|
|
| Farnham asked why 2008 flood repair road work isn't finished yet |
By: Darrell Todd Maurina
|
Posted: Monday, March 9, 2009 11:46 pm
|
PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (March 9, 2009) — Presiding Commissioner Bill Ransdall wants to know why road repair work in the eastern district left over from last year’s spring floods still isn’t finished.
Pulaski County received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the State Emergency Management Agency to do flood repair work. All the work in the western district was finished before former Western District Commissioner Dennis Thornsberry left office at the end of 2008, but Ransdall told Eastern District Commissioner Bill Farnham during Monday’s county commission meeting that there’s $162,909 left in the repair fund.
Much of that hasn’t been spent yet.
“You’ve spent $6,695 in two months, which is surprising to me,” Ransdall told Farnham.
Farnham told Ransdall that the county has until September to complete the repair work, but Ransdall asked whether there are earlier reporting deadlines that must be met. Ransdall said County Clerk Diana Linnenbringer needs to have a report in by April 17 that may not yet have been submitted.
During the middle of the discussion, SEMA’s new regional representative, Marcus Oglesby, came to the commission meeting to answer questions. Oglesby said submitting the April 17 quarterly report shouldn’t be a problem.
“It’s a pretty simple little process,” Oglesby said.
The next step, Oglesby said, is that County Clerk Diana Linnenbringer needs to submit a report by April 17 on work that’s been completed so far. Farnham said he expects about $100,000 will be left on the FEMA project line after county workers complete about $60,000 of work that remains to be done.
That doesn’t reflect an actual surplus, Farnham cautioned, since the county spent large amounts of money on staff costs to do flood repair work.
Other road work is underway as well in Farnham’s district, though Farnham said his workers have fallen behind due to weather conditions and large amounts of damage.
A caller asked when work will be completed on Rayban Road, which is in the Buckhorn area behind Grace Covenant Church. Farnham said that work is underway.
“We went out there the other day and looked at it; I just hadn’t called him back. I wanted to see if we could get it done first before we called him,” Farnham said.
Kay York, a resident of Springfield Road, came to the county commission and said there are major problems on her road.
“I’ve been waiting a heck of a long time and it’s been ruining my yard,” York said. “The shoulder is all washed off, there’s water all around.”
Farnham said he’s been told by Willard Asphalt workers that the work on Springfield Road can’t be done until weather conditions improve.
“We’ve talked to Willard, they’re the asphalt experts,” Farnham said.
“I don’t agree,” York said. “I just moved to Richland and I can’t even sell my house, the water’s so bad down around there.”
However, York was happier when Farnham told her that he’s recently hired Gary Humphreys, the former Waynesville city road foreman who retired in 2008.
“Maybe I ought to put him in charge of that project so we’ll be sure it gets done,” Farnham said.
“That would be great,” York said.
In other business:
• Neil Warren of Laquey came to the commissioners and asked about the process to turn over an extension of a road near Sara Lane to the county for maintenance.
• Ken Bassett of the St. Robert office of Bassett Insurance and Real Estate presented a bid for liability insurance of $114,909, which is slightly less than the $115,779 which Pulaski County paid last year. Commissioners unanimously approved Bassett as the county’s carrier since his was the only company to bid on the insurance.
• Commissioners received a complaint from a man who said numerous roads in Pulaski County including Holy Cross, Heaven’s Gate and Hummingbird had not been properly deeded and recorded. Commissioners took no action on his complaint.
Click here to comment for local opinion |
|
Printer-friendly format
|
|
|
|
