Phelps County Sheriff Rick Lisenbe requested assistance from the County Commission on Tuesday in appointing a neutral assistant to help consolidate an inventory of property and equipment at the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department.
Citing a two-inch thick, hard copy of a list of equipment inventoried by the PCSD through a period of four-to-five years, with an approximate value of $2.5 million, Lisenbe stressed the importance of having a neutral third-party verify all the equipment listed on the inventory is validated.
“I’m concerned about what’s there and what I’m taking responsibility for,” Lisenbe told the Commission. “Nothing against anyone in the department, Don (the former sheriff) or anyone — I just want an accurate accounting of what I’m responsible for.”
Lisenbe, the county’s newly elected sheriff, took the office on Jan. 1.
Lisenbe said he already asked deputies to submit a list of all the county-owned property in their possession.
“If I have 140 guns listed, I want to know where they’re at. A lot of this stuff is broken or no longer in use.”
Lisenbe also said he would consider holding a “Sheriff’s Sale,” for all the unused equipment at the department.
Commissioner Larry Stratman offered to search for a neutral and competent person to assist in the inventory.
Presiding Commissioner Randy Verkamp suggested Lisenbe also assign someone in the jail to assist with the inventory, because a large portion of the listed equipment is utilized by the jail. Additionally, Verkamp said, Lisenbe needed to be afforded prior audits of the PCSD.
Another issue Lisenbe addressed at the Commission hearing concerned an agreement reached between Don Blankenship, the former sheriff, and the governing officials of the city of Edgar Springs.
Blankenship agreed to loan, or give, a Phelps County patrol car to the city of Edgar Springs, so the two Phelps County deputies who live in the area could provide law enforcement services to Edgar Springs in their off-duty time, according to Lisenbe.
County Clerk Carol Bennett voiced her concern about possible liability issues confronting the county, including wage, hour and overtime laws associated with Phelps County deputies working for Edgar Springs.
“Edgar Springs is a part of this county, and we’re going to help them with what they need,” Lisenbe said.
Stratman, an insurance specialist, also offered to research potential options available for the county to assist in providing Edgar Springs with its own law enforcement force, including the possibility and legality of using the Drug Fund to purchase a car for Edgar Springs.
In other county business, the Commission discussed or took action on the following items:
• In an effort to solicit business from Phelps County, representatives from MFA Oil discussed the company’s new pricing programs available for purchases of diesel and gasoline.
Gene Martin and Joe Case, MFA representatives, said the two programs included a fixed price or maximum price structure. The fixed price locks in fuel costs for the term of the agreement, and the maximum price option guarantees the fluctuating costs for fuel will not exceed a certain agreed-upon price, at an additional cost of 25 cents per gallon.
The Commission informed the representatives that the county would be interested in obtaining a bid from MFA when it solicits bids for fuel in February, the regularly scheduled time for fuel bids.
“Our challenge this year,” Commissioner Bud Dean said, “will be forecasting how much fuel costs will increase throughout the year.”
• The Commission reviewed a comparative statement of tax revenues received from County Aid Road Trust (CART) Funds, which was submitted by Phelps County Treasurer Carol Green.
The county received $54,845 for October gas taxes, which reflected an increase of 8.63 percent from the same period of time in 2007.
Also, receipts of $6,312 in motor-vehicle sales taxes in September reflected a decrease of 26.38 percent from the same month in 2007.
Additionally, receipts of motor-vehicle fees of $5,368 for September realized an increase of 3.8 percent from September, 2007.
CART funds are apportioned to counties by the state on the basis of two factors: one-half of the funds are credited to the county based on the ratio that its road mileage bears to the total county road mileage in the unincorporated areas of the state, and one-half is credited to the county based on the ratio that its rural land valuation bears to the rural land valuation of the entire state. The distribution percentage for Phelps County in 2008 is 0.0069122 percent for CART funds.
• The Commission approved Plat 4 of The Quarry, the second phase of a subdivision developed by Tom Sowers. The blueprint for the subdivision includes plans for 28 lots, a six-acre stormwater retention lake and a walking trail encircling the subdivision.
• Ben McWilliams, supervisor of Phelps County “Tough on Trash” Program, advised the Commission he collected three bags of trash from a six-to-seven-mile cleanup on County Road 4120. Additionally, Community Operated Service Program (COSP) volunteers filled 24 bags of roadside trash from County Road 7100 and Martin Spring Drive.
Because the grant from Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District that funds the “Tough on Trash” Program was reduced from last year’s amount, McWilliams said his hours would decrease this year to a total of 700. He scheduled two working days a week from January through the middle of March and three working days a week from March through June.
“Tough on Trash” is in its fourth year of operation, McWilliams said, and he reminded everyone in the meeting that the telephone number to report illegal dumping in Phelps County is 465-1936.
• The Commission approved paying an invoice for $1,693 to the Law Firm of Williams, Robinson, Rigler & Buschjost for providing special prosecutor services to the county on two cases.
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Phelps County Sheriff Rick Lisenbe requested assistance from the County Commission on Tuesday in appointing a neutral assistant to help consolidate an inventory of property and equipment at the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department.
Citing a two-inch thick, hard copy of a list of equipment inventoried by the PCSD through a period of four-to-five years, with an approximate value of $2.5 million, Lisenbe stressed the importance of having a neutral third-party verify all the equipment listed on the inventory is validated.
“I’m concerned about what’s there and what I’m taking responsibility for,” Lisenbe told the Commission. “Nothing against anyone in the department, Don (the former sheriff) or anyone — I just want an accurate accounting of what I’m responsible for.”
Lisenbe, the county’s newly elected sheriff, took the office on Jan. 1.
Lisenbe said he already asked deputies to submit a list of all the county-owned property in their possession.
“If I have 140 guns listed, I want to know where they’re at. A lot of this stuff is broken or no longer in use.”
Lisenbe also said he would consider holding a “Sheriff’s Sale,” for all the unused equipment at the department.
Commissioner Larry Stratman offered to search for a neutral and competent person to assist in the inventory.
Presiding Commissioner Randy Verkamp suggested Lisenbe also assign someone in the jail to assist with the inventory, because a large portion of the listed equipment is utilized by the jail. Additionally, Verkamp said, Lisenbe needed to be afforded prior audits of the PCSD.
Another issue Lisenbe addressed at the Commission hearing concerned an agreement reached between Don Blankenship, the former sheriff, and the governing officials of the city of Edgar Springs.
Blankenship agreed to loan, or give, a Phelps County patrol car to the city of Edgar Springs, so the two Phelps County deputies who live in the area could provide law enforcement services to Edgar Springs in their off-duty time, according to Lisenbe.
County Clerk Carol Bennett voiced her concern about possible liability issues confronting the county, including wage, hour and overtime laws associated with Phelps County deputies working for Edgar Springs.
“Edgar Springs is a part of this county, and we’re going to help them with what they need,” Lisenbe said.
Stratman, an insurance specialist, also offered to research potential options available for the county to assist in providing Edgar Springs with its own law enforcement force, including the possibility and legality of using the Drug Fund to purchase a car for Edgar Springs.
In other county business, the Commission discussed or took action on the following items:
• In an effort to solicit business from Phelps County, representatives from MFA Oil discussed the company’s new pricing programs available for purchases of diesel and gasoline.
Gene Martin and Joe Case, MFA representatives, said the two programs included a fixed price or maximum price structure. The fixed price locks in fuel costs for the term of the agreement, and the maximum price option guarantees the fluctuating costs for fuel will not exceed a certain agreed-upon price, at an additional cost of 25 cents per gallon.
The Commission informed the representatives that the county would be interested in obtaining a bid from MFA when it solicits bids for fuel in February, the regularly scheduled time for fuel bids.
“Our challenge this year,” Commissioner Bud Dean said, “will be forecasting how much fuel costs will increase throughout the year.”
• The Commission reviewed a comparative statement of tax revenues received from County Aid Road Trust (CART) Funds, which was submitted by Phelps County Treasurer Carol Green.
The county received $54,845 for October gas taxes, which reflected an increase of 8.63 percent from the same period of time in 2007.
Also, receipts of $6,312 in motor-vehicle sales taxes in September reflected a decrease of 26.38 percent from the same month in 2007.
Additionally, receipts of motor-vehicle fees of $5,368 for September realized an increase of 3.8 percent from September, 2007.
CART funds are apportioned to counties by the state on the basis of two factors: one-half of the funds are credited to the county based on the ratio that its road mileage bears to the total county road mileage in the unincorporated areas of the state, and one-half is credited to the county based on the ratio that its rural land valuation bears to the rural land valuation of the entire state. The distribution percentage for Phelps County in 2008 is 0.0069122 percent for CART funds.
• The Commission approved Plat 4 of The Quarry, the second phase of a subdivision developed by Tom Sowers. The blueprint for the subdivision includes plans for 28 lots, a six-acre stormwater retention lake and a walking trail encircling the subdivision.
• Ben McWilliams, supervisor of Phelps County “Tough on Trash” Program, advised the Commission he collected three bags of trash from a six-to-seven-mile cleanup on County Road 4120. Additionally, Community Operated Service Program (COSP) volunteers filled 24 bags of roadside trash from County Road 7100 and Martin Spring Drive.
Because the grant from Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District that funds the “Tough on Trash” Program was reduced from last year’s amount, McWilliams said his hours would decrease this year to a total of 700. He scheduled two working days a week from January through the middle of March and three working days a week from March through June.
“Tough on Trash” is in its fourth year of operation, McWilliams said, and he reminded everyone in the meeting that the telephone number to report illegal dumping in Phelps County is 465-1936.
• The Commission approved paying an invoice for $1,693 to the Law Firm of Williams, Robinson, Rigler & Buschjost for providing special prosecutor services to the county on two cases.
