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The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Thursday morning in the Dent County Courthouse. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell said that brush was being cut on Dent County Road 5380 and that crews were out identifying slick spots and determining if treatment was necessary. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said that with single degree temperatures everything was frozen up and that a crew had checked chip and seal roads in District 2. They weren’t bad enough to need treatment.  Larson added that Truck #65 has a heater problem and was being worked on plus crews were doing shop maintenance. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles shared the bad news that the Secure Rural Schools Act (SRS), which was passed in 2000, has not been re-authorized by Congress. According to Skiles, it had passed the House but did not pass in the Senate. The anticipated payment for Dent County was $156,348 for the Road and Bridge Fund from SRS, but now the payment reverts back to the 1908 law. The expected receipts will be about $45,000, which is a reduction of $110,000. This action underscores the fact that the quarter cent sales tax issue that will be on the April ballot is needed to keep the Road and Bridge Department operating at current service levels. Skiles also noted that the failure of the SRS re-authorization would result in the loss of over $175,000 federal revenue for Bunker R-3, Iron County C-4, Oak Hill R-1 and Salem R-80 school districts. The original purpose of SRS was to compensate counties and schools for the federal management plan, which reduced timber sales. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said that Matt Williams of Senator Claire McCaskill’s office had contacted her to correct the arrangements for the Senator’s Listening Post coming up February 10th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Those wishing to meet with Williams must make an appointment by calling (573) 442-7130 or email matt_williams@mccaskill.senate.gov. Curley went on to say that she balanced with Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams on all accounts for January, with Dent County Collector Dennis Medlock and Dent County Assessor Tina Whitaker on all monthly collections, and with the Collector and Assessor on abatements and add-ons. She also noted that her office was working on financial statements for review by the Commissioners. Dent County Sheriff’s Department Special Investigator Wayne Becker was in to share the good news that Governor Nixon had released the funds for the State Cyber Crime Grants. Becker said that he would have to re-submit the grant, which was for about $45,000 and the funds will be retroactive back to July 1^st of 2014. The grant funds are used in the fight against Internet Crimes Against Children program. Sherri Lea, director of the Salem Community Center @ The Armory, was in to share rural address reports with the Commissioners. The Commissioners decided to meet with Matt Williams next Tuesday at 12:15 pm to discuss the lack of authorization of the Secure Rural Schools Act. Farm Bureau President Jarrod Simpson and Treasurer Megan Midyett were in to discuss a proclamation for Missouri Farm Bureau Thank A Farmer Week. It was approved 3-0 to sign the proclamation. The next meeting of the Commissioners will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the Courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

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