MARIES COUNTY — After a somewhat slow start, the county’s current Off-System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation (BRO) program will be gaining momentum now that most of the paperwork has been completed. Once MoDOT approves the plan, the BRO project will be put out for bidding.

At last week’s Maries County Commission meeting, MECO’s Scott Vogler was present and brought the final plans for the bridge on MCR No. 608 over the Little Tavern Creek. Western District Commissioner Ed Fagre had the signatures on the right-of-way document of adjoining landowners Robert and Tina Kasper. Vogler said it will need to be recorded to do a Quitclaim Deed.  He also needs Presiding Commissioner Victor Stratman’s signature on six pages of documents. 

Stratman asked Vogler about the timeline for the bridge construction. Vogler said once it gets cleared with MoDOT they will get to ready to go out to bid. 

Fagre said the landowners were cooperative. Kasper asked for a temporary electric fence during construction, a culvert into his field from the road, and that the old bridge debris be put along the stream bank to prevent erosion. Vogler said they would do that any way. 

Eastern District Commissioner Doug Drewel asked about the load rating for the new bridge. Vogler said greater than 56 tons with the most weight it can handle is 77 tons. At that rating, Drewel said a person can “take anything you want across that bridge.”

Drewel lamented that everything with building and construction is very expensive and continues to increase in price. Vogler agreed and said there are shortages on many items. Vogler said rebar and concrete have increased in price. The group discussed how building a house is more now even more because of the pandemic and shortages. Drewel said it will cost $100 a square foot to build a house. Appliances are high, too. 

The bridge construction contractors will be bidding on roadway items such as excavation, rock, geotextile fabric filter cloth, and seeding and mulching; bridge items such as removal of bridge, piling, precast concrete slab panels on I-girders, reinforcing steel and more; and then signing items. 

The new bridge will be 94 feet long and 26.2 feet wide. It will have concrete rails on the sides that are 2.3 feet high. Vogler thinks it will take about 30 days to get it to bid and will take three to four months to build. Drewel said his BRO bridge several years ago project took 45 days to build by Renneke Construction. Vogler said this bridge construction will likely take place in late summer. 

Vogler commented there is a lot of work out there. Government money is coming and cities will be getting money for water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure. Some of them have mentioned using the federal stimulus money as a match for grants to fund larger projects.

Drewel said he was told here is a lot of work at Ft. Leonard Wood, so much so they can’t get help and can’t get the material they need.

The federal programs require the money to be spent with American companies. Vogler said the stuff from China is cheaper, but the quality is not there. 

Drewel said a ton of rebar costs $900. Vogler said the new bridge will use about 20,642 pounds of rebar. There are three prestressed concrete I-Girders that are 100 feet long in the bridge design. A crane will be needed to put them in place and maybe more than one crane. 

Spend by June

Treasurer Rhonda Slone said Maries County has $73.03 of its CARES Act money remaining. The county began with $1,020,000 and successfully funded many deserving projects throughout the county. Slone said they need to spend it by June so they don’t have to figure out how to get it back to the state. She suggested Covid-19 related cleaning supplies. 

Miscellaneous

Fagre said several people have spoken to him or called him about the land the county plans to sell as surplus. It is 3.56 acres located at Junction E and MCR #512. 

Fagre said he heard Crossroads Convenience Store near Highway 42 West and 133 Junction will be changing ownership beginning May 1. 

The county received a bill from Abbco Lock & Key, Rolla, for $1,040 for replacing the front door lock on the courthouse and for re-keying all exterior doors to use one master key. 

Lawn mowing bids

Drewel was present at the county commission meeting last Thursday and Stratman was attending the meeting via telephone when the four courthouse law mowing bids were opened. 

The bids were as follows: Dave Juergens, Vienna, $40 to cut grass; J Rex of Moore Land Care, Dixon, to mow, weedeat, blow grass from hard surfaces $80 per mow; Snodgrass Lawn Care, Vienna, $37.50 per mow and the first and last mow of the season  free. He also will bag the leaves in the fall at no charge; Struemph Lawn Care, Vienna, $45 to mow, trim, and blow off sidewalks. 

Drewel said the bid from Snodgrass is the best deal. Stratman said it is the lowest bid and he did a good job last year. They agreed to accept that bid. Stratman will call him and the others about whose bid was accepted. 

Restaurant and Shuttered Venue Grants

Stratman spoke of information recently shared by MRPC for the benefit of the region’s counties. It is part of The American Rescue Plan Act that authorized and allocated $28.6 billion for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund program. It is a grant program applied for through the Small Business Administration (SBA) to replace lost revenues due to the pandemic. Revenue loss will be calculated by subtracting 2020 gross receipts from 2019 gross receipts. PPP funds previously received will reduce the amount. Eligible entities include a restaurant, food truck, food cart, caterer, saloon, inn, tavern, bar, lounge, brewpub, tasting room, taproom, licensed facility or premise of a beverage alcohol producer where the public may taste, sample, or purchase products, or other similar place of business in which the public or patrons assemble for the primary purpose of being served food or drink. SBA plans to open the program at the end of April. The link to SBA’s Covid-19 relief options web portal is: www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/covid-19-relief-options

The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant includes over $16 billion in grants to shuttered venues. The program is scheduled to open April 8, 2021. Stratman said this could be used by any civic group that could not hold fundraisers because of the COVID-19. This would include organizations such as the Eagles Club, Lions Club, Historical Society of Maries County, the Ya Ya’s, the fair, and more. The link to the application: www.sba.gov/funding-progras/loans/covid-19-refief-options/shuttered-venue-operators-grant