Scott County, Benton to partner on resurfacing parking area

BENTON, Mo. -- Scott County commissioners have agreed to partner with the city of Benton to resurface the parking area in front of the courthouse.

Commissioners explained during their regular meeting Tuesday that city officials asked if the county would pay half of the cost for a new blacktop cap on the parking apron on the east side of the courthouse alongside U.S. 61.

As the city will already have Asa Asphalt in town doing blacktop overlays and is willing to pay half the cost,"this is an opportunity to get it done for our parking for a very reasonable rate," Commissioner Dennis Ziegenhorn said.

Ziegenhorn said businesses across the street will pitch in for an overlay along the east side of U.S. 61.

County Clerk Rita Milam said the county's contribution can be considered part of the courthouse building maintenance so money can come from that fund.

In other business Tuesday:

Leon Kielhofner met with commissioners to see if there has been any progress on getting assistance to pave County Road 268.

Kielhofner, who lives off the county road, has expressed concerns about the increased traffic on the gravel road since the bridge on Route W between Oran and Perkins was closed.

"All I can tell you is we'd like to get it done, too," Ziegenhorn said. "We have put in a request to MoDOT to help us with some assistance, but we haven't heard back from them."

During the May 27 County Commission meeting, commissioners were advised by a Federal Emergency Management Agency official that FEMA would not pave the road but may reimburse the county for some of the cost of grading and gravel until the bridge is repaired.

¿ Richard Riley of Blodgett asked commissioners for repairs to the intersection of county roads 509 and 514 near the north end of Blodgett.

"That water stayed over that blacktop there for months," Riley said. There is a hole there "over hub deep right now," he said. "It's a pretty good-sized hole."