A few items of interest that the Commission has been working on are below.
• As the opioid epidemic continues to destroy lives and families throughout Missouri and the rest of the country, government agencies have begun to join together in filing lawsuits against the manufacturers and distributors of opioid based medications to recoup the costs that result from the crisis. The resulting costs are borne by social services, law enforcement, etc., which puts a strain on budgets that are often already tight, especially in rural areas. The Commission attorney is currently researching the possibility of participating in one of these lawsuits and any money recovered from such action would be used to bolster prevention and enforcement in an effort to combat this destructive problem.
• As a result of the cooperative efforts of our Floodplain and Project Management offices, four derelict buildings in the flood plain will be demolished this fall. This is the first step in what will hopefully become a regular activity of cleaning up badly damaged structures utilizing available grant funds. Thank you to the property owners in these four cases who have worked with County staff to get this project rolling.
• Sales tax numbers continue to climb after a slow start and were up 4.9% for August 2018 when compared to the same period last year. Year to date, 2018 is currently .1% greater than January through August last year. Gas tax revenues remain strong with an 8.1% increase for August 2018 and the overall tally exceeding 2017 by 8%.
• Bids have been opened for the replacement of the bridge on Snyder Rd. off Highway H near Troy and construction should begin later this fall. The original bridge, built in 1955, sustained significant damage during the 2015 flood. Much of the solid ground on which the bridge was constructed was washed away and has been replaced with silt. At a glance, the structure looks like it is sound, but the silt that is there now will erode away over time, leaving the abutments with inadequate support. The project will be paid for using funding through the Federal Bridge Program (BRO), resulting in no out of pocket costs to the County.
That’s all we have time for now. As always, call, e-mail or stop by the Courthouse if you have questions. Until next week…
The Commissioners
