MARIES COUNTY — Maries County Presiding Commissioner Victor Stratman said a local person asked him if there is anything county government can do to get property owners to clean up their properties of old, junk cars, scrap and crap. “I don’t see how we can do anything,” Stratman said, adding Americans have the freedom of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

County Clerk Rhonda Rodgers said this has come up before and the county can’t do anything because it does not have planning and zoning.

Stratman checked with the license office to see if the state does anything and Jennifer Roberson later brought a form about scrap cars stating to scrap it they have to have a bill of sale for a vehicle 10 years or older without a title.

Eastern District Commissioner Doug Drewel said you don’t have to go very far into the county to see some of these places that need to be cleaned up.

He said scrap is too cheap right now and they won’t do anything until the price comes up.

Conservation Agreement

Commissioner Stratman signed the paperwork for the county’s agreement with the Missouri Department of Conservation for the upkeep of county roads leading to conservation-owned areas and accesses that are open to the public in Maries County.

These include Bell Chute Gasconade River access, which the conservation department pays for 1.5 miles and $2,565, Clifty Creek Conservation Area 1.7 miles and $2,907, Paydown Access on the Gasconade River 7.7 miles and $13,167, and Rinquelin Trail Conservation Area 2.9 miles and 1 mile and $7,439.

Fagre said this is the agreement for 2020 and the county generally receives the conservation department’s check in July. The money goes to Road Two for road maintenance.

Highways 63 and 28

Stratman was planning to attend the Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting at MRPC in St. James that evening and wanted his fellow commissioner’s input on the county’s transportation priorities for state highways. The TAC sets priorities throughout the region and MoDOT uses these when making project decisions. Of course, money is always a problem as there is insufficient funding to pay for all the projects and MoDOT is doing its best just to maintain roads.

Highway 63 improvements including realignment has been the top priority for Maries County for a number of years and it remains on the list. Stratman thinks being on the list helps projects move forward and cited the two foot shoulders added to Highway 42 West being an example of that. The shoulder work made the road safer.

He thinks the intersection of Highway 63 and Highway 28 going to Belle needs to be looked at for safety reasons. There is not a good turn lane on Highway 63 and it was noted it also is a hard place to turn at night because drivers can’t see it. Stratman said Kingsford is the county’s largest employer and it deserves some consideration. He wants to add this to the list. The work MoDOT did at the Junction of Highway 63 and Highway 68 in Vichy is an example how what might work at the junction of Highway 63 and Highway 28. Fagre said the Walmart Distribution Center was probably the reason the Highway 63 and 68 work was done.

They talked about the junction of Highway 63 and Highway 28 to Dixon being unsafe and MoDOT said it will cost $750,000 to make the needed changes there. Fagre thinks this work will not be done because MoDOT plans to bypass that junction when Highway 63 is realigned and it would be a waste of money. Stratman said the junction of Highway 63 and Highway 28 near Vichy will remain part of Highway 63 if the road is realigned.

The region’s transportation priorities will be voted on in December. Rodgers said MoDOT Area Engineer for the Meramec Region, Preston Kramer, and MRPC Executive Director Bonnie Prigge will meet with the commissioners about the priority list on Oct. 21.

Health Insurance

Rodgers reported Brad Roark, Group Benefits Broker for the Wallstreet Group, which brokers the county’s employee health insurance program, said the Anthem renewal rate will increase by 6.9 percent increase for 2020. She said they’ve had higher increases in the past. This increase will cost the county about $1,000 more a month for all of it. Currently the county pays $16,705.17 each month in health insurance premiums, with county employees on the program paying 20 percent of that total. In 2020, the county’s monthly total payment will be $17,857.26 if they stay with the same program. What portion of the premiums the county will pay for employees will have to be determined by the commissioners.

Janitor’s Replacement

Courthouse janitor Joe Maybrier Moore is scheduled to retire at the end of the year and will need to be replaced. His duties include cleaning and light maintenance in the courthouse. It’s a big building and there is always plenty to do. This year the commissioners hired a local lawn care company to take care of the mowing and trimming outside.

The commissioners were given a list of the janitor’s duties to look over and make any changes. Stratman said he would like added to the list to clean the leaves off of the flat roof of the courthouse as needed. If the leaves are not removed, they get into the drains and cause leaks.

Also discussed was contracting out the snow removal as now the janitor has to shovel the sidewalk all the way around the building. Drewel said a 4-wheeler with a plow is best as “those guys get it quick” and it’s not something that has to be done every day. If this was hired out, then the janitor won’t be taken off his work inside the building. Stratman contacted Jamie Snodgrass who takes care of mowing the courthouse lawn and asked if he is interested in removing snow from the sidewalks up to the front steps and spreading salt before the courthouse opens in the morning. Then the janitor can take care of the steps. Snodgrass said he would give the county a price quote.

The commissioners want to hire this person fairly soon as the new hire will need to work with Moore to learn the job. They also want to change the janitor’s hours to 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. so the bathrooms can be cleaned before people begin to come to the building. Fagre said they will consider applications from both men and women.

There will be a retirement party for Moore on Nov. 21.