Commissioners during their July 27 meeting discussed two lots of surplus that will be let out for bids. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson was absent from the meeting of the Dent County Commission due to a personal emergency, according to District One Commissioner Wes Mobray. In Larson’s absence, Mobray was appointed Acting Presiding Commissioner for the meeting by County Clerk Angie Curley. Also present at the meeting was District Two Commissioner Gary Polk.
During road reports, Mobray said that County Road 5080 was being rebuilt in anticipation of chip-and-seal asphalt. He reported that rock was being hauled to County Road 2440, and crews would be grading on County Road 6230.
Mobray reported that there is a variety of surplus that is being put out for bid by the county. He said one vehicle, new-in-box hydraulic cylinders, and a snowplow will be offered for sale. Also being put out for bid is a lot of scrap copper and aluminum that was generated as a result of the ongoing courthouse renovations.
The equipment and vehicle surplus bids are due on August 14, and will be opened at 10 a.m., and the copper and aluminum surplus bid will be due on August 21 and will be opened at 11 a.m. during the commission meeting. Bids should be submitted to Clerk Curley’s office at the courthouse at 400 N. Main St. in Salem. Bids are due prior to the opening times.
During discussion about when to hold the bid openings, Mobray and Curley said that the Tax Levy Hearing will be held at 10 a.m. on August 21.
During his road report for District Two, Polk said that crews would be grading on County Roads 3300 and 3310, and cutting brush on County Road 3230.
“That’s it, it’s a short track,” said Polk, who added that an employee was out sick.
Clerk Curley reported that bills were ready to be approved.
All three commissioners were present for the July 31 meeting..
During road reports, Mobray reported that District One crews would be grading on county roads 6225 and 2470, hauling rock to 6220, and installing a driveway culvert on 6420. He also said crews would be replacing a piece of glass on one of the brush cutters.
For District Two, Polk reported that crews would be grading on county roads 5260, 3190, and 3305. He also reported that brush would be cut on county roads 3233, 3235, and 3220; that rock was to be hauled to County Road 3305, and that a culvert was to be installed on County Road 3305.
During his Presiding Commissioner’s report, Larson said he was glad to be back, and that he would be attending a meeting of the Ozark Rivers Advisory Committee on August 3.
Clerk Curley reported that bills and payroll were ready to be approved.
After the main business of the meeting concluded, Madison Baker, District Director with the office of U.S. Congressman Jason Smith, stopped by the commission office to briefly update the commissioners on the goings-on with the Congressman. He said that the August recess is coming up, and that Smith will be scheduling farm tours across his district.
“We’re going to try to hit all the counties while he’s in-district,” said Baker.
Baker also spoke about the investigation into Hunter Biden, son of president Joe Biden.
“He’s doing a lot of travelling right now as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. Of course, the Hunter Biden investigation is top-of-mind in that. When he was elected Chairman, he set up a whistleblower hotline for the IRS, and that’s where these two whistleblowers came from, they come through the Ways and Means Committee,” said Baker. “So, we’re working through that. Obviously, the plea deal with Hunter Biden was thrown out last week. The Congressman submitted an amicus brief to that judge. There’s been some manipulation in that.”
Said Polk, “I saw on the news this morning that the Biden Administration is trying to just block and make every part of that investigation difficult. Like they’re going to the agencies where they might be questioned and telling them not to answer.”
“There was definitely some manipulation when it came to that judge right before the plea deal was thrown out,” replied Baker. “This is a big deal. Just how much did President Biden know about the Biden Family overseas dealings?”
“It’s just if they can prove it,” said Polk.
Baker also discussed some upcoming legislation.
“We’ve got a farm bill coming up, but with TANF and SNAP included in the Debt Ceiling Bill, it will be easier to get a farm bill passed because that is usually the hangup,” said Baker. “We’ve got to get the 12 appropriations bills done, because now we have to do 12 individual bills rather than large omnibus bills that we usually did. Something we got included in the Debt Ceiling Bill, is if all 12 of those don’t pass, and we don’t pass the budget, then there’s a 1% budget cut, across the board, and then the previous year’s spending goes into place, so we don’t ever have a government shutdown, and there’s also a 1% cut in spending. That’s extremely beneficial in both ways, one, in spending, and two, that we don’t have government shutdowns.”
