Commission hears reports

Several reports and contracts were on the agenda for the St. Francois County Commission meeting Tuesday morning.

Angie Usery of the County Collector’s Office spoke to the commission about changing the online payment portal to Autoagent IPayments, which the commission approved.

The other processors currently being used are not security compliant. The county will pay $280 for one of three card readers they will receive and the processor will receive a 2.4% payment fee per transaction paid by the taxpayer, an industry standard.

In other business, the County Clerk’s Office opened sealed bids for road overlay projects for the year and County Clerk Kevin Engler gave a polling place inspection report to the commission.

“On the polling places, we have no changes right now,” he said. “…We have seven polling places that aren’t ADA compliant. At all locations, we will offer to come to their car, but they are supposed to have the same access as everybody else.”

Engler discussed the possibility of consolidating some precincts, physical security and transportation issues. He is also looking at updating the voting equipment that is becoming obsolete. Engler is especially looking at purchasing equipment and printers that will print out the ballot at the precinct, instead of having them printed before the election.

In other election business, the commission also approved the certification of the April elections.

A motion was passed naming the road from Landfill Road to Big River Access in Owl Creek Park as Owl Creek Road.

The commission approved an agreement with SSC Architects for the HVAC project for the courthouse annex to be paid for with ARPA funds.

The commission also approved the renewal of the DSSSF grant totaling $45,000. The grant is a salary supplement for sheriff’s deputies that meet the qualifications.

A Residential Substance Abuse Treatment grant was approved to buy a new scanner to detect contraband on incoming jail detainees. The county supplied a 25% match of $47,917 to go with the $143,750 for the scanner.

The next county commission meeting will be Tuesday at 10 a.m. on the third floor of the courthouse annex in downtown Farmington.

St. Francois County Clerk Kevin Engler refers to his notes while presenting his polling place inspection report at the commission meeting Tuesday morning.

The St. Francois County Commission meets in regular session Tuesday morning.

Mark Marberry is a reporter for the Farmington Press and Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3629, or at mmarberry@farmingtonpressonline.com