By MARK EVANS

STE. GENEVIEVE HERALD

Less than a month after an overturned tanker hauling hazardous chemicals led to a large-scale evacuation in western Ste. Genevieve County, the topic of Google Maps and other GPS devices giving faulty information was revisited.

During last Thursday’s county commission meeting, a complaint from a resident near Goose Creek lake development was brought up.

Google Maps and other GPS providers have been sending heavy amounts of traffic onto Saddleback Trail, the drivers led to believe that Saddleback leads to the lake development. It does not.

This especially relates to issues with larger trucks. Such an incident led to the aforementioned tanker truck being routed onto Highway C, a narrow, curvy road without shoulders.

With that incident fresh on everyone’s minds, a renewed effort is being made to try to get some of the GPS flaws corrected.

Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) personnel have been contacted. They believe signs can be placed around Lawrenceton and French Village, warning drivers. However, since these are not incorporated towns, who has the authority for posting such signs is not readily clear.

Meanwhile, First District Commissioner Karen Stuppy will contact the 911 dispatch center, to see what can be done on that end. Bloomsdale City Clerk Lynnette Randoll will also be working on the issue.

LAKES GENEVIEVE

HAS ISSUES AGAIN

Four years after alarm and outrage was expressed over raw sewage draining from a hilltop rental property at Lakes Genevieve, the issue has resurfaced.

In January 2020, the president of the Lakes Genevieve Landowners’ Association expressed concerns about the situation to the commission. The matter was turned over to the county health department and to Prosecuting Attorney Wayne Williams.

The property owner, who was fined, was told to either install an acceptable septic system or stop renting out the property. The property is once again occupied today, and the problem of sewage draining onto neighboring property and into the lake, has returned.

The commissioners spoke with Williams about the situation. He will revisit the issue.

A somewhat similar incident was reported off of Routes OO and DD, where trucks have been dumping trash. The caller was advised to contact the sheriff and MoDOT. Williams has also been notified.

AIR DUCT CLEANING

Recent renovation work on the courthouse has led to even more dust and debris getting into the HUAV system’s air ducts. The commissioners approved paying $3,905 to have the air ducts, with their 106 openings, cleaned professionally. It was not immediately known whether the entire job could be done in one day, or possibly over a weekend. If not, it would have to be coordinated with district court schedules.

The money will come out of Local And Tribal Consistency Fund money, COVID-19-related grant money available to an entity that includes National Forest land within its borders, through the US Department of Treasury.

BID OPENINGS

Bids for 2024 overlays will be opened March 4. Separate openings will be held. One will be for overlaying portions of Kinsey, Ditch and Misplay roads. The second opening will be for doing portions of Donze and Coffelt roads.

Notes

• The commissioners agreed to hold a short meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 20. The courthouse will be closed that Monday for Presidents’ Day.

• The road and bridge department expected its new crack-patcher to be delivered later that day.

• Governor Mike Parson officially appointed Lisa Marschel interim county collector. Marschel will have to stand for election in November.

• Commissioners and County Clerk Sue Wolk expressed alarm at the price quote for running the county’s annual financial statement in the Herald, as required by law. They spoke with the newspaper’s regional manager by phone and went over the layout and content of the statement with Herald Office Manager Ashley DeClue in person. DeClue and Wolk agreed to see what could be done to reduce the size of the statement without breaking any state statutes.

• MoDOT bridge inspections will be this week.

• The commissioners voted to reimburse the county collector’s office $15,104, owed due to a miscalculation by the collector’s office.

• The commissioners voted to pay $7,737 to Bade Roofing for a mock-up explorative plan to address condensation in the community center. It comes from American Relief Plan Act (ARPA) funds.