Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Report from the Bates County Commission

   February 5, 2024 The Bates County Commission met with Presiding Commissioner Jim Wheatley, Northern Commissioner Ken Mooney and Southern Commissioner Trent Nelson present.

10:00 Paul Cumpton came in requesting his tax penalty be waived. The property division has been held up in divorce proceedings and neither party paid the last 3 years as the taxes could not be divided. The other party paid the previous 2 years to keep the property out of the tax sale. The Property has been legally divided and can now be paid. The divorce was held up by several matters to include COVID. After much discussion Trent made the motion to waive Mr. Cumpton’s property tax penalty for 2021, 2022, 2023, due to court delays and COVID. Ken seconded the motion. All voted yes. No opposition. Motion carried. 

10:30 Zak Smith and Archie Smith with Universal Construction came in to check in with the Commission. They are the company that over saw the jail/administration building build. The recent issues with the HVAC system was mentioned, however those concerns were repaired. Networking opportunities were discussed. Murphy Tractor representative, Chuck Kaiser, came in to check in with the Commission.

  February 7, 2024 The Bates County Commission met with Presiding Commissioner Jim Wheatley, Northern Commissioner Ken Mooney and Southern Commissioner Trent Nelson present. Approved bills. 

Worked on WCCA Meeting. Resident Jim Smith states that one of the tracks of land he purchased in 2021 was never transferred from the original owner to his name in the assessor’s office so he has not been receiving the tax bill. He was notified this year by the original owner that they received the bill this year. He came in to check with the assessor and found this to never have been transferred to his ownership. They corrected the file, and he is requesting if the penalties can be waived. The Commission found this to be the county’s clerical error. Trent made the motion to waive the penalty for 2022 and 2023 due to clerical error in transferring ownership in assessor’s office. Ken seconded the motion. All voted yes. Motion passed. The collector’s office was notified.

  February 14, 2024 The Bates County Commission met with Presiding Commissioner Jim Wheatley, Northern Commissioner Ken Mooney and Southern Commissioner Trent Nelson present. Approved Bills. Jami Page, county clerk, talked to the commission about the lights in the hallway. Several lights are not working. Moose Electrical Construction said they no longer make replacement parts for those lights. He submitted a bid for $812.40 to replace 8 lights. The Commission is going to contact Universal Construction to see what brand the lights were. 

Jami gave the Commission the Computer, Electronic Mail, Devices and Social Media Policy that she prepared. The commission will need to adopt the policy and sign it. 

Jimmie Eidson and Terri Bettels came into task about the Senior Services Board Money. They have had money requests from other organizations that are feeding citizens in Bates County. Care Connection was requesting an increase in funds also.  They want to know what they can and can’t spend the money on. Jami suggested they look at the ballot language from when the tax was originally passed. Terri said their bylaws say they are supposed to use the money to fee senior citizens.

  February 21, 2024 The Bates County Commission met with Presiding Commissioner Jim Wheatley, Northern Commissioner Ken Mooney and Southern Commissioner Trent Nelson present. Approved Bills.

  February 26, 2024 The Bates County Commission met with Presiding Commissioner Jim Wheatley, Northern Commissioner Ken Mooney and Southern Commissioner Trent Nelson present. Approved bills. David Weiss came in to speak to the Commission about the Sheriff’s Office. He mentioned he has spoken to the Attorney General Office and that Mary in the AG Office, had referred him to the County Commissioners.  At this point the Commission voted to go into closed meeting. At 10:58 am, Per RSMO 610.021 (3) Ken made the motion to go into closed session to discuss personnel issues. Trent seconded the motion. All voted yes. At 11:37 am Trent made the motion to go back into open session. Ken seconded the motion. All voted yes.

  February 28, 2024 The Bates County Commission, Presiding Commissioner Jim Wheatley, Northern Commissioner Ken Mooney and Southern Commissioner Trent Nelson attended the County Commissioners Association of Missouri required training..

 From the Bates County Clerk’s Office:

What is an Election Judge?

Next to casting a ballot yourself, serving as an Election Judge is one of the most important things you can do to help our democracy thrive.  Election Judges have a crucial role in ensuring the strength and integrity of the voting process.  Dedication of Election Judges makes the election process run smoothly.  You can support your community and become an Election Judge.  In doing so you will:

• Attend a short training session before each election to learn about the voting process.

• Serve inside a polling place checking in voters, issue ballots to voters, answer questions and make sure that everyone who is eligible is given the opportunity to vote.  

• Be a resource for voters who encounter problems or need assistance.

• Get paid for attending training and for your work on election days.  

Contact the County Clerk’s Office today to become an Election Judge.


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