Stoddard County sheriff to add deputy, jailer

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. — The Stoddard County Sheriff’s Department will soon see a new jailer and deputy after Monday’s county commission meeting.

Sheriff Carl Hefner asked commissioners for permission to hire another jailer and road deputy to help alleviate overtime pay being accumulated and add safety to the jail.

While all three commissioners agreed on the additional personnel, Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis said he had reservations about approving the request.

“This year, financially we are doing good with sales tax revenue so that was my final determining factor is where we are at with financials,” he said. “I don’t have no doubt you need (the employees). I’m not arguing that point. It’s all financial with me, where we are at and where we are going.”

In numbers presented to commissioners Monday, Hefner estimated a new jailer would cost about $8,733 and another deputy would add $9,373 for the remainder of the year beginning in October.

According to Hefner, a grant is available for the deputy position to be brought into.

At this time, Hefner is on point for his 2018 budget, but projected a budget amendment on the salary portion would be needed with the two additional employees.

At one point, the Sheriff’s Department was down several deputies and money was being saved on salaries. That money ended up being used to pay overtime, Hefner said.

At times, Hefner said only one jailer is on duty which poses a safety risk without having a second person on duty.

Hefner proposed putting the deputies on a schedule of four, 10-hour days to cut back on the overtime pay.

Reservations from Mathis came from the four, 10-hour days scheduling proposition.

“I can’t see the four-10s for the deputies working out to cut anything by adding another deputy because something will always come up,” he said.

Hefner reported many of his employees are only able to have one month of weekends off per year, but the schedule change and additions should allow for more time off.

“With the added person, not to mention the safety aspect of it and hopefully the savings on overtime, it will give (the employees) a little more time off to spend with their families which boosts moral,” he said.

Mathis added he understood, but believed something else would come up as it has in the past.

Crowley Ridge Black Powder CLUB

Melvin Boyer of the Crowley Ridge Black Powder club was granted approval by commissioners to move the rendezvous side of the Liberty Days festival to the West side of Highway 25 behind the Stars and Stripes cemetery.

“We are getting too big for the area allotted to us,” Boyer said of the East side of the highway where the club shot cannons and muzzle loaders.

The event, he said, attracted over 900 children last year with Civil War and World War II reenactments.

While the cannons are fake and the black powder only shoots about 100 yards, Boyer said the changed location would also add more safety because the group would be shooting downhill into a hollow.

“I think it’s a win-win situation,” he said.

Liberty Days is scheduled Oct. 5-7.

SB40 Board Replacement

A replacement for Senate Bill 40 board member Larry McGonigal, who resigned during the group’s last meeting, is expected to be appointed during next week’s commission meeting.

According to commissioners, several resumes have been received expressing interest in the position to be voted on Monday.

Anyone interested in being appointed to the board should submit a resume to the County Clerk’s office by next Monday to be considered.

The next SB40 meeting will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25.