Officials work to establish new protocols

Wednesday, December 7, 2005

BENTON -- With the new Scott County Communication Center up and running, county officials are now establishing administration protocols and operating procedures.

County Developer Joel Evans presented the latest draft of bylaws for the Board of Directors of the Scott County Communication Center during the regular County Commission meeting Tuesday.

The sheriff also has the most recent version, Evans said: "Each time I've made a revision I've sent a copy over for him."

The board will consist of the three county commissioners, the emergency management director and the sheriff. "Whoever fills the office is a member," Evans said. Board members serve until they leave their county office.

The sheriff and emergency management director each get one vote. The County Commission gets one vote. A quorum consists of the sheriff, emergency management director and at least two of the three commissioners.

A provision to expand the board was rejected by commissioners. Commissioner Jamie Burger said he wants the board to remain small and focused.

The emergency management director will still be the E-911 director, too, but commissioners discussed having the communications supervisor not double as assistant emergency management director so he or she can focus on communications.

Burger said he would like to see Joe Burton, Scott County's E-911 administrator and emergency management director, freed-up from the day-

to-day management of communications so he can concentrate on emergency management.

In other business Tuesday:

* Commissioners accepted the sole submitted bid for 22 handicapped accessible voting machines - one for each precinct - for a total of $99,000 from Elkins-Swyers of Springfield.

The bid was lower than the state bid, according to County Clerk Rita Milam.

The accessible voting machines are mandated by the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002.

Also required were voting machines to comply with the second-chance voting mandate.

In November, commissioners approved the purchase of 22 second-chance voting machines, which also serve as precinct counters, for $115,000.

Scott County was allocated $214,500 for the HAVA compliance, Milam said.

Milam said the system selected will work best for Scott County and its increasing number of voters.

* Eighth District U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson's meeting on emergency preparedness for earthquakes held last week on the Southeast Missouri State University campus was "very interesting," Burton said. "It was one of the first of its kind - this was the first of many meetings to come."

A Coast Guard commander attended, according to Burton, and provided information relevant to the county and the Mississippi River. "She really did an excellent job explaining what their job is," he said.

Burton said he is considering appointing Ken Hollowell of Sikeston to be the county's liaison with the Coast Guard.

During a previous meeting, Hollowell, who has experience in several areas related to emergency preparedness including 31 years with the Coast Guard, volunteered his services to the county.

"I think he would be a very good asset for us," Burton said.

* Commissioners need more information before agreeing to serve as sponsors for a Community Development Block Grant for Mission Missouri in Sikeston.

Janie Pfefferkorn, executive director of Mission Missouri, explained she is trying to meet a deadline to get some of the remaining funds from the 2005 grant cycle.

The money would be used to finish the other half of the House of Liberty building, according to Pfefferkorn.

She explained the city of Sikeston is ineligible to sponsor the grant for another 11-15 months.

Joe E. Lane, director of community planning for the Bootheel Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission at Malden, is helping to write the grant and the BRPC will administer it if approved.

* Commissioners reappointed Don Webb to the Sikeston Area Higher Education Center board.

* Commissioners gave the OK for Evans to attend a weekend Homeland Security grant writing workshop scheduled for February in Columbia.

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