County will persist with claims against the Corps

scottw@standard-democrat.com

CHARLESTON -- Mississippi County officials and at least one county resident have taken on the role of the proverbial "squeaky wheel" but want asphalt, not grease.

County Clerk Junior DeLay reported during the regular County Commission meeting Thursday on progress toward refiling claims against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for destroying county roads.

Since May 2011 when the Corps blew three gaps in frontline levee to activate the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway, county officials have been asking the Corps to fix the roads in the northeast part of the county near Birds Point weakened by the flood water and then damaged by dump trucks and heavy equipment working to restore the levee.

Other than filling in the mileage and an estimate from an asphalt company on the cost to replace the blacktop surfaces, "I've got the claim form all completed," DeLay said.

The county will file claims for County Roads 301, 302, 303, 304 and any of cost for rebuilding County Road 340 not covered by Community Development Block Grant funding.

"We are going to refile all the claims," Presiding Commissioner Carlin Bennett said, "and again and again and again until we get some help on these roads out here."

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