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 it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. apparently got Mayor Shaman. All right, roll call. I want to vote Raven Craft here. Alman Cobert here. Alman Turner here. Alman Bill is absent and Alman looks here.

Can I get a motion approved of of February 17th, 2026 meeting, please? So moved. Have a second. Second. All in favor? I. Can I get a motion to approve tonight's agenda? So move and second. Second. All in favor?

Moving on to special items. We have Kip Batty from YMCA. Update. Please approach podium. State your name and address. Thank you. Kip Batty 15904 South Palace Nichols Roadsburg, Missouri 65039. Okay. Um, I thank you guys for allowing me to be here tonight along with Kelsey, our sports director. Um, give you guys our kind of our yearly update of the YMCA. Uh, currently right now we are at 10 full-time staff members and about 60 part-time staff members. Uh, Kelsey is one of our newest employees we hired uh last March. She's in charge of all the sports programs and everything. We're running over the city park and doing a great job. Um, membership right now is at an all-time high for us. We are currently at 2,29 units which is equates to 4531 individuals. Um again all-time high 6% increase from from last year to this year. Uh program wise on the sports side um NFL flag football and type of football team to be our largest programs followed closely by cheerleading. I believe we had 70 cheerleaders in our program this year. Um those are probably saw we just had uh state at the middle school and high school levels brought home state titles. So hopefully our cheerleaders are coming through the program and and turn in some some good results in. Um a couple programs in the works right now. We've got NHL street hockey that we're looking to start here at the Y hopefully here about next month. And I know Kelsey is going to talk to you guys tonight about sand volleyball over at the park. So looking forward to that program as well. Uh one of our newest program programs that we just were able to uh partner with the Optimus on is soccer. As of about 5 minutes ago, we are now currently rolled at 258 kiddos in our soccer program. So, uh, this has been something we've been working on for a while now, the Alchemist, and happy to collaborate with them and hopefully, uh, take this program to the next level. So, K doing a great job with that. Uh, health and wellness wise, hot yoga continues to be one of our our best programs. We have about 12 people in that class. Uh, per

class, Silver Sneakers continues to have around 25 participants in that class. Um, again, health and wellness wise, um, we're doing a great job and Jake's running our health and wellness programs and doing a great job at at the Y. We had Slowpix softball this past year at City Park, eight teams in that. Um, another fun year. Um, don't believe we had any issues. So, it was smooth. What was that? It was real smooth. It was real smooth. So, um, I believe we beat you guys a couple times. Oh, yeah. Great for us.

So, uh, all in all, nope. Again, a great year. I'm excited to continue that program this year. So, I'm looking forward to it. Um, childcare side, um, we were able to bring our wife club program to the school this past year, which at the welcome faith church, we have 38 kids and now the school, we have 105 kiddos at the school now. So, uh, was much needed and we're excited with that partnership with the school district. And by doing that, we were able to open up a CDC at the Walking Faith Church, which that's our our childcare development center of kids three to five years old. and we currently have 18 kids enrolled in that program with two openings right now. Um, summer camp registration just opened up yesterday. We have three sites this this summer. The American Legion Hall, uh, we're actually going to work with the school district again this year for summer camp. And then our Camp Mud in Columbia, which is our 60 acres outside uh, camp program. So, um, fundraising wise, this past year we were able to raise up $48,000 with our golf tournament, which is our best yet. Uh we were able to provide over 190 gifts this past Christmas to kiddos in the school district can't afford gifts. Working with the school district on that and I didn't find those kiddos that that were having um that were having a hard time of getting gifts. So excited about that and very very uh proud of that program we have. Um property wise we're able to complete our parking lot expansion um in December. Our $280,000 project is now complete and if you've driven by we have a new entrance as well. So, um, things are going well on that front. And, um, on the finance side, um, through programs, partnerships, we've been able to pay down our loan from $2 million in 20 2021 down to $870,000 now. So, uh, we have an aggressive timeline and try to get this paid off by 2029. So, with that, I also make an ask of you guys tonight to extend our contract uh, for another year of $15,000. Um again that money is going towards our programs helping um purchase supplies and and those items that we need for our

for our program. So um give thought to that and hopefully uh we can discuss that going forward. So any questions that I can answer. Are you looking at uh the trail development in the next year? We are. Yeah. We hope to start that the next couple months. You have questions talk. Yep. Thank you guys.

Hello Kelsey Williams. Um my address is 1401 East Highway MM Ashlin, Missouri. Um went there last November. So uh loving loving Ashlin. Love being here. Um again I am the sports director at the YMCA. I've been near a year March 10th, so coming up on that year mark. Uh I am interested in starting a threeon-ree sand volleyball league. Um the sand pit over there um is a little small for doing anything bigger than that. Um so maybe in the future looking to expand that as well. Uh but right now we want to do three out three sand volleyball for adults. U we would like to host that on Sunday evenings from roughly 400 pm to 900 p.m. Um and then that will run the hope would be the league March 29th through May 3rd skipping the weekend of Easter. Um and this would be co-ed volleyball but we would ask that um on those evenings if we could have alcoholic beverages um there. Of course, that is monitored by us at the YMCA and there is no we have a a hard uh line with not being silly um especially in the public and the park and being a part of the YMCA. So, um that's something that I ask of you all. And then um we will also be running a softball league and asking the same thing, but um I can come back whenever we get a little bit closer to that league. So

have you talked to the park board yet? I have not. I that is next week on Monday. So I will be at that on Monday as well to discuss that with them. Any questions? Thank you for all you do though. Yes. You know the the kids in the community. Yes. loving that we're going to get benefit from all of your guys' hard work. Both of you really. Awesome. Thank you. Thank you. Thanksgiving. Thank you, guys. Thank you. All right, we'll move on to Josh Kaplan from Home Perks Update Service. Yeah, thank you guys for having me back. Do I state my address as well?

Please. Okay. 222 West Brandon Road, Columbia, Missouri 65203. Thank you. And so I wanted to come in and help preemptively say I have a ninemonth old that is teething. So I slept for about five minutes last night. So if you see me struggling for words, that is why. Um but passing along some good news. We were about to have our first Ashlin Home Perk homeowner. Um I got the pleasure of speaking to the couple myself and she couldn't have been more excited for her and her husband. They have about $2,000 in savings. So they've always wanted to own a home. Did not think it was an option. And once they realized that they had access to Home Perk, they reached out and we got connected with a local realtor here, a mortgage loan officer, and they still sometimes check in with those people and said like, "Is this real? Is this actually going to happen?" Like, we turn their impossible into possible. Um, so it's been a great success so far. So then what am I back here today to ask you guys for? Well, what more could we be doing? Um, right now our program is compliant. with conventional loans and VA loans. About 46% of first-time home buyers use FHA loans to buy uh their their home. And that is because FHA can be a little more lenient on credit and debt to income. And so for a lot of first-time home buyers, that that's their only option. And we've always wanted to open up FHA, but all the other mortgage all the mortgage programs they have are their own rules. And so we would offer FHA if we could. Uh but we're working to uh be able to do that. Really all it takes is another resolution passed by you guys either appointing three members to our show home ownership assistance corporation or just reaffirming the current board. That would make that entity a section 115 entity under IRS code and makes it FHA compliant. And so that would give your guys employees now access to FHA loans as well, increasing availability and access to home ownership. But one thing we can actually

take that further and do is if you guys wanted, we could say everybody at in Ashland actually has access to home perk. Now, even if your employer hasn't signed up, so we don't have to go sign up the school. We don't have to sign up all the small businesses. We can say everybody in Ashland, let's say, has access to $15,000 through home perk. And Ashley could become the easiest place in Boone County to buy a home. And so that would be on the table as well. if that was of interest to you guys, this entity would allow us to open it up even without uh the employer tie. And so, yeah, I think we could really help a ton of people out and hope there's some interest from your guys' end on doing that and want to open it up to to questions for you guys.

Uh, if you were to go that route, would it even go through the city or would it go directly from the resident to you? So that we would still have the program with the city and your like let's say the city employees would have no cap on what they could borrow. They could borrow. They could go buy a $500,000 house. The down payment would be higher than that 15 grand and they could cover their entire minimum down payment. Um what we could offer to the city and 15,000 is a subjective number I pulled out of thin air. But I also the majority of homeowners could access home ownership or the majority of people that want to buy a home are just $10,000 short of getting into a home. So it it is actually a a number that has a lot of relevance in the industry. And so those individuals necessarily would not need to go through the city. We could create a different l landing page for them to go through. Um they would get access to the same service, credit help, all the other benefits of it. Um, but we could open it up as mentioned to, yeah, anybody that's looking to own a home in Ashlin, whether they're moving here from someone else, somewhere else, already live here and want to buy here. Um, any of those options.

U, I say big thing is send me paperwork and we'll start the staff review of what you're thinking or what the proposal is. So, okay. Ask the questions that need to be asked. Awesome. And our attorney on it's a gentleman by the name of Don Harris. um he built in the 90s and early 2000s the largest FHA down payment assistance program that has existed to date. Um he had said if you guys didn't want to be in person, he'd be happy to fly fly in for it. So, um I can get that paperwork over to you guys and just let me know if you have any followup questions. Thanks, sir. Thank you, guys. Have a good night.

All right, move on. App appointments to boards and commissions. We have none. Schedule public comments. None. Just a reminder that all public comments need to be into the city clerk Wednesday before the meeting date. Public hearing none. Council bill number 2026-7, an ordinance approving the proposal with Vizu Sewer LLC for the CIPV National Installation Sewer Cleaning CCTV Inspection Service. Staff will please. Thank you, mayor of the board. I uh in my reams of paper don't have that. Does anyone have I got been trying to load it on my phone for the last 3 minutes that that uh cover sheet and it's still working.

Thank you sir. So this is regarding an authorization to proceed with a cured in place uh CIP pipeliner project in an effort to mitigate a failed sewer pipe sections in that were identified in the 2021 INI study from BART West. This project would install a structural pipe liner in a number of pipe sections in town that are known to have a history of backups, root intrusion, and groundwater infiltration. Drawing from information gleaned from the BART West study, um a list of aging sanitary uh pipe sections were grouped together and advanced as a CIP rehab project. These sections are historically again known to have structural defects, cracks, root intrusion and costly groundwater infiltration. Remember every gallon of ground groundwater that either inflows or is infiltrates into sewer pipe, we have to treat and that treatment costs chemicals and it costs electricity at the wastewater treatment plant. These sections total 1,851 linear feet of structural 8 in pipeliner. These sections were targeted in something you could call a worst first priority. The the main sections are the first the Sarah Drive area. Number two, the Oak Street area. In your handouts, there should be maps. And number three, the Celinda Drive area. The pricing for this project utilizes P piggyback pricing from the city of Fulton, Missouri, and a 2025 term bid, making it not necessary for Ashlin for us to go out and procure our own bids. The project is considered step two in a 10-year plan as described in the 2021 INI report. Step one being the DNI plan

itself. That plan describes an inspection repair approach to solving our INI issues. This approach is that projects be treated as a yearly management and maintenance program rather than a large and overwhelming project that would be difficult to fund in a single candle under a year. And in fact, that'd be impossible to do in one year. They it couldn't even be facilitated or we couldn't afford it. So again, the BART West study was done in 2020 and 20 uh 19 and 2020. uh it was actually delivered in in 21. That plan stated there should be a 10-year basically approach, a step-by-step approach to to basically tackling our our sewer infrastructure and more importantly the INI issues that we have. And so again, this is step two, the first one we brought uh forward as a project. Um, if approved, substantial completion this project is expected by fall, probably summer, end of summer by 2026. The short-term impact is $78,655. It says estimated because there could be some overages. Um, but that that that is an estimate. Long-term, this mitigates the known sewer line failures that could potentially expose the issues to future liabilities. reduces the city's inflow and infiltration problem and I recommend this project wholeheartedly. Is there any questions on this? It's a big one for me.

Can I get a motion approving council bill number two 2026-7 and an ordinance approving the proposal for with Vizy Vizu Sewer LLC for the CIP National Installation Sewer Cleaning A second. I'll second Lewis. Hi. Alman Cubbert. Hi. Turn. Hi. And one RA. Hi.

Moving on to old business. Ordinance number 1546, an ordinance adopting and enacting the new city code in city of Ash. Again, this is last meeting. This will be the the second reading of an ordinance to adopt the new code book. Just as a gentle reminder there, that was a project that commenced back in 2021 to take our code book dating back to 2002ish and take all the ordinance that have been passed in that time frame and then codify them into a new comprehensive and complete city code book. Uh after this ordinance is adopted in final form, we will pass that back on to the contractor and they will produce the the digitized version which will be hosted on our website and remove the uh the individual PDF chapters and put it as a a searchable hosted code. Obviously, we've passed ordinances in the meantime. So, those will go forward as a a routine codification project. Uh the goal to be avoiding doing one of these multiple tens of thousands of dollar projects every 10 years. We want to stay on top of it, make sure that code book stays up to date as possible. So, we'll probably looking at a, you know, quarterly or a bianual codification depending on the the workload that that you as the board do for the passage of ordinances. But, you know, the goal is wrap this project up, get it hosted on the the website with that new searchable hosted code uh and keep it as up to date as possible so we have uh a consolidated version of our city code that's accessible not only for staff use but just general public information as well. Any questions for staff?

Cop. Yes. Can I be a motion to approve orders number 1546? An ordinance adopting and enacting the new city code of city of B. So I have a second. Second. Alone Colbert. I Rcraft. I Lewis. I turn. Hi. All right. Or number 1547, an ordinance approving the uh proposal of a busy sewer LLC for CIP. Second read.

Second read of that ordinance. If you need anything additional out of Kevin, he can I don't think we do. Can I get a motion approving ordinance number 1547 and ordinance approving the proposal with Vy Vizu Sewer LLC for CFP? So move a second. Second Cobert. I Lewis. I long ter

I cring on new business a resolution number 2026-6 a resolution approving the electrical installation services for three lift stations control panels staff report please thank you again mayor and board u I'm seeking authorization to approve the electrical installation of three list station control panels by Kaiser Electric of central Missouri in the amount of 342 $250. These were the previously approved lift stations for Parks, Celinda, and uh just lift stations. The previously approved lift station uh control panels have been fabricated and delivered to the city. The electrical installation of those panels um recorded here to include removal of the old control panels, new physical disconnects, and new generator plugs. The low quote for this work force was from Kaiser Electric of Jefferson City at $34,250. The high quote was almost double at $60,900. Uh Kaiser Electric, who I've never used before, comes well regarded and is utilized heavily by MDOT. Uh so I came across them um in throughout central Missouri. I recommend approval of the low proposal as quoted.

All right. Thanks, sir. Any questions for staff? How are we doing on like budget-wise? You know, we got 80,000 here, 30,000 there.

Yeah. So, I mean, sewer is historically a fund where we budget heavy on these uh routine maintenance or smaller capital projects. So, as you recall from uh I guess not this meeting, but the last meeting, we had uh some data on where sewer currently sits for the current budgets. I mean, we had budgeted, I want to say, in the ballpark of 300,000 across a couple of expense lines for these types of purchases. We ultimately have not spent down all that money. So, this is well within his spending limit on his current budget to try and spend down some of this money before the end of the fiscal and complete some of these other lower hanging projects. Um, historically, that sewer fund, we've had catastrophic pump failures to the tune of, you know, 30 to $80,000 pumps going down. So we we routinely budget a little heavy expecting catastrophe and we've been somewhat blessed to an extent this fiscal year.

On that last project that 78,000 bid you you don't expect it to come back at 120, right? No, absolutely not. No, it'll it'll be very close to that if not right out. I don't expect but it is still an estimate. Did you say you've already received the panels? Yes, sir. They're in stock, ready to go up anytime. Any questions? I get a motion approving resolution number 2026-6, a resolution approving an electrical installation services for three lift stations. I have a second. I'll second Brain. Hi. Alman Turner. Hi. Alman Cobert.

Hi. Al Lewis. Hi. Moving on to reports. Uh, just two things. Have we heard back from MODOT on the sidewalk by the post office? I know they did work out in front of here and then they all of a sudden stopped. Um, I don't know that we've had any direct com contact from them on that particular one. I'll follow up. Darren's kind of been the liaison on that punch list. So, I'll I'll circle back with you tomorrow.

It seems like they got part Yeah. and then left town again. And the uh second thing is the chamber's having their annual meeting on March 11th down at the Grand. If you want to attend, we let Kyle know so he can RSVP. It's from 5 to 7 next Wednesday. And then my report here, you're planning on going to that? Yes, I need to get you Rick as well. Unless something better comes up. There we go. Could be better.

Okay. So, I was going to mention the annual supper, but or the annual dinner for the chamber, but DE beat me to that one. Uh Dice and I attended uh the Ready Quarterly event last week in Colombia where they talked about the impacts of the World Cup on Missouri and and how that could uh trickle down to some some uh you know guest stays and lodging improvements and whatnot in in Colombia. So a lot of excitement around World Cup. So, just was good to mingle with with the ready folks and and other members up there to kind of talk about that unique happen stance. You know, it doesn't come around often. Certainly doesn't come to United States often. I think last time was 96 98, something like that. So, it's been been a minute that we've had games here. So, a lot of excitement there. Um,

keep the bars open. Well, yeah, we'll be opening bars early and keeping them open late. Yes.

I heard that in the news today. um other happenings. So, as you recall back in in January, we had a SBDC put on a site workshop just to kind of bring in some of the the property owners in and around Ashlin to kind of discuss how properties actually move through the development process, what it actually takes to to market something for the work that Ready does, you know, the marketing for large scale commercial industrial investment. So, uh, we we had our first meeting last week with the property owner that is interested in exploring opportunities for their property. So, we'll be doing a an additional workshop for this particular property next week. Ready and ready site committee. They have some stakeholders that are that are members and on the ready board that uh they have placed into a site committee. So we we'll have some discussion around this property and what could be feasible and and how to approach advancing that property for commercial industrial development. So more to follow on that as uh information becomes available but very good things coming out of you know our continued efforts to to work closely with ready. So uh other than that as reported last month or last meeting we've been bidding out our trash services since that contract is set to expire towards the end of this fiscal year. received two bids back, one from Republic and one from Waste Management. So, we'll get those bids uh compiled and be prepared to present that information to the board at our next budget workshop and and talk about what we're going to do from a contract perspective. So, the bids don't differ a whole lot in terms of the residential service that that's being offered. So, um, it's the the extra services, the optional services where there's some some difference that the the board will want to discuss and have some conversations about. So, that'll be next budget workshop. That's all I have.

Thanks, sir. City attorney report. Nothing. Thanks, sir. Public works directors monthly.

Current projects in the streets department. The streets department has been focused primarily on concrete sidewalk repairs and crack sealing the last month. Sidewalk repairs have been mainly focused on the Justin Lane area and crack sealing has been recently on the Johnson Lane and surrounding areas to date and it's way over this over 2,500 lb of crack sealing has been put down. So they are out there moving when uh making hay when the sun is shining so to speak although it's not been shining. Uh this next item is actually in the sewer department, but we're so excited about it. We moved it up to the front. The final components of the wastewater treatment plants headworks repair project have been shipped and as soon as they land here, we're going to install that. It'll be the end of that saga. Uh under storm water, there's two failed storm culverts that have been identified for replacement later this year. in the parks department. A parks time uh maintenance employee will be posted this week. The position will cover mowing and general parks maintenance and activities this summer hopefully um through the season and into the winter as well if we can get that person to stick around depending on whether it's retired person or a young person. Depends on how that position gets filled. And then under the um wastewater treatment plant sewer department, the sewer department employee tender did a resignation last week. Uh we so we're going to have uh two postings for the sewer department open simultaneously. It'll be a sewer one and a sewer two position. The sewer two position was is intended to add for the added maintenance operations of the wastewater treatment plant expansion. The sewer one position replaces the recently resigned position. And quick update on the expansion itself. Treatment basins are poured and

undergoing hydrostatic testing needing basically make sure the pools don't leak. Um that's almost completed. The plant lift station wet wells being formed for concrete as well as the weir splitter box. Um, I intend here in the near future to put up some videos and pictures and we'll do a kind of a deep dive on the plant where we're at. We'll need some AB for that, but that'll be next month where we can take a deep dive where we're at. It's definitely time. It's been a lot of work down there. That's going well and still more or less on on schedule. So,

good stuff. Any questions? sidewalk in front of the uh beauty shop here. Uh it's uh coming. We're uh again crack sealing. There is a uh only a two-day window with the property owner. So when we can do that, um I can't tell you exactly when because of the rain this week that the concrete was was scrubbed, but I would say the next week or two would be fair to say we can get the weather. You're going to break it all up or not? I mean, It's all going to be broken up. Yeah, it's got weird angles to it if you've noticed.

Those have to be hand feathered. But uh the removal of it is a um the hard part. We can't leave it more than a day. They're businesses. We can't cordon them off parades. So, it's a it's a tight one. It's not like your standard sidewalk, but I think we can get them in as long as we have fair weather for the next week or two. uh streets superintendent coordinated with one of the business owners that uh I think a week or two. It's fair. Yeah. All right. Thanks, sir. Our supervisor report,

Mr. Mayor, members of the board, um my report is in the packet and I also believe the the report from last month, Kyle, is that still in the packet since that was cancelled a couple weeks ago. Any questions? Hey, sir. Alman Lewis, no report. Al Cobert, no report. Alman Ranccraft, no report. And Alman Turk, no report.

Any comments from the general public for the alderman? Can I get a motion to go into clo Can I get a motion to go into close session pursuant chapter 610-021 legal actions? So moved. I have a second. Second Lewis. Hi. Hi. Cobert. Hi. Hi.

Man, this is this is comfort. This is wide.

All right, we are back into open session. At this time, we have nothing to report. Can I get a motion to adjurnn? All in favor? I now