BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- The Stoddard County Commission reviewed a list of county bridges that did not have load limit signs posted on them and voted to send a letter to the various townships and special road districts in the county asking them to install these signs within 30 days. If the local entities do not install the signs, then the commission will have someone do it and withhold County Aid Road Trust (CART) Fund revenue to the townships or road districts.
County Commissioner Frank Sifford said the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) recently inspected all the county road bridges. Don Riley, MoDOT district bridge inspector, submitted a list of the bridges that did not have load limit signs displayed. Sifford said bridges less than 20 feet in length are not considered in this inspection. He said the county has 90 days to install the signs or they will lose their Off-System Bridge Replace-ment and Rehabilitation Program (BRO) funds. He noted that many of the bridges without signs were in the southeastern portion of the county. He said this is primarily an agricultural area and farmers move big equipment across the bridges, which could account for the loss of the load limit signs.
Sifford recommended the commission send the letter out asking the townships and road districts to install the signs. He said if this has not been done within the set time, then the county would have the signs installed.
"We can't afford to lose our BRO money," Sifford stated.
Presiding Commission-er Greg Mathis agreed, as did Commissioner Carol Jarrell.
There was a lengthy discussion about appointments to the Senate Bill 40 Board of Directors. Mathis said three current members' terms were expiring: Earl Metcalf, Jerry McGowan and Dale Worley. He said Metcalf was retiring and wanted to be replaced. He said both McGowan and Worley were willing to serve additional three-year terms.
Mathis said there has been some concern about Worley being the owner of Specialty Products. That company from time to time hires clients that are paid with SB 40 funds.
Mathis asked Jarrell, who represents the commission at SB 40 meetings, whether she had received any recommendations for the ARC or Sheltered Workshop, the two entities that receive SB 40 funds.
Jarrell said both McGowan and Worley were interested in remaining on the board. She said she had not received any recommendations from Dana McClure at the ARC or from Stoddard County Sheltered Workshop Manager Jim LaBrot. She said both had indicated they would submit recommendations by the next commission meeting.
Sifford asked if all three members continued to serve after their term expired June 30, and whether they participated in the July SB 40 board meeting.
Mathis said this had come to the attention of the commission before, and they discovered that board members can continue to serve until "they are replaced."
"I have no problem with re-appointing both Worley and McGowan," said Sifford.
Jarrell agreed.
She said of Worley, "He has done a good job."
Mathis said he would like to make sure that if Worley is re-appointed, he does not vote on anything that his company is involved in.
"We don't want any apparent conflict of interest issues," said Mathis.
"What do we want to do?" asked Mathis.
"I will yield to Carol (Jarrell) since she attends the SB 40 meetings," said Sifford.
Jarrell stated, "I would just as soon wait until we receive recommendations." She said that should be in time for the commission to re-address the issue at its July 30 meeting.
County Clerk Joe Watson addressed the issue of whether the commission needed to amend the 2012 budget. He said there was one category (the commercial property surcharge fund) that was not in line with the budget. He noted this was simply tax money that comes into county accounts and then is paid back out. Sifford added that it is hard to prepare a budget for special funds.
Watson said he has talked with several county clerks in the state, and they waited until the fourth quarter of the budget year to make amendments. He told the commission he would like it entered into the commission minutes that they were aware of the difference in what was budgeted and actually received in the commercial property surcharge fund.
"We are aware," said Mathis. It was entered into the minutes.
County Prosecutor Russ Oliver made a brief appearance at the meeting. He turned in some petitions bearing the signatures of voters to put a county initiative on the ballot. The initiative would propose to voters in the November electon that the position of prosecutor be changed from part-time to full-time in Stoddard County. Watson said the deadline for certification of such a proposal is Aug. 28, 2012, if it is to be on the November ballot. To be put on the ballot, it requires the signatures of 10 percent of the total number of voters in the last general election. Watson said 1,010 signatures were needed. Oliver turned in petitions to the clerk's office for certification. The number was short of the number needed, but Oliver said there is a group working to obtain more signatures.