Bloomfield, MO - The Stoddard County Commission met on Monday, March 8, 2021 at 9 a.m. Danny Talkington, Carol Jarrell, and Steve Jordan were all present.
Visitors present for the meeting were Kyle Smith, Dee Loflin, Jeremy Billington, Peter Coutavas, and Donnie Hovis, Jr.
After the Pledge of Allegiance and the prayer Mr. Donnie Hovis, Jr. of Bloomfield addressed the commissioners concerning a veterans retreat he plans to build.
He felt that a county commissioner was trying to keep it from happening and wanted to address his concerns.
Hovis stated that the retreat he plans to construct will be located behind the former Wyatt's One Stop building located just outside of the Bloomfield city limits. This retreat would be for veterans with PTSD and he also stated he wanted to start a suicide prevention program for the veterans.
"This project is extremely important to me," commented Hovis. "I have lost eight people that I have personally known or have served with to suicide."
"I'm trying to do something good for the veterans on my own dime," continued Hovis. "I'm trying to figure out why any elected official, much less a commissioner, would try to keep it from happening."
Hovis wants to build a road to connect State Route AA to his property located behind the old convenience store. That land on which he plans to build is the center of the dispute between himself and Heavy Duty Trux, which Steve Jordan is part owner.
According to Hovis those trucks have blocked his entrance and they have placed dirt along the path where he plans to build the road.
According to Jordan, Hovis doesn't own that property yet. The dirt in question belongs to the county and was to be used in the jail project. Brown Construction Company, who was contracted to build the jail expansion, chose to temporarily store the dirt next to the old convenience store because the property was vacant at that time and is owned by FM Bank.
Hovis claimed that Jordan directed the sheriff’s department to have him arrested for dirt that Jordan had illegally dumped.
“No, that is not true,” Jordan said. “Sam (Seachrist who is running the jail addition job for Brown Construction Company) brought the dirt up there and that dirt belonged to the county. You didn’t own the property at that time. They dumped the dirt over there. (I learned) the dirt was gone. My mechanic told me about it. I went and talked to Sam and asked him if he got the dirt. He said no, and I didn’t want to be blamed for taking the dirt, so I asked Sam, ‘what do you want me to do?’ He said well you need to go talk to Sheriff Carl Hefner. And that’s exactly what I’ve done.”
Jordan said part of the property in question is owned by Heavy Duty Trux, and Hovis said it does not.
“Well, the survey’s ordered, so we’ll find out,” Jordan said. “But this is a problem between Heavy Duty Trux and you, and it’s not got anything to do with the commission.”
“It shows where mine started and stopped and where the assessor’s office has where my property touches that property,” Hovis said. “So there shouldn’t be any dispute on that corner. There can be a dispute on the angle, but there can’t be a dispute on that corner.”
Presiding commissioner Danny Talkington said, “this falls into a civil matter of two land owners and doesn’t involve the commission whatsoever. Both of you are quite capable of contacting the sheriff’s office and having them come out, because that’s what the sheriff’s office would do. That’s the only thing that the county would be involved in a dispute like that.”
In other new business the IDA board update.
Commissioners voted 3-0 to appoint Karen Galloway, of Essex, to the Industrial Development Authority of Stoddard County board. Galloway replaces former board member Garry Hux.
The Commissioners approved the ads and abates for February.
The Commissioners approved the minutes for Monday, March 1, 2021.
Commissioner Jarrell made a motion to adjourn at 12:23 p.m.
Next Meeting will be Monday, March 15, 2021.
