HERMANN – During a week of busier-than-usual court activity — and the increased traffic associated with it — a Gasconade County government official renewed the call for additional parking space at the historic courthouse.

Circuit Clerk & Recorder of Deeds Jennifer Schneider Thursday morning again called on the County Commission to move forward with a plan to add about two dozen parking spaces on the east side of the structure — a step back from the two-sided parking lot expansion originally considered by county administrators.

“They were parking on the grass,” the circuit clerk said, referring to the traffic associated with court proceedings earlier in the week. “They were parking back here,” she added, referring to the south-side parking area normally reserved for courthouse personnel.

Schneider‘s plea for more parking was made two weeks after it appeared the issue of additional spaces had been settled. At a session earlier this month, the County Commission failed to advance the parking lot expansion plan when neither associate commissioner would give a second to Presiding Commissioner Tim Schmidt‘s motion to proceed with the east-side proposal. That was the second time he failed to obtain a second for the motion.

The county‘s consulting engineering firm initially drafted a plan calling for more parking spaces on both the east and west side of the courthouse. That project was estimated to cost about $1.2 million, a price tag that prompted considerable discussion and opposition among some county residents. It also raised the concern of Mark Mundwiller, the county‘s presumptive incoming presiding commissioner. Mundwiller is unopposed in the November General Elections after defeating Schulte in August for the GOP nomination for the county‘s top post.

Aware of the opposition to the broader project, Schulte asked engineer Paul Winkelmann of Howe Company to draw up plans for more parking spaces on the east side, a move he described as “a compromise.” An east-side project was projected to cost $810,000 and did little to quell the opposition.

Mundwiller has suggested that major projects bearing price of $300,000 to $500,000 or more be put to a countywide vote, rather than simply approved by the three-member County Commission.

Schneider‘s request to move forward with an expansion of parking space has the support of other county government officeholders.

Speaking to Northern District Associate Commissioner Jim Holland, R-Hermann, and Southern District Associate Commissioner Ron Hardecke, R-Owensville, Schneider urged them to review the courthouse cameras‘ recordings to see the problem of too many vehicles for the available space on a busy day. “Go back and review the cameras. You need to look at the back parking lot and you need to look at the side parking lot,” she said.

The circuit clerk said there are days when as many as four of the 20th Circuit‘s judges are holding sessions in the courthouse. Each of those sessions generate their own amount of traffic, she explained. And, she said, the courts are getting busier, she said. “It‘s only going to continue to get worse,” Schneider said.

“You know my thoughts, Jenny. My hands are tied,”said Schulte, R-Hermann. “Twenty parking spots are not going to fix everything, but they would sure help,” he added.

Hardecke did tell Schneider that he would take a look at the videos. “We‘ll look at it and we‘ll keep working on it,” he said.