Desloge Board discusses possible voting location
Stephanie Kim, Editor
Board members bow their heads as the invocation was given by Pastor and Desloge Police Chaplain Hampton. Stephanie Kim
The Desloge Board of Aldermen met on Monday, September 8, for their regular monthly meeting. An invocation was given at the start of the meeting by Desloge Police Chaplain Duane Hampton.
The public comments portion of the meeting included comments about overgrowth covering a clearance, along with a request for the city to hold a 9/11 ceremony next year.
An officer with the St. Francois County VFW 2426 said, “Next year, we would like for the city to put on their calendar a public ceremony to honor 9/11. We would like to hold that ceremony in the parks with the city’s participation.”
Praise was given for sidewalk maintenance, and another comment about some problems with a drainage ditch on a resident’s property. Concerns were raised about not only the look and maintenance of the area, but also that it’s dangerous for the resident to try to maintain it alone.
Department reports were given by the city clerks and the water department.
City Clerk of Bonne Terre, Dawn Sens, said, “We still hold court once a month in this room. I come over from Bonne Terre, but we’re seeing a lot more payments going straight over instead of being dropped off here.”
The Desloge City Hall will be closed on September 22 for a transition day into the new accounting software.
Handicap parking was requested by Ravencrest Apartments, where a minimum of four spots was recommended. An ordinance was started for the next board meeting for the spots, per the city attorney’s guidance.
Mayor Pete Pasternak began discussion about St. Francois County’s voting polls and the lack of them in Desloge. “St. Francois County Clerk Kevin Engler has a plan to drastically reduce the polling locations in SFC. There are 21 currently, and then it was going to go down to three, since then, I’ve heard he’s allowing Bismarck and Leadwood to keep one.”
The mayor included the three highest voter turnout polling locations from April, those being Desloge 1 with 17.53%, Desloge 3 with 18.01% and Desloge 2 with 21.2%.
He asked, “How are voting populations not getting favored when Farmington has 2, Park Hills, Bonne Terre, Bismarck, and Leadwood get a polling location, but Desloge–a city with almost 5,000 people, gets none?”
As an election supervisor, Mayor Pasternak turned to Alderman Keith Propst of Ward 1.
Propst said, “The proposed places are North County High School, MAC, and the Centene Center.” After nods and approvals from those in attendance at the meeting, Alderman Propst plans to recommend the Baptist Church in Desloge as another voting location the next meeting he and Engler have.
“We have a lot of elderly people who may have a hard time getting around,” Propst said. “And for those who can’t get there, what do we do? Do we run a shuttle service? I don’t know what to do, so I’m going to propose to Kevin (Engler) that we keep one in Desloge at Desloge Baptist Church.”
Another area of concern for voting locations was the parking. Being that it’s during the school day, the North County High School and MAC lots will be full due to students.
Other updates:
SEMO RC gave their grant presentation, with one grant being currently open.
A new appointment was made to the Library Board after a resignation.
An update was made to the previously approved resolution, Shared Leave Policy. The approved amendment being nonemergency, with another policy being proposed for sick days to be donated to others who need it. A shared leave committee was formed.
Desloge now has an Animal Control Officer outside of the Police Department.
Due to Columbus Day, next month’s Desloge Alderman meeting will be held on October 20 at 7 p.m. in Desloge City Hall. Meetings are open to the public.
Stephanie Kim is the editor of the Daily Journal and Farmington Press. She can be reached at skim@dailyjournalonline.com.
