Lawmaker Questions Definition Of Deferred Maintenance

(Jefferson City, MO) — State Representative Craig Redmon, a Republican from Canton says he wants the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to focus on maintaining its current park system, before purchasing additional land for park space. Redmon chairs the Missouri House Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and is asking the DNR the status of what he calls “deferred maintenance” at Missouri state parks. State parks director Bill Bryan testified during a hearing this week that deferred maintenance is not the proper term. He says there is a 212 million dollar backlog of “unscheduled maintenance”, which is not in DNR’s capital improvement budget. He says it’s unscheduled maintenance because it has not reached a priority level yet to address the needs.