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FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2021
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Established Sept. 4, 1864 - 157th Year - No. 84
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Spickard R-2 Board Approves Salary Scale
BRIEFS Trenton R-9 Special Meeting
The Trenton R-9 Board of Education will hold a special meeting at 7 a.m. on Monday, June 28 at the district office. Items on the announced agenda include approval of the end-of-year bills, actualization of revenues and expenditures, approval of the 2021-22 budget, a recommendation to accept a proposal from SafeDefend for a personal protection system, setting the tax levy hearing for Aug. 10 at 5:25 p.m. and a closed session to discuss personnel.
R-T Photo/Wendell Lenhart
Trever Ratliff, right, was sworn in to duty Thursday morning as a Grundy County Deputy. Ratliff, who received the oath of office from Third Circuit Associate Judge Steven D. Hudson, is a 2015 graduate of Trenton High School and graduated from the Law Enforcement Academy at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph earlier this month. According to Grundy County Sheriff Rodney Herring, the hiring of Deputy Ratliff brings the department up to full staff.
NCMC Approves 2022 Budget Trustees at North Central Missouri College found it pretty easy Tuesday evening to approve the 2022 budget, which shows a projected surplus. Vice President of Finance Tyson Otto told the board that the budget he presented at the meeting was “less gloomy” than the one he presented in June 2020 and is based on “what we know at the time.” There is some concern that state appropriations will be cut if the state legislature does not agree during a current special session to extend the Federal Reimbursement Allowances and related allowances, taxes and assessment necessary for funding MO HealthNet before July 1. Gov. Mike Parson has said failure to extend the programs would cost the state an estimated $591 million in FY22 and $788 million in FY23. According to the governor, payments from the MO HealthNet program would also be reduced by $1.52 billion in FY22 and $2 billion in FY23 if the programs are not extended. If the program is not extended, the governor has said he would take “immediate cost-savings measures” which would likely affect NCMC’s state funding. If that were to occur, Otto said the college would adjust it’s budget accordingly. He also noted that there is a “healthy fund balance” on which to fall back, if necessary. The budget as it was approved on Tuesday, shows total operating revenue of $11,129,547, with another $2,165,050 in revenue from auxiliary operations for total consolidated income of $13,294,597. Operating expenditures are listed at $10,969,021, with auxiliary operations expenses of $2,164,714, for a total of $13,133,735. The operating budget shows a surplus of $160,526, while the auxiliary budget shows a $336 surplus, for a total surplus of $160,862. Revenues are based on slightly higher enrollment as well as increases in tuition rates and fees, which were approved earlier in the year. Approximately 67 percent of the operational income comes from tuition and fees, while state appropriations comprises 26 percent (estimated at $2,942,169) of the operational income. Local tax revenue, which comprises only 3 percent of the operational income, will remain stable at about $362,800. On the expense side, costs for instruction, academic support and students services comprise about 65 percent of the college’s operational expenses and include salary increases that were approved at the May meeting. Infrastructure costs (computer operations, physical plant/maintenance/custodial services and utilities) make up approximately 19 percent of operational expenses. Administrative costs comprise approximately 12 percent of NCMC’s operational expenses. The budget for the Northwest Workforce Development Board was also approved by trustees, showing total projected revenues of $240,399, which is $50,867 less than was budgeted in 2020. Anticipated expenditures are listed at $240,685.44, which is $50,580.31 less than last year, for a projected deficit of $286.68. Workforce Investment Board Executive Director Brent Stevens said there are no salary increases in the budget as it contains about a 15 percent cut from last year. The program, he said, is operating on about one-half of what it was five years ago and as the law under which it operates is up for reauthorization this year he hopes it will be reauthorized at a higher level. NCMC President Dr. Lenny Klaver gave an enrollment report, which shows head count up 7.55 percent over this time last year and credit hours up 9.77 percent over this time last year. Those figures included enrollment at Savannah and Buchanan County, but not dual credit high school students. Dr. Klaver discussed various meetings he has recently attended and commented on the recent visit by Gov. Parson to the Barton Farm Campus to sign HB 574 and said that as far as the special legislative session goes, he is “cautiously optimistic” that a deal will the reached and, [See NCMC, Page 5]
The Spickard R-2 Board of Education met Monday evening, approving the certified salary schedule and hiring a kindergarten teacher. According to Superintendent/Principal Erica Eakes, who was attending her first meeting as the new administrator, the board adopted a new certified salary schedule, which shows the new base salary at $28,125 annually. A new schedule for support staff was also adopted, with starting salaries varying depending on the position. Board members agreed to work off last year’s budget until a new one can be developed for the 2021-22 school year. Mrs. Eakes was tasked with finding a backup bus driver and Parents as Teachers instructor for the 2021-22 school year. Board members voted to amend the policy on unused sick leave compensation that will be paid for over 20 hours when someone leaves the district. In other business, the board was given an update on the building, with board members told that floor tile is being removed this week and the installation of the new heating and cooling system to also begin this week. [See BOARD, Page 10]
Lawsuit Over Construction Project Filed Against Nursing Home District A Princeton company has filed a lawsuit against the Grundy County Nursing Home District, alleging that it has sustained damages after the nursing home district rescinded its award for it’s energy construction project. Raines Heating and Cooling LLC filed the suit in the Circuit Division of Grundy County Court on Wednesday. The plaintiff alleges that after it was awarded the contract for the HVAC work on the project, the board rescinded its decision and awarded the entire contract for both HVAC replacement in the 1972 portion of Sunnyview Nursing Home and the window replacement to The Wilson Group. The petitioner states that it had followed the direction of the project engineer, Fred Malicoat of Malicoat-Winslow Engineers, PC, and marked out the 210-day timeframe for the completion of the project since there was concern from all bidders that the equipment, which had specific and very long lead times, would not even be available for installation within that time frame. The petitioner states that relying on the directives from the engineer, Raines submitted his bid on Jan. 22 date that had been extended from an original deadline of Jan. 6 - along with a cover page in the amount of $828,270.29 and an addendum for the electrical work. Pursuant to the terms of the bid, Raines provided, in lieu of a bid bond, an earnest check in the amount of $41,413.60. The petitioner states that he sent an email to the project engineer on Jan. 27, asking for the status of the matter. The next day, Malicoat told the petitioner to begin compiling shop drawings, insurance certificates and the performance and payment bonds. Rains was informed at that time that the USDA would issue a notice to proceed in the very near future. Based on that communication, Raines requested the performance and payment bonds from his bonding agent.
In a story dated Feb. 10, the Republican-Times reported that Sunnyview Nursing Home Administrator Jerry Doerhoff had provided information that Raines Heating and Cooling had been awarded the contract for the HVAC portion of the project at a cost of $828,270.29 while The Wilson Group has been awarded the contract for windows and doors at a cost of $388,369. Raines states in the petition that on Feb. 19, he received, from the nursing home district, copies of the contract documents consistent with the agreement, as well as the Certificate of Owner, Payment and Performance Bond Terms, Notice of Award and Notice to Proceed. On Feb. 24, a notice was sent out with regard to the preconstruction meeting to be held on the project. In the email from the project engineer, Raines was directed to obtain issuance of the performance and payment bonds on the project and the email indicated a tentative preconstruction meeting would be held on Feb. 25. On March 1, Deborah Berry of the USDA Rural Development Office sent Raines an email reminding him that, when he obtained his performance and payment bond, the USDA Rural Development would need to be shown as a co-obligee on the bonds. On March 3, in response to an email from Raines, Malicoat indicated that the Notice to Proceed and Notice of Reward would be signed at the preconstruction meeting to be held in the future. Raines indicates in his suit that appeared somewhat odd to Raines and his bonding agent as the district had yet to provide a written contract to him to which the bonds were to be identified and issued. On March 19, the board requested that Raines provide the performance and payment bonds no later than March 23 at 4 p.m. In reliance on the district’s actions, Raines submitted both the performance and payment bonds to the board by the deadline provided. In obtaining the
bonds, the petitioner said he incurrent signficant costs in the form of payment for the bond premiums. On March 30, Raines was notified that the preconstruction meeting would be held March 31 at which time all documents would be signed. On March 30 at 6:48 p.m., Deborah Berry sent an email postponing the pre-construction meeting. On March 31, Raines was informed by Malicoat that The Wilson Group, which had been the second-lowest bidder, was threatening to sue the district. On or about March 31, the Board met and decided to award the project to The Wilson Group after previously awarding the project to Raines. On April 1, Raines said he was notified that the was allegedly in default for failing to provide performance and payment bonds within 15 days of the notice of award. In the letter sent to Raines, he was notified by counsel for the district that the board had voted to “rescind” the notice of award previously issued to Raines for the reason that Raines had failed to provide the performance and payment bonds within 15 days of the notice of award. He denies that he was delinquent in providing the bonds as the board representatives handling the bid specifically extended the time in which bonds could be provided. On April 5, Raines asked for the return of the $41,413.60 in earnest money and on April 19, he alleges that the counsel for the district refused to return the money unless and until Raines provided a release to the district. In a story appearing in the April 9 R-T, Doerhoff said that the district had held a pre-construction meeting with the project engineer and that The Wilson Group had recently been approved as the contractor for the project. The R-T, which receives its information from board meetings from Doerhoff, had not found in emails from him any information that the contract with Raines had been re[See SUIT, Page 5]
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republican-times.com WEATHER ALMANAC Day: High/Low Rain Monday 74/61 — Tuesday 86/54 — Wednesday 87/66 — R-T Photo/Alexis Russell
Wesley Stiles, the catcher for the Woldridge Fencing team, stirs up some dust in the team’s game against BTC Bank- Bethany Wednesday evening during the Harrison County League’s machine pitch tournament. The loss ended the team’s season, but tournament action was scheduled to continue Thursday and Friday, weather permitting.
Barton Campus Wednesday 87/65 —
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