June 10, 2025, Camden County Commission meeting at 10:00 a.m.

I attended the June 10, 2025, Camden County Commission meeting at 10:00 a.m.

All commissioners were present.

The first agenda item was “Final Hearing – Business Park Road.”

This was the third required public meeting the Commission held regarding proposed traffic restrictions on the road east of the quarry.

Nobody was at the meeting to oppose the change.

The first ordinance restricted truck traffic to local deliveries only. The second ordinance lowered the speed limit to 25 MPH.

Both ordinances were passed unanimously.

The second agenda item was “Curran & Associates – Contract for Land Title Abstracting & Transactional Legal Services.”

Commissioner Gohagan explained that the Commission would use the legal firm for title search services. This contract did not have to be put out to bid because it was for professional legal services and Missouri statutes provided an exception for such services..

The contract was approved unanimously.

In Public Comment, Sheriff Edgar spoke to the Commission about several CLERF purchases that had been held up.

CLERF is the County Law Enforcement Restitution Fund

The County Auditor explained that no CLERF purchases can be processed unless the approval for the purchases is in the CLERF Board minutes.

Presiding Commissioner Skelton reviewed a copy of the CLERF Board ordinance and stated that the Commission should schedule a meeting in the future to discuss the CLERF Board and the ordinance that established it. He observed that the ordinance did not allow CLERF board members who had been elected county officials and he wanted to confirm that the board was in compliance with that restriction.

A citizen spoke to the Commission about the problem of trash dumping along the sides of county roads and what the county might do to address the issue.

Chief Deputy Hines from the Sheriff’s Office explained that they can’t use work crews from the jail to pick up garbage because the county would assume too much liability. A brief discussion followed, but in the end, most agreed that illegal dumping is a very difficult crime to investigate and prosecute. The only solution that was proposed was for volunteers to get together and try to pick up the trash themselves.

I asked the Commission if there was an update on the barges launching out on Pier 31 that were discussed at this past meeting?

Commissioner Gohagan told me that the need to investigate situations like the Pier 31 ownership issue is why the Commission decided to hire Curran & Associates. Hopefully, we’ll hear more about that in the near future.

And that was that.