The Cole County Commission agreed Tuesday to make a partial payment to the supplier of COVID-19 supply boxes purchased by the county amid concerns a number of the boxes were not delivered to residents.
Eastern District Commissioner Jeff Hoelscher voiced concerns over paying the full originally agreed upon amount since several thousand households did not receive their boxes, which instead are sitting in various county buildings.
The county contracted with Maryland Heights-based Missouri Medical Supply for 36,000 boxes each containing 50 surgical masks, hand sanitizer and written materials on COVID-19 precautions.
County officials supplied a list of addresses within Cole County, and the boxes were delivered to the post office.
Residents living on lettered routes reported not receiving the supply boxes after delivery started in January.
Roughly 3,000 boxes came back to the post office as the addresses not being valid and were returned to the county.
Hoelscher argued the contract was for Missouri Medical Supply to ensure delivery of the boxes to homes.
"We agreed to buy boxes to be delivered to the households," he said, "Not to our front steps or to the post office and then sent to us to store for forever."
He also had questions about the number of boxes ordered, as the original agreement listed 33,000.
County Attorney Jill LaHue said the additional 3,000 came up later when they received the addresses and realized the earlier estimate was short.
Western District Commissioner Harry Otto asked Hoelscher if he would be willing to pay the vendor nothing until all the boxes are delivered.
"We can do that, or we can subtract the 4,000 we have sitting over there in storage," Hoelscher said, adding at most he would be willing to pay for 29,000 based on the original 33,000 purchase agreement.
Otto made a motion to pay for 29,000 boxes, roughly 81 percent of those ordered, after asking Hoelscher how many boxes he'd be willing to pay for.
This resulted in a payment of $378,884.52. The county plans to use CARES funding to cover the expenses.
Hoelscher and Otto voted in favor of the motion, and Presiding Commissioner Sam Bushman voted against it.
The county has already made two payments to Missouri Medical Supply for postage costs totaling more than $152,400.
Residents who did not receive their COVID-19 supply box can call the County Commission office or the Cole County Health Department to schedule a pickup.