BENTON - Scott County commissioners would like to see "temporary, immediate relief" for the Associate Circuit Court's files, but Sheriff Bill Ferrell has seen the results of temporary storage before.
"We've got the space, the space is not a problem," said Sheriff Bill Ferrell. "We just want to be sure they are put there in an organized manner and they don't interfere with our records and looking them up. We also have to put records and files in the same room."
During their regular meeting Thursday, county commissioners granted approval for the temporary storage of the judicial system's files by the north wall of the second floor of the new jail building. "We don't want to start any trouble," said Presiding Commissioners Martin Priggel. "We just want to use the building for what it was built for, what we had in mind when we built it."
Ferrell has asked the court clerks not to move any files over until there are filing cabinets to put them in, however.
"Using the space is not the problem - but you also lose space when you put them on the floor," said Ferrell. Shelving would keep file boxes organized and off the floor, but would make accessing the files difficult as the file boxes are too heavy for one clerk to handle.
As for placing them there now, as is, as a "temporary" measure, Ferrell notes the main courthouse's basement has file boxes stacked on the floor that are in poor condition and even water damaged. "Nobody maintains them," Ferrell said. "Whenever they were put there it was a temporary thing, to solve an immediate problem." Ferrell estimated they were placed there at least 10 years ago.
"Judge Mann and I are working this thing out," Ferrell added.
Associate Court clerks file over 6,000 cases a year at that office, according to clerk Barbara Criss.
In other Scott County Commission business:
* The County Commissioner Association of Missouri will study the "sales tax holiday" bill passed by the state legislature during the latest session, according to Priggel.
"They may join forces with cities that feel like they can't afford this," Priggel said.
Tax-free shopping days beginning in August 2004 were intended to help parents prepare their children for school but will cost local governments much-needed tax revenue unless they opt out.
* Commissioners met with Federal Emergency Management Agency representatives following their regular meeting to start the public assistance process.
The county suffered damage to the 911 center's roof from high winds or a hurricane and roads and culverts were damaged from flash flooding, according to county officials.