BENTON - The official Federal Emergency Management Agency inspection tour for Scott County has begun.
Commissioner Jamie Burger predicted during Tuesday's county commission meeting that it would take at least a week to view damage around the whole county.
Harlan Duncan, county road and bridge department supervisor, will accompany the FEMA inspector during the tour. "They work seven days a week," he said.
Burger agreed to ride with Duncan and the FEMA inspector in the mornings, and Presiding Commissioner Martin Priggel will accompany them in the afternoons.
In related news, John Chadd, city administrator for Chaffee, stopped by during the county commission meeting for a FEMA aid application.
Chadd and the commissioners also discussed whether a bridge on the county-city line should be filed under the county's or Chaffee's application.
The bridge sustained an estimated $1,500 in damage from washed out footings, according to officials. "FEMA said they will bring everything back up to pre-flood conditions," Burger said.
In other Scott County news:
* Sales tax received by the county for May 2002 is down $30,762 from May 2001, according to Burger. "This was the biggest deficit month," he said.
County officials predicted and budgeted for $100,000 less in sales tax revenue due to the economy's downturn but had only seen a decrease of $37,000 as compared with last year's receipts for the first six months.
* G & D Communications of Sikeston is writing up specifications for the sheriff department's communication tower so the contractor can prepare the site at the new jail for the tower, according to Sheriff Bill Ferrell.
Ferrell said the tower will be braced against the jail building for support.
Commissioners also asked Ferrell to gather figures on costs incurred by the sheriff's department due to the recent flooding around the county for possible reimbursement by FEMA.