Few apply to fill spots on Cape Girardeau County advisory boards

Cape Girardeau County has 17 seats available on six of its volunteer advisory boards and almost no applications were filed by the Dec. 23 due date for them.

An updated vacancy list was announced Dec. 14 on the county website and residents were invited to send a letter of interest to the county commission, which is responsible for reviewing applications and appointing advisory board members. The county has 16 boards.

Donna Oldham, clerk for the commission, said no applications were received by Thursday afternoon for five openings on the Mental Health Board, four on the Road and Bridge Advisory Board, four on the Domestic Violence Advisory Board, two on the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority Board, one of the three open seats on the Industrial Development Authority Board and one on the Sewer District Board.

The only board that has received any applications is the Industrial Development Authority Board, which collected two, according to Oldham. Three open seats will likely be filled by the appointment of applicants Rex Meyr and Adam Kidd, who have been endorsed by the current members, and by the reappointment of Dan Driskell. Cliff Rudesill and Jerry Lorberg are resigning.

In Missouri boards can handle vacancies a few ways. Current members who have not exceeded term limits may be reappointed, new applicants can be appointed or the board can function at a reduced capacity. However, to execute board actions, a majority of members must be appointed and present to vote. If more than half of a board's seats are empty, it will not be able to function.

Oldham said she contacted Don Pugh, chairman of the Mental Health Board, to see if he knew anyone interested in serving in any of its five open seats. She said she was expecting at least one application from an acquaintance of Pugh's.

Oldham said she has asked Domestic Violence Advisory Board chairwoman Ruth Ann Dickerson if the four members whose terms are expiring are seeking reappointment and is awaiting an answer.

Similarly, Oldham said she believes Associate Commissioner Paul Koeper is consulting with the members of the Road and Bridge Advisory Board to see if they will be seeking reappointment so that its four seats will be filled.

The Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority Board has one four-year term and one two-year term available. Oldham said the board has endorsed the reappointment of Ronnie Fischer upon the expiration of his term, leaving the two-year spot open.

The Cape County Sewer District has one vacant slot that Oldham said has been open with no applications "for a long time."

Not currently advertised on the county homepage along with the other board vacancies are the appointments available on the Cape County Board for Developmental Disabilities. As recently as Dec. 2, Presiding Commissioner Clint Tracy said applications were being accepted but that there was no deadline by which the commission has been trying to fill board seats. Chairman Larry Tidd confirmed Friday that there are four openings on the nine-person board.

County commission members were not available Friday to answer questions about whether the deadline for applications will be extended, if any boards are in danger of having too few members to function and why the board for developmental disabilities was not listed along with the others advertising for members.

salderman@semissourian.com

388-3648

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