College eyeing landfill in county

Wednesday, November 5, 2003

BENTON - The old county landfill may make a nice spot for stargazing.

Mike Cobb, an astronomy teacher at Southeast Missouri State University, has expressed an interest in building an observatory on the old county landfill north of Morley and west of Highway 61, Scott County Economic Developer Jim Schwaninger said during Tuesday's County Commission meeting.

Thursday Cobb will meet with county officials to "explain what he has in mind and see what your reactions are," Schwaninger advised commissioners.

The landfill has been closed for nearly 10 years, commissioners estimated.

In other county business:

* Commissioners approved a $10,000 Community Development Block Grant application to cover the cost of a feasibility study for a proposed rural water district in the county.

* Revisions to the video arraignment grant application were signed off on by commissioners.

The grant's total will remain the same, but items have been shuffled among the categories. "I revised all those numbers," Schwaninger said.

Among the changes, the county's local match of $14,934 will come from the Law Library Fund instead of the law enforcement sales tax.

"It's purpose has been expanded to allow for technological improvements in the courthouse," Schwaninger said.

Presiding Commissioners Martin Priggel said with the Internet providing easy access to research sources, the number of books that need to be purchased for the library has decreased.

The local match money was approved by Circuit Court Judge David A. Dolan who administers the Law Library Fund.

* Commissioners reviewed sales tax collection figures for the Tax Increment Financing project at the Sikeston Outlet Mall, comparing them the $117,794 collected during the 2001, the base year for the TIF agreement.

Collections to date for 2003, which includes the third quarter totals, indicate the county needs $31,573 to come in during the fourth quarter to meet the base year's figure.

"On any sales tax collected beyond that, 50 percent will go into the TIF fund," said Schwaninger.

* Officials have begun reviewing health insurance bids for county employees and elected officials.

* The Scott County Courthouse will be closed Tuesday and the Commission will not meet due to Veteran's Day.

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