A few items of interest that the Commission has been working on are below.
• The Commission and the Sheriff met this week to discuss the second of, hopefully, many deposits made under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which was signed earlier this year to create a systematic savings plan for revenues generated by the housing of Federal prisoners. The MOU calls for a quarterly reconciliation of actual versus projected revenues, with the excess being applied to the Law Enforcement Trust Fund (20%), the Jail Emergency Fund (40%), and the Retirement Savings Fund (40%). This agreement simultaneously bolsters the funding of Law Enforcement by providing a stream of income for the present as well as creating a contingency fund in the event of a decrease in prisoner population. Finally, the MOU creates a mechanism to solidify the retirement plan offered by the County to ensure that the folks who retire from the County can count on the money being there and ready when they need it.
• In addition to the efforts in the Law Enforcement area, the Commission has also begun a systematic plan to capitalize on year end surpluses by creating a dedicated savings fund for future building projects. Later this fall, the Commission also plans to dedicate a portion of any future surpluses to a fund specifically for potential cost-share projects relating to Economic Development opportunities and local transportation infrastructure projects. Keep in mind, these actions only take place with surplus funds that exist AFTER the regular reserve funds have been determined to be at a healthy level. As these funds accumulate, projects can be undertaken while minimizing, or in some cases eliminating entirely, the need to borrow money.
• Next week the Commissioners and Road and Bridge staff will travel to St. Charles for the annual meeting of the Missouri Association of County Transportation Officials (MACTO). The MACTO conference provides an opportunity to gather with people from all parts of the transportation industry to learn about new technologies, discuss old ideas, and broaden our understanding of the industry, which is a large piece of a Commissioner’s responsibilities. The County has also begun to host regular training sessions for its employees through the Missouri Local Technical Assistance Program (MO-LTAP) which is administered by Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla. Topics range from jobsite safety and flagging techniques to proper culvert placement and grading techniques. Our goal is to continue to improve the work that we do while also making sure it is done in a safe environment for both workers and commuters.
That is all we have time for now. As always, call, e-mail, or stop by the Courthouse if you have questions. Until next week…
The Commissioners
