Hullabaloo is one of my favorite words.

The dictionary defines it as a commotion or fuss — I can define it as last Thursday.

Nearly a year to the day after closing down due to faulty locks and failing plumbing, the Barry County Commission was set to open sealed bids on the property, which includes not only the jail, but the administrative offices and storage areas along Mill Street.

Nobody ever truly knows what to expect from sealed bids, which is probably why the Commission reserves the right to accept or deny any bid. Most often, a bid winner is clear.

Thursday, however, could not have gone more sideways for everyone involved. Three bids were submitted — none awarded — and the Commission is being forced to regroup and reset when it comes to availing the county of the property.

Cody Stehlik was the high bidder at $100,000, with his interest heavily rooted in the administrative offices, from which he plans to run his private business.

Donnie Stumpff submitted a $75,000 offer, hoping to clean up the property and possibly use the administrative building for private business offices.

Both those bids, however, were immediately disqualified. In the bid notice, it was required the bidder submit “earnest money” alongside the bid, the higher amount between 5% of the total bid or $1,000.

Neither Stehlik nor Stumpff noticed the requirement, so both bids had to be thrown out.

The third bid did meet all requirements, but it gave the Commission pause. The offer was for $1,000.

Debbie Kensinger and her husband, Mike, submitted the bid with the intent to open a domestic violence shelter inside the old jail after renovations. Debbie Kensinger said they have investors ready and willing to write the checks for a seven-figure overhaul of the property.

Or, if renovation is too cumbersome, she would tear it down and build something new.

Her story is compelling — she didn’t blink an eye when she told me part of her inspiration comes from being molested by a drug dealer at age 10 and raped at age 14 — and her passion for her cause is exceptional, and motivating.

Awaiting the bid opening, she was holing a large, white, industrial-grade zip tie. It was the same device her father used to kill her mother, and it had been 19 years since she touched one, she said.

The Commission found themselves at a crossroads. All three are in favor of Kensinger’s shelter idea, but would they be good stewards of the County’s assets if they sold the property for $1,000?

Ultimately, the answer was no. The administrative offices and storage areas were assessed at about $109,000, and the jail structure was not valued, as there is no similar property with which to compare it.

Commissioners said they had a minimum bid amount in mind they would accept (there was no publicized minimum bid, just a number the Commission hoped to hit, reserving the right to accept or deny any bid), and none of the bids reached that amount.

Nonetheless, I’d have a hard time believing if Stehlik didn’t include his earnest money with the bid, the $9,000 difference would have been a much, much smaller pill to swallow than a $108,000 one and Stehlik would have walked away with the property.

As the only qualified bidder, Kensinger and her husband were incensed frustrated by the denial, arguing it should be accepted because it was the only one that qualified, and it was so low because of the amount of money it would take to complete renovations or erect a new structure.

They also said the commission said last October or November they wanted the Kensingers to get it and “wished they could give it to them.” Sometimes a message can get lost in a sentiment, and I think the Commission meant the sentiment but wasn’t clear enough on the message there would be an expected amount they hoped to receive.

It’s a lesson in phrasing I doubt they will forget in future property bid scenarios.

The Commissioners held their position on the bids, refusing to part with a $109,000 property for $1,000 because it wouldn’t be right by the county.

The outcome spilled over to social media, where they were branded “Good Ole Boys” for not accepting the bid. There’s “Good Ole Boy” activity frequently in Barry County, but this was not one of those instance. If it was, Stehlik would have been allowed to bring his earnest money after the bid opening. He was not.

Criticisms also claimed the denial was because of the cause, that people don’t want a domestic violence shelter in the heart of Cassville. Some expressed these concerns to me personally. it’s rubbish. If choosing between providing assistance to a woman brave enough to escape a domestic violence situation and the threat of that woman’s partner loitering in the Mill Street area looking to cause problems, the only answer is the former.

We don’t report domestic violence charges in the paper unless it’s tantamount to murder or attempted murder, and we have reported one of those recently. Domestic violence has been on the rise in Barry County in recent years, and when Kensinger says she has multiple anonymous women texting and calling her looking for a safe haven, I 1,000% believe her.

Opening a shelter in the middle of town could be, as Kensinger has said, a beacon of hope and a visible stand against domestic violence. Denying that opportunity because of fear of criminals is not the type of town we ought to be.

In the hulabaloo’s aftermath, positive options remain. Stumpff is no longer interested in the property, but Stehlik still hopes to buy it.

Kensinger said she’s done with pursuing the old jail and has a couple other locations in Cassville she is pursuing to realize her goal. I hope to report on her success in the future.

The Commission, probably after a healthy dose of Alka-Seltzer, has a couple paths forward. They could restart the bidding process, though it wouldn’t be very fair now that all three bidders know one another’s bids and future interest.

A better option, in my opinion, came from Stumpff — auction the administrative office and the jail building separately.

This method could allow Stehlik to obtain his piece at a fair price to the county, and simultaneously allow Kensinger to obtain her piece at her price.

It’s a win-win-win solution — no hullabaloo necessary.

Kyle Troutman has served as editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014 and owner/publisher since 2023. He was named William E. James/Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers in 2017, and he is a two-time ISWNE Golden Dozen award winner. He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com.