The Dent County Commission voted during its regular meeting July 21 to institute a countywide burn ban in a 3-0 vote. The ordinance goes into effect immediately for 30 days, or until the commission votes to remove the ban. Brad Nash, fire chief for the Dent County Fire Protection District and emergency management director attended the meeting to discuss instituting the burn ban.
“This ordinance is intended to promote the public health, safety and welfare and to safeguard the health, comfort, living conditions, safety and welfare of the citizens of the County of Dent by temporarily regulating the fire hazards of open burning and outdoor burning during current drought conditions,” states the ordinance.
The ordinance specifies some exceptions to the ban.
“This ordinance does not apply to grilling or cooking food using charcoal, wood, propane or natural gas in cooking or grilling appliances,
“This ordinance does not apply to burning for the purpose of generating heat in a stove, furnace, fireplace or other heating device within a building used for human or animal habitation.
“This ordinance does not apply to the use of propane, acetylene, natural gas, gasoline or kerosene in a device intended for heating, construction or maintenance activities,” it states.
The commission briefly discussed the recent rain in the Monday meeting. Skiles pointed that the rain was a relief but will hardly make a difference with the current drought conditions.
“It could rain for two weeks and it still wouldn’t fix the drought,” said Skiles. Skiles likened this summer to the drought of 2012, but that this year other factors such as the timing of the drought and the high cost of fertilizer made the drought even worse.
Also on Thursday, Fire Chief Brad Nash thanked the commission for voting 3-0 during the July 18 meeting to allocate $40,000 worth of ARPA funds, of which area volunteer fire departments can apply to receive up to $10,000 each. Nash thanked the commission for the recent purchase of extrication equipment using American Rescue Plan Act Funds.
Bob Parsons thanked the commission on behalf of the junior livestock committee for the county’s assistance hauling chips to the Dent County Commons for the 4-H/FFA Expo July 13-16. Parsons asked for the county’s help during the May 24 regular commission meeting.
At Monday’s regular meeting:
• Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams reported that CART tax for road and bridge is up by more than $2,800 this month compared to July, 2021—the county received $68,696.84 compared to $65,861.20 in 2021.
• District One Commissioner Wes Mobray reported that he has a crew hauling brush along county road 5110 and the rest are working on stockpiling rock.
• District Two Commissioner Gary Larson reported that he has a crew hauling material to 2330; crews are investigating reports of wash outs due to the weekend’s rain; and some picking up a recently-serviced truck in Jefferson City.
Skiles reported that he plans to attend the Meramec Community Enhancement board meeting on Wednesday.
