Well, we survived the eclipse. I have not heard how other areas closer to the action fared, but I’m sure it was a welcome influx of tourism dollars.
A few items of interest that the Commission has been working on are below.
• On Thursday, August 24 at 6:30, the Warren County Republican Central Committee is hosting Sen. Bill Eigel (R-St. Charles) at Oliver’s Restaurant in Warrenton (289 W. Veterans Memorial Parkway) to answer the question, “Does Jefferson City Really Need More Money to Address Roads and Bridges in Missouri?” Sen. Eigel will no doubt talk about SB457 which he filed last session as an answer to the MODOT funding question. I will be attending with Commissioners from adjoining counties to express our strong opposition to SB457. This “solution” is really nothing more than an attempt by the State legislature to abdicate a portion of their responsibility for State roads by passing that responsibility to Counties. With this “solution,” Lincoln County would be called upon to maintain 77.89 miles of State lettered routes that are not eligible for Federal-aid money. This represents a 16% increase in our road inventory, and more importantly, a 52% increase in our paved road inventory. These figures do not account for bridges, culverts, and countless other structures. Contrary to Sen. Eigel’s claim that this measure would not create more taxes for the citizens of Missouri, it would only shift the burden of finding the solution to a STATE problem onto the shoulders of Counties. Keep in mind that Counties are already required to house State prisoners for little more than half the cost of the housing. How many more State issues do the folks in Jefferson City plan to dump on the County while they continue to engage in petty squabbles and fail to work for the people of Missouri? Kicking the can down the road is not a solution. I hope some of you will join us in Warrenton.
• 911 Dispatch was front-page news in the Journal this week. Unfortunately, the Journal has again failed to do any fact checking prior to running an article. Contrary to a statement attributed to a member of the Silex Board of Aldermen, the response time for their calls is not “45 minutes to an hour.” This is, in fact, a gross exaggeration. The average call response time, from the time of the call to the time of dispatch, has averaged 1.45 minutes over the last 3 years. I am saddened that our local paper so willingly prints disparaging remarks without verifying the validity of same.
That’s all I have time for now. As always, call, e-mail or stop by the Courthouse if you have questions. Until next week…
Dan Colbert
Presiding Commissioner
