Board of Aldermen - Regular Meeting

Please rise for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Dunwy is absent. Arcraft here. Ar here. Ar here. Ar Bill here. Can I get a motion to approve December 16th, 2025 meeting minutes, please? So moved. I have a second. Second. All in favor? I. Can we get a motion to approve tonight's agenda? So move.

I have a second. Second. All in favor? I. Moving on to special items. None. Appointments to boards and commissions. We have none. Schedule public comments. Uh we have none. Just a reminder that public comments may be into the city clerk by Wednesday before the meeting date. Public hearing, we have none. Introductions of first readings, we have none. Moving on to old business. Um, we'll read the ordinance and table.

First two items, the annexation and the reszone. Uh, the new property owner has been on vacation and has not stopped by to sign off on any new forms. So, we are asking that these items be tabled for tonight. Um we'll follow up at our next meeting if he's able to to make it in by then. Um Founders Ridge that infrastructure is also incomplete. So we'll be asking to table that second read as well. All right. Can I get a motion to table ordinance number 1538 an ordinance extending the corporate city limits of the city of Asheville, Missouri by annexing unincorporated area. So moved. I have a second. I'll second. Alman Cobert. Hi. Alman Turner. Hi. Alman Ra. Hi. Al Bill.

Hi. Al. Hi. Can I get a motion tableing ordinance number 1539, an ordinance to change the zoning of two parcels of land from A1 to R1 zoning? Second. I'll second bill. Okay. Albert. Hi. Al. Hi. Alen Ram. I retire. I All right. Ordinance number can I have an ordinance? Can I have a motion to table ordinance number 1540? An ordinance approving Founders Ridge final plat 2. Can I have a second? Second. Albert.

I Ramcraft. I turn Lewis. Hi Bill.

Hi. um discussing a banning of ebikes in certain areas of Ashland. So this is a continuation from our last meeting. We had a public hearing last meeting. Uh we had a few of you that were absent last meeting. Uh so just placing this on the agenda to have some continued discussion or for allow for some continued discussion. We do need some direction as staff. you'll see in my report. We will need some direction whether tonight or at a future meeting just to kind of put this matter to bed if there's a desire to ban or not ban. Regardless, we'll come back with an ordinance to add certain definitions to code as it relates to these ebikes because we just quite frankly don't have anything in code currently. So, we will flush that out across the appropriate chapters where necessary and bring an ordinance to that effect. But if there is a desire for continued discussion exploring options to ban, I did invite the park board to be here tonight to give comment. I don't know that Elizabeth is going to make it. I have not heard from her, but she was going to come speak on the issue if there was questions for her. If not, we can follow up via email and get some some questions answered if there are any specifically for the park board. And I would just emphasize as I think I mentioned last time to folks that weren't there, um, state statute does allow a city to regulate this if you have a public hearing. So we've done that. We've checked that box. Doesn't mean we have to ban them. Doesn't mean we have to regulate them, but that was the purpose for that somewhat unusual step. We've now had that public hearing. Um, and so if we are free to pursue regulating those if we wish.

Any other discussion? No. I'm still not for it, but I'm sure that was assumed. I mean, there's several chatter on Facebook. I know that. So, it's been all over Facebook.

I mean, I can tell you as your prosecutor putting that prosecutor hat on. You put a sign up that says no ebikes in a particular area, that will dissuade a certain percentage of people. Um, but the reality is is let's say somebody decides I'm going to do it anyway. It requires someone to notice that, contact the police, that the police go out there. Um, I'm not saying they wouldn't launch a federal case, but they probably wouldn't. Um, so I just want to be realistic. Um, I I think that ebikes can be difficult and there are problems, no doubt, in their liability issues. And I'm not saying we shouldn't do it, but I I I don't want there to be a thought that I sometimes encounter. Well, we put a sign up making something illegal. that activity will therefore completely stop. Obviously, that's unlikely to happen. You tend to see a reduction. Um I'm not saying it's impossible that the police would be able to write a ticket. If they were successful in doing that, I presume I would have no difficulty in prosecuting it, but the 32nd version of the public hearing for those are absent. Missouri law has a very confusing categories of vehicles stuck with wheels. There's all these different rules. Is it an ebike, motorcycle, a motorized bike, an electric bike? Some of those vehicles have special rules in the in regulations. It doesn't mean we can't ban them or regulate them. It just there are, it's Kyle's point, requires some specific vocabulary, some specific definitions, but at this point, if the city, we have some folks that don't they feel like this is something you do, perfectly appropriate. Uh I feel like there are some who feel like, yeah, we we should ban these, for example, in the park. We can certainly entertain that.

So, let's say for example, we don't ban them and somebody goes to the park and gets hurt or hurt somebody. Of course, who's liable? Well, it could happen on a regular bas. No, no, I'm just saying.

I mean, okay. So, and the distinction here, and we're open, and I hesitate to give in-depth legal advice. There's a difference between you can't get sued because you can sue under a great variety of circumstances and whether that lawsuit would be successful. If somebody gets hurt on city property, I think it's safe to assume someone would consider suing the city. We are not liable for somebody else who's negligently operating a bicycle on our property. We are not required to ban these things. We're under no duty or affirmative obligation to do so. I I don't think a lawsuit where person A is struck by person B on the park on a bicycle, they might entertain suing us, but my opinion is we would confidently be dismissed from that lawsuit. Judge, it's not our negligence. It's not our duty. We have no problem. Uh, so again, that's not to say we wouldn't get sued or someone might blame us, but I don't think that would be successful, right?

I'm not saying ban them because of that, but I'm just saying if we didn't ban them and somebody did get hurt. Uh, even if if they don't or if they're not banned, if somebody gets hurt, we still get everybody gets. So, yes.

Well, no. I mean, I'm just saying I mean, you can I think we've all been injured riding a bike at some point in our lives. So, I mean, I had someone reach out to me and, you know, they said like, I only use the electric park when I'm going the electric part of the bike when I'm going uphill, you know? I mean, and you have to think of like family members who are trying to keep up with the young kids and if they're riding their bike and the only way that they can physically keep up is by having that extra boost. I mean, if we out if we say we can't have ebikes in Ashland or even the park, I mean, like, how is that? I just don't see that that makes sense and that's not really fair.

And I believe, and Todd can correct, but I believe the request of the park board is specifically the classification that is solely an electric bicycle, no pedal power. So, it wouldn't be applicable in that situation. It's the electric scooters that are are causing the the issues for the public board. But I I feel like that's kind of one and the same. Whether it has like the pedal option or an option to become electric, then it's an electric bike. If they're using the electric portion at that time, maybe I'm wrong. I don't know. But and again, I don't have it in front of me. One of the significant details is depending on when you can use power and not there are maximum speed limits that the vehicle can obtain. There are classifications. There's three or four classes of ebikes. And and again, I wish I had it in front of me, but to your point, when you use the power matters for what classification you're in, as the classification goes up, you're allowed to have a greater speed. It's something like if you can only use the power under certain circumstances, the maximum speeds 22 miles an hour, something. Uh if you can use it all the time, it's 26 miles an hour. I think we talked about that. Um, but I understand, it is my opinion that there are circumstances when these bikes would be perfectly legitimate and reasonable. Um, there are circumstances when they wouldn't be used. It's hard to paint with a broad brush on those points. I also feel and I think this point was made perhaps by you. I think very prudently when you're talking about regulating minors, you have a tension between maintaining public safety and the government parenting for people. And that's a sensitive subject. That's a delicate subject. We don't want to intrude on people's ability to, you know, parent their children. One parent may say it's appropriate for little Johnny to run around a bike. Another parent may say that's totally ridiculous. and and there's a tension there, no doubt. And so to the extent that we are talking

about potentially minors operating these things um that's not to say we can't, but I would there's no sense in ignoring there is a tension there and a resistance and a reasonable difference of opinion. All right, Lewis, how do you feel about it? I'm not that familiar with ebikes. Uh, you know, I my old brain kind of equates them more like a motorcycle

just, you know, and uh we certainly don't want to allow motorcycles to run those trails in the park. I would not be in favor of a citywide ban at all of the ebikes. But are we going to close later? just because those paths out there are not that wide. You know, it I can see it causing a problem. Happy to get close.

I mean, I'll just, you know, say what I said last time again pretty much like I would be fine with like passing over and that says like somebody can be penalized for reckless operation of a motorbike or an ebike in the park, something like that. But I think an allout ban is I don't think I'd be comfortable with that. So the circumstance would be uh a citizen does get struck. They'd have a municipal prosecution option, right? Yeah.

Um I know the park board is working on, you know, revamping this park. So maybe they can revise their walking path currently to be larger, which obviously I know cost more money, but there's I've been to parts where there's a walking side and there's a bike side. Um there's two lanes on the walking path. So if I mean if they're if they're very concerned about it, maybe this is an option that they can pursue or exploit.

What do you think? I think we've spent seven minutes too long talking about ebikes. I mean, I think it's hard to you can't just enforce part of the town, not another part of the town. In my opinion, you know, kids go to the park to play. Um, elderly people go to the park to walk or do whatever they do. You know, it's it's the park. I think people are going to, you know, my kid goes and falls off the monkey bars. I'm not going to sue the city because he fell off the monkey bars, right? I'm I'm going to tell them, look, your fault. If a kid on an ebike hits another with hits a pedestrian with an ebike, well, that's the kid's fault. And as far as I mean, right now, if say somebody runs into another person, could the police get on to them, write them a citation? What would that what would that fall under, I guess?

Well, and and that's, you know, really to Bryce's point. Um, at the moment there are a lot of provisions in the municipal charge code, but we could certainly have a clearly defined one for that circumstance. That's not to say if today someone were shared by an ebike, we couldn't find a way to charge that. I admit I don't have the uh particular line available, but I'm confident we could find one. Again, reckless operation of a motorcycle, eBike, bicycle, whatever it would be. Or do we leave that to the two people that were involved in the accident? Keep the city out of it.

Well, I think my idea is like broader, too, right? Like just if the police are down there and they see somebody like swerving in and out, riding this ebike 28 miles an hour down a sidewalk, right? Like there's the discouragement element of it too, right? Like if you're recklessly operating, an officer could go over and issue them a warning. Yeah. for example. And to your point, you know, right now a parent could have a small claims action or even a lawsuit. It's not like the only recourse is the police.

So again, that's where we have to do some more research as well as a broader ordinance because some of that stuff will fall under the traffic code and some of it won't. So to your point, we have to kind of flush that out. There's no desire to ban. We just we probably need to make some amendments to city code as a whole, but also like the park regulations, potentially our traffic code as well to make sure that these things are clearly defined with potential charges. I think the National Police Department needs to set a speed trap out on the ebikes right there in the park. All right. So, we'll table this discussion.

I mean, I don't know that there's anything to to table at this point. If there's no desire to move forward with a ban of any type, we'll just continue to explore what other regulatory changes may be appropriate um to make sure that these are are clearly classified and defined appropriately per code. We'll bring back a recommendation from there. All good. Thank you. Moving on, new business. Resolution number 2026-1, a resol resolution authorizing the mayor to execute the continuing law and enforcement education agreement with the Boone County Sheriff's Office. Mr. Mayor, members of the board, I'm Sergeant Boss. Uh, nice to meet everybody. Um, as some of you are aware, the Sheriff's Department is nearing completion of a new training facility on their campus. Um, they are they have taken over what used to be the law enforcement training institute for the university and they are now doing all academy stuff locally and kind of regionally. Um the sheriff's department um has offered them to or offered us to do our continuing education uh at a low cost which will add to our inservice training for all of our continuing education. Um the contract is for three years. The first year would be free and then it would be I think it's 150 per officer uh for a two-year commitment after that three-year contract, two years of payment, which would be roughly $1,800 per year that we would like to add to our budgetary stuff for the following year. Um, police department is on board with it. We're already using LEI for anybody that we send through the academy already. So, it's just basically a name change and then they were wanting us to assure that we will send our people there.

Any questions? That 150 per officer is that per training or is that No, that's year that's that's the entire year. Yeah. Yeah. 150 per officer for the entire year and the first year's free. Yeah. We'd be crazy to say no. Rick and I had the opportunity to tour that building and it's super nice. Oh yeah. Yeah. Super nice. Yes. They have all kinds of nice equipment and Oh, very much so. And it sounds like pretty much everybody surrounding counties and even two counties away are going to start coming this direction. Yeah.

All right. Can I get a motion approving resolution number 2026-1? A resolution authorizing the mayor to execute the continuing law enforcement education agreement with the Boone County Sheriff's Department. So move. Have a second. I'll second it. All in favor? Resolution number 2026-2, a resolution authorizing the purchase of a sewer equipment sewer equipment.

Thank you, mayor, and the board. Um, this is a proposal that was previously rescended from November 4th. After as soon as it was approved, u we got new information as we got further and further into this piece of equipment at the wastewater plant that the parts we had called out weren't going to work, but we needed basically things that were on that list that was approved we didn't need. Other things we did. So, as soon as I got that approval, it was like, we don't need that. We need this. We need we don't need four of these. We need one of those kind of things. So it's since been refined uh this these parts again let me back up a step. So this is again for the wastewater treatment plant. It's the escalator which we talked about before has 12 sufficed wearing parts in various quantities that are called out to bring it back into serviceability. Um the this equipment is down uh parts of it have already been approved and already have been ordered. There's multiple failures on this on this equipment. Um, this will be the last one. Uh, basically it has negative consequences downstream. We have to bring in what's the I think the worst part of it really is we have to bring in sewer staff after hours to do what a machine normally would. So Christmas Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. We got guys coming in two hours of the shot manually raking the bar screen. Just to do a little backstory in the setup here. So these uh parts, majority of these parts are sole source and proprietary. However, we found a local metal fabricator that was able to recreate one of the main elements, the main fine screen elements for this for $15,510

rather than the almost $30,000 that was quoted from the OEM. So, yes, they're proprietary. However, we just gave it to a machinist who said, "Can you make this?" He goes, "Yeah, I can make that." So, uh, thereby saving $13,000 off of this quote. So, uh, because we went from away from a soul source and found that it actually is not soul source since we brought in the machinist end of it. Uh, Darla informed me that I need to get another bid. Um, so what I'm seeking, um, the two totals, they're again, they're basically for the same equipment. These two totals together are 39,400. $6722. I'm seeking a not to exceed because I'm going to seek out another machinist to see if I can get it even lower. Um if that is the case, then then we'll certainly jump on that. But um what I'm in front of the board asking for is for a not to exceed of $39,46722 for the purchase of a lot of parts uh from hydrokinetics. And then rolled into that is the Kinder machine quote for $15,510. That's again that's in that uh $39,000 figure. Um again, this was first brought up November 4th. Facts changed had to change the entire quote. So, but got everything we need. We've been through it inside and out. We got all the parts we got to have cataloged and uh there any questions?

What was the original amount that we approved?

The original amount on November 4th was $30,14622. However, it didn't have the fine screen elements in it at all. That was going to be a separate because the company and they're in Europe, mostly France and Germany. I think it's France. um couldn't give me the quote, so I left that part out. So that the original from November 4th, $30,000 didn't include uh bear with me here, which they came up with just two weeks ago, the fine quote of um $23,000 in addition to that original quote. So, um, again, we're trying to get this done as quick as we could because we're burning manpower and labor hours on top of, you know, all the other grief we're having. So um this uh also going through the machinist is going to help us because going through the OEM uh quote is a 12 to 14 week lead time from Europe and they're going to machine it and then it's going to be on a boat going through customs and it's going to be on a truck and that's in the spring. So for many reasons we're going to go with the machinist. it besides the fact that it's half price. But like I said, the uh the not to exceed part of that is uh we could presumably find I mean a cheaper quote from another machines maybe. It's stainless steel which is really hard to work with, hard to cut, hard to bend. Um but maybe so that's why I added the not to exceed.

And how's you guys' budget looking just generally? This isn't going to put you over or anything like that? Uh it's not going to be over, but that is due to sheer luck. Our bond payments start next year, as you know, to pay for the water treatment plant, um the wastewater treatment plant. We're not going to have the kind of budget we had this year. So, if this stuff was going to fail, I keep thanking my stars that it failed prior to the bond payment starting. Um if you want to look at it, it's it's kind it is fortuitous because we're basically end up with a brand new plan. Everything I hate to say this, but it's true. Many of the major components of this plan have failed. Um, and some of it due to wear, some of it due to abuse. We've had, you know, we've had Alliance and we had D seriously. I'm not knocking them, but it's kind of like renting. So, I mean, it we weren't didn't take ownership of that plant in in reality until just recently. And uh, like I said, many of these things have failed. We're gonna be ending up with a brand new plant in spring, literally in every sense of the word. Um, all the major components are going to be brand new. So, to your point, could we have done this next year? No way. No, couldn't do it. Not with the the bond payments are going to have to be made. So, we can do it now, which is just luck. Any other questions?

I move to approve. Can I get a motion to approve resolution number 2026-2, a resolution authorizing the purchase of the sewer equipment? Can I get a motion? So moved. Second. Second. All

in favor? Resolution number 2026-3, a resolution of the board of alderman of city of Ash, Missouri adopting a transportation master plan. All right. I was uh prepared to wax eloquent and Kyle said keep it short. So I don't know that we need to go through a lot. We spent quite a bit of time last call kind of going over most of the mechanics of the the study. Zoom out on that. Tell me where you want to start and I'll

Well, I think probably just to keep it short, we look at just two things. I've got some handhelds here that might uh be easier to look at for everybody. And not your neck. looking at at sections. Um, we would probably just turn to the last two pages and kind of go over the summary and some of this is the documentation to justify the study. I can.

Okay. Well, I've got an extra one. Um when I was here, we went through the process and we talked about evaluation of your existing system. And so this uh the master plan kind of has two parts. It's got the master plan with we also did evaluation of your existing pavement system with a uh really the first part of the um master plan is maintaining the system that you've got. So, we've got a budgetary recommendation for a level of improvements over the next couple of two or three years. And then we've got on the the last page this uh exhibit. I don't know if you can pull that exhibit up. It be exhibit 10. Um but we have uh in the master plan we tried to in the analysis we looked at at u multimodal operations we looked at roadways we looked at trails. It was interesting your conversation earlier uh some of the issue of trails. uh would recommended that you look at u a complete streets type approach to your infrastructure and um yeah just keep going probably right there. Um uh let's get the next one after that I guess. There it is.

There you go.

Uh and so we looked at u pedestrian access. We looked at uh truck traffic. you have quite a bit of truck traffic in the highway network through and around uh Ashlin. Uh highway 63 is on the national highway system and so there's special funding related to that. Uh there's uh almost 10% of the traffic on 63 is truck traffic and you know we look at economic development and what have you that might uh play into some decisions you make about uh activities to encourage economic development along the corridor and types of businesses you might want to attract. But we looked at the system as a whole north to south through the city and Ashlin has some unusual uh conditions that you're aware of. 63 is is a is a a cordon or a barrier between traffic on the east side and the west side of town. Uh even more so as mod has put in the median barriers with the crossover streets. And so we believe that's uh going to be a critical thing for your long-term plan. And so that was that was uh some of the driving criterias of our prioritization. We wanted to focus on we believe it's important to focus on areas of the infrastructure of the the transportation system that allows north south movement to get to the interchange all the way north at Route H. Uh, of course improving access to the existing crossover route Y and and M. Uh but then being able to accommodate traffic and growth between those two interchanges

and be ready to take advantage of when you get a new interchange 20 years down the road with mod with at down south at near highway A and the old um old highway 63 tie in. Um so with that we identified key corridors uh highway DD uh extending Crump Lane up to Minerill Road. Uh completing the frontage road along 63 as much as possible. I think you can probably do from M Highway or or Broadway uh up to Martin Lane going north of there. be more difficult because of the environmental considerations and the terrain. Uh but you have the existing rideway along the corridor on the east side. So you could maybe get that frontage road improved u a lot sooner uh with the existing resources that you have. Uh we talked about the prioritization last time we was here and and uh we made some adjustments based on council's desire and direction. Um and so in that prioritization we added a a city preference and with that we ended up rechanging or adjusting the the the priorities. Get to that. Uh the Henry Clay uh from Broadway to Peterson became the number one recommended improvement uh along with intersection improvements at Liberty and Henry Clay. So that corridor was moved up based on uh the community's concerns. Um

I think some other areas that uh might be of issue. I think when we did the analysis, we did a travel time and delay study through the city of your main corridors and most of the city system was operating at a level of service C or better except for uh the main street corridor along the schools uh in the afternoon. Those were operating at a failure condition and not really due to to traffic but more due to the operation of the schools and dropping off and picking up students uh at both both ends of Main Street. And I think that that one of the recommendations we have is that the ought to work with the school district to to maybe coordinate some improvements to get that interfering traffic off of Main Street and maybe change the way the school does how they they accommodate drop off and pickups. And I think that would be u I think that'd be a good thing to study. Specifically, I'd recommend that you look at doing a you could probably do a TE study, get MODOT to help with that. Uh they have a transportation engineering assistance program and that'd be an ideal type analysis with them with their school to uh home sidewalk type things that that would fit in be a good thing to do a TE on and get some financial assistance with you. Uh and then you could look at that in detail. We didn't have the scope to do traffic counts or anything. Most of our analysis was based on uh driving through the corridors and looking at overall travel time and delays. uh if if we had time to do the counts and analysis, we might find a little bit more detailed solution

with the if you look at um in the go to exhibit let's see exhibit um two I think exhibit two is the It'll be after the report, right? Uh

yeah, next one after that section right right in there. Yeah. With your maintenance system, we identified um you got about 50% of the city system roadway system is in good condition. Don't need to do a lot. You need to maintain it. And about another fourth of the system is in is in fair condition. Need to do a little bit of maintenance on it to maintain it. And then about a fourth of it is in poor condition. Not failed yet, but got enough bad things going on to it that you need to do some major improvements to it. So if we with this study at the bottom of the exhibit, um you will see it should be in your packet. the second sorry looking on screen look at should be the third sheet in this packet but at the bottom there I've got a recommended 10-year budget schedule the first three years we would look at trying to overlay all of the poorly um poorly rated street segments in the city and I think you can do that with about 200 200,000 a year, 190,000 a year. And that'd be a structural overlay. That'd be areas where you've got a lot of a lot of potholeing, a lot of alligator cracking, and beginning to see failure. We want to put a structural overlay on on all of those roads for the next two years. Uh and then at the same time, we want to try and uh seal coat uh all of the the good and fair roads to maintain those so that we have you've got a good base that will allow you to to do some other improvements. Now, that'd be the first three years. If you look at the budget on the right, your your cost would be about $440,000

for the first three years. And then it would drop back to 200,000 and this this schedule includes some uh inflation rates and and growth rates. So nothing ever stays the same, but we figured that in with this schedule. And so the idea was that the first three years, you'd focus on um just doing maintenance to make that system last as long as possible. And then while you're doing that maintenance for the those three or four years, work on pursuing additional funding, grants through the through MDOT. Uh there I've got a whole section in here about different funding options and alternatives that you could set up for looking at doing being able to do some of the major capital improvements that we've identified. Uh the frontage roads, the intersection improvements, improvements to Henry Clay, those type of things. So you could focus for the next three years on maintaining your system, getting it set up, and then that would leave you uh several hundred,000 based on existing budget that you could put toward other capital improvements in the system that you could use to leverage with grants and what have you to get the improvements done.

How reasonably can we absorb $400,000 in road costs? We're spending 300 plus,000 a year right now. So, I mean,

is this addition to that or total? We looked at you you've got about a million dollar budget on your on your transportation system based on all the funding. Now, some of that staff and equipment and what have you. And so, u when we looked at at those numbers, I tried to use that million dollar overall and I knew you were spending about 300 to 400,000 a year in maintenance. And so one of the purposes of doing the evaluation was to target the worst areas so that you could buy yourself the most amount of time and then use that time to get set up to do some of the other capital improvements a little bit later down the road. It usually takes a couple of years to get funding in place and in a really major project. You do a preliminary study, then go find the money and then do the design. it can take four or five years to do a major improvement. And um I think targeting and being prepared and focused can help you be more efficient. And one of the most important things I think we identified in this was leveraging and being ready to leverage your financing, go after the grants and and look at multiple sources for doing the improvements. I don't think I've done a roadway improvement in the last 15 or 20 years that didn't have at least three or four funding sources. And it just nobody has a bucket of cash where they're paying for everything. And so I think taking this approach where you focus on a little bit of intense maintenance can get you the time to set up and maybe leverage doing some of the other improvements that we identified in the comprehensive plan. Now I know Alderman Turner has some notes on his copy. Are you seeing some of the stuff you address taken care of

or Yeah. No, I'm happy with it. I really think we should have our priorities at the B bike lanes but over, you know, some of the major other infrastructure. But maybe we can put an ebike lane in.

Here we go. Fixing problems every day. I hear that the there's probably more funding for complete street multimotal things and and there are ebikes is a real issue. I mean and whether you're talking about trucks versus cars or cars versus pedestrians or motorcycles versus pedestrians, speed differential kills. And so there's some there are some guidelines and some standards for maybe doing what you're trying to do like you know in a park you know no no nothing where you're over 20 miles an hour. Uh but there are some trails the Katy trail they're designed for um somebody to have ESS. I've got my wife's disabled and she's got a a trike that she used which she can't go if she doesn't have an ebike. She's not doing 50 miles an hour in it. Um, but it's so that it has its place, but it's it's when you look at your system and look at a complete street system, you want to make sure that those types of vehicles and and types of modes of transportation being used in the right place. And I think that's a legitimate approach to take. You don't they don't let you ride your bicycle on I70 or I 44 because of the again the speed differential. There's certain types of of modes of transportation that you could use and and then others that are prohibited. And I think you take the same approach with with trails. You wouldn't you wouldn't want a an ebike or even a bicycle on a five lanes or 5 foot wide sidewalk. Usually you want minimum 8 to 10 foot wide for your trails for that multi-use path. and and there there are guidelines and design standards that you can follow and implement. I think it's a there's a great discussion and I think that's something that uh there's a lot of

interest in active type transportation, bicycles, ebikes, pedestrian um that good discussion to have. Thank you. My favorite thing about bikes, I tell you, I love when they got their costumes on. Those ones that were vacuum sealed to their bodies and they're riding down range line taking up. They're like five wide. Yeah. You can't even honk out. Oh, you can honk out. No, no, it's it's it's the against the law to honk out. Yes, it is. You have to lock me up after this.

That's when I live in. Any further questions from Mike as a Columbia law that makes more sense

just a general comment on the speed differential stuff. We know that people always follow the speed limit from our own experiences. So as long as we have reasonable speed limits, right? Well, as an engineer, I can tell you that that the approaches that have been taken used to because you, no offense, but you didn't want to be sued by an attorney. So, if the speed limit was 55, you designed it for 70 m hour because if there was an accident at 55, you didn't want to be blamed. You'd say it's overdesigned. Well, what they're finding is that if you design a road for 70 m an hour, regardless of what you put up on the speed sign, they're going to go 70 mph because nobody I don't know anybody here who when you drive, you're looking at that speed limit sign and your odometer. You're driving what feels comfortable. And so, one of the things that we recommended was the the design of new roads and whatever should have a target design speed. and and I think that would help a lot of the the speeding. We should incorporate um traffic calming measures in your design and that would help control a lot of that stuff automatically.

Thank you.

All right. I get a motion approving resolution number 2026-3. The resolution of the board of alderman of city Missouri adopting the transportation master plan. So move a second. I'll second. All in favor? Thank you. All right, moving on to reports. Um, just a couple of things. I did have a resident call me about a property nuisance on 207 Collins Street or Collins Court. You guys might check on that one. And then also I've noticed and I want to thank the police department for patrolling the school area during peak times. They actually had somebody pulled over yesterday morning uh first day of school. So that's my report. See attorney's report.

No report.

Administrative report. Uh just to continue on with traffic study. um had a call with Representative Martin this morning to kind of go over some of the transportation needs for Ashland and southern Boone County. Uh so it's kind of fertuitous that he was looking for information today when we're we're talking about adopting our M master plan. So I did provide him with our transportation master plan kind of went over the highlights with him so that he's kind of educated on the the issues for for Ashlin and Southern Boone. Um, other than that, you should have got an email this morning about the Boon County Regional Training Center, Sheriff's Office regional training center grand opening. That's this Saturday, uh, 9:00 a.m. to 12. And then also one item that came through today, and this this predates pretty much everyone at this table, but a number of years ago, the city started working on a cotification project to codify our codebook. It hadn't been done in probably 15 plus years when that project was approved. So that codification project is nearing completion they have mailed the final draft of that book. So we should have that in our hands for adoption sometime in the next month or so. So more to follow on that. U as a reminder with that project once that new codebook is adopted uh it will also include a new digitally hosted product for our website. So instead of having the individual chapters broken out by PDF, it'll be similar to other cities you've looked at like Columbia for example, you can go uh they have a dedicated website for their code where it's hosted, it's live, it's updated, where you can actually search for key terms and go right where you need. So we're excited to see that project wrapping up. That's all I have. Thanks, sir. Public works.

Thank you, Grand Board. Uh Christmas was officially put away. uh the public works uh the streets department uh has returned the reded sweeper last week. Um Ashland uh was about 50% swept after one week and I think it was pretty successful. Um we got a pile of stuff off the street. Uh we'll kind of determine as an as needed, but I think it'll be part of a maintenance program for the streets going forward. It's not only good for the street, but it's also the storm water system and even to a smaller degree the sanitary sewer system to keep the rocks, debris, silt off the sides of the roads because that's where it collects doesn't. It's so on the crown of course it's always in the medians and over here on the sides. Um but what how much it cost us to rent that?

Oh, thank you. No, how much it cost to rent?

The cost to rent? Sorry. uh $4,000 for a week that um cheapest one I can find. That's about the going rate. Um I know some cities will hire that out. They paying for the labor as well. So gets exponentially higher. The unit we did have um had a mechanical failure. We ended up with a larger one which was fine with me which required a CDL to drive. kind of got more for our buck, so to speak. But, uh, about $4,000 and that was 50% of the city. Um, see how that goes. See, uh, try to get the other half and maybe some more next year. Again, I won't say maybe it's just by annual. I don't know. I'm going to observe just like everybody else. See how it goes. uh when the road temperatures hit 50 degrees or better uh which has been the last few days the streets part will do be doing extensive crack sealing in town. So, back to the transportation master plan. The 1A everything there in yellow is getting cracks sealed. That's about nine lane miles. Uh it just some it's just as it was mentioned already. It's just normal road maintenance. Things like that just haven't been able to get done. It's a it's an all hands on deck affair and there we've never had staff. Now we do. So that's the plan. We're going to be doing everything in yellow in the transportation plan. See if we can get to the green, the red, as was also mentioned with that structural repairs, which we're also aiming towards. Um, under parks, looking into cost proposals for a CCTV or some variation of CCTV to cover portions of the city park for safety and vandalism prevention. um like to focus of course in my own uh purview

on the bathrooms which is where we get a lot of problems but as mentioned several times um for other reasons maybe maybe a broader coverage uh the first step of that is getting fiber to the area see what that costs and then from step next step would be cameras so we'll see what that costs in real dollars and then uh only have is the sanitary sewer which we already talked about um already addressed. All right.

Thanks sir. Any questions for Kevin water superintendent report? Mr. Mayor, members of the board, excuse me. Uh city staff uh held a meeting with Mccclure Engineering that's for the water master plan. Um the discussion f focused on hydraulic models. Um and those models are used to analyze the system performance and support planning decisions um for future future capital improvements um as well as identify potential improve uh system improvements in general. Um their finished report is um scheduled for February 27th, 2026. Um hopefully that's not a moving target, but we're not for sure on that. Um city staff also reviewed and completed all inspections for the 10-inch main extension on North Henry Clay. Um that main was put into the the service into service on December 5th, uh 2025. Um uh city staff is still installing water meters. Um it's slowing down uh now that the colder months are getting here. Um, not a bad thing. Gives us time to kind of recoup and and get everything back in order. Um, ready for next year whenever it does warm up and starts taking off again. Um, and also we're still continuing valve exercising. I will say with our mapping system, we have, excuse me, it is it is a little more difficult now with the valve exercising because we our maps aren't updated enough. Um, and we're getting we're going to get that. Um, it's just right now we don't have that. And so we're just kind of working sections south of Broadway to try to get

everything, you know, exercised for this year. Thanks. Any questions? Thanks, sir. Moving on. Board of Almer Lewis. Uh, no report. Alman Turner, no report. Alman report

and bill report. All right. Moving on to general comments from the public for all man staff. See none. I get a motion to go into close session pursuant chapter 610-021 legal actions. I need a motion. So moved. I have a second. Hi. Hi. Lewis. Hi. Turn.

in open session. We have nothing to report. Can I get a motion to adjurnn? So move. All in favor?