BTPD to join major case squad

Pre-coronavirus, Bonne Terre City Council covered a variety of topics at its March 9 meeting, including the approval of its police department joining the region’s major case squad, approving a $90,000 contract to address stormwater issues, and buying three new trucks for public works.

The regional Major Case Squad has been forming for the last seven years and includes sheriff and police departments in Iron, Madison, St. Francois and Washington counties, as well as the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Bonne Terre Police Department will officially join the squad, which collaborates on investigations and shares resources on major cases.

The council also authorized City Administrator Shawn Kay to hire Midwest Injection Inc. to remove and apply sewage sludge from the lagoons at the wastewater treatment plant. It’s done every two years, and about $100,000 has been budgeted for it.

Cochran Engineering will be contracted for grant application and engineering services to the tune of $90,000 for stormwater drainage facility structures as part of the 2019 Community Development Block Grant project addressing a number of bridges in the area.

Public works employees will get three new trucks to replace their 20-year-old models. The council approved ordering from Auto Plaza a 2020 Ford F250 pickup for $27,844 and two 2020 Ram 2500 tradesman pickups at $30,551 each. They’ll replace two 1999 trucks and one 2000 model that have seen hard labor over the last two decades.

“I think the men over at Public Works have gotten as much life out of them as they can get,” Kay said.

Additionally, the council:

• Reappointed Judge Ashley Harris to the city court for another two years.
• Approved Marty Umfleet’s request for a permit for a Jerry’s Fireworks location at U.S. 67 and Highway K.
• Discussed a request to split a lot at Mabery’s Acre de Terre at 403 Grove St. The lot is two acres, featuring land on one acre and a house on the other. The owner wants to sell the other acre so someone can build a house on it.

Sarah Haas is the assistant editor for the Daily Journal. She can be reached at 573-518-3617 or at shaas@dailyjournalonline.com.