Activity report from the Bates County Commission

 

September 6 The Bates County Commission met with Presiding Commissioner Jim Wheatley, Northern Commissioner Ken Mooney and Southern Commissioner Trent Nelson present. Viebrock and Metal Culverts were the only bids for the metal culverts and dimple bands needed for Road and Bridge. Viebrock missed one culvert quote needed. Metal Culverts bid total was $32683.30. Trent made the motion to accept Metal Culverts bid. Ken seconded. All voted yes. Motion passed with no opposition.

September 11 The Bates County Commission met with Presiding Commissioner Jim Wheatley, Northern Commissioner Ken Mooney and Southern Commissioner Trent Nelson present. The commission went through the townships requirements for CART money. The ones with competed paperwork were submitted for payments. See the list at the end of this month’s minutes. Trent Diehl with the city of Butler came over to talk about paving the alley between the south side of the square and the Sheriff’s Office from the where the concrete ends east to Main St. There would need to be a utility study to see what is under the alley and then the existing makeup to decide the best pavement to apply. Paving options were discussed. A meeting with the Sheriff’s Office will need to take place.

September 13  The Bates County Commission met with Presiding Commissioner Jim Wheatley, Northern Commissioner Ken Mooney and Southern Commissioner Trent Nelson present. Ken was absent for the afternoon session. Josh Framel with Clearway stopped in for an update on the Swan Solar Project. They are in phase one with SBP and 2 more phases to go. Phase 2 should be starting in January. With phase 3 to follow later in 2024. The land needed has been secured. They are looking to add more land to account for unusable areas. The land is mostly in Sterling Ranch with some extending to Shilo Ranch. Discussion of the county road use lead to only one possibly being used at the south end of road 4002. Conversation started about the PILT agreements. At this point there isn’t much to go forward with there. Clearway does have opportunities with Government Programs for reduction by using American made panels and utilizing areas with economical loss. Approved bills.

September 18 The Bates County Commission met with Presiding Commissioner Jim Wheatley, Northern Commissioner Ken Mooney and Southern Commissioner Trent Nelson present. The Bates County Coroner, Greg Mullinax and Public Administrator, Brenda Doody came in with a plan to adopt for  indigent cremations and dealings.  The Coroner’s office has been taking care of these when they arise. There has been an increase in indigent and or unclaimed remains and assets. The county can look over and adopt this process to utilize both offices to make this process seamless and efficient. The Commission is going to consider this plan.

September 20 The Bates County Commission met with Presiding Commissioner Jim Wheatley, Northern Commissioner Ken Mooney and Southern Commissioner Trent Nelson present. Approved bills. Donna Rich had set an appointment to speak to the commission about a sewer line problem with the EMA building. A resident on Ft Scott St. is having sewer issues and the city may need to find that line and make repairs. She did not show. At 1:24 pm Trent made the motion to go into closed session to discuss personnel issues with Jami Page, Carl Bettels and Danyelle Baker. Ken seconded the motion. All voted yes. At 2:07 pm Ken made the motion to go back in open session. Trent  seconded. All voted yes.

September 25 The Bates County Commission met with Presiding Commissioner Jim Wheatley, Northern Commissioner Ken Mooney and Southern Commissioner Trent Nelson present. Jami Page, Bates County Clerk, asked the Commission for an update on the courthouse roof.  There is major damage after this weekend’s rain.  There are two more rooms that have leaks and cracks in the walls.  Ken Mooney said they need to get the roof repairs sent out for bid.  Jim Wheatley stated he would like to get our insurance agent, Charles Rush, to look at the damage since the insurance company said they would not pay anything towards the roof.  Jami asked the Commission to go over to the courthouse and meet with Gary Ratliff to look at the damage. 

Jim Wheatley said they have not yet heard back from Sheriff Anderson in regards to the alley behind the Sheriff’s Office.  On September 20, 2023, Jim sent the Sheriff an email requesting him to contact the Clerk’s Office to schedule a meeting.  The Sheriff has yet to respond to his email.  On July 31, 2023 Jim sent Sheriff Anderson an email requesting a copy of the agreement with the U.S. Marshals regarding the federal inmates.  He also requested a copy of the speech that Sheriff Anderson read to the Commission that morning.  Sheriff Anderson has failed to produce those documents so the Commission is going to send him a Sunshine Law Request. The Rockville City Council came in to talk to the commission about the city sewer and water situations. They are in need of a secondary source hook up for the city’s water. They have tried to approach this before and are being held up by one resident that does not want to give an easement of his property. They have a secondary route that could be used. They are wanting to hook into PWD#7 and have received their approval. The tower is in need of a few repairs. The sewer has had some issues with inspections as it does not work as designed any longer. Temporary repairs have been put into place. This needs to be corrected to be up to standard in order to work long into the future. They have set up a meeting with Dane Diehl and will be meeting with Kaysigner to get different ideas on funding. They are seeking help with ARPA money. They have saved what they had received as a City from ARPA. The funding of these projects are far over what they have. They were advised to fill out 2 applications one for water and one for sewer. The County has some ARPA left and might be able to help. 

Tom Varner with Benefits Administration presented a different Health Insurance choice for the county. He has a company that puts several counties together to get the best quotes. His goals are at least 5% less, rate guarantee of at least 5 years hopefully 10 and longevity. He likes to see the county stay with the same company for 5 years or so. The commission gave him ideas to build his base and to check back when our current agreement is up. 

Jami Page, County Clerk, brought in the Indigent Policy rewritten to Bates County and with a few changes. There are still several things in the policy to work out. She is proposing to have the Clerk’s office keep the records. The remains to be kept by the county as they are paying for the cremation and prevents any issues on dealing with future relatives wanting to claim the remains. There are still several things to work out. i.e where to store the remains and possible burial. The commission also will want our legal advisor to look the policy over. The commission is going to look over the policy and proposed changes and will table this till a later date. Jami also brought up the Inventory Policy. The inventory list is due from each office October 10th and a few items need changed to meet the current statue. There are a few changes that the county would like to add as well. The statue has listed anything at or over $1000.00 be listed. The county added any electronics and tools purchased for $300 or more that can easily be stolen to be listed as well as firearms purchased of any value with serial number and model. Ken made the motion to accept the revised inventory policy to go into effect as of 9-25-2023. Trent seconded. All voted yes. No opposition. Motion passed.

2024 ELECTION DATES:

April 2, 2024 Municipal Election

First day for candidate filing is December 5, 2023

Last day for candidate filing is December 26, 2023

August 6, 2024 Primary Election

First day for candidate filing is February 27, 2024

Last day for candidate filing is March 26, 2024

November 5, 2024 General Election

First day for candidate filing is July 9, 2024

Last day for candidate filing is July 30, 2024

Council approves special use permit

 

All were present for the Butler city council meeting October 3, except Ward 2 councilman Jeff Hall

Guest Kaleb Breshears, a specialist representing Core & Main addressed the council and answered questions regarding the status of the wireless utility read system (AMI) which is slated to be online and operational soon. His appearance was prompted by the council as concerns were growing that the project was running behind schedule however. According to Breshears, there are several ‘layers’ of the project that have to be implemented a few steps at a time- for example about 22 total electric and water meter transmitters have been installed and next comes testing and implementation of the integration and billing software which began last week.

In short, he assured the council the project is on track with a delivery of about 400 meters a month scheduled, putting the system mostly operational the early part of 2024. While the initial cost of the AMI remote utility meter reading system is close to $750k, it will greatly enhance speed and accuracy of reading meters while saving the city a substantial amount of manual labor as well. Other benefits include immediate notification in the event of outages as well as early water leak detection and an automated billing system.

Another hot topic has been the renovation taking place at 113 S. Orange (former Nelson Motel location) as property owner Parker Byron is currently rehabbing the entire facility to meet modern efficiency standards in an effort to provide affordable housing which is desperately needed in Butler. The project has been under fire due to the previous owner allegedly not keeping up with codes along with numerous issues concerning illegal activity and more.

In last month’s meeting Byron assured the council that he was aware of the violations and as the new owner he has been working with the city to ‘raise the bar’ in terms fulfilling legal requirements while enhancing the standard of living there as well. In that meeting the council was in agreeance with Byron on all counts but wanted to add some items to the conditional use permit including four ‘spot checks’ of compliance the first year of operation. With that, the permit was approved unanimously.

In other news City Clerk Corey Snead advised the group that $300,000 of restricted money will be put into CD’s which have a pretty good rate of 5.7%. Other discussion included raising funds for a public safety building which could include grant, USDA and FEMA money as part of this long term goal.

Snead also spoke optimistically about rural economic development interests in Butler that could make good use of empty buildings such as the former Walmart and Country Mart locations to name a few. His discussions with the group highlighted the fact the Butler is an ideal location (between Nevada and Harrisonville) for big box retailers. Bringing one to town would certainly reduce drive time for some and more is expected on this in upcoming meetings.

Ward 3 councilwoman Carmen Behringer inquired about something she heard on the street, a Frisbee golf course to be located somewhere in Butler. Her surprise of this announcement was shared with other council members as no one seemed to know anything about it. City administrator Mike West did point out that it was in the budget and was in the works before the current council was elected. He went on to say that work has begun on the project, likely completed next year and will be located at South park. 

It was announced that Butler has a new code enforcement officer, Don Hastings. He officially started in the position September 27th and was welcomed by the council.

Remember the Butler city council meets on the first and third Tuesdays, 7 pm at city hall. The public is highly encouraged to attend.

Tense moment in west Butler

On Monday October 2nd, a local resident had finished shopping at Butler Walmart when they were accosted by a man near the stoplight. 

The driver reported that while waiting for the light to change, the man attempted to open the front passenger vehicle door and when the driver pulled forward, the man attempted to open the rear passenger door. The driver then pulled onto 52 highway against a red light during which the man reportedly threw rocks at the vehicle.

While there was no further incident, the identity of the man is still unknown. If anyone has information, please contact the Butler police department at 660-679-6131.

Obituary - Dewey McGuire

Visitation for Dewey McGuire of Butler, Missouri will be 3 - 5 p.m. Friday, October 6, 2023 at Schowengerdt Funeral Chapel (660-679-6555) in Butler, Missouri. Inurnment at a later date at Virginia Cemetery, Virginia, Missouri. Online condolences www.schowengerdtchapel.com.

Dewey McGuire, age 92 of Butler, Missouri died Tuesday, October 3, 2023 at the Butler Center. He was born May 6, 1931 to Ezra and Pearl McQuinn McGuire in Butler.

Dewey is survived by two sons, Gary McGuire and wife Rachel of St. Catharines Ontario, Canada and Dewey Lee McGuire and wife Cheryl of Cleveland, Missouri; two daughters, Linda Christopher and husband Robert of Butler, Missouri and Julie Conrad of Rich Hill, Missouri; 10 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. 

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Nelda Lee McGuire on December 13, 1996; a son, Roy Allen McGuire; and a brother, Terry McGuire.

Cooler temperatures arrive in time for the weekend

Cooler temperatures arrive in time for the weekend. Will some see the first frost of the season? It's certainly a possibility! Stay tuned to the forecast this weekend.

Obituary - Richard “Rick” Lee Heckadon, Sr.

Richard “Rick” Lee Heckadon, Sr. was born on November 2, 1955 in Butler, Missouri to Ellsworth and Betty (Dowen) Heckadon. Rick left this life on September 27, 2023 at 12:40 a.m. at his home. He was 67 years old.

Rick was a jack of all trades. Most of his life he drove a truck, worked as a mechanic, was a construction worker, and a carpenter. 

Rick loved hunting and fishing and playing pool; his favorite pastime was hanging out and playing with the grandkids. Most of all, Rick was a son, husband, brother, dad, uncle, “Popo”, great-grandpa, and friend.

Rick is survived by his wife of 46 years, Mae (Phelps) Heckadon of the home; four children, Richard (Rachel) Heckadon Jr. of Excelsior Springs, Missouri, Bethie Jo (Mike) Gardner of Rich Hill, Missouri, Ellsworth Heckadon of Rich Hill, Missouri, Candie (Daniel) Bledsoe of Falls City, Nebraska; and his seven siblings; nine grandkids, Sebastian and Noah Gardner of Harrisonville, Missouri, Taylor Heckadon of Excelsior Springs, Missouri, Nuria (Jillian) Slama of Humboldt, Nebraska; Dwight and Aiyana Bledsoe of Falls City, Nebraska, Haylee, Haven, and Holly Heckadon of Rich Hill, Missouri; and many nieces and nephews.

Rick is preceded in death by his parents, Ellsworth and Betty Heckadon; two siblings, Barbara Jean and Michael David; and one nephew, Kendall Heckadon; and many friends.

A family gathering will be announced at a later date.

Rogers wins 300th career game as Bulldogs head coach

We would like to congratulate El Dorado Springs Head Volleyball Coach Ashley Rogers for winning her 300th game as a head coach!!

Coach Rogers was a player on the El Dorado Springs State Runner-up volleyball team in 1998 and also a player on the 1999 State Championship team! 

Coach Rogers had one previous head coaching job before coming back home and continuing the winning tradition of Bulldog Volleyball. Coach Rogers and her players past and present are to be commended for achieving this awesome milestone.

Congratulations Coach Ashley Rogers!

Obituary - Victor Gene Clark

Our dear father, Victor Gene Clark, passed away at his home in Mound City, Kansas, on Monday, October 2, 2023. Vic was 85 years old. Vic was born in Medicine Lodge, Kansas, on August 23, 1938, to parents Mary Jane (Sharp) and Oliver Francis Clark. 

Vic served in the U.S. Air Force in Waco, Texas, where he met JoAnn Harding, and they were married in 1957. After living in Waco and the Shawnee, Kansas area, Vic and Jo moved to Mound City in 1970.

Vic is preceded in death by his beloved wife, JoAnn; his grandson, Logan David Clark; his parents; and two of his siblings, Betty and Richard. 

He is remembered with great love by his children and their spouses, David & Pam Clark, Sherry & Van Richardson, Randy & Kelly Clark, Michelle Clark & Brad Stephenson, Carlos Gutierrez & Sarai Justes; grandchildren Brandon Clark, Megan Miller, Nicolas Clark, Erin Holzhauer, Colby Willard, Alex Clark, Allie Stephenson, Devon Conner, Tucker Stephenson, Austin Richardson, and Lola Gutierrez; great- grandchildren Brody, Veia, Jack, Stratton, Hudsyn, Averie, Brya, Sage, Cecilia, Landen, James, and Arthur; and his dog Duke. Vic also leaves his brother Bud and sister Darlene, brothers and sisters-in-law, cousins, many nieces, nephews, and cherished friends.

Graveside service will be 10 am Friday, October 6, 2023 at the Woodland Cemetery in Mound City, Kansas. Memorial contributions are suggested to Mound City Christian Church Youth Fund. Online condolences can be left at www.schneiderfunerals.com.