MONROE CITY, MO. -- Missouri Farm Bureau Directors are concerned about MoDOT's plan to close rural offices and consolidate services.

The Board of Directors for the Missouri Farm Bureau met May 16th and expressed concerns about plans to cut staff and maintenance sheds in rural parts of the state.

"It stands to reason that rural Missourians are having doubts about MoDOT continuing services and conducting routine maintenance if rural district offices and maintenance sheds are closed," said Blake Hurst, president of Missouri Farm Bureau. "Because many of our members are rural and distance is an important factor when it comes to such services as maintenance and snow removal, rural Missourians are the first to be hurt by cutbacks such as the ones MoDOT is proposing."

The Board of Directors released a list of five recommendations to MoDOT including; recommending that the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission should wait another 30-90 days before voting on any proposed changes, allowing time for greater public understanding and input; asking MoDOT staff to take another look at the  plan's negative impact on rural Missouri in light of employee work effectiveness; asking MoDOT to reconsider closing three rural district offices; asking for reexamination of closing maintenance sheds and aksing that any savings gained from the plan go directly back to improving roads not to other transportation modes.

KHQA's Jim Whitfield will talk with Farm Bureau representatives and bring you more on their concerns at 5, 6, and 10 on KHQA TV.