BLOOMFIELD — The Stoddard County Commission voted to approve the paperwork necessary to begin construction of a bridge on County Road 780 in Elk Township.
Jeremy Manning, of Smith and Company of Poplar Bluff, is the project manager, and Keith Simpson Contracting LLC is the contractor.
Colter Gaebler, representing Smith and Company, and Simpson attended the meeting.
Simpson said construction is expected to begin June 1 with the completion date scheduled for Aug. 31.
The cost of the project is $232,129. Eighty percent of the cost will be paid through the Off-System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation (BRO) program, which provides funding to counties for replacement or rehabilitation of deficient bridges.
The additional 20% will be paid through soft-match money acquired from another company at a cost of half the price.
IDA wants to help
Peter Coutavas, director for the Industrial Development Authority of Stoddard County, said his board gave him $40,000 to spend at his discretion to help communities.
Coutavas told the commissioners he plans to attend city council meetings and tour towns to see how he can help financially. He said he wants to let people know the IDA is here to help county residents.
The group’s website says, “The purposes for which this corporation is organized are to develop, advance and encourage economic development through the promotion of commercial, industrial, agricultural and manufacturing facilities and tourism in Stoddard County, Missouri.”
Coutavas said not long after he received the job, “I want to make that money more available to those communities (in the county) for things other than economic development. That’s one of my major goals. They’re never going to touch that money, because they’re never going to see any economic development. It’s just not going to happen. It is what it is.”