OSAGE COUNTY — The Osage County Commissioners, on advice from Wayne Brenneke of Brenneke Construction, have developed a plan to repair the collapsed bridge on CR 416.

Because the bridge is shorter than the span required for state or federal aid, the cost and responsibility for repair falls to the county. To that end, the commissioners asked Wayne Brenneke, who is currently completing the bridge replacement on CR 625, to assess the bridge and help them determine the best way to repair it.

Per the commissioners, Brenneke said his company can clear the existing structure, break it up for fill, and prepare the area for work, for an estimated cost of approximately $5,000 - $6,000.

“Within the next month or so, (Brenneke) would be able to come down and bust up the wall that was caved if we wanted, as well as the deck that exists, and use it as fill for what we need,” Bridges said. “Kind of suggested the idea of leaving the wall where it’s at on both sides, because, once you put in material, that wall is not going to go anywhere. It’ll help hold. So, basically, the idea would be using that pipe as it as it exists, putting it in, angling it with the angle that is current, and then changing the angle of the approach from the highway side. So, instead of coming off a dip and going back up, just make it a straighter grade.”

The county already owns the 11-foot diameter pipe they plan to use.

“My concern with 11-foot pipe, how are we going to get it mobile,” asked Eastern District Commissioner Jeff Peters. “How are we going to get it down there? We’re going to be too tall. How are we going to haul it? Are you going to hire somebody to haul it?”

“There’s nothing that would be in the way,” said Presiding Commissioner Darryl Griffin.

“Power lines,” Bridges said.

“You gotta go through Loose Creek,” Peters said. “And then you have to go down that county road.”

Griffin said Road & Bridge could haul it with their low boy, but Peters and Bridges felt it would still be too tall to fit under the power lines.

“I think we have a couple of us who would be fair enough at operating truck and trailer,” Bridges said. “We could do the hauling, but we’ll have to have the power company come and raise lines, or whatever that they got to do. There’s no other way to get it there. But I don’t think we have a small enough pipe sitting down there that we won’t have that problem.”

“I think a nine and a half foot, it’s going to take a foot and a half off,” Peters countered. “I think you’d be just fine. It would put you at 13’6”. That’s what you need to be.”

“If that’s the height,” Bridges responded. “I mean, if those numbers are correct. But that trailer we have sits high over the wheels.”

“Run the route,” Griffin interjected. “Look and see what power lines are there. We could sit here and beat this to death all day.”

Bridges said he’d already asked Budrovich to give him a price for hauling the pipe, and another for unloading it and setting it in place, so the commissioners decided to wait and see what Budrovich came back with.

“That’s the thing,” Bridges said. “We do have a guy who’s experienced at heavy hauling and oversized hauling stuff, but the problem with that is, he’s the only one of us that’s experienced any of it. And, well, I don’t think it’s an issue of hurt, necessarily, but there’s a lot of liability would be going on for us hauling through town and such. I don’t want to make it painful for the county, but at the end of the day, it’s probably cheaper.”

After the pipe is in place, the plan is for Road & Bridge to repair the road.

Commissioners voted to have Brenneke Construction do the clearing and prep work, and discussed reaching out to other companies for additional pricing to unload/set the pipe. They will decide which fund to pay that out of at a later date, but Griffin said it would likely come from Capital Improvements.

“One of the farmers, local down there, stopped by the office the other day and expressed concern about time frame, because they would be wanting to take a planter across there,” Bridges said. “I said you’re probably not going to get a planter across there. Maybe before spraying season, but you’re not going to get it for planting. And he’s like ... But then he offered that we could haul rock off of his place if we get a permit for it, so he’s not too angry. But I haven’t been blowing smoke at people. It’s just going to take time.”

• Western District Commissioner Dale Logan said he’d spoken with Bridges regarding multiple complaints about CR 512.

“That road is just an absolute mess,” Logan said. “Oh my Lord, it is in an absolute mess. They got a grader out there yesterday, and hopefully we’re getting some rock on it as well.

“Then we had the chip and seal there towards the end of the last eighth of mile or so, it was so bad that a local actually went up and filled the holes all in with creek rock. Unfortunately, that created us more problems and (was) harder to clean up,” Logan continued. “But as a taxpayer, I guess I don’t blame them, because it was in such bad shape, at least you could drive through it then. So it cost us more work and time to get it cleaned up. But again, I don’t know how you complain about it too much, considering we’re the ones that dropped the ball and let it get in that kind of condition. I’m gonna drive out there today and check it out. Hopefully they got 512 at least a little more presentable.”

• Commissioners expressed concern that several employees and one elected official have not yet completed sexual harassment training, and discussed potential consequences if it is not completed in a timely manner.

• A contractor working at State Tech verbally asked commissioners for permission to trench across CR 301 (Twin Ridge) for a water line, and to fill the trench with gravel afterward. Commissioners declined permission, indicating that the contractor should bore under the road instead.

The contractor also verbally asked for permission to trench across CR 300, which is gravel. The commissioners gave permission provided the contractor agreed to fill in the trench and maintain it when it sinks.

• There will be no meeting on May 8, as the commissioners have a conference that day.

ROAD & BRIDGE

Bridges reported that he had a crew filling potholes on CR 512.

Griffin gave Bridges Preston Kramer’s phone number, to continue inquiries to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) concerning repair of the apron on CR 516. Commissioners believe MoDOT is responsible for at least a portion of those repairs, and want a definitive answer before spending county funds. The portion the county is responsible for, if any, will be addressed after school is out for the summer.

• Quarry rock has been hauled on CRs 524 (106.48 tons), 621 (32.79 tons), 632 (47.91 tons), and Sestak Slab (35.41 tons); a culvert was replaced on CRs 234 and 521; washouts were addressed in several areas; and grader operators have been active as follows: GR01 (CR 506, 507, 508, 521), GR02 (702, 703, 705, 721, 722, 724, 725, 725A, 731, 734), GR03 (206, 207, 221, 300, 307, 321, 423, 431, 602), and GR04 (522, 524, 525, 531, 632, 636).

• Grader 01 (2012 CAT 140M2) required repairs, and Dump Truck 27 (2000 Sterling single axle), Plow Truck 29 (2014 Dodge Ram two-ton), Dump Truck 32 (blue 2004 Peterbilt), Plow Truck 47 (2008 Ford F450), and Truck 49 (2015 Kenworth T800) were in the shop.

“We had Grader One back up and going after those two hoses came apart,” Bridges said. “I think it was up going for two days, and we were cleaning up and repairing the approaches to Sestak early last week, mid last week, and another hose blew - hydraulic hose, down underneath. We were able to get it patched back together enough to get it out of the road and back to its parking spot, but it won’t be back up again until at least tomorrow.”

HEALTH DEPARTMENT

Osage County Health Department Administrator Kim Sallin updated the commissioners on her department’s “Did You Know” series of posts on Facebook, highlighting services offered.

• Sallin also expressed concern that Missouri has its first confirmed measles case in Taney County.

“So we had another, I don’t know if you call it a lecture, but a call from the state on Tuesday,” Sallin said. “They really impressed on us, as the public health departments, that if you have somebody who is a contact to a case or who thinks that they are a case, it is on us to do all the contact tracing. Call all those contacts, tell them that they need to quarantine. This is COVID all over again, except worse, because you have to quarantine for 21 days for measles. The state’s not going to do it, so it is totally on us.”

Her department scheduled a luncheon with representatives from county schools, to discuss services offered by the health department and provide information about measles. As multiple schools expressed concern over law enforcement issues, Major Shaffer from the Osage County Sheriff’s Office was also invited, to answer law enforcement questions. A separate article with information about measles is in this week’s paper.

FINANCIAL

• County Aid Road Trust (CART) distribution received from the state of Missouri for the month of April was $73,089.02, including Motor Fuel Tax ($54,381.88), Motor Vehicle Sales Tax ($13,528.78), and Motor Vehicle Fee Increases ($5,178.36).

• Commissioners approved time sheets.