As part of a proposed statewide MoDOT restructuring plan, Warren County will shift to the St. Louis District as the state agency looks to reduce the department’s staff by 1,200, close 135 facilities and sell more than 740 pieces of equipment. Warren County is currently part of the 13-county Northeast District, where its home office is in Hannibal. It would be joined by Lincoln County in the move to the new district, which will be comprised of Franklin, St. Charles, St. Louis and Jefferson counties and St. Louis city. Meanwhile, the Northeast District would add eight counties to the west, which are currently under supervision of the Macon office. MoDOT Director Kevin Keith presented the plan at last Wednesday’s Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission meeting. MoDOT’s proposed new direction was then delivered locally Tuesday as Northeast District Engineer Paula Gough met with the county commission and then hosted a community briefing at Warrenton City Hall. About 20 people attended. The changes are needed, MoDOT officials say, because funding has dropped from $1.2 billion during recent years to $600 million a year for each of the next five years. The new plan will focus on maintaining existing roads and bridges and starting fewer new projects. “None of this has been easy,” Gough said. “These have been tough, tough decisions. Ultimately, we could do two options. Do nothing and the funding crisis is still there or make changes and free up every penny toward roads and bridges. She added, “If we don’t do something we will have this issue. We feel this is the best way to take care of the transportation system for Missouri.” The department’s plan includes reducing the number of districts, from 10 to seven. That move eliminates offices in Macon, Joplin and Willow Springs, though MoDOT will maintain area offices in those cities and have a strong presence in every county in the state, officials emphasized. The seven new districts have been redrawn to cover larger geographic areas of the state. The existing MoDOT district office locations have not changed since the 1920s when most of the roads were gravel. Some local concerns have been raised about the likely change to a new district. Most of those center around fears that Warren County could be slighted or become an afterthought when it comes to funding projects since it’s smaller than the other counties within the new district. Local officials also fear losing the relationships that have been built from being part of the Northeast District for over 20 years after being shifted from the St. Louis District. “I most certainly have concerns,” Southern District Commissioner Hubie Kluesner told The Record. “We may be the low county on the totem pole.” Presiding Commissioner Arden Engelage was worried the county “may slip through the cracks.” “I don’t think it will be beneficial to us,” he said. However, Gough stressed that the impact should be minimal, noting that Warren County’s maintenance shed located in Warrenton will remain and continue to employ many of the same people. Also, the statewide transportation funding is split, with 50 percent going to urban areas and the other 50 percent to rural counties, such as Warren County. “Warren County will not be competing versus St. Charles,” Gough explained. Boonslick Regional Planning Commission Executive Director Steve Etcher doesn’t foresee the district shift being much of a problem. He said that Warren County’s competition for funding within the St. Louis District will be with Lincoln County. “I’m OK with it,” Etcher said. “With the split of rural and urban funding, they have money allocated for specific funding bases.” MoDOT said the proposed restructuring will save $512 million, with the savings coming from reduced salaries and benefit, facility and equipment costs. Revenue would be generated from the sale of facilities and equipment. Gough noted that MoDOT has already made some strides with cost-saving measures implemented in the past year. Despite one of the busiest winters in recent memory, MoDOT spent around $41 million this past year, of which $8 million was expended during the blizzard in late January-early February that dropped two feet of snow in some places. During the previous winter, the department spent approximately $51 million. “We still did it good and we saved money,” Gough said. As of April 15, MoDOT has reduced its work force by 340 employees and saved $64 million that has been put back to roads and bridges. The staff reduction will occur through attrition and transfers. The last step, MoDOT officials said, would be layoffs. The Warrenton visit this week was one of dozens of community briefings that will be held throughout the state over the next month to explain the new plan. The commission is expected to act on the proposals at its June 8 meeting. If approved, the recommendations will be in effect immediately with full implementation slated to be completed by Dec. 31, 2012. Gough said it’s MoDOT’s plan to have staff relocated to their new maintenance sheds by winter. “We know this is a big bold change, but we feel this is the right thing to do,” Gough said.