VIENNA — Maries County Commissioners paused action on a petition to vacate a portion of Maries Road 416 Oct. 2 after concerns were raised that doing so could cut off access to a local cemetery. Eastern Commissioner Doug Drewel emphasized that approving the vacation would prevent elderly and handicapped residents from reaching the site.

Pat Kliethermes of Kliethermes Research LLC, representing his client Tom Swayden’s interests, was present as an advocate involved in the discussion. He told commissioners that barely anyone goes to the cemetery, according to neighboring residents of the cemetery and that the walk from the street to the cemetery would not be far.

The petition concerned a 30-foot right-of-way beginning at the northeast corner of Section 15, Township 40 North, Range 7 West. Residents said the roadway had not been used by the public for roughly 20 years and had become a nuisance to neighboring landowners. During the meeting, commissioners examined maps including properties belonging to Sam Wilson and Drew Bush and discussed historical record-keeping. Vienna, unlike larger cities that began recording official road and property documents in 1919, continued using traditional methods, limiting the availability of records and making verification of ownership and right-of-way details more complicated.

Moving forward, the cemetery along the proposed vacated section became the central focus of the discussion. Drewel highlighted that residents, particularly elderly and handicapped individuals, rely on access to visit the site and to cut them off and make them walk is not ok.

While the road is public, these concerns about accessibility and potential disruptions prevented the board from making a formal decision. Commissioners agreed to involve an attorney and other organizations to gather more information.

Future solutions discussed included coordinating with landowners to establish a maintained, county-standard road and installing a new sign marking the road’s location after a previous marker had been removed. The road includes a bridge and for now, remains open.

During the meeting, commissioners also reviewed general procedures for vacating county roads, and what the steps are.

Other business included updates on county roads. Commissioners discussed a potential asphalt project and approved an agreement with the Missouri Department of Conservation to assist in maintaining county roadways. They also approved plans to fill a hole in the collector’s office safe with Styrofoam to prevent damage from cold winter temperatures.

During the Oct. 6 meeting, Sarah Abbott, the new Maries County conservation officer, met with Sheriff Mark Morgan and introduced herself to the board. Abbott, a native of New Bloomfield and a lifelong outdoors enthusiast, will oversee all conservation law including county wildlife, fish, parks, lakes, rivers and other natural resources. For more information, a separate article is featured in this week’s edition of the Advocate.

The commission also addressed ongoing litigation involving the county and the internet company Windstream. Officials received a letter from Marija Torbica, an attorney with The Leviton Law Firm, regarding a dispute over internet service. The courthouse had previously used Windstream when former IT employee Shane Sweno was on staff. Sweno had documented contracts and overseen the transition to a new provider, MoreNet, before leaving the county under strained circumstances.

All records and data on Sweno’s computer were deleted when he departed. County officials say Sweno informed them the Windstream contract had been canceled after he had been directed to do so by the County Commissioners so that the switch to MoreNet could proceed, which has been in use since 2022. Despite this, Windstream continued billing the county, prompting the company to now file a lawsuit. County officials maintain the courthouse has not used Windstream services since the transition.

Additional updates included a tornado alarm test atop the courthouse which provided a brief intermission and conversation about County Emergency Alarms.

Inspections of fire extinguishers throughout the courthouse and county vehicles were also discussed. Some units still displayed last year’s “24” marking, while others had been updated to “25.” With 2026 approaching, commissioners noted annual fire extinguisher inspections will be necessary.

The next county Maries County commission meeting is scheduled for Oct. 9, in which a FEMA representative is expected to be present.