Aldermen work through full agenda
Victoria Kemper, Democrat News The City of Fredericktown’s Board of Aldermen met Sept. 25 to discuss a full agenda of items.
The City of Fredericktown’s Board of Aldermen convened for its regularly scheduled meeting, Sept. 25.
Prior to work session business, the city held two public hearings. The board opened the room to comments regarding the 2023/2024 budget. Next, the aldermen opened the floor for discussions regarding the annexation of land located on the northwest corner of Hwy 72 and Hwy 67, intended for the new Love’s Truck Stop.
No public comments were made during either of the hearings. Both of these items were passed as ordinances during regular session business.
During work session business, the board discussed the proposed social media policy.
The proposed policy follows what is already being done on the current social media pages, City of Fredericktown, Fredericktown Police Department, Fredericktown Fire Department, and the Municipal Pool. Currently the City of Fredericktown and Fredericktown Police Department pages are used for informational purposes only with comments shut off. The Fredericktown Fire Department and Municipal Pool pages are also for information purposes but will allow comments in order to effectively communicate when necessary.
Alderman Rick Polete said he feels keeping comments off of the city and police pages is the correct direction to go. He said any questions/comments regarding posts on the pages can be asked at City Hall via phone or in-person requests.
The aldermen agreed to move forward with this policy and it will be addressed for approval at the next meeting.
The board approved a payment to Archive Social for its social media archiving yearly subscription in the amount of $5,988.
Mayor Travis Parker reminded the board this is a service used to keep the city’s social media records in compliance. The request was approved.
The Fredericktown Eagles made a request for a picnic liquor license to have a beer tent during the Monster Mash event around the Court Square, Friday Oct. 20. The event currently does not have any street closures. The request clarified the tent would be located well off of the streets. The board approved the request with a “nay” from Alderman Jim Miller.
The Madison County Chamber of Commerce made a request for a picnic liquor license to have a beer tent during the Madison County Truck and Tractor Pulls, Oct. 7, at the new track location on Buford Boulevard. The board approved the request with one “nay” from Miller.
Next, the board approved a request from City Administrator James Settle to purchase salt for the roads this winter in the amount of $4,714.
Settle also made a request in the amount of $30,000 for repairs to the transfer-station pad. These repairs were required by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The request was approved.
The council set a public hearing for 5:15 p.m., Oct. 23, for comments regarding a minor subdivision of a 1-acre lot on South Chamber Drive.
A request to approve a bid in the amount of $492,112 to Lappe Cement Finishing, Inc. for the 2023 Waterline Improvements was approved. An ordinance executing the agreements was later passed during regular session business.
Also, during regular session business, a concerned citizen asked questions about the conditions of the downtown sidewalks.
Settle said he is currently looking into the issue. He said there are serious problem sections and to replace all of the sidewalks would be very costly. The city was hoping to get grant funding to help offset the cost. However, no such opportunities have been located at this time.
Settle also said, he hopes to start replacing some of the worst sections a few at a time. He is currently looking at specific costs to do the work.
The aldermen said once a specific amount is nailed down, it will be easier to determine how much can be replaced each year in an effort to fix the entire downtown area.
Parker said it is definitely an issue the city has its eye on. He said the problem is not being ignored, it is just a matter of finding the funds.
Victoria Kemper, Democrat News
The smell and condition of dumpsters at Harps Food Store were discussed during the Fredericktown Board of Aldermen meeting Sept. 25.
Another concerned citizen brought up an issue regarding the dumpsters at Harps, which are located next to a residential zone. He said the several dumpsters have become a nuisance and can be smelled well into the neighborhood.
The citizen said he has spoken with the manager numerous times and while it was initially cleaned, the smell returned within a week.
The dumpsters in question are located to the side of the Harps parking lot directly next to the fencing which separates them from the residential area.
The aldermen planned to do some research into the ordinance regarding dumpsters and their upkeep. They also stated they would directly speak to someone at the company regarding the issue.
“We’ll get on it and see what we can do,” Parker said. “We’ll find a way to manage it in some fashion.”
In other business, multiple ordinances were passed including one to amend the fiscal year 2022/2023 budget for operations.
Another ordinance for the sale of real estate in the Business Park to Seedtime and Harvest, L.L.C., a Kentucky company authorized to do business in Missouri, was approved. The property in question consists of approximately 2.57 acres of unimproved land. The contract lists the sale price at $25,700 and specifies that the construction of at least a 2,000 sq. ft. facility must begin within 18 months of closing and be in full operation within 30 months.
Several other ordinances were passed to align city codes with specific state codes, one relative to disposal of hazardous substances, and a second relating to municipal court costs.
The next meeting of the Fredericktown Board of Aldermen will be Oct. 10 immediately following the 5:30 p.m. work session at city hall. A public hearing will be held prior to the meeting, at 5:15 p.m., regarding the consolidation of three lots in Hilltop Minor Subdivision.
