Scott County commission deals with property damage issues and water district construction

BENTON, Mo. -- Scott County commissioners are hoping a meeting with Public Water Supply District No. 4 officials will resolve concerns about property damage from water district construction.

Jamie Burger, presiding commissioner, met Tuesday with Tim McIntyre, board member and field representative for the water district, and John Chittenden of Waters Engineering in Sikeston, Mo., the engineering firm for the project.

"We were going over problems we want them to resolve," Burger said later in the day following the meeting. "All in all, I think we'll get to where we need to be."

At the county commission meeting Tuesday, Commissioner Dennis Ziegenhorn said county residents have called with concerns about damage to both private and public property by Municipal Construction Inc. of Goodrich, Mich., the contractor building the water distribution system.

"We do have an interest in the public's concerns," Ziegenhorn said. He noted, however, that it is a water district project and "they are their own separate entity."

Bob Laseter, chairman of the Consolidated Drainage District No. 2, said during the commission meeting that he has observed several items of concern related to the construction project.

One is that when crossing under one of his drainage district's ditches, it appeared the contractor was burying the line only two feet under the

ditch.

"They've got to put it five feet under our ditch," Laseter said. "We're not going to be responsible when we dig up a water line if it's not deep enough."

He also expressed concern about survey markers being displaced by the contractor.

"I paid $800 to have this surveyed. They just dug them up and tossed them down," Laseter said.

Laseter said he has also seen water lines placed in what appear to be improper places.

"They've got one right under the middle of the road," he said. "You don't put a water line under a road."

Laseter said the contractor is also tearing up county blacktop roads with their metal-tracked heavy equipment. "They unloaded a dozen right out in the middle of the road," he said.

"You can't unload heavy equipment on a county road and turn it around and not expect damage," Ziegenhorn said.

Burger said he is concerned right now with keeping the shoulders of county roads in good condition, both to prevent having a dropoff on the edge of the road and for future maintenance issues.

"If you keep them shored up, the blacktop won't break off," he said.