Maries County Sheriff Chris Heitman told the county commissioners that the decision by the Belle Board of Aldermen to contract with the county sheriff’s office for law enforcement is a “Win, Win” for both Belle and Maries County.

Heitman was at the county commission meeting last Thursday to work on his budget with the commissioners. He said the vote by the board will benefit Belle with increased patrolling of the city. Heitman said he was somewhat surprised by the vote as he thought the two female council members were supportive of his office contracting with Belle for law enforcement. The council vote was split with the mayor breaking the tie by voting “yes” to the motion.

Heitman plans to be up and running in Belle with his deputies by Feb. 1, 2020. Two full time deputies, Brian Brennan and Jerry Coborn, will be dedicated to working in Belle only, and another full time deputy and a part time deputy are sought. Heitman said his goal is to have four deputies dedicated to Belle and he wants them to be good deputies. He said he will go without before he hires a bad one.

The win for Maries County is the sheriff’s office gaining a workspace in Belle, which is the front half of the marshal’s office. Plus, two agencies will be combined and having a larger service area should help with obtaining grants such as the Highway Safety grants the sheriff’s office tries to for every year. He said already the sheriff’s office is working the majority of larger criminal cases in Belle.

His office is moving quickly to get in place the infrastructure needed to provide law enforcement in Belle. This includes needing to be paid by the city to help offset up-front, start-up costs during the transition. Two cars already have been purchased and the sheriff said he thinks Belle citizens will find they are receiving good service overall once it gets going. Belle will pay $155,885 annually for the law enforcement services of the sheriff’s office. Also, the sheriff’s office will receive half of the fine revenue from the tickets.

The sheriff said there is a meeting scheduled for the morning of Jan. 20 with the council, city attorney and him, and invited Presiding Commissioner Victor Stratman to attend as they finalize details for the arrangement. A public meeting is planned for the evening of Jan. 23 when the sheriff will be present to answer questions from citizens. He said the city of Belle has not lost Marshal Joe Turnbough as he will continue to work as marshal with his salary and benefits.

“The city didn’t lose a marshal, but it gained deputies,” Heitman said. Turnbough is still the full-time marshal and a resource. The sheriff said if there’s a fight on Main Street, he could not ask for a better back-up officer than Turnbough.

Stratman said he attended the Belle Town Hall meeting on Dec. 4 and the people who were not in favor of the sheriff’s office taking over law enforcement functions; were primarily not in favor of Belle citizens not being able to elect a marshal. Stratman thinks Vienna used to have an elected marshal at one time and over-zealous enforcement prompted the city to instead hire a police chief rather than citizens elect a marshal no one could control.

Rock Island Gascondy Bridge

The commissioners were looking at some photos Eastern District Commissioner Doug Drewel had of the Gascondy Bridge and talking about the potential of the Rock Island Trail to bring tourists with money to spend into this area. Drewel said he thinks the railroad bridge near Summerfield as well as the railroad tunnels in Osage County will make this area a destination and draw Rock Island Trail tourists. It will bring money to the county.

According to Bridgehunter, an online site about historic and notable bridges in the US, The Chicago Rock Island & Pacific Railroad completed construction on this massive bridge in 1903. Officially the largest railroad bridge in the state of Missouri, it exceeds 1,800 feet in length and sails 110 feet above the Gasconade River and valley. Rail traffic was heaviest during World War II, when an armed guard kept watch from a small shack at the bridge’s western end. After this period, the frequency of trains slowly diminished until the railroad’s poor financial state caused the end of regular service in August of 1979. The final train is said to have crossed in December of that year. The bridge’s official number was 1146. The railroad bridge between Belle and Freeburg is located near Summerfield.

Many have wondered how they will clean out the railroad tunnels that are overgrown and said to be inhabited by snakes. Many have called them snake pits. There is not yet funding for the trail would take the abandoned railroad line and turn it into a bicycle and hiking trail in order to maintain the rail bed if it should be needed again in the future.

Stratman said not all residents are in favor of the trail. People whose land it goes across are not for it.

Legal Notices

Tri-County Newspapers employee Linda Adkins questioned the decision the county commissioners made on Monday to run election/legal notices in both legal newspapers rather than just the one she works for. Drewel said they want to use both newspapers, not just one. County Clerk Rhonda Rodgers said it is the fairest way. Stratman said he thinks they made the right decision.

Do What’s Right

Stratman said an Osage County Commissioner spoke to him about Maries County being delinquent on paying for the 1.5 miles of Maries County Road near Turkey Hill that Osage County grades and maintains for Maries County Road One. Maries County pays the adjoining county the CART money of $2,720 a year for maintaining this small section of county road. Fagre said it is far away from any other county road but is in an area where Osage County maintains its road. He made the agreement years ago with Osage Commissioner Ralph Sampson. Stratman asked Clerk Rodgers to look and see when the payments were made and then they will pay what’s owed to Osage County. Stratman said, “We will do what’s right.”

Help with Tax Preparation

Stratman reported Wilma Stephen will help senior citizens and others with tax preparation beginning on Thursday, Jan. 23 through April 9 an office in the assessor’s hallway in the courthouse, which is located across the hallway from the assessor’s office main entrance. Stephen will be available each Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and from 1 to 3 p.m.

Looks Shoddy

Drewel said it probably is time for the commissioners to upgrade to nicer exterior benches at the main door of the courthouse. He thinks the old, wooden benches are “shoddy” looking and suggested they see if there is money in the budget to upgrade to cast iron or some other type of bench. Also, it would be good to have a new bench just inside the front door in the foyer.  Stratman said he will look at some different types of benches and get prices. Maybe MRPC has a grant to help with paying for it.