They range from Commissioner organization meetings to Kaysinger Basin Regional Planning Commission meetings to Transportation Advisory Committee meetings to a variety of civic obligations such as my involvement in the Children's Center fundraiser, Ducks Unlimited fundraiser, and others such as the Rich Hill "Famous for the Fourth" 4th of July celebration. Are they all "County-related" you ask? Yes, and no. I am not "officially" representing as a Commissioner, but I most definitely AM representing "Bates County" and the many good organizations, and their efforts, in trying to promote the benefit of living in such a county! I take my Commissioner job seriously and have pledged to do everything I can to make it the best place it can be to work, play, and live! Going "beyond" the Courthouse obligations are a part of that responsibility.
As for some of the happenings within our County government, here are a few ...
SPLIT ROAD CLOSURE HEARING: This particular road closure request garnered some attention in that it had a petition "TO CLOSE" and a remonstrance (opposition) petition "TO OPPOSE CLOSING" it. According to Missouri State statutes it then required a public hearing which was held on April 3rd. The result of that hearing was that a mile stretch of road was closed. The Commission heard positions from both sides of the issue and decided that it was a burden to maintain and the overall impact was minimal, but the benefits for the County far outweighed negatives. I was contacted by multiple businesses encouraging the closure due to a limited access railroad underpass on that stretch of road. Bates County is a "Township" county and by that definition, the roadways are MAINTAINED by the Township with road tax and CART (state fuel tax money) funds. The County, however, "owns" the roadways making closure decisions and also maintains all bridges in Bates County's nearly 1,000 miles of roadways.
JAIL AND COURTHOUSE UPDATES/REPAIRS: Currently, still in process are two major projects. First, the upgraded security system needed on the 15 year old jail facility. A big part of this project involved replacing ALL of the lock system. You don't think about it, but these locks MUST WORK FIRST TIME and PROPERLY 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year! The locks on the jail were 15 years old and were obsolete, meaning parts were virtually impossible to find to keep them operating. Bids were solicited and came in VERY REASONABLY. The contract has been awarded and work should begin soon. Another element of the jail repairs will include a small redesign project of the sally port and exercise area making them more efficient and even adding a few more much needed dedicated cells for females and other "specialized" subjects. Design and bidding will come this summer on this phase.
The Courthouse continues to need MAJOR tuck pointing and water issue attention and repairs. The tuck pointing takes in approximately the entire bottom half of the Courthouse, and concrete and walkways around the Courthouse have settled next to the structure creating moisture issues in the basement offices. This is a much bigger project and currently we are working with Kaysinger officials to see what grant funding may be "out there" to assist in payment. The 2nd floor courtrooms are another project that will receive a great deal of attention this year as we look at a much needed expansion and adding a smaller second courtroom for the growing case load that today's society represents.
These and a variety of smaller issues continue to "keep us busy", but I thank you again for allowing me to represent YOU!
As for some of the happenings within our County government, here are a few ...
SPLIT ROAD CLOSURE HEARING: This particular road closure request garnered some attention in that it had a petition "TO CLOSE" and a remonstrance (opposition) petition "TO OPPOSE CLOSING" it. According to Missouri State statutes it then required a public hearing which was held on April 3rd. The result of that hearing was that a mile stretch of road was closed. The Commission heard positions from both sides of the issue and decided that it was a burden to maintain and the overall impact was minimal, but the benefits for the County far outweighed negatives. I was contacted by multiple businesses encouraging the closure due to a limited access railroad underpass on that stretch of road. Bates County is a "Township" county and by that definition, the roadways are MAINTAINED by the Township with road tax and CART (state fuel tax money) funds. The County, however, "owns" the roadways making closure decisions and also maintains all bridges in Bates County's nearly 1,000 miles of roadways.
JAIL AND COURTHOUSE UPDATES/REPAIRS: Currently, still in process are two major projects. First, the upgraded security system needed on the 15 year old jail facility. A big part of this project involved replacing ALL of the lock system. You don't think about it, but these locks MUST WORK FIRST TIME and PROPERLY 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year! The locks on the jail were 15 years old and were obsolete, meaning parts were virtually impossible to find to keep them operating. Bids were solicited and came in VERY REASONABLY. The contract has been awarded and work should begin soon. Another element of the jail repairs will include a small redesign project of the sally port and exercise area making them more efficient and even adding a few more much needed dedicated cells for females and other "specialized" subjects. Design and bidding will come this summer on this phase.
The Courthouse continues to need MAJOR tuck pointing and water issue attention and repairs. The tuck pointing takes in approximately the entire bottom half of the Courthouse, and concrete and walkways around the Courthouse have settled next to the structure creating moisture issues in the basement offices. This is a much bigger project and currently we are working with Kaysinger officials to see what grant funding may be "out there" to assist in payment. The 2nd floor courtrooms are another project that will receive a great deal of attention this year as we look at a much needed expansion and adding a smaller second courtroom for the growing case load that today's society represents.
These and a variety of smaller issues continue to "keep us busy", but I thank you again for allowing me to represent YOU!
