Local counties reach agreement

State statutes should clear up issue of medical expenses for prisoners

BENTON -- An agreement with Mississippi County's county commission has been reached, but Scott County commissioners still think state statutes should make things clearer when it comes to medical expenses for county prisoners.

During their regular meeting Tuesday, Scott County commissioners reviewed the minutes from Thursday's Mississippi County Commission meeting which they attended to discuss change of venue prisoners and who is responsible for medical bills incurred by these prisoners.

During Thursday's meeting, commissioners from both counties agreed that statutes indicate when it comes to accidents, whoever has them at the time of the accident is responsible for the medical bills while the county that originally has custody is responsible for pre-existing conditions.

Presiding Commissioner Martin Priggel said he believes the state should be responsible for paying medical bills incurred by prisoners while in county jails.

Dennis Ziegenhorn, commissioner, said other jail facilities need to contact Scott County about their prisoners that need medical attention now that they are contracting for medical services at the jail.

Ziegenhorn also asked if, in cases when Scott County is holding prisoners for another county, the county should bill for medical services performed by the in-house medical personnel.

Commissioners agreed there are a lot of questions that the statutes don't address. "What happens if somebody over there has a stroke?" Ziegenhorn asked.

Priggel said one option used by jails has been to let seriously ill prisoners bond out to seek medical attention. Ziegenhorn said he is not comfortable with the idea of people who should be behind bars being loose in the hospital, however.

In other business during Tuesday's meeting:

* Commissioners accepted a bid from Dittronics of Benton for two new dispatching radios at $825 each. Dittronics offered the lowest of the three bids received by the county.

Joe Burton, Scott County E-911 administrator, explained the new E-911 and ambulance radios are needed because the heavy usage in the county communication center was to much for the mobile units that were being used.

* Burton said he will be teaching a Community Emergency Response Training course for about 60 Scott City school teachers sometime in January.

He said he will also be speaking to the Women in Agriculture group Jan. 5 about emergency preparedness. "There's a lot of interest out there right now," Burton said.

* This is the last week to submit nominations for the "Best of Scott County" feature on the Web site at www.scottcountymo.com.

The top choices will be posted Tuesday, according to County Developer Joel Evans.

Both County Clerk Rita Milam and Ziegenhorn reported hearing lots of positive feedback from people who have visited the Web site recently.

* Commissioners reviewed the first draft of an agreement with Keefe Commissary Network of Earth City for commissary services at the jail.