Комиссия округа Коул утвердила регулярные проверки железнодорожной инфраструктуры в Джефферсон-Сити

The Cole County Commission has approved increasing regular inspections of key rail facilities in Jefferson City. The commission agreed during its Aug. 25 meeting on a contract with Capital Railroad Contracting for quarterly inspections of the Capital Area Rail Terminal (CART). The inspections are necessary to comply with federal regulations on railway maintenance and upkeep. The first inspection will be for $2,000, after which the county will look to work out a long-term agreement with the contractors for regular maintenance. Public works director Eric Landwehr made a distinction between the new railway built within the past 10 years and the old railway built in the mid 1990s. The older rail will need significant maintenance, while the new rail likely just needs inspections. Any emergency shutdowns that have occurred in recent years have been due to the older railway. Landwehr also discussed with the commissioners how funding for the inspections will be secured. Since CART was constructed in 2025, the county has utilized road and bridge or sales taxes to fund it. Capital Logistics, the company that partnered with the county to construct the facility in Algoa Industrial Park, believes it will start generating a profit some time in 2027. "Landing one more big customer, or two, would solidify that to where they can turn a profit, generate some revenue for the county and take care of itself," Landwehr said. The parties involved will work out a new operating agreement for CART sometime in March or April of next year. Capital Logistics is in the process of securing contracts from outside businesses and aims to have more than 1,000 rail cars move through the facility in 2027. In other business: The Cole County Road and Bridge Advisory Board has identified three gravel roads it will improve during the next few years: Castle Rock Road, Lock and Dam Road and Shepherd Hills Road. The roads will be redone with chip seal service. The commission approved placing these projects in the design and construction phase. The owner of 1608 Amanda Drive stated he is securing bids to get the derelict property torn down. He will most likely back fill the lot to prepare it for new construction in the future. The commission previously discussed whether it needed to seize ownership of the property due to health concerns. The commission approved $34,178.40 for weighted furniture at the Prenger Center. The furniture is weighted to prevent items from being picked up and weaponized by those in juvenile detention. The center will be reimbursed by a federal grant. The commission approved $369,850 for a motor grader from Fabick CAT. Commissioners approved budget amendments for the Cole County Sheriff's Department and for a domestic relationship grant totaling just under $190,000. Video of this Cole County Commission meeting is available on the county's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z70PGX-EBrY.