Outgoing projects abound for Greene County in 2000

The community of Greene County is poised to approach the next century on a very high note. There is a myriad of projects that we believe will collectively benefit this community for many years to come.

Law enforcement. Law enforcement is certainly an area that commands the attention of Greene County as well as many other municipalities in our area. We believe the successful implementation of our 1997 law-enforcement initiative is being realized.

The Greene County Justice Center will allow us to double our capacity for housing inmates, and that project is now under way in the area between the historic Courthouse and the Judicial Courts Facility.

Our countywide communication system is under review and we anticipate the opening of bids in late January. To date, we have hired 53 law enforcement personnel.

Transportation. Transportation issues continue to be a major challenge at all levels of government and Greene County is no exception. Most recently a ribbon cutting was held dedicating the reconfiguration of the intersection of Republic Road and South Golden. This is but a portion of improvements that have been occurring countywide through the group efforts of our Greene County Highway Department, the city of Springfield, and the Missouri Department of Transportation.

We are looking forward to significant bridge projects in the year 2000 with new bridge construction planned for Pomme De Terre River on Farm Road 44 as well as a three-lane bridge over Ward Branch in conjunction with the extension of Cox Road in southwest Greene County.

We will also be expending about $1.5 million in widening Plainview Road to three lanes between Cox Road and Scenic Avenue, and there will be new construction at that point westerly to south Golden Avenue. Our highway department has also been working with the Springfield-Branson Regional Airport and MoDOT to make improvements at the Alms House Cemetery adjacent to West Division Street. This project will provide a more appropriate memorial for individuals interred there.

Land use. Fundamentally, the members of the Greene County Commission stand for responsible growth, environmental stewardship, and service in the public interest (that is to say, this community's health, safety, and general welfare).

While Greene County government has many community services to deliver on a daily basis, oftentimes the most volatile issues involve planning and zoning. We are looking forward to unveiling a new approach to land-use planning termed conservation development. This option would afford property owners and the development community an opportunity to maximize appropriate land uses while preserving open space. In addition, conservation development may improve the economic situation for our agricultural interests in general and our farming community in particular.

Water quality. Through our affiliation with the James River Basin Partnership and the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks, we are succeeding in fostering educational programs to assist in water-quality protection and preservation. One area in which significant strides are being made is the reduction of phosphate loading in waste-water treatment processes. The city of Springfield specifically deserves credit for accelerating its phosphate removal process at the Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant.

We hope that surrounding communities will be able to achieve similar advances given the $5.5 million in assistance from the federal government secured by U.S. Sen. Christopher Bond.

The future. What does the future hold? One of the most exciting areas that we are observing is the transformation of downtown Springfield. The development of Jordan Valley Park, the new ice skating rink, Hammons' Expo Center and the recently announced plans for a sports arena are but a few improvements we look forward to. The renovation of the Landers and Gillioz theaters, plus improvements at the Discovery Center and Dickerson Park Zoo are also of note.

At Campbell and Sunshine we are already seeing preparatory work for the Wonders of Wildlife Museum. This project alone will have significant benefits for our community as a whole. Other projects to watch are improvements at Ozark Technical Community College and the new library at Southwest Missouri State University. Major changes will be occurring at the Springfield-Branson Regional Airport and beyond as the extended runway becomes a reality within 10 years.

Without question, all of us residing in Greene County are benefiting from the activities that are coming to fruition. We have much to look forward to as we approach the new millennium.

We believe that, because of the collective activism exhibited by so many good people in Greene County, the future looks bright.

(David L. Coonrod is presiding commissioner of Greene County. This article also represents the contributions of 1st District Commissioner Darrell Decker and 2nd District Commissioner Jim Payne.)