MINUTES
Board of Directors Meeting
Jasper County Emergency Services
May 5th, 2020
Chairman Fries called the meeting to order at 12:01 p.m., via conference call at the Board office, 13870 Dispatch Lane, Carthage, MO as per public notice. Present in addition to Chairman Fries, Tim Wilson, Carl Francis, Ron Brewer, James Harrison, Dan Stanley and Greg Dagnan joined at 12:11 p.m. Representing staff was Office Support Clerk Amber Madison and Executive Director April Ford.
No Representing Public
Review and Action of Minutes
Open minutes for the Board of Director’s Meeting on April 7th, 2020 were reviewed.
Director Stanley motioned to approve the meeting minutes for April 7th, 2020. Director Harrison seconded the motion. Vote: 6-0. The motion was adopted.
Public Comment and Correspondence
No Public Comment
Financial Report and Payment of Bills
The sales tax for March was received on April 7th, 2020 in the amount of $142,078.05. We have not received the sales tax check for April or May. On April 13th, 2020 we received a deposit of $23,858.71 from the MO911 Prepaid cell phone tax.
Total bills submitted for approval today $44,360.28. The Checkbook balance after payment of bills will be $16,894.42. Accounts receivable balance: $16.30. (Record Request fee).
The Money Market account balance is $1,057,818.63.
Director Wilson motioned to approve the financial report and the payment of the Bills. Director Stanley seconded the motion. Vote: 6-0. The motion was adopted.
Executive Director Report
See Attached Report
Executive Director Ford advised the Board that recently one of our disputes with AT&T was handled, so we currently only have 1 dispute with AT&T at the moment. AT&T denied our sales tax exemption application. April advised that Board that Paychex will be giving us a 55% discount and our rates will be going down. Paychex is also reimbursing us for the mistake that they made in January of 2019. April advised the Board that Missouri Unemployment has gone up, so we will be seeing an increase. April stated that we are waiting on the Senate to see where and how the CARES ACT $14 million dollars that was given to Jasper County will be dispersed and she stated that she has been talking to the Sheriff, and Chief Dagnan about using these funds for the radio equipment. April advised the Board that Mychael Chitwood (part time) employee resigned. At this time, we have no intent to fill the part time position. April advised the Board that we replaced a UPS and the gateway at Joplin PSAP on the XT911 equipment. We are now working on MULES 5 and it seems to be working. April stated that we are working on an online reporting tool through our website for citizens to use to file reports. This will work just like our shelter information. We will get notification once an online report has been filed.
Director Dagnan joined the meeting at 12:11 p.m.
Director Dagnan advised the Board that the $14 million dollars that would be coming from the CARES Act would have to go towards non budgeted Covid-19 related expenses. Executive Director Ford advised the Board members to make sure that they go and get sworn in before the May meeting. Director Dagnan stated that he will go and get sworn in.
Unfinished Business
Avtec Update
Executive Director Ford advised the Board that AVTEC is working on fixing the error for toning out Joplin and METS at the same time.
Fire East Tower Agreement
Executive Director Ford stated that the Fire East Agreement has been sent to the other party for review, and we are just waiting to hear back.
Paychex Errors
Executive Director Ford advised the board that we are waiting for Paychex to send us our reimbursement.
DPS 9-1-1 Grant Funding Application
Executive Director Ford stated that the original plan was to use the grant funding to replace call handling equipment. Quotes for the call handling equipment came in at $1.3 million. The grant total is for $3.2 million. April stated the price was too high so she worked on getting the quotes reconfigured and lowered the quote to $900,000.00. April advised the Board that we had discussed going over to an ESI Net and it would cost over $22,000.00 a month to go on the ESINET. April stated that Joplin is not able to make this switch at this time because of their budget year. So, April worked back and forth with Shawn Johnson at Priority Dispatch to try and get a quote for EMD/EFD/EPD protocol licenses. Due to going back and forth so much to try and get the price down April missed the deadline for the grant by 30 minutes. April stated that she would watch and keep all of the information ready for when/if they release the information for the second grant.
NexEdge – Radio Equipment Move
Executive Director Ford stated that we are currently waiting on a microwave study from Kurt. Morris is doing a tower study to see if the equipment can go on his tower. The equipment will be brought over to Jasco temporarily. Jasco does not have the storage space for the equipment permanently. If we were to keep the equipment at Jasco we would have to take down a wall or buy a building for radio equipment.
Building Expansion
Executive Director Ford stated that we probably need to wait on proceeding with the expansion project. April stated that the expansion quote for the building is $1,156,175.00. April read the proposal and pulled up the picture/plans for the expansion for the Board to look at. April explained that the architect will receive 20% for his architect fee. Buxton Kubik Dodd Inc. would like to come to a meeting and present all of the plans to the Board once we are ready to proceed.
New Business
Bank Security Pledge
Executive Director Ford presented the securities pledge held at the Country Club Bank as of March 31st, 2020. In the book amount of $1,520,040.19, and the market amount of $1,571,624.61 and the current face amount of $1,1,484,716.13.
Director Harrison motioned to approve the Bank Security Pledge. Director Francis seconded the motion. Vote: 7-0. The motion was adopted.
COVID-19 Leave Policy
Executive Director Ford shared two Covid-19 policies with the Board for review. April stated that the difference between the policies is that if we send them home or they test positive for Covid-19 we would pay their sick leave. April recommends that we pay the employee for sick time related to Covid-19. We realize now that our thermometer wasn’t reading correctly on some people, and we were sending people home that were running a fever per our thermometer. We have now purchased oral thermometers, and protective sleeves for when the employee tests high on our digital thermometer. April spoke to Jason Smith and he recommends to send employees home if they have a temperature of 99.0 with symptoms and the CDC set 100.4 without symptoms. April stated that she would be fine if we send them home due to Covid-19 symptoms then we pay them, but if they call in on their own then they would use sick time out of their leave balance. Director Francis shared his concern with the Board that the employee then would come into to Jasco with a fever/symptoms so that they can be sent home and paid for the time. In turn risking the chance for infection of other employees. Director Francis recommends if they have a fever or symptoms for Covid-19 then we pay their sick time whether they call in on their own or we send them home. Director Dagnan agreed with Director Francis. April stated that she would modify policy option 2 to state that we would pay sick time for Covid-19 related sick time.
Director Harrison motioned to approve for April to make the modifications to option 2 Covid-19 policies. Director Wilson seconded the motion. Vote: 7-0. The motion was adopted.
Parking Lot Expansion
Executive Director Ford advised that she still wants to proceed with the parking lot expansion all the way to the tree line this year, but she does not want to process with this right now because of the Covid-19 situation. The Board agreed to wait on the expansion of the parking lot for now.
12:39 p.m. Director Harrison motioned to adjourn. Director Stanley seconded the motion. Vote: 7-0. The motion was adopted.
The next Board Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020 at 12:00 p.m.
On the_________________day of ______________________2020____
I, Jeff Fries, Chairman _____________________________________________certify these Jasper County Emergency Services Board Meeting Minutes for___________________________. They have been reviewed and are accurate.
On the __________day of_____________________2020______
I, Dan Stanley, Director __________________________ attest the Jasper County Emergency Services Board Meeting Minutes for _______________________________. They have been reviewed and are accurate.
