April 20, 2021

BLOOMFIELD — Stoddard County Associate Commissioner Carol Jarrell raised concerns about the amount of mileage County Clerk Cecil Weeks reported for the April election. Speaking at Monday’s regular meeting, Jarrell said Weeks reported 617 miles for the election for setup, delivery of equipment and poll visits...

BLOOMFIELD — Stoddard County Associate Commissioner Carol Jarrell raised concerns about the amount of mileage County Clerk Cecil Weeks reported for the April election.

Speaking at Monday’s regular meeting, Jarrell said Weeks reported 617 miles for the election for setup, delivery of equipment and poll visits.

“I asked him about it and he said that was correct. I really could not wrap my head around it,” Jarrell said. “I didn’t get a copy of his November election mileage of 583, and I signed that because I never caught that. On his mileage for April (election), I refused to sign. I did come up Friday because I wanted to look through our previous county clerk’s records on election milage. And I went in and asked Mr. Weeks if I could do that, and he said, ‘well you stirred my curiosity,’ so he went and pulled (up the paperwork).”

Jarrell compared those numbers to mileage submitted by previous County Clerk Joe Watson and former employee Ginger McCoy.

According to number provided by Jarrell, 614 miles were reported for the August 2018 election and 657 for the November 2018 election.

She explained that each city had fewer polling precincts in the past two elections compared the 2018 elections. For instance, voting for Dexter’s Wards 1-3, rural and Pyle was held at the Bearcat Event Center rather than separate locations as they have in the past.

“His total mileage is less than the people you’re pointing to in previous elections, their total mileage, to do the same job,” Presiding Commissioner Danny Talkington said. “And when you drive to Bell City and the distance between polling places is not going to be more than a mile. When you drive to Dexter when they had multiple polling places, an extra three or four miles. Your numbers, Joe’s and Ginger’s, were 40 miles more than Cecil’s.”

Jarrell corrected the mileage total for the November 2018 election, saying McCoy submitted 108 miles rather than the 186 she previously reported.

That brings that mileage total to 579, 38 fewer miles than Weeks’ total.

“I basically have been called out for not watching expenses that go on up here, being a little bit too liberal with taxpayers’ money,” Jarrell said. “And trust me, I might be liberal with my own bank account and my own money, but not with the taxpayers.’ ”

Jarrell said Weeks needs to provide detail for his mileage.

“He set them up this day, he picked them up this day, and he went from Advance to Bernie this many times. He went to Dexter this many times,” Jarrell said. “He needs to detail because I cannot see and I don’t think the public can see 617 miles for election mileage.”

Watson’s account of his mileage was “very detailed,” according to Jarrell.

“I have no problem having Cecil show the same sorts of details in the future. I have no problem with that. That’s what you want,” Talkington said.

New copier for EMA

The commission voted 3-0 to purchase a new copy machine for the Emergency Management Agency. The county will pay $5,292 for the machine plus a $36 monthly service charge, which includes service, parts and toner.

The machine, purchased from Nova Copy of Malden, is big enough to print floodplain maps (11 x 17 inches) when they arrive.

Talkington said part of the cost could be reimbursed through a grant program.

The county was given a quote to lease the copy machine for $104.17 a month for 60 months at a total cost of $6,250.20.

New phone system

Two bids were submitted for a new phone system for the Stoddard County Justice Center.

Vexus Fiber, of Sikeston, offered a lease option for a tele-cloud based system. The cost for a 50-station system was $997.50 per month.

Critical Edge, of Jonesboro, Arkansas, quoted a purchase price of $23,204 for a 45-phone system. The system is partially cloud based and would cost $4,000 to install.

The system from Vexus Fiber would require the replacement of cabling throughout the justice center, while the Critical Edge system could utilize current wiring.

County Facilities Maintenance Manager William Dowdy said the system offered by Vexus is “too wide open.” He said he expects at least 20 years out of the new system, based on the length of service for the current product. If you multiply the monthly fee of $997.50 over 20 years, the full cost would be $239,400.

The commission rejected the bid from Vexus Fiber and will meet with Presiding Circuit Judge Robert Mayer and representatives of Critical Edge to discuss the system fully, and a final decision will be made afterward.

Cares Act

Shane Taylor, an owner of Farm First Crop Insurance LLC in Essex, said someone told him that when his application for CARES Act funds was presented to the commission, associate commissioner Steve Jordan said “over my dead body” would you OK that. Taylor asked if anyone at Monday’s meeting had heard that statement.

Talkington said he did not hear that, but Jarrell said she did.

Jordan said he didn’t say “over my dead body.” Jarrell said she didn’t know if he used those terms, but he said he would not fund this.

Jordan confirmed he did say he would not OK the request.

“The reason why is that your business never changed and I have an inside track (on that) … but your sales never changed just like Amanda’s (Jordan’s daughter) never changed, and your deal went right on. Now, we gave some money out to some insurance companies and I don’t think we should have.

“Everything was settled out as far as I knew, and I don’t really know about your business, but claims were already settled for the year,” Jordan continued. “Your premiums didn’t stop. Most of the time your customers don’t come to the office or in Amanda’s case they don’t.”

Taylor said he is bringing his concerns to the commission because a competitor received funds.

“I turned in my stuff because I saw that Brem Insurance Agency was paid,” Taylor said, “and I believe, I might be wrong, but I believe they were paid payroll. Was that correct?”

Talkington said that was true and the county is seeking reimbursement because payroll wasn’t an eligible expense in the CARES Act, and those funds were mistakenly paid.

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