I attended the February 8, 2024, Camden County Commission meeting at 10:00 a.m.
All commissioners were present.
The first agenda item was Joey McLiney with McLiney and Co. – Consideration of Financial Advisory Services for the County.
McLiney introduced himself as a municipal advisor. He explained that Camden County has been going to a single buyer for its debt. His job is to talk to investment banks across the country and shop for competitive bids. McLiney felt that the county had not been receiving the best bids for its bonds in the past. McLiney said that he saves his clients money by putting their bond offers on a platform that can draw 7-8 bidders at a time.
He has been an advisor for Miller County for 30 years.
Commissioner Gohagan asked the County Auditor what Camden County’s current credit rating was? Auditor Laughlin responded that the county’s current rating is AA- because the county is still waiting for the completion of its outside audit reports. The county is currently on a negative credit watch.
Commissioner Gohagan mentioned that Camden County also needed to prepare a capital improvement plan. McLiney explained the process to follow to develop a capital improvement plan.
Presiding Commissioner Skelton stated that there was no need to put this out to bid because it was for professional services. Skelton commented that sometimes Camden County feels like it’s a “first class county stuck in third gear.” He felt they could use the advice and the county would benefit from McLiney’s expertise.
Apparently, the contract can be terminated at any time with or without cause. McLiney said he only makes money when “debt goes out the door.”
Commissioner Williams stated that the contract looked like a risk-free agreement from the county’s perspective.
County Attorney Green had reviewed the contract. It was approved unanimously by the Commission.
The second agenda item was Sewer Board Re-appointment – Joanne Pollock – Camelot District-.
Pollock was unanimously re-appointed to the Camelot Sewer Board.
The third agenda item was 2024-2025 Assessment Maintenance Plan Agreement and Approval.
The maintenance plan identifies the resources needed to annually assess real and personal property. If it is approved, a portion of the costs and expenses of the county’s assessment process will be reimbursed by the state. The reimbursement is per parcel, but the reimbursed amount can never exceed sixty percent of that actual costs and expenses incurred by the Assessor.
More great cocktail party conversation, folks! Impress your friends with your obscure knowledge of Missouri’s byzantine statutes.
This plan was approved by the Commission unanimously.
While he was up there, the Assessor mentioned that the roof on his building is leaking. It needs to be repaired, so he will solicit bids for shingle and metal roofing.
The final agenda item was Salt Dome Invoice – Scott’s Concrete – Approve Payment from ARPA Funds.
Road and Bridge’s new giant salt yurt needs to have large concrete blocks emplaced to separate the piles of material. This will cost $7,400 and will be paid with ARPA funds.
It was mentioned again that the Commission’s Public Comment table is about ready to collapse and is probably going to kill someone if a citizen looks at it the wrong way. $4.7 million ($7.2 million with interest) in renovations doesn’t buy what it used to!
(I swear that’s the actual table. It’s one microphone away from collapsing.)
It was announced that the Camden County Auction will be held on April 6 at 11:00 a.m. in the lower parking lot. They are going to be auctioning off lots of old county property.
I can only imagine the treasures that are going to be available: File cabinets, 500 gallon fuel tanks, desks, drafts of unsigned Facebook search warrants, a gun from a cancelled gun raffle, pallets of wood pellets, expired medication, hundreds of used dog and cat collars, DNA evidence….
Who knows what else you might find there?
Commissioner Gohagan mentioned there had been recent media attention regarding Sho-Me Power and the Tunnel Dam. He verified that there have been no new developments regarding the dam and there was confusion over why this story had cropped up recently.
Camden County entered into an agreement with Sho-Me Power in the hopes that FERC would allow Sho-Me Power to shut down the power plant, keep the dam intact, and maintain it. Sho-Me Power wants to keep the dam because they estimated that removing it would cost them over $20 million. Presiding Commissioner Skelton stated that Sho-Me Power is currently waiting for approval from FERC.
I previously wrote about this all here.
And that was that.
Among the Dogwoods 
Thank You for always posting this. It’s the only way I keep up with what is going on.
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