Penning said he wanted the county’s road and bridge department supervisor to attend each weekly commission meeting. “I think he’s spending an awful lot of money,” said Penning. “It’s not Wayne’s budget, it’s our budget,” said Jerry Lairmore, southern district commissioner who was a defendant in the recently overturned suit. Lairmore added he didn’t see the need to have their supervisor at every meeting.

Penning had said he wanted more “transparency” from the department and alleged the commission has held “illegal meeting” at the road shed. The Republican typically receives a copy of the agenda by fascimile a day or two prior to the Thursday meetings. When meetings are scheduled at the road shed, the agenda will cite a starting time and notice that commissioners are scheduled to be in session to discussdepartment business. Reports from the meetings are included with the weekly minutes read aloud each week.

Ron Jost, presiding commissioner, said he regularly receives updates from the department and said, “in my personal opinion, I think it would be a waste of time” having the supervisor attend weekly meetings in Hermann or Owensville. Both Lairmore and Jost said they had no idea what Penning was referring to about illegal meetings.

The commission did agree, however, to meet at 7 a.m. every Thursday at the shed in Drake prior to their meetings at either Owensville City Hall (8:30 a.m. tomorrow) or at the courthouse in Hermann on the other Thursdays.