Cape County questions $27,000 bill from Corps of Engineers

Cape Girardeau County officials are asking for financial records from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

On Monday the county commissioners instructed Stan Murray of the county highway department to make the request. Murray had informed the commission of a letter from the corps asking for a $27,000 check for the cost of a Hubble Creek bank stabilization project completed in 2005.

"Three years later, with no communication in between, they say the project cost more than what their estimates were," Murray said.

In 2004, the county and the Corps of Engineers agreed to share the cost of stabilizing the banks of Hubble Creek at the County Road 228 bridge. The initial estimate was $345,000, and the county agreed to pay 35 percent of the cost. Part of the county's share was covered by the transfer of property at the site to the corps.

At that time, Murray was the Hubble Creek project manager for the National Resources Conservation Service. He said Thursday he had a file on the project but that it did not include county records.

During the project, the county received a notice that a construction change added $5,700 to the cost. The work was completed in July 2005. Ultimately the county paid a total of $103,728.36, including the value of the land transfer, for the work.

But a letter dated June 25, 2008, to the county showed a simple set of figures with an additional $27,169.45 due from the county.

The letter, signed by Joseph P. Kellett, deputy district engineer for the corps, refers to the figures as "as final accounting" but does not explain their basis.

"Are they welching on the deal?" 1st District Commissioner Larry Bock asked.

"I don't know where the dollar figures are coming from," Murray said. "My thoughts are, before we pay a bill, we ought to find out what we're going to pay for."

Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones told Murray to contact the corps for a full accounting. On Thursday he said he had not spoken with any corps officials but that a letter signed by Bock was mailed Monday.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127

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