MINUTES
Board of Directors Meeting
Jasper County Emergency Services
March 2nd 2021
Chairman Fries called the meeting to order at 12:07 p.m. Meeting was held at the Board office, 13870 Dispatch Lane, Carthage, MO as per public notice. Present in addition to Chairman Fries, Vice Chairman Tim Wilson, Greg Dagnan, Dan Stanley, Carl Francis, James Harrison (via conference call) and Ron Brewer. Representing staff was Office Support Clerk Amber Madison and Executive Director (ED Ford) April Ford.
No Representing public
Review and Action of Minutes
Open minutes were reviewed for the Board of Director’s Meeting on February 2nd 2021.
Director Wilson motioned to approve open meeting minutes for February 2nd, 2021. Director Stanley seconded the motion. Vote: 7-0. The motion was adopted.
Public Comment and Correspondence
No Public Comment
Financial Report and Payment of Bills
Office Support Clerk Amber Madison and Executive Director Ford explained that we received a letter from the Internal Revenue Service stating that we owe taxes for 2020. ED Ford advised the Board that we have a phone call scheduled with our payroll company Paychex to discuss the letter.
The sales tax deposit for January was received on February 5th 2021, in the amount of $177,582.09. We have not received the sales tax check for February or March.
Total bills submitted for approval today $53,318.22.
The Checkbook balance after payment of bills will be $22,224.95.
Accounts receivable balance: $572.92. (Joplin Fiber).
The Money Market account balance is $1,343,191.37.
Director Stanley motioned to approve the financial report and the payment of the Bills. Director Wilson seconded the motion. Vote: 7-0. The motion was adopted.
Executive Director Report
See Attached Report
Executive Director Ford highlighted that we are having some issues with our HVAC. Executive Director Ford advised the Board that there are individuals attacking 9-1-1 Centers and taking down their Centers by what is being called TDoS attacks where people are “spoofing” numbers and calling 9-1-1 and making false reports. April also advised the Board that the Senate is trying to pass a bill that would exempt 9-1-1 Centers from paying TIF’S.
Unfinished Business
Avtec Update
Executive Director Ford advised the Board that we are still anticipating that radio equipment will be put up at the jail tower. JASCO did pay for moving the courthouse radio equipment to Kurt Bleich. Kurt advised April that he will hold the funds until we are ready or we could move the funds to another project.
MOSWIN Update
Executive Director Ford advised the Board that she is getting told a few things different now. April is now being told that the Sheriff’s Department didn’t pay for the recorder interface. April advised the Board that JASCO might be paying for the interface. The recorder interface has been estimated around $100,000.00. ED Ford has been talking to Bryan Courtney and we need to do a load study. ED Ford is working on getting quotes for internet for the console connection into zone 1. Bryan Courtney is wanting us to use zone 1 but if we join with Joplin then they may move to zone 4. April will be checking into seeing why we can’t go on zone 4. The connection to zone 1 could cost more, per Motorola. Zone 4 is in Springfield and zone 1 is in Jefferson City. ED Ford advised the Board that the Sheriff purchased two MCC7500E consoles, Motorola is coming out with IP based radio consoles this summer. April stated that we want the best consoles starting off. We want to be ahead of the game not behind in technology starting off. The Sheriff and April are both stating that the smaller Law agencies will more than likely switch to MOSWIN, so JASCO will need to have a plan to purchase more consoles. ED Ford has quotes for ISP side but she believes that Flex-IP would work. April will be checking with Verizon to confirm the backhaul LTE possibility. Director Dagnan stated that Carl Junction Police Chief Delmar told him that it would cost his Department about $80,000.00-$90,000.00, for Motorola single-band radios without in car repeaters.
Building Maintenance/Expansion/Parking Lot Update
Executive Director Ford advised the Board that she has not been able to talk to the engineer about the RFP for the parking lot. She is waiting for a call or email.
CARES Act
Executive Director Ford advised the Board that we received $23,034.07 from the CARES Act. We did not receive an explanation as to why we didn’t receive the full amount that we applied for.
CPE/9-1-1 Phone System Replacement
Executive Director Ford stated that she spoke to Springfield about INdigital and AT&T ESInet, and how it could work with NG911. INdigital is cheaper than AT&T. April will be working on this project with Springfield to see if we can pay for fiber connection or ESInet IP connection. This way we would be on the same phone system as Springfield and we could backup Springfield. April advised the Board that we need to have a new phone system by June 28th 2021.
At 12:31 p.m. Director Brewer stepped out of the meeting.
Wage Scale – Compensation Past “M”
Executive Director Ford stated that she researched Joplin’s wage scale, and the wage scale for Joplin just stops once you get to the end of the wage scale. April’s recommendation is to add a week of vacation to that employee’s vacation bank once they have reached the end of the wage scale (M-) and then 5 years later add another week. Director Dagnan and Director Wilson discussed their vacation policies with the organization/city.
Director Wilson motioned to approve adding 1 week of vacation to the employees leave balance after they reach the end of the wage scale M-, and then add 1 more week of vacation every 5 years after that. Director Dagnan seconded the motion. Vote: 6-0. The motion was adopted.
Director Brewer stepped back into the meeting at 12:37 p.m.
New Business
IRS. Covid Tax Liability
Executive Director Ford advised the Board that we received a letter from the IRS stating that we owe taxes for 2020. The taxes are owed because we participated in the tax relief program that Paychex said we were eligible for. The IRS has stated since we are a Government Entity we are not eligible for the tax break. April advised the Board that we participated in the tax break for a couple of payrolls and not the entire year. April spoke to our auditor and our Attorney and they stated that it would not be a good program to participate in. April advised the Board that the letter from the IRS is stating that we owe $2,689.00 in taxes. We have a conference call set up with our payroll company Paychex to discuss the letter. April’s concern is that it will look bad when we complete our 2021 audit.
2020 Audit
Executive Director Ford advised the Board that we have completed our 2020 audit. April advised the Board that Office Support Clerk Amber Madison arranged the audit and provided the necessary documents to our auditor Gene Mense. Everything went very smooth, and we just need to sign the paperwork for the audit and send it in to the State.
Director Brewer motioned to accept the 2020 Audit Report. Director Wilson seconded the motion. Vote: 7-0. The motion was adopted.
HVAC Maintenance and Repair
Executive Director Ford advised the Board that we had Paschal Heating and Air come out to the Center and they advised that we have lost one compressor and another one is going out. We are waiting on a quote for the compressor, but we will have to buy this as an emergency purchase. Paschal also stated that we need to replace the system because it is 14-15 years old, and that we need to look into purchasing a dehumidifier for the building because of the moisture. April will advise the Board on the progress of this situation.
Paschal Invoice from 2020
April advised the Board that Paschals also had us pay $274.61 for a thermistor that was put in one of our units last year out of the 2021 budget. They didn’t send the invoice in 2020, and when we contacted them about the current problem they stated that we had an outstanding bill.
Policy – Tobacco and Nicotine Product Restriction
Executive Director Ford advised the Board that she would like to rewrite the tobacco policy. April advised that we need to add vaping and e-cigarette products to the policy. ED Ford also stated that eventually we will need to start thinking about a marijuana policy. The Board discussed that we might also need to go to a tobacco free campus.
Policy – COVID and Sick Policy
Executive Director Ford discussed changes to policy to our Covid policy. The Board and April discussed different options for the Covid policy. The Board members stated that we need to remove the Covid policy and return to using the sick time policy. If they have Covid symptoms, then they go home and get tested and use sick time that they have in their leave balance. At the discretion of Executive Director Ford leave could be approved without pay. The Board also approved that they would pay an employee an hour of pay to receive the Covid vaccine. The Board also approved that JASCO would pay an hour of an employee’s wage if the employee is on shift and need to be tested for Covid without symptoms. The employee would need to go and be tested and then come back to JASCO and wear a mask while on shift.
Director Wilson motioned to approve the removal of the current Covid-19 policy as of January 1st 2021, and to resume the current sick time policy with the additions to the policy of Covid testing/vaccine pay. Director Dagnan seconded the motion. Vote: 7-0. The motion was adopted.
Jasper County Emergency Services Board announced to close for personnel records and evaluations pursuant to Mo. Statute Section 610.021 (3).
1:09 p.m. Director Wilson motioned to go into closed session. Director Brewer seconded the motion. Vote: 7-0. The motion was adopted.
Vote:
Fries – In Favor
Brewer – In Favor
Dagnan – In Favor
Stanley – In Favor
Harrison – In Favor
Wilson – In Favor
Francis – In Favor
1:15 p.m. Director Wilson motioned to come out of closed session. Director Brewer seconded the motion. Vote: 7-0. The motion was adopted.
Vote:
Fries – In Favor
Brewer – In Favor
Dagnan – In Favor
Stanley – In Favor
Harrison – In Favor
Wilson – In Favor
Francis – In Favor
Director Dagnan advised the Board that his Department has been having some issues with entering missing persons into MULES immediately. Director Dagnan discussed that JASCO enters the missing juveniles immediately and some of his Officers were having an issue with this. Dagnan advised the Board that ED Ford and Ellen Biesemeyer put a PowerPoint together to explain the issues and the reasons why we enter missing persons immediately. Director Dagnan recommended to the Board that they have their Departments go thru this training as well.
1:21 p.m. Director Wilson motioned to adjourn. Director Dagnan seconded the motion. Vote: 7-0. The motion was adopted.
The next Board Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 6th at 12:00 p.m.
On the________ day of ________________2021
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_________________2021
I, Dan Stanley, Director __________________________ attest the Jasper County Emergency Services Board Meeting Minutes for ___________________________. They have been reviewed and are accurate.
