Board of Aldermen - Regular Meeting

Please rise for the pledge of 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.

[cough] Do a roll call. Alone Brave here. Cover is absent. Alman Turner here. Bill here. Alman Lewis here. Can I get a motion to approve January 6, 2026 meeting minutes, please? So move. Can I have a second? Second. All in favor? I. Can I get a motion to approve tonight's agenda? So moved. Can I have a second? Second. All in favor? I I. Moving on to special items, we have none. Appointments to the boards and commissions, we have none. Moving on to schedule public comments. Terra and Jeff Lane.

Please state your name and address, please. Hi. Jeff Lane. Uh, address 511 North Henry Clay Walmart here in town. um been here before. Hi guys. Yeah. [laughter]

Um we've come into issues with hawk attacks and we have dogs. We have four. Um but they're in the house with me normally. I do work from home. Um, both hawk attacks have killed chickens through a wired fence run coupe with a coupe inside and I've contacted the conservation which hawks are protected and hawks are protected to see what I can do um that hawks are protected.

We've netted [clears throat] we've sped we've done everything to deter that it's still happening. So, the question that I'm putting to you guys is, is there any way you guys would allow either a male rooster or a male turkey to help protect the flock? I just have a question. Yes. Is there female roosters? [laughter] No. No. I just thought I'd ask, but I do have a female hen that is starting to crow. I thought not a farm girl

because our ideology is this. Um we would rather have a rooster die than one of our laying eggs because we're using it for the the eggs. We're not using it to to Yeah. have fertile eggs or anything like that. We're not doing that. Um and a male turkey will go to ground. He he will take a chicken flock and make it his own and he will go to ground. We have friends that have turkeys and stuff and uh one got pretty messed up protecting the flock from a hawk.

So I you know it's it's e you know that way and if the noise is an issue this might crazy this might sound crazy. Uh we will keep the rooster indoors until crowing time is over which the neighborhood dogs are larger than our rooster. So, and then police release the rooster out and, you know, do whatever it takes because we're tired of losing chickens. Not not that the chickens are expensive, but the the upkeep of the chicken. You see those pictures of those $10,000 eggs after, you know, the first eggs? Not expensive. [clears throat] Um, so you guys have had chickens for quite a while. Like, what do you think it right if I'm not mistaken?

Yeah, we've had them for a while. She had taken the moverly. That's what I remember quite well. I guess what's the difference now? Like why why do we think that hawks are attacking now? I think it's the weather with the cold. They they hunt more a hawk u moves territories during the winter um when when they can't find the field rats or field mice or whatever what you know the regular food source. So they venture out and once they lock their sights on something, it's a return thing. Sometimes they bring friends apparently, but um

and it's either you friend crows or you have roosters to protect the flock or a male turkey or a male turkey. So and because we tried everything on our end and it's it's to know a bell, you know. So I guess if you guys think it's a seasonal thing like right like if they're moving through and they're just coming through on the season. Last time as I'm sure you guys know we got quite a bit of blowback from amending our ordinance. Um and it [snorts] seems like this might be something that you know could pass possibly. It sounds like maybe with the winter then like unless they the hawks migrate back away it I mean it could but there's no guarantee that the hawk will migrate back away because they

they know they know we have chickens and I know there's other chickens in the area but and I don't know if if this issue has ever been brought up to the council or not in the past. I don't know. Um, but I know after losing two through a fence run, that's the downart. Um, that we're doing everything to protect them on our end. Chief, have you had any other people say anything about hawks? Scott,

have you had no m called me? You called me. Um, that's the [clears throat] only coffee. [cough and clears throat] We said you did spinners. What's spinners? The the little um they're they're glittery silver spinners. The little like kid toy spinners. You can either do those or the the pin wheels. We read that hawks uh are deterred by shining. You can either hang um CDs. I I I looked it up and when I saw that I looked it up to see what all you could do to prevent hog attacks and hanging CDs, pie pans, stuff like that.

Anything shiny. We We've got a few different things up. We've got pin [clears throat] wheels on all our landing spaces. We've got everything up. We still have the hawks coming by. Um, [clears throat] have you guys applied for a variance to be allowed to have a turkey yet or you you're coming to us first? I'm coming to you. We're coming to you first because I don't know what that means with the the easiest thing would be a rooster because a turkey I think is still classified as livestock. We'd have to go through and reclassify all that because I believe that was the issue last time.

And by the way, he was amazing. the turkey that we [laughter] [snorts] tasted. My neighbor has chickens right behind me and we've never had any issues at all with those chickens. However, it was about three or four blocks away, maybe closer to your Oh, yeah. neighborhood that there was a rooster and there was no set time for that rooster. It went all day every day. until it finally disappeared and we had some peace. So, I think we would we would get a whole lot of complaints if we were to allow that rooster just just for the noise aspect alone.

Have you uh have you considered an outer fence to keep the hawk away from the main fence almost like if you've got your fence here just a roll of chicken wire against it where that hawk couldn't get to the fence to peck through it. The the hawk is coming into the yard out of surrounding trees or even the tree on our property. Coming in, flying underneath our our net deterren the net deterrent and snatching them through the snatching pulling their head through the fence. We have fencing. We have netting and he's the netting along the

Yeah. Like we have a bird netting over over the coupe, the run that holds the coupe and it it's it's going underneath it like it can get underneath it. It will pull it out and get underneath it and then it pulls the heads through it. It does is it it doesn't pull the entire bird because it can't get it through the entire thing. He takes the head and that's enough to but maybe an actual sturdier outer fence where even that that [clears throat] hawk couldn't get to your main fence. Other words put two fences up had this chicken fence then go like six eight inches out and put another fence up.

We have that. We have that. So how is it getting to the inner fence? because we have we have our fence and then 10 ft back we have another fence. Well, same. No, I [snorts] but what I'm Yeah. What what I'm suggesting is like like he said maybe only 6 or 8 in and have it actually attached at the top. Oh, so you're talking the entire enclosed yard basically. Well, just against your coupe to start with just against your coupe or the run or the or the I understand the terminology. So that way even if the hawk landed right there. Yeah. It's a coupe and then the run's over inside the run I think is what we're hearing.

Is a jeep is a coop inside the run? The coupe is inside the run. [clears throat] There's a coupe and there's a run. So, so the way so [snorts] the way the way it is is we have the coupe inside the run and it's against the fence 10t back off of our our property line of our back of our back property line. And um [snorts] so it it it doesn't have a way of getting it from the back. It comes in from the front the front and the sides.

Yeah. They're they're really outside of like completely putting a a complete 10- foot enclosure tall up. Well, and and what I'm suggesting is you wouldn't have to go that tall if [snorts] since How tall is your run? It's a it's about that the top arc is about up [snorts] to here. Okay. And so the hawk is probably landing in order to get through there because yeah, they'd have to to reach the chicken, right? So if you've got some kind of a barrier and probably chicken wire would be the cheapest um

it's pull Yeah. the chicken wire um I was going to say away from your fence so that that hawk can't even get to the fence and you can just attach it like 2 feet up and handle it. So So keep the chickens from free ranging. I think one of our staff members may have a recommendation too. Um, so I live outside of Ashlin. I have a farm. I have turkeys, chickens, geese, everything that belongs on a farm, right?

Um, I also have bald eagles and sharpshinned hawks, which again, like you said, are protected, right? Uh, my suggestion to you is this. Um, I see I saw your pictures that you sent in. Mhm. Um, if you go up to Forge and Build, they sell just sheets of sheet metal. What you need to do is get some 4 foot high sheet metal. And you need to put it around your coupe, not in front of the door. I mean, in around your run, not in front of the door of your run, but around. And uh, attach it. You can attach to the fence that we already have there.

Yes, you can either attach it with zip ties. You drill a small hole in it. You attach it with zip ties or you can do stakes down at the bottom. I did see your pictures. Um I think your biggest problem is is not the hawks. I think the biggest problem in your area is you have raccoons and poss. We do not have any issues. We don't have any issues with we haven't had any four-legged critters issues because the dogs I've seen the hawks come in and I've seen them.

So, the best suggestion that I have because I have buildings too is I would go to forge and build. I'd get a couple sheets of sheet metal that you can put around your run or pen or whatever you're calling it. Um, they don't need to be very tall, about this tall. Have a drill, some zip ties, and zip it in. Um, you can also purchase at Lowe's, which also works really really well, is a um, it's it's chicken wire, but it's plastic. And, uh, and it's really easy to manipulate um, and tie to your current run. And it's not wide like, you know, chicken wire is like this wide. It is only about a quarter of an inch. That's what's all I mean.

It's metal, but it's coated, but it'sin just a small. I mean, it's tiny. And it's usually what I use for my chicks to keep my chicks in um their breeding area. But that's what I would do. And and have a solid lid on top. So, it's important that your run have a solid lid on top and then the sides be protected. But again, you don't have to enclose the whole side like a shed. you can just do it around about four feet high, [snorts] right?

So, that would be my suggestion and it's worked for me several times. I have a dog run that I raise my chicks in and um I've done that. And in my other one, I've done that really really tiny uh chicken wire or bird wire that's plastic that I can manipulate myself and move around and I don't have any issues. Polar mater. Do they make a chemical for this? [clears throat] Hawk aside, so to speak. Not one you want to spray on your chickens. You know, if we kill a hawk, you know, it's felony. Yeah, we can't do that. So,

well, we just thought we'd bring it to you guys and, you know, doesn't hurt to ask and uh try try some of those issues. I mean, we wish you the best, but uh I I don't think we could. So, we have more

I don't think we could okay the the rooster. You get you I I understand that we hear more of the dogs barking at all hours of the night in the surrounding area than we do anything. So, so to us a a rooster [snorts] crowing and just it would like I like we said we we even offered we'll bring them in the house at night and not let him out until like 8 9:00 in the morning just to just to prevent any issues because we're not trying to make any issues. Yeah, we're not trying to make any issues. We're just trying to protect that investment.

And you know, it might not sound like a big investment, but it it becomes a big investment. [laughter] Well, if you guys would be willing to try some of those and just let us know like, you know, because it does look like, you know, if you could put something solid there at the bottom of the run, at least over the chicken's head height, right? Then they might not be able to get through that gap. So, if you wouldn't mind to try that and just let us know, we're definitely more than willing to listen and try to figure out whatever shining faces. You got to come say hi. [laughter] Also, there is a the variance application. You can apply for that. Can you explain variance? Um, Kyle, you want to It's just an application as you.

Uh, sure. So, I mean, you're you're here to to talk about a code issue that's preventing you from having a chicken. Um, there's what's called variance application through the board of adjustment where they get to hear whether or not you could take that route, right? You could take that route to get a chicken or a rooster to get a rooster or a turkey. Um I don't know

with that there's a public hearing that occurs. Your neighbors would be invited to that that hearing. [snorts] So that would probably be the best option available to you as it currently exists if the board doesn't want to entertain changing code. Um the board can't grant you to have a chicken outside of actually changing code to make chickens permissible. So the board of adjustment would be the route to go. It was a silly thing to bring, but you know it's like it's an investment. Yeah. And I think you guys know like we worked with you before that like we want to help as much as possible. We just have to try and you know make sure everybody's happy.

All that it's just it's really hard, you know, you raise me some chicks and you watch them get destroyed. It just [snorts] I used to hate chickens and I used to run two months ago and you know she changed me. It's not her fault. So like I said our my neighbor has chickens too apparently. I believe they had six which was over the limit and uh uh their German shepherd must have read the ordinance because he took care of it and got the numbers back down to an acceptable level. All right, we appreciate your time. Thank you and have a great week. Yes.

All right, move on to public hearing. We have none introductions and first reading. Council bill number 2026-1, an ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute a development agreement for Forest Park 3 with Corey Meyers Development LLC. Staff report, please. The item before you is for a development agreement with Cory Myers Development LLC. Uh the developer has worked with the adjacent property owners to secure some easements for a future road to service Force Park phase three. Uh the agreement before you just outlines the city's acceptance of those easements and the terms of the agreement for the future development of Forest Park 3. That is really it in a nutshell. Any questions for staff? Um you said this is already obtained the

so he has negotiated the easements. They are here before you uh to be accepted from J AJ LLC and SGD LLC, the adjacent property. He's gone out and facilitated the acquisition of those easements for his access. He'd like the city to accept those easements so that when Force Park 3 is built, they can construct a road for that development. Wasn't there some discussion about will this landlock any of their the neighboring properties if is this in the the same location that was originally it moved to the south correct

so there'll be a resubmitt of a plat to account for that change PNZ to review and then board or board of alderman to review and approve as And the purpose of bringing it up now before it goes to PNZ.

The information that was given is that they'd like to have the easements secured prior to reworking that plat engineering surveys and services. Um yeah, like Kyle said, the reason reason being that we want to secure this easement prior to bringing the preliminary revised preliminary plat before planning and zoning in board. Um Cory doesn't own the property to the west. He doesn't own the ranking property. So he by himself cannot secure any of this right away to the west. Um he's worked out a deal currently with JJ and SGD to secure the easements across that property. Um it if we were to revise the preliminary plat bring that back before the board before we secured this easement those property owners could change their mind and we would be back to square one with having to start the process over again. So it really only makes sense to do this first, secure the the second rightway access point and then move forward with further development for park phase three.

Now does this easement cut across the neighboring that property and is there any left to the north? So is it or is it right on the property line? Property line. Southern property line.

So it's on the southern property line. So there's two lots there that are I think 3A and 3B maybe of forest or of rank and plat three. So it's it's along that same property. There are there are lots up to the north behind Ranken that have accessment to them currently. Original orientation of that street was along the north property line. As I've said, Cory Cory doesn't own those properties, so he can't control where he where he's able to get that access even.

Okay. But it is just full disclosure. It is our intent to bring um a future hearing reszoning for for park phase three back to R1, but that'll come before you at a future date as we move forward with development of of phase three. Okay. All right. Can I get a motion to approve council bill number 2026-1, an ordinance authorizing the mayor to excuse H execute the development agreement force park 3 with Corey Meyers Development LLC. So moved. Have a second. Second. Alturn. I Lewis. I alra

I bill. I motion carries. Council bill number 2026-2, an ordinance accepting an easement for the right away per purpose. This is the ordinance to accept those easements. All right. So, uh, can I get a motion to approve council bill number 2026-2, an ordinance accepting the easement for right away purposes? So, move. Have a second. Second. Al Ranc. I bill. I Lewis.

I turn. All right. Council bill number 2026-3. An ordinance authorizes the mayor to execute an addendum to the contract between city of Nashville and ML M and M landscaping and construction. Staff report please. Uh the ordinance before you is to release MMLC MMLC from their contract with us for the Caspian and Oak Street project. Uh just due to time delays, that original contract had a December completion date. Um they're into the new bidding season. they would like to bid on other work and be free from this obligation. It's not to say that they won't come back and do it for us later if we rebid it, but for the time being, they would like to be released from that contract. There was a minor language change uh to the agreement addendum that came across today that simply added [clears throat] that we'd also release them from the bond that they put up for this project. So, that is what we have on that item. Any questions for staff? Can I get a motion of approving? Council bill number 2026-3 ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute the addendum to the contract between the city of Ashlin and him and him landscaping. So moved a second

second. Alman Ranc. Hi. Alman Bill. Hi. Alman Lewis. Hi. [snorts] Alman. Hi. All right. Old business. Ordinance number 1541. An ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute an addendum to contract between the city of Ashland and Eminem. Second read. All right. Thank you. Can I get a motion approving ordinance number 1541? The ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute the addendum to the contract between the city of Ashlin and M&M M&M landscaping. So move second. Second turn. I ran I Lewis. I bill I want to move business.

[clears throat] Resolution number 2026-4 resolution of the city of Ashlin, Missouri for the creation and directing of sub subsequential planning committee. Can you say that really fast? Centennial.

Centennial. Thank you. So I know Dice messaged us a number of meetings ago. Our 150th anniversary is coming up in next year, 2027. We'd like to formally start a planning committee for that. [snorts] that does take action from the board to create that committee. We'll come back. You know, we'll put out our normal board and commission application, ask for volunteers to sign up to serve on that committee so we can bring it back to you guys for approval during our normal uh business meetings to make some appointments there. Just briefly kind of threw out some thoughts on the uh the staff report and as well on the resolution. Obviously, we can change, add, subtract, whatever we'd like from that since we don't really have anything like this and have never done anything like this. But it's time we start planning. That's at this point uh assuming we shoot for on or around May 17th as something formal of next year. You know, got a year and a half to to get something sorted out. We have done some research on what some other communities in Missouri have done for 125 year and 150 year celebrations. So, um, we can at least give some examples to a planning committee. We'll try and form that planning committee up like many of our other boards and commissions similar in the the size and disposition of that that committee, have them elect chair and vice chair, be empowered to bring recommendations to the board for approval is kind of the intent there. They won't have any independent spending authority, but at least have a planning committee that can come make presentations to the board and uh proposed budgets for some type of celebration next year.

I know I talked to a park board the other day and they're all for it. There's two or three of them that would like to join. And that's I think what would be best is trying to pull uh from members of park board and [clears throat] planning zoning board adjustments if they have desire to serve some of those members that are already serving on other commissions to to to also serve on this one. Good. And obviously if anyone from the board has a a desire to participate that'd be good as well. Any questions for staff? All right. Can I get a motion approving resolution 2026-4 resolution for the city of Ashlin for the creation and directing of the suspect the planning committee? So move a second. Second.

All in favor. All right. Moving on to reports. Uh just a couple things. Uh just doing a followup on 207 Collins Court. Uh do we have any issues there or that been refresh. Uh, parking in the grass. Uh, four or five cars. 207. 207 Colins Court. I don't think I have anything for you. Just Just circle back to that. And then, um, the address again. I'm sorry. 207 Collins Court.

Um, I had a resident ask me about a championship sign, you know, like all the the [snorts] stuff we win through the school. Uh, have you seen anything like that on highways as far as hey, you know, city of Bashman has 2026 this, 2024 this? My most recent experience with that? Uh, the last community I work for, the athletic boosters put one up at the entrance to like their sport complex, which probably wouldn't necessarily work up there, but they had a a sign like that. So, we're going to [snorts] try and do anything on 63. I think

yeah my hometown it's it's on the side. Yeah, we can do it up there by like scooters out right away. We need a bigger sign. Anything probably is going to be out right away too. Unfortunately, that's true. So, um do they have the school have anyone in mind that's working on this or what? No, he just reached out to me. figure out something somewhere, I'm sure.

All right, I'll let them know. And that's my report. City administrative report. Uh, a couple things. I know we've talked about ebikes quite a few times. Uh, the park board still has an interest in doing something, so they will eventually come back uh to you guys with more formal report of what they'd like to do. Uh, I know they discussed it at length their last meeting about banning certain classifications just uh two and three. So, the ones that specifically class three is the one where it's just strictly an ebike, I believe. Then two is a pedal assist, but reaches a higher speed. So, they want to leave it open for for class one, which is like 20 mph and below is is the max limit for those. as you get in some of those higher classifications is also at the point where, correct me if I'm wrong, you start classifying as motor vehicle versus not.

As long as they've got pedals, they're like class three, that's a straight up motorcycle. It's just like No, Class 3's got to have pedals, too. If it if it doesn't have pedals, it's just a motorcycle, period.

Yeah. So, class three has no pedal. It's solid electrical propulsion. There's no pedal assist to it. or class two, one of the one of one or two, I don't remember which one, but so they're they're interested in banning those higher speed classifications that class 3 can go above 28 mph, class 2 can go up to 28 mph, something along those lines. So they have an interest in and still looking at that. So they will they will [snorts] come back with uh a more explicit request of the board. Uh in the meantime, we are still reviewing not only the park rules, but also our model traffic code just to make sure these ebikes are properly defined in code where they need to be. uh and municipal infractions can be written as needed where they currently uh are able to.

Didn't we receive an email from a citizen? We did also last week or the week prior receive an email. I think Dice got a text and I got a follow-up email about a a gentleman that uh almost had a vehicle on ebike incident right here in front of city hall and then further down the stretch. Largely just due to the use of these by by young children not observing uh when they're crossing the road and whatnot. and making uh rapid movements off the sidewalks and into the streets when they shouldn't. So, I mean, there are some consistent issues with them. [snorts]

Other than that, other than that, we did a close out with Gway Bank last week, took over the other half our building and did some clean up in there. Thanks to Shelley for leading the efforts. Uh Scott was able to outfit himself with some new furniture as well. Um, I sent this out via email already, but the the MML legislative conference is on February 17th. That's usually like a 10:30 to 2 longer lunch hour type thing uh down in Jeff City. So, if you'd like to go to that, please reach out so I can get you registered. Is there a deadline for registration?

I am sure there is. food. It's not before next meeting though, is it? I don't think so. Okay. Ask some questions that actually matter here. Yeah. Yeah. Let's talk about 17th. 17th. Yeah. It's which it always falls on a Tuesday. We have a meeting. Um, which is fine though because like I said, it's checkins at like 10:30 or 11 and it's over by about 1:30, 2 o'clock. Be two days back in Camcanned up. There you go. I'll be sunburned. I won't be damned. I'll shoot an email tomorrow. Okay.

Um Brenda, Kevin, and crew went out and looked at that sidewalk you brought up last time, so they've got it flagged. Um obviously, it's extremely cold right now, so we're not doing sidewalk work, but they're planning to get to it over the next couple weeks as it warms back up. Um, I'm going to steal a little thunder potentially from Scott's report, but we are trying to deep dive our our tickets and our revenues off those tickets when compared to our prosecutor costs. Um, court has changed up in in Boone County. It's now what every three months are we go out there. How how long is it between? It's spaced out. It used to used to be a lot more frequent, but it's spaced out substantially. And then obviously we've shift shifted from K's laws to to having Todd represent us up there. So just trying to make sure um that's sustainable. I can't talk about revenues and revenue projections here and raising revenues off tickets, but at least trying to make sure our prosecutor costs are are sustainable. So we're kind of deep diving some of the data that we have there to kind of figure out what's what's going on. our expenses are a little higher, not by much, but it seems our revenues have changed a little bit. So, we're trying to figure out what the root cause of that is. Um, so more to follow on that as we work through the budget process. That's all I have. All right. Skip city attorney for police. Chief M.

Yes, sir. So, we've uh we're in the middle of we've converted. We've long had a basically a a booking area and a holding cell that we've never used. We've never had a policy for that. It's a level of liability that we just don't want. And so, we've always taken custody arrest up to the sheriff's department anyway. And so, with the help of public works, we have been, I think, very imaginative and getting this done low cost. and converted that space into record storage. Our new clerk is diligently working to greatly reduce the amount of paper that we're we've got some I mean parking tickets from 1982 that we are in the process of making sure we're doing it legally and properly getting rid of condensing that stuff and moving that over. And then we've converted the the room that was record storage into room for our two supervisors. So they've got a separate office from the from the officer squad room which they need and um so far it's working out well. We're going to be able to do it very very efficiently and very cheaply and um it's working out working out well so far. So that's in progress. Our hallway is a little bit of a mess right now. It looks like we're moving but um we're just rearranging. So um you've got my our monthly stat report there. Uh only thing I just want to point out there and again this is all matter of opinion but we've had some concern of course over the last few months over u deployment of cops and ge geographic location of enforcement and like on page [snorts] they're not there but it's the traffic stops page we have a

page seven sort of the heat map there with yeah I'm sorry it is page yes sort of a heat map with uh where the traffic stops happen and as you can see um I think they're very well distributed of course more them in town scattered up and down the highway. Um, and just to clarify when that shows count, this shows the locations of the actual stop. It's not necessarily the location of the violation. So, like we're not stopping people for county road violations. That just might be where they wind up getting a car stopped if that makes sense. Right. If you have someone speeding in town and we don't get them stopped till we're out of town, that shows us an out of town traffic stop at the violation in town. So, um,

Chief, just for the record, could you read us those numbers, um, off of page seven?

Well, the total traffic stops for the month were 82, 49 were on surface streets, basically what we would consider in I mean, all of them are in Ashlin, but what we consider offhighway stops on surface streets in Ashlin, 30 on Highway 63, and then three on the county roads. and the county road ones. Those could have been actual violations in either place. You know that depending on where the violation was and when you get people stopped. You can picture, you know, just here in front of the high school. Let's say you don't have to go very far north and suddenly you're on a county road, right? So that might show where the location was whereas the violation is in town. So yeah. So 82 total, 49 um off highway, 30 on the highway. Does that answer your question, sir Al? Okay. But other than that, I think the report's the usual and um anytime you have questions about it, we welcome them. We'd love to uh explain and fix up if we can't explain. So, thanks. Move on. Community development. What's in your packet? Any questions? I will add that club car wash is getting close.

What the opening or I haven't been out there. Just started. No, it's not started yet. For those that aren't aware, it's it's not started yet. There's a pressure washer. Yeah. [laughter] Can you say the word cesquisentennial for us? I cannot. Thank you. All right. Thanks, sir. Moving on. Treasure report.

Uh, my report this time is pretty lengthy. Everything was in your packet. Uh, I just want to go over a couple different things. The [clears throat] first part of my report is the budget preparation schedule. Um, for the new alderman this year, uh, we have budget workshops, uh, at 6 pm and they will be on the February 3rd, 17th, March 3rd, and March 17th. If everything goes as planned, then we will finalize and close out fiscal year 26 on April 7th and finalize and adopt 27 on April 7th. Um and then the budget book itself will be submitted to the GFOA uh May 29th. Uh key considerations for this year's fiscal budget, we have uh some state legislation impacts that may occur in the next year or two. So, Alderman Beal, I would be very grateful if at some point we could have some insight on what you think those might be.

Yeah. Um and then also I wanted to add insurance. So it is verified that our liability casualty and property insurance will go up 30%. Um so far it looks like our current uh uh policy will stay in effect. Uh I don't think that uh we'll have anybody else that will be bidding on it. uh our workers compensation insurance should stay relatively steady in expense from last year. It may be reduced as our mod is reduced uh this this fiscal year. And our health insurance premiums, I originally thought they were going to raise about 24%. We met with our broker last week. They're going to raise 9%. However, she was able to get Miwa uh to give her a quote back. and Miwa is a multiple employer welfare arrangement through uh municipalities in the state of Missouri. And so Kyle and I are going to look over that quote tomorrow. Um if it looks good, it could be significantly less than even the 9%. So that is very good news for us considering most employers are having some issues with the health insurance costs that are coming up this fiscal. uh salary and benefits is exactly what we what we had discussed earlier this year. 2.9 cost of living adjustment and a 0 to 1.7% merit increase. I don't have the logger numbers yet and probably won't until the end of the week. Um I do anticipate that we will deficit spend at the close of this fiscal year out of the water fund and general fund and possibly the sewer fund. I'll know more next month if I think that's going to be an option. And

then the city currently has $40,000 in delinquent utility payments. Um I will tell you that we are working with the credit reporting agency. Obviously delinquent accounts are only good for your credit report for seven years. Uh but we will be uh researching some other ordinances. I have Stuart at ML Mm or MML looking into some other municipality ordinances for me. Um, and I'd like to I'd like you guys to kind of digest this and think about it as I may introduce an ordinance that because 90% of this $40,000 is from rental property. Renters are moving out, they're not paying their utility bills. So should the landlord then be responsible for that? Um so that's some things that we're investigating in order to be able to recoup uh what we are owed. And then uh of course the major cost drivers for fiscal year 27 is going to be our increased property casualty and liability insurance costs, salary and benefits to be able to retain the employees that we have and then sewer system repairs of the existing infrastructure. Those are going to be our main things. Um, as the city administrator uh reported earlier, uh, the Callaway Bank has moved out and so guidance from the board. Again, we'd like you to digest this information and come back with us with some ideas. There are several options that we can explore here with the Callaway Bank moving. Uh, we lose $38,400 uh, in revenue in the general fund. Uh option number one is advertise that area for lease again and I would recommend if we do that to do a three-year lease. Um option number two

is advertise a partial area either the city administrator's uh office and reception office upstairs and then he moves downstairs. um or we portion off the three existing actual offices that are down here that were part of the Callaway Bank lease. And then option number three is we use it to expand. Now, we will have to expand by the end of that three-year period. Um, we thought about doing, well, we would like to do UB billing over there and then have building permits and business business licenses over here. um expand the C counter area on that window so we can have more than one customer at a time filling out paperwork or talking to a utility billing clerk, things of that nature, and then use the back offices for the utility billing supervisor and somebody else. Um so those are kind of our three options uh that we'd like uh that are available to us. So, I'd like you guys to kind of digest that and maybe the next meeting when we sit down and talk and we at the end of our budget workshop kind of get a consensus on what you think would be the best for that. And that's all I have.

Thank you.

Moving on. Board of Reports. Uh, all right. Uh the only report I have is uh some residents on Pacer said Pacer Drive is a mess. When you enter it from Martha Crump, there's a big hole. You go down in the middle, there's a big hole. And then you go down next to Justin Lane, there's two big holes. And I went down it. And he's not kidding. There really is. So that's on my report. [snorts] Alman Lewis, no report. Alman Turner,

no report. Alman,

I have a constituent who has reached out a few times about um Oak Street and so he's having some issues with cars speeding down it a lot. And um I know he said that the police are doing a great job patrolling, but there's not a great spot for them to sit to really radar where the people are kind of speeding as they come up through there. So, we would be willing to look at ways to possibly, you know, slow down some of the speeding on Oak Street. Um, he's re he's asked for speed bumps. I know there was discussions last year about the speed bumps being an issue because when we do snow plowing, but just thinking of ways where maybe we could get the traffic a little bit more under control, I think would be appreciated by

thinking [clears throat] stop sign. I think that's it. Like, is the running the stop sign and then shooting up the hill or just, you know, kind of shooting out of there when they're or coming around that corner guess like they make that corner and then just hammer the gas going down the hill or something. Yeah, cuz there's children out there playing somewhere. Yeah, I can't imagine speeding down that street so tight. Yeah, I know. That's what I was thinking. Gosh. Well, I think that's the problem. They're kind of shooting it so quick and it's such a small street with, you know, there's no sidewalk so kids are walking down it and [snorts] Okay.

Thank you, sir. All right, moving on. General comments from the public. All right, I see none. And we're not going into close session tonight, guys. So, um, can I get a motion to adjurnn? So, move. Can I get a second? Second. All in favor? I