CHARLESTON - Mississippi County will not participate in a legal program offered by the Missouri Association of Counties.
County Commissioners reviewed a letter during their regular meeting Thursday from MAC which advised a law firm has been retained by MAC to provide a group legal services program as a benefit to those counties whose prosecuting attorneys are too busy.
Participating counties enroll for 12 months with a prepayment of $1,200 and receive 10 hours per month of legal advice over the phone or by letter and a reduced rates for more intensive representation.
"I don't think we need it," said Presiding Commissioner Jim Blumenberg.
In other Mississippi County news:
* Commissioner Martin Lucas reported that the highway department has still not found any railroad cars yet and proposed looking into New Madrid Country's precast concrete bridges.
"You'd have to pour a concrete embankment," Blumenberg said, "instead of snowstone."
Lucas also reported that county road crews have fixed some road shoulders around the county. "They did a good job," he said.
County roads are in good shape, according to Blumenberg, and will be ready for the "chip and seal" blacktop surface they plan to implement.
"We ought to be able to make a lot of headway next year," he said.
Blumenberg said he had recently received a complaint from a resident who claimed road oil laid on Spanish Grant Road by the county about two months ago peeled some paint off her car.
"I'm sorry but there was a sign there," Blumenberg said he advised the resident.
Blumenberg also reported that County Road and Bridge Superintendent Richard Wallace "just can't find much wrong" with the dump truck that recently overturned when the brakes failed.
The insurance company totaled the vehicle and commissioners decided to buy it back.
* Commissioners adopted a fair housing resolution to comply with a requirement of the rural water district's Community Development Block Grant.
* The county's new shredder will arrive today, according to Blumenberg.
* Maple Slough is ready to be surveyed.
* With the temperatures dropping, commissioners agreed to have the installation of the pavestone in front of the courthouse between the sidewalk and curb delayed until late March.
* A public hearing for a budget amendment is scheduled for Dec. 18 along with the opening of bids on the lease-management contract for the county airport and for an excavator.
* The regular County Commission meeting scheduled for the week of Christmas has been canceled.