HERMANN – Gasconade County officials again are having to deal with a frustrating springtime occurrence: The disappearance of county highway signs.

After a relatively quiet year regarding stolen signs, the vandals appear to have geared up recently taking signs on both ends of the county.

Northern District Associate Commissioner Jim Holland, R-Hermann, at last week’s session of the County Commission reported that the Benson Road sign at the intersection with Highway J had been taken, along with those of other county roads. The Benson Road sign was found several miles away at a location on Weeks Road, he said.

Southern District Associate Commissioner Ron Hardecke, R-Owensville, said at least one road sign had been taken in recent days on the southern end of the county. But it’s not just the road signs that were taken — so, too, were the poles to which they were attached.

And, the sign thieves weren’t content with taking just the road signs; STOP signs and their poles also were taken.

County officials in recent years have voiced concern about the missing road signs, saying it could affect the delivery of life-saving emergency services such as fire and ambulance. Not only that, they say, the cost of replacing stolen signs is substantial. County officials learned in recent years that the stolen road signs were being used as the price of admission to underage parties; the signs also appear to be a popular wall decoration for teens.

Holland indicated he would speak with the Sheriff’s Department about the status of a plan discussed a year ago to install cameras throughout the county road system to monitor sign theft, much as they are used to monitor illegal dumping along county some roads.

In other matters taken up during last week’s Commission session, Hardecke said he attended the final inspection of the latest portion of the Rock Island Trail that’s been completed.

“Everybody signed off on it,” he said. “It looks nice and there were people on the trail already,” he added.

The official opening of the trail will take place a bit later, he said. “It’ll be up to State Parks (Division) as to when it is officially open,” Hardecke said.

County government administrators continue to be frustrated with the damage being done to county roads by big trucks used for hauling rock and clay from area quarries and those used by logging companies. Presiding Commissioner Tim Schulte, R-Hermann, held out the prospect of the county requiring a bond be purchased by the companies to pay for repairs to county roads. Schulte suggests county officials seek advice from its outside legal counsel as to possible action that could be taken.

Schulte’s frustration was evident in his comments Thursday morning: “Between the companies working alongside the roads, the clay haulers and the loggers…”

The county requires a maintenance agreement be signed with utility companies or their contractors for work to be done within the county’s right-of-way along the roads. The agreement is aimed at ensuring the utility company or contract make the necessary repairs for any damage caused to a road during the course of the work.

There is no similar agreement with trucking companies hauling material from quarries or logs from wooded areas within the county.

The price of Gasconade County being part of the regional forum of governments is going up — but, the county administrators said, the price of membership remains a good investment. The new membership dues for Gasconade County will be increased by 14.4 percent above last year’s amount — going from about $5,000 to about $6,000.

The higher price of membership will include Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) providing the county with 18 free service hours. MRPC provides such services as writing grants and monitoring state and federal programs that could help local and county governments finance projects. The planning agency also contracts with county and municipal governments for specific projects; for instance, MRPC contracted with Gasconade County to administer federal CARES Act and COVID-19 funding and administering the county’s opioid lawsuit settlement program. The agency also contracted with the city of Hermann to draft an updated version of the community’s 10-year Comprehensive Plan.

“They do provide a lot,” noted Holland, prior to the Commission continuing membership in the eight-county council of governments.