Commission discusses MoDOT suggested Highway 63 enhancements, merits, funding

By Laura Schiermeier, Staff Writer
Posted 8/5/20

MARIES COUNTY— Maries County Presiding Commissioner Victor Stratman recently attended a meeting of the Highway 63 Alliance Group held in West Plains, Missouri. The meeting was to discuss …

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Commission discusses MoDOT suggested Highway 63 enhancements, merits, funding

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MARIES COUNTY— Maries County Presiding Commissioner Victor Stratman recently attended a meeting of the Highway 63 Alliance Group held in West Plains, Missouri. The meeting was to discuss Highway 63 improvements.

Stratman told his fellow commissioners last week that 14 people attended the meeting with five others attending via telephone. “They are pushing for four lanes,” Stratman said about the views of the majority of people present at the meeting.

He said when presented with the list of Highway 63 enhancements suggested by MoDOT, the group was not interested as they think it would be a waste of money to make improvements and later undo them when making Highway 63 a four lane highway. He sited Highway 36 when runs east to west as the way to do it and members of the group want to use the Transportation Development District (TDD) as a funding source in cooperation with MoDOT.

A TDD is a separate political subdivision of the state that may be created for the purpose of issuing bonds, levying taxes, and applying special assessments or tolls to finance transportation-related improvements.

At the meeting in West Plains, Stratman was told that with Highway 36, there were four counties involved with the TDD and in three of the counties voters approved the tax increase for the transportation project. This raised revenue for the highway improvements and MoDOT committed to doing as well it due to the financial cooperation of the communities. Stratman said that was 20 years ago; a different time than the current one. Improvements to Highway 60 also used a TDD as have many other transportation infrastructure improvements throughout the state. Stratman said it was suggested that all of the counties along Highway 63 ask voters for a one percent increase in sales tax to fund the highway being upgraded to four lanes.

Western District Commissioner Ed Fagre expressed his frustration with the declining transportation funding in Missouri. He said the state legislature could increase the gasoline tax to pay for much needed road work, but they won’t do it as they fear they won’t be reelected if they vote for a gasoline tax increase.

Stratman said a planning commission other than MRPC is going to study the Highway TDD idea and see if it will generate enough revenue to support the four lane project.

Eastern District Commissioner Doug Drewel said he doesn’t like a one percent increase in sales tax as that’s quite a big increase. He added even if it did receive voter approval, which is doubtful, it would not be enough money.

Using current Maries County sales tax revenues, at best a one percent tax would generate about $500,000 a year, “Pennies to what is would cost,” Drewel said. Fagre said it would take 20 years to generate $10 million in Maries County and that would only pay for four miles.

Fagre said from Westphalia to Thayer it would cost about $500 million to make Highway 63 a four-lane road. They talked about it costing $3 million to $5 million a mile to construct a road and the Highway 63 project encompasses 170 miles. Stratman said from Rolla to Thayer the price tag is around $250 million. These are all big numbers.

Stratman said county citizens need to know the county commission at this time is not in support or against this. “It’s just in the discussion stage.”

Drewel said it seems like the state is pushing its transportation responsibilities down to the counties.

MoDOT Meramec Area Engineer, Preston Kramer, when contacted by the Advocate, said he was unable to attend the meeting but commented, “There have been other successful transportation groups around the state, like the Highway 63 Corporation in northern Missouri and the Route 36 Transportation Development District in northeastern Missouri, that this group is using as examples of how to move forward. We look forward to seeing what proposals come from this group and would happily welcome any partnership opportunities they propose to make Route 63 safer and better promote economic development.” 

Back to School

The Maries R-1 School District submitted a request for CARES Act reimbursement for Covid-19 expenses the school district is incurring in its effort to prepare for going back to school on Aug. 24. Maries R-1 requested a gooseneck fitting for its water fountains. The new fitting will allow water bottles to be refilled as traditional water fountains can spread the coronavirus. Schools are asking students to bring water bottles instead. The expense to school is about $1,000 per water fountain and R-1 is requesting a$15,000 reimbursement for the project.

Fagre, who recently retired as a contracted R-1 school bus driver after 36 years on the job, said some kids need to be in school as in his travels throughout the west side of the county, he’s seeing a lot of kids outside and thinks many of them may be home alone as their parents have to work. They need to socialize with other kids, and need the connection school gives them. Stratman agreed the kids are wanting to go back to school. Schools in Maries County closed in mid-March and students have been home ever since. This caused challenges to many families. Treasurer Rhonda Slone said some children really need the meals provided at school. Fagre said when he was helping deliver meals after the school shut down, the kids were really happy when they showed up at their homes.

Personnel Policy

The commissioners continued to work on revising the county’s personnel policy. Drewel asked what is wrong with the current policy and asked if anyone had complained about it. Stratman said the current policy doesn’t specify all they need for the times but nobody has complained.

Fagre said the sample policy says if they fire someone, wages owed must be paid on the day of separation and that won’t work because Clerk’s Deputy Renee Kottwitz who does payroll, won’t be able to do that on a moment’s notice. He wanted that taken out. Stratman suggested saying a “settlement within 30 days.”

They determined FMLA will be offered, but without pay. What it will do is hold a person’s job. Kottwitz will type of the final changes and ask Prosecuting Attorney Anthony “Tony” Skouby to look it over.

On Hold

Fagre said they used a big pump to get the water out so that footing could be set for the new slab on MCR 211 by Stricklan Bobcat Concrete, LLC. He said they won’t be putting in boxes beneath the slab that cracked, but will use pipes instead.

The project is on hold since last Tuesday because of all the rain they have to wait for the water of the Little Maries River to go down before moving forward with the slab building.

Move Forward

Stratman said Sheriff Chris Heitman wants to move forward with the opioid prescription drug monitoring program to allow pharmacists to monitor opioid prescriptions to stop abusers from going from doctor to doctor to feed their addiction. The program is through St. Louis and many counties are joining in an effort to stop the opioid abuse, which has been identified as a national crisis. A pharmacist said it only track opioid prescriptions and not other medicines an individual might be using.

Fagre said if the sheriff is good with it, he is, too. Stratman said other counties around us are going it as well.

Turkey Hill Road

In the agreement between Maries County and Osage County for Osage Road to take care of about one mile of Turkey Hill Road for Maries County has Maries paying Osage $2,720 a year for maintenance there. Fagre said he’d like to see Osage County put about a half a dozen loads of white rock on that section of road each year if Osage County will agree.

Stratman called and spoke to Osage County Presiding Commissioner Darryl Griffin who said he would speak to the other commissioners. Last Thursday Stratman said Griffin reported they don’t want to put material on Maries County’s section of the road and have never done so in the past. Stratman said he drove down there and the road looks good. The commissioners thought that somebody put rock on it at some point but they’ve changed road bosses there a few times. Fagre said his Road One budget would pay for the materials. Stratman asked Fagre to contact Griffin about it and he did.

Web License

Kottwitz asked about the procedure she should use for an additional request from Assessor Simmons for CARES Act reimbursement. She requested $168,000 for a GIS system for her office. Later it was realized an additional $3,000 was needed for a web basic license and service fees. The commissioners said to do another application rather than interrupt the process of the first request.

Building and Grounds

Custodian Shawn Eaton is looking at paint for the front steps, a textured paint that sells for about $40 a gallon at Lowes.

Two metal sanitation and mask stations have been placed in the courthouse to help people stay safe while doing business there. One is in the first floor hallway and the other one is upstairs.

The county is working with Miller Glass, Rolla, to purchase sneeze guards for the Vienna License Office, collector, assessor, circuit clerk and recorder, and county clerk’s office, which are offices who deal with the public.

The commissioners went to look at the boiler room, which still smells bad because of the sewer backup there recently.

Stratman said Perkins was at the courthouse and put the alarm in the boiler room, which will alert to a water/sewer problem in the room. He still needs to get the computers to the license office hooked to the generator.

County Clerk Rhonda Rodgers said MAC has canceled the commissioner’s annual training and meeting in February, the collector’s conference is canceled as well. However, the county clerk’s association meeting is being held the first week in September in Kansas City.