HERMANN – A move by Gasconade County’s top official Thursday morning to win approval of a revised plan for more parking spaces at the courthouse was sidelined for two weeks after neither associate commissioner would support a quick decision on the project carrying an $816,000 price tag.

The design presented to the County Commission during last week’s session by consulting engineer Paul Winkelmann of Howe Company is a truncated version of a proposal presented earlier that would have some new parking spaces on the east and west side of the courthouse. That version had a projected cost of $1.1 million.

The new version, which Presiding Commissioner Tim Schulte, R-Hermann, said he asked for as a “compromise” has about two dozen new spaces being constructed on the east side of the courthouse, including spaces for handicapped drivers.

But Mark Mundwiller, the presumptive incoming presiding commissioner, questioned the revised plan from the size of the parking spaces to the projected cost. Mundwiller, a Hermann-area resident, defeated Schulte in the GOP primary for county government’s top post. He faces no opposition in the November General Elections.

Indeed, the discussion between Mundwiller and Schulte became heated when Mundwiller said a countywide vote should be held to gauge public opinion on such a costly project. Schulte countered that voters put the commissioners in office to make decision such as this. “What are we here for, Mark?” Schulte asked.

It was only moments later that the presiding commissioner made a motion to adopt the revised plan. He received no second from either Southern District Associate Commissioner Ron Hardecke, R-Owensville, or Northern District Commissioner Jim Holland, R- Hermann, which killed the motion for approval.

Holland questioned if the 23 spaces in the revised plan would help with the parking problem seen at the courthouse on a more regular basis, especially since the 20th Circuit’s Division 4 Court began handling municipal court cases. Also, Circuit Clerk Jennifer Schneider explained that there are often days when both courts are in session – the Associate Circuit Court downstairs and the Circuit Court upstairs – attracting a large number of people to the courthouse. Both courthouse employees and those arriving for court sessions often can be found parking along 1st Street and walking up the steps to the courthouse on the days when court is being held.

It’s that long walk for many people – often older citizens – that Schulte is looking to avoid by creating more spaces adjacent to the courthouse

“Is is going to solve everything, Jim? No, it’s not. But it’s needed,” Schulte said.

Acknowledging the lack of a second to his motion, Schulte said he would bring up the matter again. That could be at next week’s session. This week’s Commission meeting, which would be held tomorrow in Owensville City Hall, has been canceled because the staff in the County Clerk’s Office will be at the statewide County Clerk’s Association Conference this week.

As noted by County Assessor Julia Baker during the discussion, the money for the parking lot expansion already is in the county’s operating budget. With money having been set aside in both the Capital Improvements line and the Buildings & Grounds line, there is enough money available without having to ask the taxpayers for additional dollars.