Lower speed limit sought on Route HH

Wednesday, September 24, 2003

Mini Farm residents say change could save lives

BENTON - "Unscientific" tests by Mini Farms residents have determined a proposed speed limit change along Highway HH will add 23 seconds of travel time to that stretch of road.

"Twenty-three seconds is not all that much longer when you think of the lives," said Donna Morris of the Mini Farms Homeowners Association during Tuesday's regular county commission meeting.

Board members Morris, Terry Eakins and Glenn Pobst of the Mini Farms Homeowners Association requested a letter of support from commissioners, advising they already had a letter from State Rep. Peter Myers in hand.

Association members have sent a petition with 187 signatures to the Missouri State Highway and Transportation Commission and requested lowering the speed limit on Highway HH from a half-mile west of North Ingram to the four-way stop just west of the Intestate 55 interchange from 55 mph to 45.

Morris said the average speed is actually around 60 mph there, but hopefully the lower speed limit will slow them down by 10 mph. She also noted that the traffic counts showed an increase of 112 percent at North Ingram and HH over the last two years.

Commissioners Martin Priggel and Jamie Burger said that they would wait to consult with Commissioner Walter Bizzell, who was unable to attend the meeting at that time, before making a decision to draft a letter of support.

In other Scott County news:

* Commissioners accepted the low bid of $5,700 from Hopper Roofing of Sikeston for the Emergency 911 Center roof. The bid includes the cost of removing the old roof.

Other bids on the project ranged from $6,970 to $12,242.

* Over 100 motorcycles participated in a parade Saturday which ran from Minor's Harley-Davidson's old location to their new store, according to County Economic Developer Jim Schwaninger. "They had a very successful grand opening day," he said.

Schwaninger said that even though the motorcycles themselves will be taxed in the purchaser's home county like cars are, the county should receive substantial sales tax on other merchandise offered at the store.

* Brian LeGrand of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service advised commissioners the NRCS will pay up to $12,000 for additional rip-rap to stabilize the banks of Ditch 1 at the County Road 262 bridge.

LeGrand asked commissioners to have tickets for the rock collected so they would know when to stop hauling the rip-rap in.

* Commissioners approved the county's local match of $1,830.22 for a $16,472 Local Law Enforcement Block Grant approved for the sheriff's department.

Capt. Brenda Schiwitz of the Scott County Sheriff's Department said they were approved for only $14,000 last year.

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