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Commissioners question NEPA study costs and county role in railroad crossing repairs; clerk flags new online ethics filing
Summary
Commissioner Monty Piearcy said required NEPA studies can cost roughly $30,000 and questioned paying for work in BNSF right-of-way; County Clerk Troy Cole said financial-disclosure filings moved online in 2025 but the Ethics Commission site is not yet ready for county filings.
During the commissioners’ comments, Monty Piearcy raised procedural and fiscal concerns about federal environmental-review requirements tied to CIRB bridge projects. Piearcy said a NEPA study is "an expense of $30,000 of taxpayer dollars" and called that unnecessary for certain projects. He also reported that BNSF was asking the county to cover 50% of the cost related to repairing or replacing two railroad crossings and said he did not believe the county should pay for work done in the railroad’s right-of-way.
County Clerk Troy Cole also updated the board on financial-disclosure filings. Cole said "the law changed in 2025 and the filing will now be done online with the Ethics Commission" but added that, as of the meeting, the Ethics Commission website was not yet set up for county filings and the county would notify officials when the portal is available. Commissioner Mark Sharpton reported road maintenance updates, saying asphalt work was underway on Forrest Hill and MacArthur.
