County asked to present Stone Bridge options, costs to public

     Tony Amsler, a resident on Stone Bridge Road outside of Monticello, followed up a discussion of the historic bridge from the previous Jones County Supervisor meeting.

     Amsler was present at the Jan. 19 board meeting, urging the county to present all options to the public regarding the future of the bridge that sits in disrepair.

     Supervisor Joe Oswald said the board turned over management of the bridge to the Jones County Historic Preservation Commission. They offered to raise money to repair the bridge, bringing it into DOT specifications, which includes a two-lane bridge.

     County Engineer Derek Snead said through the years, several options have been developed for the Stone Bridge area, some of those that could be done in conjunction with others. Snead said Historic Preservation looked at rehabbing the structure as well.

     “Is closing the bridge permanently an option?” asked Amsler.

     “Anything at this point in on the table,” answered Snead.

     Amsler, bringing up another controversial county project, Mon Maq Dam, said before any decisions were made, all of the options for that site was laid out on paper and presented to the public, including cost estimates. He asked if that was something the county could do in the case of Stone Bridge.

     “You can present the pros, cons, and be very objective in the decision-making process,” explained Amsler. “A decision could be made very effectively after involving the public.”

     Oswald said he would like to see all of the county involved, not just those in the Monticello area, as it could potentially involve county taxpayer dollars.

     Supervisor Ned Rohwedder said they also need input on funding from Historic Preservation as well.

     The board told Amsler they would consider his request.