I attended the March 4, 2025, Camden County Commission meeting at 10:00 a.m.
Commissioners Gohagan and Dougan were present.
The only agenda item was “Bid Award – 250225 Montreal Building- Roof.”
The County Maintenance Department supervisor recommended that the Commission accept the bid from Wright Roofing because their bid was using a better, heavier shingle for the installation. He has also found the company to be very quick to respond and handle any issues on previous county projects.
The Commission unanimously awarded the bid to Wright Roofing.
In Old Business, Commission Administrative Assistant Jordan Stanton coordinated with the GIS and E-911 Departments to create a map sign to post at three locations on the county administrative campus to help guide people to the various county departments.
Jordan was nice enough to offer me a look at it and I thought the map was well-designed. It also included photos and addresses of the few county departments that aren’t located on the county square (see photo above). I did think the map could have used a few more possums, but I kept my opinion to myself. Sniff.
Shawn Brost from Vance Brothers, Inc. was also at the meeting to talk to the Commission about the chip seal method they have been using on Camden County’s roads. The material is closer to a granite and it is very hard and durable.
Brost brought a bucket of the material to show the chip seal material to the commissioners. Since this is Camden County, the commissioners did the appropriate thing when someone brings you an unlabelled white bucket at a meeting.
They cautiously approached the bucket as if it might contain a copperhead.
County Attorney Charlie Dickman made sure there was at least one commissioner between him and the bucket at all times until they managed to get the lid off and heard the “All Clear.”
Commissioner Gohagan asked me if I wanted to come up and take a look in the bucket? No thanks, James. I’m not falling for that trick.
Once applied, this chip seal can last 7-8 years before it requires maintenance. They first apply emulsified asphalt and then place the aggregate on top. It can be driven on almost immediately after application. Brost promised the commissioners that they would remove leftover small aggregate and wouldn’t push it into the ditches or people’s driveways. The material comes from Ironton, MO and is used on most of the chip seal surfaces in the KC-Metro area.
Looks reasonably safe:
Pat Wolf, the Road and Bridge Administrator, stated that this chip seal material is more fine than other aggregates that companies use for chip seal so it is less likely to ding people’s cars when they drive over it. Wolf plans to use this chip seal on all of the county’s hot-in-place roads.
And that was that.
Okay, it wasn’t really over at that point, but Commissioner Gohagan wanted to continue with his “Camden County Accounting Policy Out-Loud Reading Hour” and I just can’t listen to much more of that. A gadfly can only take so much.
Among the Dogwoods 