County to hire own crew for La Monte storm shelter

The Pettis County Commission has decided to hire its own crew for the construction of the La Monte storm shelter.

The County Commission began advertising for bids for the proposed 5,000-square-foot shelter in July. Officials considered construction bids from Coil Construction, Kusgen Construction, Reasbeck Construction and Wulff Rodgers.

The engineering firm hired by the county, Shafer Kline & Warren, of Kansas City, estimated the cost of the storm shelter construction at $300,957. Coil Construction made the lowest bid at $431,000.

The county originally planned to hire its own crew to do the work, said Pettis County Commissioner Rusty Kahrs, but commissioners sought bids to make sure an outside company would not be cheaper.

Kahrs said the county will accept bids for materials for all eight shelters planned for the three-year project funded mostly by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The county will hire six to 10 people to work on the shelters. Hiring a crew will allow the workers to do other projects, such as courthouse sidewalks, between the construction of the storm shelters.

The county crew will be paid a competitive wage as opposed to the prevailing wage required on certain public works projects, which will save “a significant amount of money,” Kahrs said.

 After devastating tornadoes in 2006, Pettis County in 2007 received state and federal grants paying about 75 percent of the estimated $2.9 million cost of eight shelters spread throughout the county.

The first shelters are planned for La Monte, west of the Staff for Life helicopter pad at U.S. 50 and state Route 127; Smithton, south of the school and east of the Maplewood subdivision, near the baseball fields.

Bill Hering, mayor of La Monte, said the city now seeks shelter in La Monte High School in severe weather, but a new shelter is needed.

“It would be a good thing for the city of La Monte,” Hering said.

 Other shelters are planned for north Sedalia near Ohio Avenue; south Sedalia near Skyline Elementary School; near Northwest High School in Hughesville and Houstonia Elementary School; and in Green Ridge near the schools.

Each shelter will accommodate up to 1,000 people.

Kahrs hopes to have the La Monte shelter finished this fall.