County commission to pare list of advisory board applicants

The 38 applicants for the County Road and Bridge Advisory Board will be cut to 20 finalists before Cape Girardeau County commissioners begin making selections.

During a discussion Monday, the commissioners decided they would individually evaluate each applicant's responses to a questionnaire, bringing the rankings to Thursday's meeting.

The winnowing process, commissioners decided, would leave them with two applicants from each township to discuss. In two townships, Kinder and Liberty, the process will be easy -- only two residents applied. But for others, the choices will be harder with six applicants from Byrd Township, which includes Jackson, and five each from Randol and Hubble townships.

Commissioners also discussed how they could evaluate the applicants in a public setting without insulting anyone. "I don't want to discuss this in a public venue and be quoted saying, 'he's an absolute jerk,'" Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones said.

Commissioners on Monday also put off a final decision for disposing of the old steel truss bridge removed recently from County Road 439. There are six applicants who want the bridge, and Commissioner Jay Purcell said a final decision has been made that the bridge would not be suitable for use in the County Park.

Two applicants for the bridge, Jen Seivers of Jackson and Carl Armstrong of Cape Girardeau, attended Monday's meeting.

Seivers wants to use the bridge to span a creek that separates her home from three undeveloped lots in Grandview Acres. She reassured commissioners the bridge would not be used for access to develop the lots.

Armstrong, owner of the Armstrong-Ramsey home along Silver Springs Road, wants to use the bridge to enhance the historic property. He presented permits from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the city of Cape Girardeau, issued prior to the bridge becoming available, allowing him to remove a culvert and put a bridge in its place.

Armstrong said he anticipated it would cost about $10,000 total to place the bridge on his property, including $2,500 for oak timbers for the bridge deck.

Purcell noted that the location of Armstrong's property makes it a prime possibility for commercial development.

Armstrong promised that he and his family are interested in preserving the property, which includes a home that was constructed around a log cabin erected in 1795.

"We are not about to bulldoze it for commercial purposes," Armstrong said.

Commissioners set a final decision about the bridge for 10 a.m. Monday. Prior to that time, Jones said, they need guidance from Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle on whether they can give it away or must receive a token amount as payment.

rkeller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126