BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- The Stoddard County Commission voted to enter into an agreement with the Lansing Trade Group for reimbursement of any funding to the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission under the Cost Share and Economic Development Program if certain employment specifications are not met.
Lansing Trade Group is constructing a high speed shuttle train facility for grain east of Grayridge. As part of the project, the U.S. 60 and County Road 785 and the Highway 114 and County Road 785 intersections are being improved. Turn lanes are being added on U.S. 60, and the Highway 114 intersection is being widened to facilitate large trucks. The total estimated cost of the project is $750,000.
The Industrial Development Agency of Stoddard County is putting up $63,000, with the Highway Commission funding $479,264 from the Cost Share Program. That program is available to companies bringing jobs to the county. As part of the agreement, Lansing is to provide eight full-time positions and six part-time positions. If they fail to produce that many jobs over a two-year period, the county is required to reimburse a pro-rated amount to the Highway Commission.
In the agreement signed by the County Commission Monday, Lansing agrees to pay any reimbursement that might be necessary in the event the required number of jobs are not produced.
Lansing plans to be ready to receive grain by the fall of this year. Once completed, the facility will be capable of loading 110-car shuttle trains. The state-of-the-art design includes high speed truck receiving, a high capacity dryer and the ability to receive multiple commodities. At this time, those commodities will be wheat, corn and soybeans.
In other business, the commission voted to renew the contract for vehicle and building liability and equipment insurance through County Wide Insurance at a cost of $140,988. The insurance is provided by Missouri Rural Services Corporation and Savers P&C Insurance Company.
The cost of the insurance in 2013 was $134,463. The commission reviewed covered items and found that some items were not covered. They added insurance to cover equipment in law enforcement vehicles ($2,633) and also for equipment kept away from the premises ($1,200).
The insurance was approved by a unanimous vote with Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis and Commissioners Carol Jarrell and Danny Talkington present.
The commission also renewed the annual contract for HVAC system maintenance with Langford Mechanical and Sheet Metal, Inc. of Jackson. Mathis said the contract was the same as in 2013.
Bill Robison, an engineer with Smith & Company of Poplar Bluff, was present to talk with the commission about soft loan funds for the BRO program. The county has BRO funds to replace more bridges, but does not have the needed matching funds under the federal program. Soft match can be used as matching funds.
The commission told Robison to begin looking for counties that are willing to swap soft match funds for hard BRO funds. It the past, the county has been able to swap hard BRO funds for soft match money at a 2-1 rate. They told Robison to seek the 2-1 rate, but negotiate a swap for up to $500,000 in soft match money.
"That would put us in good shape for the next three or four years in terms of replacing bridges," said Mathis.
Robison was also asked to set up a meeting with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) while the commissioners are attending a training seminar in Columbia on Feb. 12-14. SEMA is overseeing FEMA funds that have been approved to replace a bridge on County Road 410. Those funds have not been released, and efforts to get the project moving have stalled. It is hoped that a meeting between SEMA, the commission, Robison and Castor Township Board Member Ron Williams can get the project moving.