CHARLESTON - Having been included among the additional counties declared disaster areas, Mississippi County has added its name to the list of those requesting federal aid for public facilities damaged by the recent flooding.
Jim Blumenberg, presiding commissioner, said during Thursday's county commission meeting that Mississippi County must have a minimum of about $38,000 in damage to be considered for public aid according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's formula.
Blumenberg said Richard Wallace, county road and bridge superintendent, estimated about 10 miles of county roads were under water and 20 miles of roadside ditches sustained damage due to the flooding.
A preliminary estimate of $52,000-$58,000 in damage to public facilities in the unincorporated county was submitted to FEMA, according to Blumenberg.
In other Mississippi County news:
* Commissioners reviewed the county's bridge inspection report. County bridges are inspected by the Missouri Department of Transportation every other year.
The report included eight recommendations. Two bridges are in need of repair; two should have their pilings monitored for maintenance; two need to have load limits posted; and two should be removed from the county's inventory.
One of the bridges in need of repair is a truss bridge listed as being built in 1900 and reconstructed in 1970 which needs to have some missing bolts and rivets replaced. The bridge predates the ditch it crosses which was dug in 1912, according to Commissioner Martin Lucas.
Another truss bridge inspected, dated 1920, was identified as formerly being a state bridge that was bought by the county and moved to its present site.
Blumenberg said the county needs to put up the missing load limit signs as soon as possible so the county is not open for a lawsuit in the event of a bridge collapsing.
Most of the county's bridges, however, are unrated "legal bridges" which are determined by inspectors to be safe for 80,000 pounds and are not required to post a load limit, according to Junior DeLay, county clerk.
"One has a positive recommendation," said DeLay, pointing out one bridge for which the inspector advised increasing the posted load limit from 12 tons to 18 tons.
The two bridges the inspector advised removing from the county's inventory because they are not on county roads were originally placed there by the county because they crossed county ditches providing the only access to a field, according to commissioners.
* Commissioners agreed the cost of repairing the county's 1979 model bulldozer is not justified by the little use it receives.
The dozer is presently parked due to a transmission problem, according to Commissioner Homer Oliver, and may need an engine overhaul as well.
Blumenberg, estimating the repairs could end up running between $15,000 and $20,000, asked if the county really needs it.
Commissioners agreed what few tasks it would be used for could be completed by contract or the county could rent a machine for a month.
Commissioners agreed to not have the transmission repaired and voted to take the machine out of service.
* A three-year extension for the E-911 surcharge was approved by commissioners.