The Monroe County Board met Tuesday morning following the Labor Day holiday, and in its first action of the month, gave final approval for the purchase of a new county ambulance.

The 2014 Ford chassis is being purchased from Weir Ford in Red Bud, and it will be fitted with an ambulance box made by Lifeline Emergency Vehicles of Sumner, Iowa. The box will cost $126,166, while the chassis will cost $47,235. Monroe County EMS has settled on a common vehicle chassis for its fleet, which will enable moving the box to a new chassis in the future at a considerable cost savings.

Monroe County Ambulance Director Carla Heise also discussed efforts to capture several small grants to help offset costs, as well as work to ensure the service is readily able to meet new requirements to provide computerized records, especially for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. She noted several counties are sharing ideas and information on best ways to meet this new requirement.

Also on Tuesday, Monroe County Highway Engineer Aaron Metzger announced a contract award for work on Bluff Road near the Monroe City Creek. It went to Baxmeyer Construction for a cost of $227,535.

He also said plans are going forward to enable emergency electrical generating capability for the courthouse, and that the generator formerly located there has passed load testing for use at the Monroe County Annex.

Metzger said plans are being drawn for repairs to the bridge on Bluff Road near GG Road. A vehicle damaged the bridge railing, which damaged a supporting concrete beam.

Monroe County State’s Attorney Kris Reitz informed the board of a need to increase security fees paid by court users. They have not been raised since they were first implemented, but Monroe County Sheriff Dan Kelley, who accompanied Reitz at the meeting, noted that costs of providing deputies for court security have gone up each year.

New fees, to be included in court costs, will be $25 for felony cases, $15 for misdemeanor trials and $10 for civil cases. These are increases from previous fees of $15, $10 and $5, respectively.

Kelley noted that it is appropriate for users of the court to pay for necessary security instead of the taxpayers.

County Treasurer Kevin Koenigstein reported that the first increment of property tax collections was completed Friday, in a last minute flurry of activity, and reminded all that the second payment will be due Oct. 25.

Finally, reappointments to four drainage and levee districts commissioners were approved: Lee W. Prange to Stringtown Drainage and Levee District 4; Mark Laurent to Fort Chartres and Ivy Drainage and Levee District 5; Gary Stumpf to Fish Lake Drainage and Levee District 8 and Douglas Sondag to the Harrisonville Drainage and Levee District.