Board of Aldermen - Regular Meeting

where sewer and storm incidents actually exist. A manual push camera is also necessary for inspecting damaged sewer laterals and sewer cleanouts. This camera can also be used to locate sewer lines usually using a 512 hertz s that works with our existing locating equipment. This equipment records the footage to an internal or external hard drive and operates on lithium batteries. basically meaning AC or DC if no power is available. Funds for this purchase derived from the sewer capital that were redirected from the rehab of the existing crawler sewer camera system which we've had in inventory for over 10 years. This is a large a far larger expense than the one being um that expense is being delayed in order to get this smaller unit. Um, again, this is a super useful tool for locating as well. As you can imagine, all of our sewer lines are plastic or BCP clay and they cannot be located unless we insert a smaller camera like this that has the sand. The sand meaning that we can locate that from a frequency above ground. So, we put that in the line. We can locate above it with our existing equipment. So, um, is there any questions on this unit? This unit is uh the lower bid at $11,640. Again, the funds are being dived from the delay of the rehab of our larger sewer crawler camera. Any questions? Can I get a motion approving resolution number 2026-5, a resolution authorizing the purchase for of a sewer inspection push camera

for the sewer department? So moved. Second. All in favor?

I reports. I think it's fixed. All right. I got to look up something real quick for my report. Okay. All right. Um, I only had a few items here. Um, over the weekend I I've heard of a few cars break in through the neighborhoods. Uh, Liberty Landing, uh, Palamino, West uh, West Oaks and stuff like that. So, make sure you guys are locking your cars if they're outside. Um, and then if you have cameras on at night, please turn them on so I can help police department. Um, what is the My next question, Kyle, is what is the agreement between the county and the city for Hunter's Bin for the grading and snow removal and all that? Kevin, can you help me with that one? Hunter's Bin is in city limits. that is uh at times the county can do us a favor, but for the most part it's it's in our purview to maintain. Um aware of the the complaints up there. It is again a dirt road. We're going to do what we can. Last fall we added some rock. It's going to have to add we're going to have to add more rock to that as well and regrade. But um the sewer department is currently stretched out as much as we can. We're doing as much as we can right now. Um, we typically don't maintain dirt roads yet until it dries out. Um, but it will be serviced just like it always does. Um, I I saw the pictures. There are potholes. Absolutely. And that's part and parcel to

to dirt road maintenance, but um, we're going to have to add rock again and grade it, but we just have not. It could snow. That's where I'm going with this. Like, we could literally get snow in two weeks. I know it's wonderful weather, but typically we're not going to we're not going to get in detail on dirt roads for at least another month until we're out of the snow season. You don't have to wait two weeks coming Saturday. Saturday. There you go. So, for grassy, it can't be snowing. We're not going to do deep dives on the dirt roads yet. There there's if we add any rock to it now, it's it's

I wouldn't I don't think I would add rock to it now. project. Yeah. But uh but what have we heard anything from the county as far as their project as far as paving in roads in our area?

They I don't recall exactly what stretches are scheduled for their capital outlay this fiscal, but they're they're getting close to that area. Um, that's certainly something Kevin can explore with the county if it makes sense to try and budget to pave some of those gravel roads, but obviously the the priority that we've been focusing is the rehabilitation and rehab of existing paved streets. Um, we do have obviously a couple sections of gravel that eventually we'll try and take off uh that gravel list and and move to a paved surface, but that'll take a little more heavy planning and outlay than just coming in with a mill and overlay project. Um, I'll leave it to Kevin to kind of explore that with the county and try and figure out something that might make sense for for future plans. Obviously, the the county's prerogative is to pave every county road in the county. So they they slowly chip away at that on a yearly basis. I think the last time we revisit it, there was a bit of a challenge in trying to get on a cooperative contract with them uh to do that, but uh we'll continue to explore that as a potential option to to drive down some costs on trying to pave some of our existing gravel roads. Uh the big issue from a maintenance perspective is the the ditching of those roads. I think Hunter Ben is a prime example where you really just don't have sufficient ditch. So you've got a lot of that water and moisture that just sits on that road deck at all times. Maybe we'll reach out to the county commissioner.

The crown of the road needs to be real established as well. If we attempt to discarify it, basically, you know, to grade it, it's it's just got to balance because there is enough road base there to scarify. So, all right. And then last year we did a great job on curb and gutter on projects last year. When will that start off this year? A matter of weeks. Matter of weeks. Yep. We're in contact with a contractor. He said he's going to finish that contract uh by the turn of the FY. So, and he's he absolutely is tracking on that. So, he will return. And then I noticed you fixed the sidewalks in Justin. Great job over there doing that. Uh and I noticed that we got some paint on the hair studio next door.

Yep. Working with them. They're next. They're next. Yes, sir.

All right. Thanks, sir. That's my report. City administrator report. Uh, I sent out an email already, but just as a reminder, you have the annual member meeting and awards for the Southern Moon Chamber coming up on March 11th from 5 to 7:30 at the Hartsburg Grand. If you'd like to go to that, let us know so we can get you signed up to go. Other than that, had a good day down Jefferson City with Alderman Turner. We went to the uh 56th annual Missouri Municip Municipal League Legislative Conference. uh spent the lunch hour down there um meeting with some of the other local elected officials as well as hearing from uh Missouri Municipal League on relevant legislative updates and their lobbying efforts on behalf of municipalities in Missouri. Um Alderman Turner and myself also spent a good deal of time at the capital were able to spend some time with Alderman Beal were able to get meetings with Representative Martin. Ran into Senator Weber as well. So had some good conversations about all things happening in Boone County and most specifically the the needs of Ashlin. So good use of our our afternoon down there. Recommend if you have the availability to go to that conference in the future to please be sure to let us know to sign you up when that comes about. It's every February usually falls on the same Tuesday as our second meeting of the month. Um short commitment check in at 11, usually home by 2:30, 3 o'clock depending on how long we spend up at the capital complex meeting with our elected officials. So, good information to be had. I'll uh send out an update just some of the uh legislative priorities for Missouri Municipal League just so you're kind of tracking on some of the efforts that they're working on on our behalf. So, turn

I do have a couple things. First of all, glad to be back. For those of you all who haven't met me, I'm Nathan Nicholas. Uh I'm the head of our Jeff City office, which is smaller now. Uh but we still have two attorneys there. I'll probably be covering all of y'all's meetings from now on. That's kind of how we decided to work it out. Um, couple things. First of all, legislation. Uh, taxes is a big issue in front of the legislature. Uh, they want to cut taxes, which, you know, everybody know, yay, cut taxes, except that's the revenue that we use to fund things. And the, uh, the state always has sort of a desire rather than to cut their own taxes to cut our taxes. Um, so they're looking at property taxes, which is not a huge issue for the city. It's bigger for the school districts. Uh, but they're also looking at uh raising the uh sales taxes. So, the state does have a sales tax, which is 4% I think. Um, and so they're looking right now at cutting exemptions on that, but I think down the road if they eliminate the income tax and have to raise up the sales tax to make up for that, that will make it more difficult for us, you know, to get any new sales taxes pass because it just pushes up that whole number. Um, also, uh, interesting case came out just yesterday. There's different names of these. I call them the gray machines. talking about these uh fake slot machines. Um and so a federal court in Missouri has ruled that they are illegal. Um and so that's that's great news. Uh we can kind of maybe think about what we want to do. Uh Attorney General Hannah announced today that she's going to start cracking down on them. Um, you know, she's starting in Dunland County, which I don't really even know where Duncan County

Missouri bootill Missouri. Okay. Yeah. Starting at the bottom and working up. So, we're in the middle. So, we got

Yeah. I don't know. We may want to think about, you know, what we want to do and, you know, we'll kind of keep an eye on that case. At the same time, the legislature is working on their own legislation on those great machines and uh their idea is the opposite, which is to legalize them and tax them. So, it'll be interesting to see how all that plays out. I think our advice, you know, has always been for you guys not to not to really go after those because it's just too expensive to take on the kind of money that they have. Uh but now there may be more people doing that and maybe the possibility of joining in on something. So we'll got to keep our eyes open for all of that. And uh that's about it.

Thanks, sir. Welcome back. Police Chief M. Trivia tonight. Nate and I were high school classmates and I was born in Duncan County. So I know right where Duncan County is. Where where was you born? Uh, you can, but mom and dad lived in Hornersville. If you go if you step outside of my grandparents house in Horsesville and Thor Rock South, it lands in Arkansas. That's how far down it is. So, I wouldn't tell too many people that, bud.

We thrive on being underestimated. I'll tell you that. So, um, I I would The other thing about cars, we still struggle. I'm begging people when they find people that have rifled through their cars at night to call call and report that stuff. They love to report it on Facebook. They hate to report it to the police and I I can't understand that. We had a incident this weekend that was super super suspicious.

I mean, begged a 911 call and it was reported in person two days later and we can't do anything with it. Right. And at that point, nothing. um the night of you make that phone call it that goes out on computer screens to police cars all over the county. Who knows what else is potentially linked to out of our jurisdiction. Um all sorts of of productive things can happen with that if people would just report stuff and help us track things. And so uh I say even if you don't think anything of value, if your car has been gone through, we you need to report that, you know, and so um we don't have much issue. Well, you don't have our packet, right? We are uh do we have the packet in there?

We got Okay. Yeah, please. The report's in the packet. Mine. I got left out. We're going to We did kind of an abbreviated version of that that we put out on Facebook. We're going to start doing that every month also. I've already got a little feedback on that positive thankfully. And um not a lot else that I can think of right now. I think we're we're holding steady. So, still trying to recruit. got one opening and again hopefully have two coming up. Chief, it's worth noting um I'm from the county just north Dland County. So, okay, I'm not too far from Arkansas either. I just don't tell people.

Well, see, you know, the old standard line, now this is dangerous, but there was at one point the education department, state of Missouri and state, my mom's family's market, dad's from Missouri. Education departments were collaborating. They were considered just drawing that state line right across cutting off the blue make it part of Missouri raise the average IQ both states. So we heard that the toothbrush was actually invented in Arkansas not the teeth caned anywhere else community it's in your packet. Anybody have any questions?

Trey, want report? I do not have a report. I'll be talking enough over the next couple of weeks. You'll probably be sick of me. So, all right. Moving on. Board of Alderman. Thank Lewis. Uh, I was born in Arkansas, but I don't have any other comments. All right. Alman Cobert no report Bill or Alman Turner.

Uh yeah, I just want to reiterate that Col and I went down to the capital today. Uh I want to thank Representative Martin for his time. He stepped off the House floor to meet with us. Um also like to thank Senator Weber for taking time to meet with us actually on the Senate floor which was really neat. Um I also got to take Kyle into the governor's office for the first time. So, that was nice. Governor wasn't there. We're not that cool. Um, and then I just want to thank city staff for working on this budget report. I know that takes a lot of your guys' time. Uh, we really appreciate uh the non-political way of saying this would be how you really dumbed it down for people like me who grew up close to Arkansas. I just want to say that acknowledgement to the work for the city that the city staff does is greatly appreciated. Thank you very very much. Thank you.

Well, I was born in East St. Louis, so would you no comment. So, so I got an email from uh Alison McAdams pertaining to the potholes on Pacer Drive that I had brought up before and she's wanting an answer and I don't know how to answer her. I didn't hear the name of the street. Pacer. Pacer. Pacer. Yeah, large scale pod hauling operations really haven't kicked off yet. Um, again, we're still a little bit earlier in the year. Um, as we talked about earlier, we're

doing concrete, uh, while the weather's good enough to do that, but that will begin. We've done some on Henry Clay, but, uh, the large scale pothole operations haven't even begun yet. We're so early in the year. We're going to let them get worse. See what I'm saying? Before we before we go out, h, we'll sit on basically go through every street and patch. There's three. There's there you turn into it and then one right in the middle and then there's two out on the other end by Justin. So yes, ma'am, we'll get them. You got a you got a contact with the state there on the roundabouts. I mean,

you won't ever catch me riding a motorcycle, but some of the cracks are getting big enough to where they could those really opened up in the last snow push. Yeah, ripped out some patches. I ain't coordinated enough. I won't be on motorcycle.

I do have a line of communications with them. Yeah, I can I can throw them off drop. Move on to general comments from the public. At this time, anybody from the public like to make a comment to the board of all, please approach the podium, state your name and address. Hello, I'm Megan Hernandez and I'm here on behalf of um our business and other businesses. Um home address is off of Crumb Clay, but this will be in pertaining to 503 South Henry Clay, which is where we have Jose Alapinos. Um I tried to put this into a three minute for also, excuse me if it's too much terminology in one second, but there's a lot of information here. So um growing forward means building economic stability from the beginning. Ashland has reached an economic threshold in many industries. Although surrounding areas are developing, but those areas are not yet filled with permanent residents to help build the economic market. It takes a required amount of people to business ratio in order for a business to establish and sustain a market. Simply put, not enough people to support multiple businesses of the same venture. In order for our city of Ashlin to continue growing forward, we should consider a strategic plan to balance the growth and stability of both the residential and business population that is currently established and those looking in our join market. Establishing a healthy business growth within the city is codifying provisions, meaning new ordinances into the existing codes. One way to protect your town's economic health is to limit how many standardized lookalike businesses can open so the local economy stays diverse, resilient, and uniquely local. These practices are common in larger cities, expanding into a suburb and small towns preserving their historical character. A smaller town has a finite amount of disposable income. When there is not an ordinance

that protects multiple or same in likenesses of businesses from opening, the finite income within a city gets stretched out and dilutes the existing pool. This does not generate more sales revenues for the city rather than stretching out the same result along with harming the outreach the businesses provide back into the community. Missouri shows a 68% of money spent at locally owned businesses stay within the community. National chains within those communities only stay around 43%. The multiplier range goes to between two can recirculate between two and four times more than a local economy than money spent non-local. That means that Ashlin relies on 25% more of all revenue from a small business and two times more the circulation rate versus a chain. The concern is not anti- business but pro- stability. With our growing community, we have and will continue to grow both residents and business in our community. But without the proper planning and ordinances to protect our current small businesses, we won't be a strong economic development, rather a downfall that trickles into our schools, charitable causes, and community gatherings. With each business that turns over in our community, the reputation of our town is growing with the risk of being made known that it cannot support economic growth. We also risk that if a small business cannot sustain and be protected in our community, Ashlin will become a corporate box of passroughs. Sorry, trying to get through all that. Basically, I am proposing that we start with our chamber, our um National Government Coalition, and the Southern Boone Economic Development Council as a form to reach into our businesses that we currently have. And from there, we create that form to get feedback on how we would like to see our current businesses and how they're established and what they would like to see within the community and how we can um basically adjust the the application process for new businesses within the community. Instead of the business licensing and application being an afterthought, kind of at the end of someone's venture into um the city, it

would be at the forefront like a business review. And again, this is very common in towns that are preserving historical culture or also cities that are doing suburbs. So these provisions already exist. It would just be how can we apply it to Ashlin so that we grow diversely and keep that money circulating versus multiple that just spreads us out and tears us down. Any questions? If you'd like, you can leave. There's a lot of information. Sorry. If you'd like, you can leave your prepared statement with Darla and she'll email it to the the board. It's fine. Yeah. Did a good job on three minutes. I'm sorry. You said three minutes. I just put it in there. Thank you. All right. Thank you.

All right. Any other comments from the public? Can I get a motion to go into close session to present chapter 61021 legal action calls on action litigation involving government plot? I get a motion. So I have a second. Second Lewis. Hi Alman. Albert. Hi. All right.

All right. This time we are back into open session and we have nothing to report. Can I get a motion to adjourn? So moved. All in favor? I'll second. Second. Second. All in favor?