032 and directed staff to identify the most appropriate funding source — equitable sharing, inmate-security funds, law-enforcement sales tax receipts or emergency funds — and to document the funding choice in follow-up records. The county’s auditor said staff contacted Jefferson City for guidance on allowable uses of federal equitable-sharing funds and that a final funding decision would be recorded after that review.

Commissioners also approved a five-year scanning/maintenance agreement with DevNet to provide nine document scanners for the collector’s office (total not to exceed approximately $29,125, to be paid from the tax maintenance fund). Commissioners clarified the line-item is a maintenance/contract approval and that physical scanner hardware costs were budgeted separately in the collector’s current budget.

Votes at a glance

- 3% COLA for non-elected county employees — approved (motion carried). - Jail lab services agreement with Quest — approved (motion carried). - Evolve cybersecurity insurance, $15,745.80/year — approved (motion carried). - Continue workers’ compensation coverage with Missouri Association of Counties trust (MAC) — approved (motion carried; one commissioner recorded an abstention during discussion). - Emergency management pay: remove contingency and continue county-funded pay pending grant reimbursement — approved (motion carried). - Permission to sign Cochran Engineering agreement for Owl Creek Park phase 2 design and environmental review (RTP $250,000) — approved (motion carried). - Sand Creek Bridge change order, additional $36,648 for roadway remediation — approved (motion carried). - Jail boiler expenditure, $26,032, authorization to pay now and determine funding source — approved (motion carried). - DevNet five-year scanner/maintenance agreement, not to exceed ~$29,125, tax maintenance fund — approved (motion carried).

What commissioners said and why it matters

Commissioners emphasized fiscal caution when considering short-term savings on insurance if doing so could risk the county’s ability to rejoin a stable insurance trust later. On emergency management staffing, members said the county must weigh continuing to rely on combined IT/EM duties against the potential benefits of a dedicated emergency management hire. Highway staff described the Sand Creek road surface as deteriorated after temporary flooding and heavy crane access during bridge work, requiring the approved change order to avoid losing federal BRO (Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation) eligibility for the primary project.

The commission set several follow-up tasks for staff: document the final funding source for the boiler replacement, complete the Cochran environmental review and design under the RTP grant, and return to the board with any required contract documents for the workers’ compensation and scanner agreements.

The commission did not set a new date for final decisions on broader changes to the Prop P (public-safety) spending allocations; members discussed that some Prop P funds remain dedicated to sheriff’s department commitments and that future reallocations would be considered as revenue and obligations evolve.

The board recessed after concluding the agenda; departmental reports and routine administrative items were filed for the record.