The Atchison County Commission met Thursday, September 26, 2019. Present were: South District Commissioner Richard Burke and North District Commissioner Jim Quimby. Presiding Commissioner Curtis Livengood and Susette Taylor, Clerk of the Commission, were absent.
Minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. Bills were reviewed and approved.
Debbie Bennett from the University of Missouri Extension Office stopped in to update the commission. She has completed her training and can now teach classes. She is currently teaching a class at the Tarkio Nutrition Center called “A Matter of Balance.” The Extension is currently planning to build an office at the Graves-Chapple Farm site.
Maintenance Supervisor Greg Beck reported on the emergency repairs to the guttering.
Commissioner Quimby and Commissioner Burke went out to look at roads.
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The Commission met Tuesday, October 1, 2019. Present were: Presiding Commissioner Curtis Livengood, South District Commissioner Richard Burke, North District Commissioner Jim Quimby, and Susette Taylor, Clerk of the Commission.
Minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. Bills were reviewed and approved.
Clerk Taylor presented the official form for designation of voting delegates to MAC’s Annual Conference. Article VI, Section 6c of the Missouri Association of Counties bylaws provides that each member county shall be permitted four voting delegates. Member counties with an assessed valuation of over $66.7 million shall be allowed five voting delegates, plus one additional voting delegate for each additional $66.7 million assessed valuation. Atchison County will be allowed six. The county commission selects from within its membership one delegate. The commission selected Presiding Commissioner Livengood. The additional five delegates are selected by a majority vote of not less than seven elected officials in the county. Clerk Taylor will prepare a ballot for the additional delegates to be selected.
Clerk Taylor notified the commission that the Division II Office has requested that funding from their budget be allowed to be used to retain staff that has been paid by a supplemental grant which has ran out. The commission stated as long as they did not exceed their approved budget for the year it would be allowed, but if expenses cause their budget to run low they will have to reduce the supplemental hours.
Recorder Eliza Beasing reported that the supplemental funds provided for the recorders by the state were being reduced by approximately $20,000 this year, but the association was looking into the reasons with the Department of Revenue.
The commissioners, Clerk Taylor, Emergency Management Director Rhonda Wiley, and Assistant Director Mark Manchester met with Governor Mike Parsons, Congressman Sam Graves, Representative Allen Andrews, and FEMA Director Ron Black. Also present for the meeting were Atchison County Levee District #1 board members Jason Garst, Troy LaHue, Ryan Ottmann, Garry Garst, and Regan Griffin; W.C. Farmer, Atchison County Mail; Lee Harms; Joe Hegeman, field representative for Congressman Graves; Holt County Commissioner Dave Carroll; Holt County Clerk Angie Gamache; members of the media, and the members of the governor’s staff. This was a working meeting to discuss ideas on how we can all work together to recover from the devastation and allow the governor to get a firsthand look at the damage and destruction caused by the Flood of 2019. During the tour levee board members were able to convey their knowledge of the levee and ideas, to not just fix the levee, but how to repair a broken system. Governor Parson was able to see the destruction on Highway 136, rural county roads, lettered routes and the repairs being made on the levee north of Watson. The commission requested that someone from the Atchison County Levee Board be appointed to his task force Flood Recovery Operating Group. Clerk Taylor inquired about the dates of the declaration that have created frustrations with the system and denied assistance to flood victims. SEMA Director Ron Walker reviewed the declaration process and how it is determined. Holt County Commissioner Carroll agreed and stated that almost the entire city of Craig was denied assistance because of the date of the declaration. Clerk Taylor stated that the declaration process needs to be reviewed and changed, and that an entire county should not be left behind because they are rural. Presiding Commissioner Livengood stated it should mirror the ag declaration, so a neighboring county (whether it is another state or not) is also declared.
The governor stated he definitely heard things in the meeting that he wanted to look into and pursue and he will be contacting Congressman Graves to discuss where the funding can be found.
He felt they could immediately check on the concerns with the railroad and why they were not complying with the local flood permit process.
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The Commission met Thursday, October 3, 2019. Present were: Presiding Commissioner Curtis Livengood, South District Commissioner Richard Burke, and North District Commissioner Jim Quimby. Susette Taylor, Clerk of the Commission, was attending the annual MOPELRA Conference.
Minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. Bills were reviewed and approved.
Monthly department reports were reviewed and approved.
Don Moody with the Outlaw Wind Project was in to update the commission on the project.
The commissioners met with Mandy Rhoades, administrator, and Jason Burke, maintenance director, to tour and inspect the Pleasant View Nursing Home.
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The Commission met Tuesday, October 8, 2019. Present were: Presiding Commissioner Curtis Livengood, South District Commissioner Richard Burke, North District Commissioner Jim Quimby, and Susette Taylor, Clerk of the Commission.
Minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. Bills were reviewed and approved.
Emergency Management Director Rhonda Wiley was present for the commission to review two flood plain permits related to repairs on the BNSF Railroad near Langdon. After discussion, the commission agreed not to approve the permits until BNSF complied with additional permits that they have refused to submit.
Director Wiley stated that she was asked by Congressman Graves’ office to testify at a hearing of a Congressional Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management on Transportation & Infrastructure pertaining to our recovery in the Midwest. The hearing is scheduled for October 22 in Washington, D.C. The commission felt this was an opportunity for a rural voice to be heard relating to the difficulties we have faced. They asked Clerk Taylor to accompany her and meet with additional D.C. offices while there. Clerk Taylor agreed and will work at setting up all the meetings around the scheduled hearing.
Clerk Taylor presented language changes to Article 22 and Article 23 of the Atchison County Employee Handbook. Both changes made the acknowledgment statements easier to understand. The commission reviewed and approved the changes.
Craig Heits with the Fairfax Levee and Drainage District met with the commission to discuss concerns with an agreement between the levee district and MoDOT related to the new bridge west of Fairfax on Route J. The agreement with MoDOT would give MoDOT the right to request their levee be removed or altered. This would open their landowners up to flooding concerns. MoDOT will not pay for the cost of a tube replacement in their right-of-way on Overland Avenue without the district signing the agreement.
Mr. Heits wanted to know if MoDOT exercised their right within that agreement, would the county allow them to tie their levee into Overland Avenue? The levee is lower than the road and would give them an option should MoDOT say that it cannot be attached to the bridge.
Discussion was held with Road and Bridge Supervisor Meyer. The county currently has other levees that tie into county roads and it would not cause any problems at this location.
The commissioners voted to allow the Fairfax Levee and Drainage District the ability to tie their levee into county road Overland Avenue if needed. The location would be on the east side of Overland Avenue and south of Route J.
Mr. Heits also reported that the district has concerns about the design of the new bridge used by MoDOT, as the under carriage is almost two feet lower than the old bridge, which may cause issues during high water.
Clerk Taylor reported that 2020 budget forms have been distributed to all offices and budget meetings are scheduled with department heads and elected officials during the month of November.
