I attended the April 22, 2025, Camden County Commission meeting at 10:00 a.m.
All commissioners were present.
The first agenda item was “Final Public Hearing – Speed Limit Reduction – Thong Tree Road & Pershing Drive.”
There was nobody present to oppose it and one person was present to advocate for it. She was also the only person to attend any of the meetings related to this speed limit reduction. She was motivated.
The Commission voted unanimously to reduce the speed limit from 30 MPH to 25 MPH. She seemed happy.
The second agenda item was “Higgenbotham Insurance Proposal.”
Higginbotham is an insurance brokerage that offers a wide range of insurance products. Alan Fay was present to speak to the Commission.
While he was interested in providing a variety of insurance services to Camden County, he offered Camden County the use of Higginbotham’s HR software pro bono in the hopes that the county’s experience with that aspect of their service might encourage the Commission to use Higginbotham as their insurance broker. This would replace the county’s current “pen and paper” HR system. He pointed out that Higginbotham could handle the county’s COBRA coverage in-house and that was a service for which the county was currently paying $5,000 per year. They could also offer the use of their brigade of attorneys who could provide services including legal advice and compliance guidance.
The county’s Human Resources Director stated that she was interested in the technology aspect of the proposal, but she was also happy with the medical options the county’s current insurance broker had proposed.
Fay seemed to have had a bad experience with a previous Camden County Commission since he made several references to having been selected as the insurance broker in the past only to have that acceptance later revoked. Still seemed a bit raw.
(You have to have thick skin if you want to live in Hooterville.)
Commissioner Gohagan assured Fay that the Commission would be the ones making the decision on who the county’s insurance agent would be.
Presiding Commissioner Skelton explained that he willing to listen to this proposal, but he wanted to table the matter to give all of the insurance brokers a chance to make a presentation.
The final agenda item was “Business Park Road, Linn Creek – Trucking Traffic.”
This issue was brought up at a previous Commission meeting.
The community was upset because heavy trucks were using the portion of Business Park Road east of the quarry as a shortcut and the road was not built to handle that type of traffic safely.
Presiding Commissioner Skelton informed them that he had spoken to various local trucking companies and none of them seemed to care if the county restricted trucking through traffic on the eastern part of Business Park Road.
Commissioner Gohagan explained that closing the road to trucks would follow a procedure similar to the way the county reduces its road speed limits.
Commissioner Dougan commented that he has driven the road several times and he felt the speed limit should probably be lowered. This impression was cemented by the fact that someone almost hit him while he was checking out the road.
The Operations Manager from the quarry spoke and she explained that they also agree that it’s not safe for trucking to use that portion of the road. They have tried to discourage trucks that stop at the quarry from heading east when they leave, but there is only so much that they can do.
Commissioner Dougan suggested that the Commission restrict the portion of Business Park Road east of the quarry to local deliveries only and reduce the speed limit from 35 MPH to 25 MPH.
Presiding Commissioner Skelton said they will post notice for the three meetings that are required to make any changes.
Several folks wondered why trucks would even use that portion of road since the road conditions would force them to travel slower. (Maybe GPS is the culprit and it’s guiding them through that route?)
In Public Comment, Missouri State Representative Jeff Vernetti informed the Commission that he had worked to get $4 million in improvement money for the intersection area of Highway 54 and Highway 5. It had been included in the Missouri House budget, but the Missouri Senate Appropriations Committee cut it out of the budget. Vernetti asked the Commission if they could write a letter of support that he could use in an effort to get those funds back.
The commissioners agreed that they would prepare such a letter.
And that was that.
Among the Dogwoods 