The regular meeting of the Board of Aldermen of Puxico, Missouri, was called to order at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall on Thursday, June 27, 2024, by Mayor Rick McLean. The meeting had been postponed from Thursday, June 20, 2024, due to the absence of the mayor and an alderman.  When the roll was called, the following members were present:  Peter Coutavas, Patti McLean

Travis Stafford, and Candy Williams Alderman Stafford led the group in prayer and Mayor McLean led the Pledge of Allegiance.  

Under announcements, Alderwoman Williams reported to the Board on what she had learned at the Missouri Municipal League’s elected officials training conference that she had attended in Columbia, Missouri, the first part of June.  

The agenda was discussed.  After discussion, Coutavas moved that the agenda be adopted as presented.  P. McLean seconded.  The motion carried on a roll call vote.  AYES: Coutavas, P. McLean, Stafford, Williams 

The May 16, 2024, regular meeting minutes were reviewed.  Coutavas moved that the minutes of the May 16, 2024, regular meeting be approved.  Stafford seconded.  The motion carried on a roll call vote.  AYES: Coutavas, P. McLean, Stafford, Williams  

The May 21 2024, special meeting minutes were reviewed.  Coutavas moved that the minutes of the May 21, 2024, regular meeting be approved.  Stafford seconded.  The motion carried on a roll call vote.  AYES: Coutavas, P. McLean, Stafford, Williams 

The Board reviewed the bills.  After discussion on the bills, Coutavas moved that all bills be paid. Williams seconded.   The motion carried on a roll call vote.  AYES: Coutavas, P. McLean, Stafford, Williams 

Joshua Speakman, Stoddard County Collector, was present to discuss the possibility of the County office collecting the City personal property and real estate taxes for the City.  At this time, the County collects city taxes for Bloomfield, Bernie and Essex.  They charge a 2% fee as collector and send a check for the remaining amount to the city on a monthly basis.  Currently, the City pays the City Collector an hourly wage to collect the city taxes.  The City also pays approximately $300 yearly to have the tax bills generated and printed and another $400 to mail out the tax bills.  It is part of the City Collector’s job to print, collate, and mail the tax bills in October and if the taxes aren’t paid by March of next year, she prints, computes penalties and mails out delinquent tax bills in April.  If the collection of city taxes were turned over to the County Collector, all of the above work would be done by the county office workers.  The City’s tax bill would be a part of the County tax bill and the tax payer would have to pay the City taxes at the same time he paid the County taxes.  The tax payer could not just pay the County without paying the City taxes.  The County Collector would have a list of delinquent city taxes and the County would collect those delinquent city taxes before it would accept current city taxes.  The County Collector would charge a total of 3% collection fee on delinquent taxes. 

This year, the City Collector collected approximately $100,000 in taxes, 2% of which would be $2,000.  Speakman presented a contract that the City would sign if it wished to turn its tax collecting over to the County.  As a side note, the County Collector does have a system where a tax payer can make monthly installment payments on his taxes rather than making one big payment in November.

Daniel Smith, a representative from Dittronics, the company who has given the City a quote on placing cameras at parks, library, and city hall, was not present to answer the Board’s questions concerning the tech service on the equipment.

Vinita Weidenbenner, a CPA from Jean & Company, the City accountants, was present to discuss the City budgets.  The FY 2024 Amended Budget that had been prepared by Jean and Company was reviewed by the Board.  Coutavas moved that the FY2024 Amended Budget be approved.  P. McLean seconded.  The motion carried on a roll call vote.  AYES:  Coutavas, P. McLean, Stafford, Williams

The FY 2025 Budget that had been prepared by Jean and Company using the financial decisions made at the May 21, 2024, special Board meeting was reviewed.  Coutavas moved that the FY 2025 Budget be approved.  Stafford seconded.  The motion carried on a roll call vote.  AYES:  Coutavas, P. McLean, Stafford, 

Williams

Departmental reports were given:

David Hawthorne, maintenance supervisor, stated that Doug Solberg, city maintenance worker, had quit.  At this time, Hawthorne has made the part-time summer maintenance  worker full time to cover the work to be done.  The Mayor asked that the maintenance workers rock the ground on east side of the stage in Veteran’s Park to eliminate weeds growing at the top of the ditch.  Alderwoman Williams stated that the Historical Museum would like to have the bushes/saplings in the front part of the museum pulled up.  

Finally, the recycle trailer that has been placed on the museum parking lot was discussed.  It was decided to move it back to the City Hall parking lot.  Since the City is continually having problems with people placing trash and other items that are not recyclable in the trailer, it was decided that if this continues to happen, the City will discontinue having the trailer in the City.  

Currently, a City employee must take the trailer with the recycle items to Dexter for recycling.  The business which receives the items makes the employee return with any items that are not recyclable to be put in the City trash.  The trailer belongs to the recycling business.

Rick Sheren, Marshal, gave the police report.  Tickets had been given for speeding, no insurance, and displaying plates of another.

Larry Doublin, animal control officer, reported one of the dogs that was being fostered had been adopted. 

Doublin also gave the fire department report.  Doublin stated that there had been no fires but they had made medical calls.  The fire station drains in the bathrooms were having problems and the roof had a leak.

Under the library, the library report was reviewed.  The library’s summer reading program is nearing completion.  Prizes have been purchased using donated funds.

Alderman Williams stated that she was still searching for binders for the museum to use to put historical materials in.

Under unfinished business, Bill 24-01, a bill amending the city business license ordinance to include a vendor’s license was read first by Coutavas and second by Williams.  Williams moved that Bill 24-01 be approved to become Ordinance 24-01.  Coutavas seconded.  The motion carried on a roll call vote.  AYES: Coutavas, P. McLean, Stafford, Williams   This ordinance established a temporary vendor license at a cost of $100 a year and required food vendors to have health certificate and insurance.  The ordinance also increased the cost of a peddler’s license for produce to $25.00 a year.

Bill 24-02, a bill setting employee salary beginning July 1, 2024, was read first by Coutavas and second by Williams.  P. McLean moved that Bill 24-02 be approved to become Ordinance 24-02.  Stafford seconded.  The motion carried on a roll call vote.  AYES: Coutavas, P. McLean, Stafford, Williams   This ordinance gave all employees a $1.00 an hour raise and increased the firefighter call rate from $10 to $15 a call.

The purchase of cameras for parks, library and city hall was next on the agenda.  Since the representative from Dittronics was not present to answer the Board’s questions concerning tech support for the cameras, Coutavas moved that the purchase be tabled until the next regular meeting.  Stafford seconded.  The motion carried on a roll call vote.  AYES: Coutavas, P. McLean, Stafford, Williams   

The Board reviewed the City’s Missouri Department of Natural Resources grant application that would use recycled materials for park benches and tables to be placed in Memorial (South) Park.  The total funds requested was $7,525.

Under new business, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT) has asked the City if it would like to be a part of a paving project that it will be doing on PP Highway (Richardson Avenue) in FY2026.  

The City’s part would be to pay to have the parking area from Highway 51 to Hickman and the apron area from Hickman to Buena Vista.

The City’s cost for doing the parking areas is approximately $!5,815 and adding the apron section would be an additional $3,788.  After discussion, Coutavas moved that the City enter into an agreement with MODOT in which the City would pay to have the parking and apron areas from Highway 51 to Buena Vista paved when MODOT paved Highway PP at a cost of approximately $19,604.  P. McLean seconded. The motion carried on a roll call vote.  AYES: Coutavas, P. McLean, Stafford, Williams   The City Board will need to approve an ordinance at its July regular Board meeting authorizing the Mayor to sign the agreement with MODOT.

The Historical Museum Board requested that the Board place a portion of its restricted fund balance into a Certificate of Deposit with the museum department receiving the interest from the CD.  According to the city clerk’s calculations, approximately $34,723 of the museum’s fund balance as of April 30, 2024, is considered restricted and can only be spent by the museum.   After discussion Willliams moved that $30,000 of the museum’s restricted funds be placed in a CD with the museum fund receiving the interest from that CD.  Coutavas seconded.  The motion carried on a roll call vote.  AYES: Coutavas, P. McLean, Stafford, Williams   

The City Park Board which has been inactive for several years was reorganized. Mayor McLean appointed the following to be directors on the Park Board:  Marsha Tompkins, Chelsea Gillock Brandon Woolard, Freida Phillips and Judy Richards.  Also appointed as rural development members of the Park Board were Dakotah Hancock, Madison Burge, Janell Neighbors and Taylor Trout.  Alderwoman Patti McLean was appointed as Park Board Liaison.  Coutavas moved that the appointments to the Park Board be approved.  Williams seconded.  The motion carried on a roll call vote.  AYES: Coutavas, P. McLean, Stafford, Williams   The terms of office for these appointees will be determined at the Park Board’s first official meeting.

The Board discussed the transfer of City property tax collection to the Stoddard County Collector.  The Board reviewed the information that had been given to it by Josh Speakman, the Stoddard County Tax Collector earlier in the meeting.  Coutavas moved that the City enter into a contract with the Stoddard County Tax Collector to have his office collect the City’s personal and real estate taxes at the same time it collected the County taxes.  Stafford seconded.  The motion carried on a roll call vote.  AYES: Coutavas, P. McLean, Stafford, Williams   

The city clerk will send the Stoddard County Tax Collector a signed contract transferring the collection of City taxes to the County.  This contract will need to be approved by the Stoddard County Commissioners.  The clerk will work with the County Collector to determine what information he will need for the collection of delinquent taxes.

Since there was no further business, a motion for adjournment was made by Coutavas and seconded by Stafford.  The motion carried on a roll call vote.  AYES: Coutavas, P. McLean, Stafford, Williams   Adjournment time was 7:50