~~February 4, 2014
Regular Board Meeting
The Board of Aldermen held a regular meeting on Tuesday night February 4, 2014 at 7:00 PM. Those present included Mayor Greg Richmond, Alderpersons Calvin Wilson, Alice Kezar, Keith Kohley and Bill Hess. Also present were City Supervisor David Brodie, Chief Curt Drake, Emergency Management Director and City Clerk Paula Brodie. Guests included Lois Kolb, Marshal Long and Lesy Johnny.
The Mayor called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM.
The Board of Aldermen discussed the minutes from the regular meeting on Tuesday January 21, 2014. Ald. Wilson moved to approve the minutes from the regular meeting on January 21, 2014. Ald. Kohley seconded. Ald. Kohley, Hess, Kezar and Wilson voted aye with 0 nays.
The meeting began with the following Citizens business.
1. The Mayor acknowledged Lesy Johnny who was present to ask the Board to average her water bill due to a water leak. She stated that she normally is charged around $49.00 but her bill this month was over $600.00. She said her water line broke due to the cold weather. She said that she contacted the landlord, it took him two days to get back to her, and then the plumber took 3 days to fix the leak. She said that the plumber had turned it back on, before he fixed it and that he had not told her he had. She said if left and did not come back for a couple of days and it ran during that time without her knowledge. She did inform the Board that it was now fixed. Ald. Hess moved to approve averaging her water bill. Ald. Wilson seconded. Ald. Hess, Kohley, Kezar and Wilson voted aye with 0 nays.
Ald. Wilson stated that Linda Martin had told his wife that she had paid a water bill that was over $400.00. He said that she had not asked for the Board to average the bill for her, and that he was taking it upon himself to ask for her. He asked the Board to average her bill. Ald. Wilson moved to average her water and sewer bill. Ald. Hess seconded. Ald. Hess, Wilson, Kohley and Kezar voted aye with 0 nays.
2. Marshall Long stated that he was present because he had been looking at Channel 7’s web page and saw where they had information about grants provided by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to fund outdoor recreation projects. He said if the Board was interested and would have the clerk look into what the actual grants pay for and if they felt they wanted to apply for one, he would help write it. He suggested the grant might help finish the gazebo at the ballpark or even help fund part of the community building. The Board agreed to have the Clerk research the grant and then get back with him.
The Clerk reported that she had told the Board that she was going to attend the Community Development Block Grant informational meeting, but had not attended due to sickness. She said that Sue Bacorn had attended and that she would get together with her to discuss the application for this year.
The business section of the meeting started with the following unfinished business:
1. The Mayor stated that he had thought that instead of giving the Goodman Locker Plant’s owners a variance, it would be better to change the City Code to allow them to kill the animals on site. He stated that the Clerk had said that Duane said that it would be OK and that he had checked on a draft wording of the amendment to the original ordinance and agreed that it was what the Board should do. The Board agreed to place the vote on the next agenda. The Mayor also reported that he had talked to Cory Knight and he had said that he was going to talk to other meat processors in the area about how they handle killing the animals.
2. The Board discussed the new state law, Senate Bill 170, which changes the wording of 610.015, RSMo to allow roll call votes to be cast by elected members of a public governmental body who are attending by video conference. The Board agreed that the Clerk should find out how soon the ordinance needs to be in place and ask Michael Keels about the cost to set up equipment for video conferencing. They also discussed the need to set a policy setting guidelines in regards to how many absences would be allowed.
3. The Board discussed the closing of City hall to match when the Post Office and the Bank is closed. The days added to the personnel policy to be closed would be Martin Luther King’s Birthday, President’s Day, Columbus Day and Veterans Day. Ald. Wilson stated that the public probably think the City Hall is already closed if they have gone to the post office and the bank and find them closed. He said he didn’t see any reason for the City Hall to stay open, when they weren’t. The Board agreed to close change the personnel policy to add the closure of the City Hall on those four days and to place voting on the ordinance on the next agenda.
The following new business was discussed:
1. The Board discussed the need to purchase updated Jayhawk Software for the water/sewer billing. The clerk noted that Jayhawk is not going to provide technical support for any software that is still ran under Windows XP. She stated that Michael had been able to circumvent around this in the past by installing XP on the new Water Computer that runs on Windows 7. She stated that Jayhawk was only going to keep up their program that is written with Windows 7. She told the Board to purchase the same software with modules that the city had Jayhawk write especially for the City of Goodman the cost was going to be $3,985.00. She noted that the original software had been purchased in 1998 and that the software and the technical support had been wonderful through the years and she would like to see the Board go ahead and approve the new software.
Ald. Wilson moved to purchase the Jayhawk software in the amount of $3,985.00. Ald. Hess seconded. The Board agreed that the motion should include that the software was being purchased with money Water Improvement lawsuit funds. Ald. Hess, Kohley, Kezar and Wilson voted aye with 0 nays.
The following reports were given by the department heads:
a. Chief Drake- asked the Board to consider giving $500.00 to the Southwest Missouri Drug Task Force. He said that they have asked the City to put in $1,000.00 to help fund the Drug Task Force Team but he was going to ask the Fire District at their next meeting to donate the other $500.00. He also reported that the camera has been installed in the patrol truck and the other one was going to be installed at a later date. The cameras were purchased with a grant from the State of Missouri Department of Public Safety. The Clerk noted that they had received the check, and that the city’s match would be paid on the camera’s first and then the rest would be paid with the funds from the grant.
Ald. Kohley moved to pay the $500.00 membership fees for Southwest Missouri Drug Task Force. Ald. Hess seconded. Ald. Hess, Kohley, Kezar and Wilson voted aye with 0 nays.
Ald. Hess asked if there was any word on when Officer Cagle would be able to return to work. Curt noted that the City had received a letter from his doctor saying that he would be released back to regular duty on February 20, 2014. The Clerk asked if the Board wanted to approve paying his monthly health insurance preminm that is due on February 15, 2014. It was noted that the Board had agreed if he was back to work by the 15th of February they would pay his health insurance for him. Ald. Kohley moved to pay Officer Bill Cagle ‘s health insurance premium for February. Ald. Hess seconded. Ald. Hess, Kezar, Kohley and Wilson voted aye with 0 nays. The Clerk asked if they wanted her to show that he had accrued the monthly 4 hour sick time even though he was not at work during that time. The Board agreed to give him his 4 hours of sick time for February 1st.
b. David Brodie- asked the Board to allow him to purchase a salt spreader. He said that at this time they spread salt by hand but that it would be easier with a spreader. He said he had looked at the one the Hunte Corporation had and he had looked at a few others. He said he had not gotten any prices yet but he would like to see the Board approve the purchase of one.
Ald. Wilson moved to approve David being allowed to purchase one for up to $1,000.00. Ald. Hess seconded. Ald. Hess, Kohley, Kezar and Wilson voted aye with 0 nays.
– asked the Board to start looking at what streets they felt needed to be repaired first. He suggested them making a list and then they could discuss them and decide at a later meeting.
Ald. Kezar asked David who does one need to contact to get a street light fixed. He told her that she could call it into the City Hall and the girls emailed in a request. Curt stated that he would be working tonight and he would get a list together.
c. Denis Kolb – asked the board to allow him to purchase a new answering machine for the Emergency Management Department. The Board agreed that he could purchase one.
d. Dawn Bunch – report in packets.
e. Paula Brodie -Noted that there was going to be a storm spotters training in Pineville, Tuesday March 4, 2014. She noted that this was the same night as the Boards regular meeting. The Mayor said the Board might change the regular meeting to March 3rd so that they could all attend the class. It was decided that Denis would check to see if there was any other trainings in the near future that they could all attend and if not the Board would make a decision at the meeting on February 18th, about changing the March 4th meeting to March 3rd.
The Board discussed the bills including transfers in the amount of $16,661.71. Ald. Wilson moved to approve the bills including transfers in the amount of $16,661.71. Ald. Kohley seconded. Ald. Hess, Kohley, Kezar and Wilson voted aye with 0 nays.
Ald. Kohley moved to adjourn. Ald. Hess seconded. Ald. Hess, Kohley, Kezar and Wilson voted aye with 0 nays.