Commission Looking Into Possible Locations For Drivers’ Tests

By MARK EVANS

STE. GENEVIEVE HERALD

Finding a location for the driver examination office took up part of last Thursday’s County Commission meeting.

At one time the driver exams were housed in the old 911 building on Basler Drive. However, they moved out a few years ago, not under the best of terms with the county.

Since 2017, the testing has been done at the Ste. Genevieve City Hall. Since remodeling and security procedures have gone into place this year, however, the Driver Examination Division is looking for a more suitable location. It approached the county about housing.

Presiding Commissioner Garry Nelson was not eager to offer the 911 building back to the group, after what happened in 2017.

Saying they were concerned about sharing the building with Probation and Parole, who began renting space there in July 2017, they moved out without informing the county.

Nelson wondered whether the driver exams might be taken in under the umbrella of the license office–assuming a local entity wins the bid for the office.

Nelson spoke to Dena Kreitler, executive director of the Ste. Genevieve Area Chamber of Commerce, which has put in a bid for the office.

Kreitler said she would definitely be open to having the drivers license operation under the license office roof if the contract is won.

She said the contract will be awarded sometime this month. The chamber was one of five bidders. It has been closed since March, due to the COVID-19 situation.

SCHMIEDER REPORTS

ON ROAD WORK

Road and bridge foreman Scott Schmieder reported that several roads in the southwest corner of the county were damaged during a downfall the evening of June 30.

He said they had been working until 7:30 the next night, getting them repaired.

Schmieder also reported that the skid steer is out of commission again. The rest of the equipment was functioning well, he said.

Nelson gave Second District Commissionercandidate Don Kuehn some background on the Diesel Reduction Act [DERA] and Volkswagen grants the county has pursued to help pay for new dump trucks. The county recently received two new Western Star trucks, one of which had a portion covered by one of the grants.

Meanwhile, the commissioners and Schmieder are in the process of examining some roads where complaints had been received and one where everyone is pleased.

Second District Commissioner Joe Gettinger said he met with the property owner on Saline Creek Road where a bluff was removed and a dangerous curve straightened out over the winter..

“He was totally happy with what we did,” Gettinger said.

Gettinger said a surveyor will be contacted to make sure everyone is clear on property boundaries and right of way.

“That’s made it a lot safer,” Nelson said.

They also visited Chestnut Ridge Road, where a resident complained about water running through his yard.

“I don’t know how we’re going to fix it,” First District Commissioner Randy Bahr said.

“I don’t have a solution for it,” Nelson added.