Year-end report from the presiding commissioner

On Thursday, the Sun spoke with Cedar County Presiding Commissioner Marlon Collins about what the county has accomplished in 2019.

We finished a 40 ft. bridge over Brush Creek. We did that with our own people. We can apply 80% of the cost of that bridge as part of our soft match toward another bridge. 

Q. Which is the one that they felled a tree into?

Stump Ford. We fixed it back in 2016.

We got an $89,600 rebate from the state on hauling gravel for FEMA repairs. They were just allowing us a half hour drive to the quarry so the state told us to keep track and turn it in at the end of the project. First time we’ve ever done that. First time we’ve ever had to. There’s no gravel quarry that close.

We got a new brush cutter – the tractor and the hydraulic arm and cutter. We kept the old tractor now we are looking for a brush cutter to pull behind it. 

Q. How are you coming on your lawsuit against Senate Bill 391 that reverses your Confined Animal Feeding Operation ordinance?

The actual trial is set for Feb. 19.

Q. Who joined you in the suit?

Cooper County Health Department.

He said that other counties and the City of Springfield and Green County wanted to support or endorse the suit but were afraid they would offend legislators and thought they might need something else to pass.

He said, “The main thing is we are trying to get a judge’s ruling on our existing ordinance. The reason that is so important is we need a judge’s ruling otherwise if someone filed against us, we would be liable for our legal expenses and theirs and pay for loss of production.”

“We need a judge to say our ordinance will stand as it is. Otherwise it could be real costly.”

Q. What county did you file in?

“We filed in Cooper County.”

He said they filed there on the advice of their attorney.

“It’s possible it could go to the Supreme Court. Our attorney is already arguing a case before the Supreme Court.”

Q. How are the roads doing?

 It’s that time of year when you have potholes.

Q. Well, they bought that farm to get gravel off of it. I don’t know how that worked out.

We got lots of clay gravel off of it and then sold the farm for a profit. The auditors did not like that at all. They said we were competing with private gravel haulers. Clay gravel is not as good a limestone for building a base for a road.

Q. What else do you want people to know?

There is an election year coming up.