Local News – Friday, February 16th, 2024

The Dent County Commission met Thursday morning at the courthouse. At the meeting, Thom Haines asked the commission if they had been in touch with MoDOT about the Standing Rock Bridge at Gladden and if they had requested the bridge be wider than the proposed 26-feet. The current bridge is 20-feet wide, but other bridges that have been replaced on Highways 32 and 19 by MoDOT have been 30-feet wide. The commission said they would get in touch with MoDOT Engineer Preston Kramer on the subject and Haines indicated he would follow up on the subject as well. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said grading would be done on Dent County Roads 4080, 5520 and 6280 while rock will be added to county road 6245. He said a worker would be stock piling the chips at the county shed for the chip and seal repair later this year. Mobray said he was contacted by Jason Lott, the Superintendent of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, about them wanting to shut off vehicle river access to TanVat near the bridge with possibly some large boulders. Mobray said the county received a FLAP Project to asphalt the road in the area and those larger boulders could impede the flow of water when it gets high during heavy rains that could actually damage the new road. Mobray said he will meet with Lott and William Terry at the TanVat location to review what the best solution may be. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk reported materials would be added and grading done on on Dent County Roads 2590, 2610 and 4437, while only grading would be done on county roads 2580, 2593, 2600 and 2613. Polk said brush would be cut on county road 4070, while rock will be added to county roads 5320 and 5325. Presiding Commission Gary Larson said he attended the TAC Committee meeting and the MRPC meeting where state and federal issues were discussed. He said the commission will be signing the agreement for an engineering study to be done on the sidewalks around the courthouse that was budgeted for in the 2024 budget. The commissioners will also be signing the agreement for support to the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said the last day to register to vote in the Municipal Election will be March 6th. At the least meeting, Curley said she balanced with the Dent County treasurer on all accounts for the month of January. She also reported the county is in the middle of a financial audit. Interim Public Works Director Joe Chase and City of Salem Electric Department Supervisor Josh Kotschedoff came in to talk with the commissioners at the last meeting about running the new electric service to the courthouse from one or two poles where the city could do the work and save the county some money. No decision was made at that time. Engineer Corky Stack was in to talk with the commission about the lights on the courthouse the courthouse and there continues to be some problems. Stack was in contact with Trim Lights and they are trying to correct the problem remotely as they feel it is a software issue, but have had little success fixing the problem. Stack took pictures of the outdoor control boxes to show there was no vandalism and also allow Trim Lights to see if something was out of place. Stack said if they can’t fix the software remotely, they may have to replace the control boxes. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson had told Stack he didn’t want Trim Lights paid until the job was completed, but the contractor did pay them out of the funds they have received which removed any leverage the county had over the company to get the project completed properly. There were also some other items the commission listed to be addressed including landscaping, painting, a window grid and more. The commission did agree to get four screens for the first floor windows. Also at the last meeting, Collector Shannon VanKirk brought in her monthly turnover report showing that $443,340.82 was collected. She also outlawed the 2019 Personal Property Tax totaling about $8,000 that was going to be abated. The courthouse will be closed Monday for President’s Day and the next meeting of the commissioners will be Thursday, February 22nd.

The Salem Memorial Hospital board of directors will he holding a special meeting this morning at 8:00; and another special meeting this evening at 6:00. Both meetings will be held in the hospital library and may be conducted and attended by telephone or other electronic means and the public may observe and attend any portion of the meeting not closed to the public. In the morning meeting after the call to order and roll call, the board will review medical staff bylaws and then go into closed session for committee reviews before adjourning. In the evening meeting, the board will be interviewing potential board candidates before adjourning. Anyone that would like to attend by telephone or electronic means should contact the hospital administration office to obtain access information at 573-729-6626, extension 4005.