BENTON - Bad dogs beware: The Sikeston Area Humane Society will now investigate complaints of vicious animals and animal cruelty throughout the county.
Scott County commissioners approved an agreement with the humane society during Tuesday's meeting by which they will contribute $1,000 in return for the services.
Commissioners said vicious animals became a big concern for county residents following the fatal mauling of a child by a wolf-dog in Kentucky but the lack of animal control in the county has long been a problem. "We're hoping the other counties will follow our lead," said Presiding Commissioner Martin Priggel.
"We're still waiting for the state to take the lead on animal control," added Commissioner Jamie Burger.
In other action by Scott County commissioners:
* The bid to carpet the courthouse's rear third-story offices was awarded to the low bidder, Deason Carpet Brokerage of Benton. Deason bid's bid was $3,479 with the amount to move furniture deducted.
The only other bid was from Lowe's in Sikeston for $3,821 without the furniture-moving costs.
The repaired offices will provide space for the county's department of economic development and for the assessor's mapping, according to county officials.
Burger said they hope to see the carpentry phase of the repair project begin next week.
* Rusty Doom, branch manager for ThyssenKrupp Elevator in Evansville, Ind., met with commissioners to answer questions about the elevator to be installed at the courthouse.
Doom said he had discussed the project with architect Ron Galemore and they had concluded there will be room for the elevator shaft on the south side of the staircase.
Doom is proposing a newer hydraulic system that will not require drilling down as deep, although the shaft will still need to go below floor level. He explained the old conventional hydraulic elevator systems require a hole as deep as the elevator goes up - about 30 feet in this case.
Hydraulic systems are used for up to five or six stories, he explained. Elevators going higher than that use a hoist-type system.
The elevator cab will be 5 feet, 8 inches wide and 4 feet, 3 inches deep. The elevator requires both front and rear doors as the second floor opening will be on the reverse side from the first and third floors.
Doom said the elevator will be at the minimum American Disabilities Act standards with each of its doors being 3 feet wide.
The warranty and initial service on the elevator will be good for one year after which the county will need to get a maintenance contract, according to Doom. He advised ThyssenKrupp has a service man located in Jackson.
Doom said it looks like the county's elevator is about 5 to 6 months away.
He advised it will take three months to manufacture and ship the elevator during which time alterations to the building can be done by the contractor.
Doom said once everything is ready, it will only take about four or five weeks to install the elevator.
From a "planning standpoint," Doom estimated the cost for the elevator and its installation at $55,000. "It will probably come in under that," he said.
The figure does not include the cost of building alterations to prepare for the elevator installation.