A Phelps County Sheriff’s Department application for a $66,000 Stimulus-fund grant submitted to the Bureau of Justice Assistance was reviewed Tuesday by the Phelps County Commission.

In notifying the public and requesting its review from the Commission, Sheriff Rick Lisenbe said funds from the grant would pay for two new vehicles and overtime for officers to conduct Interstate 44 drug interdiction, marijuana eradication and reducing meth labs at no cost to the county.

“Anytime we can focus our attention on drug interdiction is a benefit to the county,” said Lisenbe. “Also, it provides officers with overtime.”

Lisenbe said the high-mileage vehicles used by process servers would need to be replaced next year.

The Sheriff’s Department already has sold 12 used vehicles this year, in addition to several ATVs, and Lisenbe anticipates it will sell more.

According to information cited on the grant application, areas to be affected by the project include the State of Missouri, Phelps County and the cities of Rolla, St. James, Edgar Springs, Doolittle, Beulah, Duke, Flat, Northwye, Seaton, Jerome, Rosati and Newburg.

The cost to the county for continuing the drug interdiction program, as specified in the grant application, is $16.

Lisenbe said the Recovery Act-Justice Assistance grant is one of other grants applied for by the department, which the department should receive sometime in September or October.

President Barack Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Stimulus funds) into law in February. The primary purpose of the Recovery Act is to stimulate the nation’s economy by creating or saving millions of jobs and addressing long-neglected challenges to the economy, Obama said when he signed the bill.

Other matters addressed by the Phelps County Commission on Tuesday included the following items:

• A public drop-in to celebrate and congratulate recent retiree Dale Winemiller, the former supervisor of the Road and Bridge Department, was held in the County Commission chamber.

Presiding Commissioner Randy Verkamp told Winemiller, who was employed by the county for 19 years, that the Road and Bridge Department had become a “better department” since Winemiller joined the staff.

Commissioners Bud Dean and Larry Stratman also thanked Winemiller for his service.

Winemiller said he would spend more of his time working for the community, including serving on the Salvation Army Board of Trustees.

• The Commission reviewed correspondence from county resident Cynthia Miller, who requested the Commission to abate the penalties included on her personal-property taxes because she never received the assessment.

The Commission then approved to not abate Miller’s penalties, explaining it did not have the authority to authorize the abatement.

• The Commission reviewed a notification from the Department of Homeland Security stating Citizens’ Corps, an emergency-preparedness organization, was awarded a grant that offered $12,222 in funds to assist in responding to emergencies.

• The Commission reviewed a notice from the Missouri Department of Social Services stating the July 6 deadline to notify it of the county’s intent to submit an application for a grant to provide funds for homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing was approaching.

Previously, the Commission approved inclusion of the multi-county administration of the grant by the Meramec Regional Planning Commission.

• The Commission reviewed notification from the State Tax Commission that it approved the $389 purchase of computer hardware by the County Assessor’s Office.

• Associate Judge Ralph Haslag, with the 25th Circuit Court, apprised the Commission that a preliminary and, as yet unofficial, plan to build a new soccer park at the intersection of county roads 8320 and 8350 would require a portion of County Road 8050 to be widened to accommodate two passing school buses. Additionally, Haslag said, a new bridge crossing Spring Creek would need to be built.

The Commission suggested improvements to the road may have to wait until next year when funds for a new project could be anticipated and budgeted.