Five companies bid to grade Cape County road

The Cape Girardeau County Commission accepted bids Thursday from five companies vying to grade County Road 401.

Kinder Brothers Excavating of Dexter, Mo., bid $204,380, Eagle Excavating & Trucking LLC of Jackson bid $163,468, Tom Beussink Excavating Inc. of Jackson bid $143,958, Elmer Buchheit Construction of Friedheim, Mo., bid $131,020 and Jokerst Inc. of Ste. Genevieve, Mo., bid $170,835. The bids were passed along to the highway department for review and recommendation.

Assessor Jerry Reynolds presented a proposal to the county regarding staffing changes in his office. He asked that, upon the retirement of his chief deputy at the end of the month, her position not be filled until a new assessor steps into office and can select a candidate. Reynolds announced in January he will retire when his term expires in August 2013.

Reynolds requested an employee be transferred from the Cape Girardeau satellite office in the interim. County employees working at the Cape Girardeau office are routinely given a yearly stipend to compensate them for the skills demanded in the satellite location, where they must assume duties of several county departments, according to a discussion during commission proceedings June 4. Reynolds asked that the employee that will be transferred back to Jackson retain her present salary, which includes the stipend, due the increased responsibilities she will assume in the chief deputy's absence.

The commission also approved the sale of a highway department front-loader to Strack Excavating LLC of Cape Girardeau for $12,500. The county purchased the 1991 model loader in 1995 for less than the price offered by Strack, according to Associate Commissioner Paul Koeper.

Pertinent address:

1 Barton Sq., Jackson, MO

County Road 401, Friedheim, MO