Commissioners Discuss Status Of Toots Hill; Tractor Options
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Toots Hill, a short stretch of road near Highway M and I-55, near Ozora, that connects to New Bremen Road, was the subject of much discussion during last Thursday’s Ste. Genevieve County Commission meeting.
The property owner, Tim Wengert, was hoping the county could repair a pothole and fissure cracks in the road
However, the county does not own the road. Apparently, an agreement had been made somewhere in the distant past that the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) would maintain ownership, but the county would maintain it.
However, the county has never maintained it. Therefore, as far as the county is concerned, it has been “abandoned.” In fact, about 2005, MoDOT paved the section.
The commissioners met on site with Wengert and MoDOT personnel. It is just eight to 10 feet wide, well below county specs.
MoDOT agreed to fix the pothole.
The road is named for Toots Schilli who used to live on it.
TRACTOR REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT
The tractor that powers the boom mower will likely cost about $12,000 to repair.
“It’s a can of worms that could get worse, once they open it up,” Road and Bridge Foreman Scott Schmieder said.
New tractors with a boom attachment run in the $170,000-$180,000 range. If a new one were ordered, it would probably be September before it would arrive.
Schmieder said he would check on leasing to own options, but admitted that those options are not as favorable as they once were – especially with new demands that the equipment be in pristine condition upon return.
Schmieder didn’t know how long it might take to get the current tractor repaired. It was agreed, though, that it needs to be fixed, even if it is just to sell it.
Actually, the tractor has less than 3,000 miles on it. Schmieder said it should “be worth quite a bit” if sold, and that it could be used for brush-hogging and other uses for possibly another 10 years.
Schmieder said that things were nearly lined up for the mid-July slab replacement on Ditch and Misplay roads.
It was agreed that signs would soon be put up, warning drivers that Ditch Road would probably be shut down for a day. The crane is expected to arrive from Budrovich Crane Rentals on July 10 and work to start around July 17.
It was agreed that the road crews should go door to door and make sure all the impacted residents understand the situation.
GILLESPIE ROAD
Schmieder reported that he had finished paving Gillespie Road, plus part of Hager and River Aux Vaux Church roads. Meanwhile, a resident of Hickory Lane called and praised the road crew for its work on Gillespie Road. She said they did “am excellent job.”
Later, another caller who resides on an unpaved section of Gillespie called and asked when it may get paved. He said it had been scheduled for paving in 2021 and again in 2022.
Presiding Commissioner Randy Ruzicka explained to him that one neighbor who refused to move his fence back to allow the paving had held up the work.