The Clay County Commission met in its first regular monthly session on Monday, August 10, with all Commissioners present. Commission President Joyce Johnson and Commissioner Duane Legg were present in person, while Commissioner David Schoolcraft participated by phone. County Clerk, Shelia Stone, presided as recorder for her last commission meeting.
The commission first took care of regular county business. They approved minutes from the previous meeting, bills, purchase orders, budget revisions, erroneous assessments as presented by the Assessor, and fiduciary appointments as presented by the County Clerk including: appointments of administrators, last wills and testaments, and affidavits and waivers of final settlements for estates.
Along that line they also set a hearing date for the Estate of Charles Edward Bird for 10 a.m. on August 24, following their next regular meeting. The commission also accepted the resignation of the two previous Executor/Administrators of the Estate of Doris J. Metheney. But the next proposed administrators were not present to challenge for the task, so the commission extended their deadline until 10 a.m. later that morning.
The commission approved the use of the courthouse outside court and inside facilities for the Apple Festival coming in September. The general public will be able to come inside and get out of the heat and use the public bathrooms until at least 9 p.m..
The commission reappointed Mike Scott (whose term ends June 30, 2030) and Daniel Tanner (whose term ends June 30, 2030) to the Clay County Deputy Sheriff’s Civil Service Commission. and reappointed Barry McCune as the Citizen Representative to the Regional Intergovernmental Council with his term ending June 30, 2030.
The commission approved Connie Truman’s request to hire Traci Porter as a part-time paramedic for the 911 Ambulance Center at a starting wage of $17.00 per hour. and they approved Circuit Clerk Clarissa Hanshaw’s request to hire Krissie Walton as a full-time employee.
The commission also approved a request from Patricia White, Director of the 911 Ambulance Service, regarding general pay raises. The commission approved pay raises of 50 cents per hour for drivers, $1 per hour for EMTs, and $1.50 per hour for paramedics. This is a big deal since in the past few years pay raises have been denied over the presence of the county’s jail bill.
And speaking of the Regional Intergovernmental Council, Terry Martin was present to update the commission on a number of matters. First, he requested both a Budget Extension and a Time Extension for the Big Otter Water Line Extension Project for FAMCO. The contractors have encountered hard rock digging conditions for the Big Otter line, requiring more time and money to facilitate. They also approved a current bill for ARC for $300,000, with nearly a million still to come.
Terry also asked for and received a renewed Administrative Regional Council contract for the Clay County Commission 911 Center Construction. A contract valued at $75,000 for what Commissioner Johnson says is “For things that we cannot do.”
And finally, Terry discussed Clay County Library Estimates but assured them no action was needed at this time.
The final act of the commission that morning was with a mixture of sadness and joy. The commission read a resolution for, and presented a certificate to, retiring County Clerk Shelia Stone, whose last day is August 15. They proclaimed August 15 “Shelia Stone Day” for Clay County.
The next commission meeting will be held on Monday, August 24, in the commission room of the Clay County Courthouse at 9 a.m..
