County still working on readdressing off-grid community near the state line
Ozark County Presiding Commissioner Terry Newton said Monday that about half of the 30 or so letters the county sent out to residents in a mostly off-grid community notifying them of address changes have been returned by the post office.
“About 14 were sent back to us saying they didn’t have mailboxes,” Newton said.
County commissioners began the process last month of trying to readdress several residences in the mostly off-grid community off Highway 5 just a couple miles north of the state line.
Newton said that commissioners discovered in recent weeks that several of the off-grid addresses in an area off Highway 5 just north of the Missouri/Arkansas line had 911 addresses listing them on Highway 5.
“They’re listed as Highway 5 addresses, but they’re way off the highway and quite a ways down these little roads,” Newton said. “So if there was an emergency we wouldn’t be able to find them unless we see smoke or hear gunshots,” Newton said.
Newton said that commissioners plan to drive the area in late September or early October and notify the resident in person of the needed address changes.
In other business on Monday, commissioners voted to re-implement the county’s conflict of interest policy. County Clerk Brian Wise said the matter was basically a “housekeeping issue” that protects the county when any county officials or employees do business with the county.
Newton also updated other commissioners on the progress of the courthouse elevator improvements. He said he hopes the elevator will be back in service this week.
Kone Elevator Company was hired by the county to make major upgrades to the aging elevator. Newton said they have finished their work and were just waiting on the alarm company to finish their part. Commissioners have been meeting in the basement of the courthouse for several weeks.
County commissioners regularly meet each Monday on the second floor of the Ozark County Courthouse. The meetings are open to the public.