Tom VonHatten with the rally road race organizing committee brought maps of proposed county roads and times for the race currently scheduled for Feb. 27-28, 2009 to commissioners on Nov. 17, but he met with some adversity from County Prosecutor Sid Pearson.

Commissioner Ed Worley asked Pearson to join the meeting to explain his position on the race, which has been held in Crawford County for the past five years.

“I think it’s a crime to drive roads at excessive speeds,” said Pearson. “My opinion is that I think it’s dangerous and just asking for people to be injured or even killed. I’ve never been a fan of it.” He also questioned the bond the group maintains they hold to cover the county for any liability against damages.

VonHatten stated the group holds liability coverage and delivers a copy of that insurance policy to the commission. Pearson said he’d never seen a copy of it and recommended the commission ensure it was from a valid insurance company.

To address the crime concern, VonHatten stated, “We have a member of our committee who interfaces with law enforcement.” He said the road rally group discourages speeding and unsafe driving on the state roads and encourages law enforcement to apprehend those who do so. The racing is left to county roads. However, Pearson said he’d never been contacted by a race official, nor the sheriff either.

Pearson said it was the commission’s determination to make on whether to permit the race but added there would need to be special ordinances passed to allow the race to close down roads and consent to higher speeds than those normally posted.

The prosecutor asked, “How do people who live on the roads feel about shutting them down?” VonHatten said the group goes out and talks with the people directly affected by the race, but Pearson advised the commission to find out what residents of the county think, especially those who reside on the roads to be used for the race.

This sports car rally includes cars from across the United States and Canada. Cars line up in Salem before 9 a.m. for viewing and spectators may visit with the drivers and have photos taken. Spectator sites along the route are announced the day of the rally. More that 50 cars, from 30 states and Canada are expected. Champions from coast to coast will come to race head-to-head in the foothills of the Ozarks to crown winners in all five performance rally classes – if the commission allows it.

In other business conducted at the Monday commissioner’s meeting:

• Rhonda Jurgens, circuit clerk, reported on the process of converting paper records to microfilm. Progress has been made, but there is much more to do.

• The commission has requested audits from the state every two years instead of the regular four-year intervals to ensure books are being kept correctly.

County Collector Linda Branson hired a new part-time person to be paid from the Tax Maintenance fund.