County officials meet on Eastwood viaduct

The Saline County Commission had a full slate of meetings Wednesday, first meeting in regular session then attending an short informational meeting called by Margaret Pond, county assessor, concerning the county's Salary Commission and then meeting with Mike McGrath, Missouri Department of Transportation area engineer, and another MoDOT representative concerning the Eastwood Street viaduct.

No actions were taken during the meeting concerning the Salary Commission.

McGrath said he updated the commissioners about the progress on getting the Eastwood viaduct removed and possibly replaced. He noted MoDOT has no note of the county's special road district accepting ownership of the bridge so MoDOT realizes its liability concerning the bridge and will be working with the commission, special roads district and possibly the city as well on the removal and possible replacement.

No timetable is set for the work, McGrath said, although he noted that if it appears replacement of the viaduct is several years away the state could look to start removal of the old structure within the next year.

In other business, the commissioners approved a payment schedule and payroll along with a pair of line item transfers.

Presiding Commissioner Becky Plattner noted that a letter had been received from the Center for Human Services asking the commission to approve the renewal of three members on the county's SB40 Board of Directors. The commission voted without dissent to approve the renewal of terms through 2009 for Lesa Banks, Ron Duvall and Hulda Dooley.

Northern District Commissioner Norvelle Brown also noted that one of the county's representatives on the Pioneer Trails Regional Planning Commission, Vivian Wiley, had submitted her resignation from that board.

Wiley, former Sweet Springs mayor, in her letter of resignation cited several illnesses over the past year and the need to devote more time to a new business venture.

Thursday morning the commission was informed by Phillip Clevenger of MoDOT that he will begin doing inspections of bridges in the county in late December or early January. He also invited the commissioners to attend a portion of the inspections to learn what he looks for and to see the condition of rural bridges.

The commissioners also heard from Associate Circuit Judge Tut Bellamy that a videoconference arrangement between the courtroom in the Saline County Courthouse and the county jail on West Highway 20 functioned smoothly during its first extended test Wednesday.

The video arraignment setup features screens in the Division 6 courtroom and a room at the county jail. The judge can control camera angles at both locations using a remote.

The arrangement was praised as a way to save deputy man-hours that would usually be spent transporting prisoners back and forth from the jail as well as gas for sheriff's department vehicles.

Contact Mark Lile at

marshallbusiness@socket.net