Cape County gets help with indigent burial fund

Cape Girardeau County has two new funding sources that will help replenish its indigent burial fund, which ran into the red last week.

Associate Commissioner Paul Koeper announced Thursday that the Senior Citizens Service Fund Board agreed to contribute $3,000 to the county to help bury individuals age 60 and older who die without assets or family members who will agree to foot their burial bill.

Koeper also approached the Community Foundation of the Ozarks of Springfield, Mo., which will reimburse the county up to $400 for each burial when a resident dies without the ability to pay the expense and when no family members can be found. The money will not be granted if there are family members who are unwilling to pay. Cape Girardeau County is in the service area for the foundation.

The county has received increasing numbers of requests to bury county residents every year. There have been six so far this year, up from a total of five last year and four in 2010. Between 2000 and 2005, there were eight.

Representatives from Adjusters International Inc. of Utica, N.Y., a disaster recovery consulting firm, addressed the county to introduce their services. The organization, which recently opened a regional office in Kansas City, Mo., helps government entities, businesses and individuals navigate the claims process with insurance companies and federal and state emergency management organizations in the case of disasters such as hurricanes, floods and terrorist attacks. They also provide training and assist in project management during the recovery process.

Richard Knaup, emergency management director, said that during his tenure the county has made claims with the Federal Emergency Management Agency eight times with no problems and the auditor's office has become familiar with the process. Koeper agreed the county has been able to manage thus far.

"Our disasters, up to this point, haven't been anything we can't handle," Koeper said.

However, both Knaup and Koeper said that in a situation such as a major earthquake, the county might be overwhelmed.

"In the event of a megadisaster, we're going to be victims, too," Knaup said.

The commission agreed to review a sample contract and menu of the organization's services to see how they might augment county resources.

Other business

In other business, the commission agreed to sell its fire foam truck to Brindlee Mountain Fire Apparatus LLC of Union Grove, Ala., for $72,000. As part of the initiative that brought Nordenia to the area, the county received a state grant to purchase a fire suppression foam truck to add to the factory's safety equipment. Nordenia paid for all upkeep and insurance on the truck from 2002 until May, when it notified the county it would be terminating its lease. The truck was advertised to fire departments within the county and online. The county will net $70,000 after $2,000 is paid for advertising costs.

The county committed to $121,443 in funding for fiscal year 2012 for University Extension, the educational outreach program of University of Missouri System and Lincoln University. University Extension provides educational activities and programs throughout the county which focus on agricultural, family, business, community, economic, health, environmental and youth development topics.

salderman@semissourian.com

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