Marion County Commissioners approve purchase of new highway equipment

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by Patty Cheffey

While county finances remain in good shape, there isn’t quite enough budgeted for the three pieces of equipment requested by the Marion County Highway Department.

The county commissioners reviewed the requests during Monday’s meeting, at which they also approved a bid and a proposal, discussed bridges and lighting Veterans Road and approved a change to a voting location temporarily.

With approximately $550,750 budgeted for highway department equipment and with some of that dedicated to other payments, there will not be enough remaining to purchase the dump truck, mower and skidster the department has requested.

However, there is enough to purchase the mower, which can be purchased right now and the dump truck, which will have to be ordered and may not be delivered until fall.

Although there are not enough funds available for the skidster, the commissioners voted to go ahead and order it. As delivery is not expected on it until fall, the commissioners noted there might be enough funds to purchase it then, or they will finance it at that time.

A bid of $7,056 to repair, refinish and recane the chairs in the Palmyra Courthouse courtroom was approved from Missouri Vocational Enterprises.

Walter Williams with that company also quoted $99 per chair to repair and refinish the wooden chairs and the barrel back chairs throughout the courthouse, which was approved.

A proposal from Martin Meyer with Poepping, Stone, Bach and Associates was also approved to do the bid process and follow-up on the jail roof. That bid will not exceed $10,000.

As part of her report, Teya Stice, county improvement coordinator, reviewed a map with the commissioners that showed the location of the deficit bridges MoDOT has given the county.

According to Mike Schaefer, highway supervisor, some of those have already been replaced by culvert pipes.

One of the bridges might be a candidate for a new type of engineered bridge, but the county will need to see if that bridge is eligible for the BRO program.

Western District Commissioner Steve Begley said the BRO program is changing with everything thrown into a “pot” and all counties being able to draw from that.

Commissioners asked Stice to have MoDOT at next week’s meeting to discuss the issue.

Stice also presented a preliminary layout of lights along Veterans Road which she had received from Jared Stewart with the Hannibal Board of Public Works. 

Stewart did not include any costs in his proposal, but according to Begley, TAP grant funds are not available for the project.

Stice also reported Margaret Click, who is requesting to put three homes on 1.7 acres, will be present at next week’s meeting as well. 

Click has visited with the health department concerning septic systems, Stice said, but wants to explain her lot layout since Stice will not be at next week’s meeting.

The commissioners also approved changing the absentee ballot location at the Hannibal Courthouse as the collector’s office cannot be used as one of those employees is actually on the ballot.

Eastern District Commissioner Larry Welch will visit with Judge Rachel Bringer Shepherd about keeping the handicap door unlocked to make it easier to access the room where the absentee voting will be taking place.

The commissioners also

• reviewed county fund balances, which remain in good shape. General Revenue is at $1,244,562.87 for the year, compared to $1,202,484.68 in 2021, and Road and Bridge is at $933,421.84 compared to $901,862.68 in 2021:

• learned the second installment of the ARPA funds have been applied for, but could be anywhere from two weeks to a month before the county receives them;

• learned Poole Communication will now be charging the county $100 per quarter to maintain, back-up and update the county’s website;

• heard an update on the grant the county is wanting to use for the purchase of mobile radios; and

• signed a letter of support for the NECAC Housing Preservation Grant.