Sikeston City Council approves entering contract with Scott County E-911 to collect its share of tax revenue

SIKESTON — Sikeston City Council has agreed to enter into a contract with the Scott County 911 Emergency Service Board to receive the city’s share of a sales tax collected since January.

Scott County voters approved a sales tax in 2022 to establish a 911 board and provide funding to help maintain and improve existing 911 services across the country. The 911 board was formed, and Sikeston Department of Public Safety Chief James McMillen said that the county has been collecting revenue taxes since January 2023.

Sikeston DPS is one of the county’s three 911 centers. 

“The hope is that down the road we can consolidate those and ultimately have one for the county or one for the region,” McMillen said during Council’s regular meeting Monday, Dec. 4. 

The current agreement approved by the board was to fund half of the operating budgets of those three 911 centers. 

Sikeston DPS currently has an $824,143 911 operating budget for 911 services, so they would receive $412,071.50 per year. The payments will be made in the amount of $103,017.87 each quarter.

Also during Monday’s meeting, Council awarded a bid for the city’s alcohol and substance abuse testing. Missouri Delta Medical Center provides occupational medicine for pre-hire screening, fitness for duty and worker’s compensation. 

Bids were opened Oct. 2 for Workers Compensation testing, Fit for Duty, Occupational Medicine for Pre-Hire Screening, and Alcohol/Substance Abuse Testing. Account Clerk Jessica Britton, Human Resources Director Carrie Burgfeld and Finance Director Amanda Groves made up the bid committee.

Burgfeld said the city has used Missouri Delta Occupational Medicine office since 2020, and a bid is issued every two years. 

According to Burgfeld, two bids were received from two different agencies: Saint Francis Medical Center and Missouri Delta Medical Center.

“Missouri Delta came in a little bit cheaper overall, and they also offer 24/7 services that Saint Francis can’t offer,” Burgfeld said.

Missouri Delta Medical Center can provide the city with an occupational physician in Sikeston as well as 24/7 post-accident drug and alcohol testing through their Occupational Medicine office, Urgent Care or emergency room.

The City Council approved the second reading of a bill calling for a general election on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, to elect a mayor, councilman Ward 2, and councilman Ward 3 for three-year terms.

Incumbents Greg Turnbow (mayor), Vest Baker (Ward 2 councilman), and David Teachout (Ward 3 councilman) have all filed for re-election and will be unopposed on the ballot

The City Council approved a bill that establishes a city code governing the number of terms a member of the Library Board may serve. Under the new code, library board members can serve three consecutive full terms and then be ineligible to be reappointed for two years after the third term expires, bringing them into compliance with state statute.

Sikeston Public Library Director Ron Eifert said the error was not anyone’s fault and that the passage of this bill will greatly assist the library board next year. 

The next meeting of the city council will be Jan. 8, 2024.