April 23, 2024, Camden County Commission meeting at 10:00 a.m.

I attended the April 23, 2024, Camden County Commission meeting at 10:00 a.m.

All commissioners were present.

The agenda was adjusted to move the Road and Bridge Bid Openings to the last item on the agenda.

The first agenda item was Robert Plumley-Southern Cherokee Drive.

A resident living on Southern Cherokee Drive had come to a previous Commission meeting and asked the commissioners to lower the speed limit on this road to 25 MPH.

Plumley attended this meeting to explain that he was opposed to reducing the speed limit on the road. Plumley stated that a Camden County ordinance sets the unposted speed limit for unincorporated county gravel roads at 35 MPH. If people would like to drive slower than that, they could. Plumley said he is the only property owner who has kids on that street. All of the homes along the road are set back at least a hundred feet from the roadway.

While he admitted that it was sad that a dog was recently struck and killed by a vehicle on the road, county ordinances also require that dog owners restrain their dogs to their property with a leash, chain, or some other means. Plumley felt that speeding concerns along the road would be more easily corrected by posted a sign for the existing 35 MPH limit or speaking with neighbors along the road who have been driving too fast.

The second agenda item was Request for Surplus Funds.

The request was for $7,589.88 and it had been reviewed by the Treasurer and the County Attorney.

This request for surplus was approved unanimously.

The third agenda item was Camden County Soil and Water Conservation District.

The request was for $6,000 and it was already budgeted.

This was approved unanimously.

The final agenda item was Road and Bridge Bid Openings.

The first bid opening was for diesel fuel and gasoline. Frisco Fuel was the only bidder.

Presiding Commissioner Skelton was impressed that the delivery markup for the diesel fuel was only 3 cents per gallon.

This bid was approved unanimously.

The next bid was a single bid for lane striping.

The bid was from KW Linkmeyer to stripe 24 roads at a cost of $42,880.

This bid was approved unanimously.

The third bid was a single bid from Gallagher Asphalt for Hot In-Place Asphalt Recycling.

This company uses a technique that grinds up the top of the road surface, adds fresh oil and then re-applies it back onto the surface. The company is based out of Illinois and they are expanding their business into Missouri. Commissioner Skelton was interested In encouraging them to set up their operation in Camden County.

The price was $5.78 per square yard for a total of $699,000. This process would save the county approximately $240,000 if it was used instead of replacing the overlay.

The roads that will receive this treatment are Serenity Bay Court, Georgene Road, Saint Moritz Drive, Viking Trail, Point Road, Tall Oaks Lane, Running Deer, Fowler’s Point, Fontana Lane, Serenity Bay Drive, Grandview Lane, and Velvet Antler for a total distance of 121,104 square yards of material.

The Commission is reserving this treatment for county roads that have received a rating in the 70-80 range because they are stable and still have a good base for the treatment.

This bid was approved unanimously by the Commission.

Presiding Commissioner Skelton mentioned that the Commission has reorganized the Road and Bridge Department. The Road and Bridge Administrator will now be mainly responsible for the budget and other administrative details of the department. The direct supervision of the road maintenance will be the responsibility of a “Road Boss.”

And that was that.