The Reporter covers Miller, Morgan and Camden County in Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks and is published once per week on Wednesdays.
Published November 12, 2014
Camdenton Board of Aldermen actions Tues. Nov. 4
CAMDENTON - In other business at the Nov. 4 Board of Aldermen meeting:
* The city had whittled down the 10 applicants for its Five-Year Comprehensive
Plan to four companies.
Interviews with representatives from those four companies were held Nov. 3,
according to City Administrator Jeff Hancock, and a leading contender has
emerged.
Alderman Dan Hagedorn marveled at how all the committee members had ended up
listing the top two of four companies in the exact same order.
“Lo and behold we came out with the same person (company),” Hagedorn said. “The
top two were the same for everyone on the committee.”
Hancock said the city is now in negotiations with the company to iron out a
contract and hopes to be able to present one to the entire board in December.
The city did not want to release the name of the company until the contract was
created and presented to the board.
* City Administrator Hancock gave an update on the progress the city has made
with status of the unfinished Clint Avenue, Hazelwood Terrace and Poplar Street
projects.
Hancock said the city has received the preliminary engineering on two options
for Clint Avenue; basically with or without curbs.
“With curbs makes a lot of sense,” Hancock said, “and the cost difference is
negligent.”
He also added another option: “Should we be paying for the curbs and gutters or
should the residents also participate (in the cost)?” Hancock suggested city
officials meet with Clint Avenue residents to discuss their options.
The board had approved a policy for the acceptance of unfinished roadways and
infrastructure on June 17 after repeated pleas from residents living on those
roads.
According to Hancock, the policy outlines a procedure where the city would
consider requests from property owners for acceptance of roadways originally
platted as city streets.
“In particular it is where such roadways were started, but never completed or
accepted by the city,” Hancock said in a report to the board.
* The board formally approved Mayor John McNabb’s recommendation to appoint Todd
Davis as Acting Fire Chief and Mid-County Fire Chief Scott Frandsen as Acting
Assistant Fire Chief.
According to McNabb, Davis will be on call weekends and evenings - he has a day
job of Police Chief in Osage Beach - while Frandsen will be available during the
daylight hours.
The city has been forced to temporarily replace Fire Chief Drew Stark as he
continues to heal from injuries sustained in a freak automobile accident on Oct.
24.
A vehicle driven by Jacqueline G. Johnson, 52, of Camdenton was traveling at a
rapid rate of speed when it slammed into the east corner of the building where
Stark’s office is located.
Stark was pinned between his desk and the vehicle. He was eventually transported
by Staff for Life helicopter to University Hospital in Columbia.
* The city administrator praised the results of the recent audit review for
fiscal year 2013-2014. “It reflects a good financial picture for the city,”
Hancock said. However, he added that the one account that showed any financial
problems was water and sewer.
From there he spoke of the city’s water and sewer needs study, saying that the
study - recently completed by Darren Krehbiel Consultants - needed to be fully
discussed before any rate changes could be contemplated.
“Within the study, certain five-year projects could impact our previously
identified need for a water and sewer rate increase,” Hancock stated in a report
to the board. “After this discussion, we hope to move into a discussion on the
specifics of any possible recommended rates at a future board meeting.”
He did mention a possible $40,000 that could be added to the account from “rate
payers” as well as possibly going into debt to finish off some uncompleted water
and sewer projects.
Alderman Sandy Osborn advised caution.
“Baby steps,” Osborn said, “let’s watch the use of that ‘D’ (debt) word.”
Public Works Director Jeffries noted that many of the city’s water lines are
from 40 to 60 years old. “They’re way past their lifetime,” Jeffries said.
* The board gave first- and second-reading approval to an ordinance establishing
the city’s election procedures for the April 7, 2015 municipal election.
The positions in the April 2015 election include an alderman from Ward II and
III, two aldermen from Ward I, the mayor and a Special Road District R member.
Filing begins on Dec. 16, 2014 and ends on Jan. 20, 2015.
* The board voted to go into closed session “for the purpose of discussing legal
actions, causes of action of litigation….” No action was taken.
* Camdenton Airport Manager Corey Leuwerke was also present at the Tuesday night
meeting. He said he chose to attend just in case someone wanted to speak to the
board about the recent name change for the airport.
No one did, however city resident Max Fisher spoke out against it at the last
board meeting and has created a grassroots campaign - including a new website
and blog - in an effort to sway public opinion to change the board’s decision.
The board recently voted to approve changing the airport’s name from Camdenton
Memorial Airport to Camdenton-Lake of the Ozarks Regional Airport.
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