County Commission Tackles Roads, Equipment Purchases and Grants in Busy July
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MEMPHIS, Mo. — The Scotland County Commission met multiple times throughout July, addressing a wide array of county business ranging from infrastructure and grant approvals to courthouse technology upgrades and administrative contracts.
Presiding Commissioner Duane Ebeling and Western District Commissioner David Wiggins were present at each session, while Eastern District Commissioner Brent Rockhold attended most meetings. County Clerk Tammy Kirchner also participated, except for July 9 and 10.
One of the most consistent topics throughout the month was road and bridge maintenance. Road and Bridge Supervisor Michael Billings regularly met with the commission to discuss culverts, road grading, storm-related damage, and fuel usage. The board approved various maintenance projects and heard citizen concerns, including complaints from Tony Shelley about a new culvert installation on County Road 456. The tube was being installed by Doug Small, and both he and Billings attended the July 30 meeting to address the matter.
Another significant road issue involved County Road 713, which had reportedly not been traveled in over five years due to fallen trees. Commissioners confirmed that no grader had been on the road since 2016 and deemed the road abandoned 100 feet north of the square culvert. Additionally, the commission received reports of a plugged tube on County Road 657.
At the July 17 meeting, the commission opened bids for a used motor grader. Martin Equipment submitted the only bid: a 2022 John Deere 772GP for $290,000. The county will trade in a 2015 CAT 140M3 grader for $90,000, bringing the net cost to $200,000, with payment deferred until August 2026. Commissioners also accepted the low propane bid of $1.399 per gallon from MFA Oil for the courthouse and road and bridge shop needs.
Throughout the month, technology updates were a recurring item. Public Administrator Oleva Fredrick received approval to purchase EMS software to manage client records, and a new laptop for her office was approved. The commission also authorized a new server for the County Clerk’s office and renewed the SonicWall cybersecurity system for another three years. Jared Barnes with Mid-State Petroleum Equipment was contacted about connecting a new county fuel tank to power and activating its card reader system.
Courthouse maintenance was also addressed. The commission approved an invoice from Scott Downing for tree trimming around the property and discussed carpet cleaning and waxing services from Lewellen’s ServiceMaster.
In financial matters, the commission reviewed monthly revenue and entity check reports provided by Treasurer Tasha Fadiga. On July 24, they accepted a six-month CD bid from Exchange Bank at 4.22 percent interest on a $250,000 deposit. Earlier in the month, the commission approved agreements between the Collector and multiple municipalities, including Memphis, Gorin, Arbela, and Granger.
Progress was also made on grant-related projects. Chris Feeney of the Northeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission (NEMO RPC) reported that the environmental study for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) was approved, allowing the county to move forward with the bidding phase. Batina Dodge with NEMO RPC also visited to discuss assessed valuations and FEMA-related matters.
Several administrative items were handled during July. The commission signed the contract for the Missouri Department of Conservation’s CART program and addressed an inquiry from Stephen Schroeder about using courthouse speakers for a funeral. Echo Menges of NEMO News visited to raise concerns about railroad crossings being closed and trains stopping in Gorin. The commission also received a report from Ameren about a ditch threatening the stability of one of their poles in Gorin but clarified that the county does not maintain roads in that area.
On July 9, the commissioners were informed that the Missouri State Auditor’s Office would be conducting an audit on July 14–16. That same day, they authorized fees related to the courthouse elevator’s operating certificate and approved tax collection enforcement actions after discussions with Prosecuting Attorney David Briggs and Collector Diane Tague.
The commission entered executive session on July 17 and 30. While the topics of discussion were not disclosed, all closed sessions were followed by a return to regular session.
The commission held meetings on July 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, and 30, with adjournments generally around midday
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