The following is a brief of the story. For the full version, see the Tuesday, Sept. 30 print edition of the BDN.

At an August Boonville city council meeting, the city’s counselor/ planner Megan McGuire encouraged the city to make their concerns and viewpoints regarding the MKT Railroad Bridge known to the U.S. Coast Guard. Those with an interest in the future of the bridge will get that chance tonight, at a public meeting to be held at the Isle of Capri Casino and Hotel in the Flamingo Ballroom from 6-8 p.m. Dozens are people are expected to attend.

As the agency with the responsibility and authority to preserve the public right of navigation, the Coast Guard is the lead agency for bridge removal and preparation of the documents recording the history of landmarks.

The meeting is being held in accordance with the guidelines of the  Section 106 MOA – Memorandum of Agreement – is part of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA) and requires federal agencies to take into account the effects of their undertakings on historic properties.

“This is a strict set of guidelines,” McGuire told the council. “You and your constituents would be interested in understanding these guidelines. If UP (Union Pacific Railroad) is allowed to remove to proceed with their plans and this results in removal of the bridge, there must be some mitigation for future generations.”