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County approves design contract for boat ramp funded by Recreation Trails Program grant
Summary
St. Francois County authorized a contract with Cochran Engineering to design a boat ramp, expanded parking and a shade kiosk under a 2025 Recreation Trails Program grant; county match is mostly in-kind and county cash outlay was estimated at under $3,000.
St. Francois County commissioners authorized a design contract with Cochran Engineering for a boat ramp, expanded asphalt parking and a small shade structure funded through a Recreation Trails Program grant.
Mike Sumpter, introducing himself as "Mike Sumpter, Saint Francis County Parks Department," said the 2025 grant will pay for engineering and that the county will take the design to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for permitting. Sumpter said the project will create a water/kayak trail on Owl Creek and Big River, cut a steep bank to make river access more user-friendly and add shade over benches near the parking area.
Commissioners asked about the funding source and confirmed the project comes through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources's Missouri State Parks program. Sumpter said the grant covers the engineering and construction funding structure, the county's 20% match will largely be provided as in-kind excavation and other work, and he estimated the county cash contribution would be "less than $3,000." The transcript contains inconsistent spellings of the engineering firm name; the county identified the firm in discussion as Cochran (transcript also shows "Cochrane").
A motion was made and seconded to give permission to sign the engineering contract; commissioners approved the motion by voice vote.
The county will use the design to pursue Corps of Engineers permitting and proceed with construction under the grant schedule. The speaker said the design will also include a shade structure over the kiosk area and other minor site improvements.
The next procedural step identified in the meeting was execution of the design contract so the county can move to permitting and construction planning.
