This week’s message is coming to you from my basement PC. Sharing computer usage with two, college-bound, high school seniors sometimes relegates Dad to the old PC with the screen not much larger than a sheet of notebook paper. With my reading glasses in hand, here goes.
A few items of interest that the Commission has been working on are below.
• If you travel Highway 61 between Troy and Wentzville, please take some time Wednesday September 20, 2017, between 4:30-6:00 to stop by the Troy 9th Grade Center in Moscow Mills to express your support for the improvements that are planned for this dangerous corridor. Among the improvements are guard cable from Wentzville to Troy and closure of several at-grade median crossings in that same area. Safety improvements often come at the expense of convenience, but I will gladly sacrifice a little more drive time if it will curb the accident rate in this area. Statistically speaking, installation of the guard cable and elimination of the crossings will make 61 a safer route the moment the work is complete. Many people have put a lot of effort into getting these projects to this point, and it will be a travesty if Lincoln County does not show up and vocally support these badly needed measures. The lives these measures save may be yours and that of your loved ones. Please join us.
• While it is easy to focus only on the attraction of new businesses, the retention and expansion of existing businesses are also crucial elements in Economic Development. We have received word from Economic Development Director Larry Tucker that we have had a success in each of these areas with the 27,000 square foot expansion at Brooks Brothers Trailers in the North Troy Industrial Park and the retention of Con-Tech Truss, which was contemplating a move elsewhere, but chose instead to build a new facility off Highway K near Briscoe. Both of these projects mean more, good jobs for the residents of the County. Nice work by Larry and his assistant Julie Rodgers.
• We continue to work on the 911 Dispatch issue. The Commission recently notified all entities of their Dispatch and Warrant Processing rates for next year. The County is again offering these services at a rate less than actual cost by crediting everyone with a portion of the 911 landline tax. These funds are intended to support 911 only, but using them to help fire/ambulance/police offset their Dispatch fees was the right decision to make to keep costs as low as possible.
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
