CHARLESTON - Presiding Commissioner Jim Blumenberg is optimistic about Mississippi County's chances for receiving a solid waste grant through the Department of Natural Resources for the purchase of a limb grinder, noting one or two of the other participating area counties appear to keep getting all the funds each year.
"We need to get our share one time," Blumenberg said during Thursday's county commission meeting.
Commissioners discussed making room available in the road and bridge department shed for the grinder as well as blacktopping equipment they hope to purchase for next season.
Also discussed the cost of an open storage shed. Blumenberg estimated the shed would need to be 120 to 140 feet long.
Richard Wallace, county road and bridge department supervisor, reported on the county's ongoing hunt for the blacktopping equipment.
He said he is reviewing brochures for mobile rotary chippers that can handle limbs up to 12 inches in diameter. "It makes it into mulch," he said.
In other Mississippi County business:
* Commissioners accepted a 50-foot wide easement so the county can build and maintain a 20-foot wide, 2,400-foot long road from Highway 80 to Fitzgerald Marine's new location at Belmont for its barge fleet facility.
The new county road will be named Belmont Road, according to Martin Lucas, commissioner.
* Commissioner Homer Oliver reported the county will need 14 oaks and 12 dogwood trees to line the Oak Grove Cemetery's frontage. The dogwoods will be placed between the seven oaks to be placed on either side of the cemetery's main entrance.
Blumenberg repeated his preference for larger trees - around 10-12 feet tall - for the oaks. "They'll look better when we get them set," he said.
* Blumenberg reported on the county sheriff department's new radar gun purchased to control speeders in the 45 mph zone at Wyatt.
Blumenberg said he doesn't have any figures yet on the number of warnings and citations written after its first month in use, but had reports of motorists going through Wyatt at high speeds being clocked and ticketed. "He just told me he got a few," said Blumenberg
"The highway patrol's been working that zone pretty well, too," said Oliver. "They were out there this morning."
* Commissioners approved the county's annual E-911 service agreement with Southwestern Bell.