The Trenton Park Board will get nearly $18,000 in additional monies from an insurance settlement the city received for damages suffered by city-owned structures during a hail storm two years ago, but only after Mayor Gary Hall broke a 4-4 tie over the issue.
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The Trenton Park Board will get nearly $18,000 in additional monies from an insurance settlement the city received for damages suffered by city-owned structures during a hail storm two years ago, but only after Mayor Gary Hall broke a 4-4 tie over the issue.
During Monday night’s council meeting, council members split on whether or not to pay the park board the additional funds, which park board members believed they were owed because of money that was saved on costs by having park personnel do some of the repair work themselves. Figures provided by the city indicated the park board should be paid $101,238.94 of the $661,000-plus received from the insurance while the park board figures estimated the amount to be $118,689.50. It was the confusion about the numbers being used that led to the 4-4 tie, with those voting against paying the additional money stating they were unclear about the numbers provided by both groups.
It was noted that the city had been able to save considerable money by doing much of the repair work itself and as part of that work had been able to replace roofs on several city-owned structures. The money in dispute was to have been used by the city to help pay for a new roof and windows at city hall, which did not qualify for repairs with insurance funds due to the minor nature of the damage received during the storm. City Administrator Kerry Sampson noted that around $81,000 would be needed to replace the roof and windows on city hall and that if the additional $17,450.56 the park board was asking for were paid, the window work could not be done.
Dr. Nick McHargue, who made the motion to pay the park board the money, said he believed the money belonged to the park board because of a state statute that indicates that park board funds and properties are under the sole jurisdiction of the park board. It was noted that the state statute applied for taxing purposes only. Sampson said that all park board facilities were in the name of the city and that the insurance that covers those facilities is in the name of the city, with insurance policy costs to each city entity transferred from those budgets.
Councilman Chuck Elliott said he would like to know if the park board would be interested in helping the city pay for the work at city hall and said he would present such a request to the park board at its next meeting. He was unable to ask the question during the discussion as the question was called for by Councilman David Trickel, halting further discussion on the issue.
Voting in favor of giving the park board a $118,689.50 settlement were Dr. McHargue, Ed Holt, David Trickel and Greg Lamp. Opposed were Jackie Soptic, Steve Perry, Kenneth Ewing and Elliott. Mayor Hall was then called upon to break the tie, siding with the payment to the park board and stating he would like to see the park board consider helping the city with the work at city hall.
The city council approved an ordinance, extending the time for owners of specific dog breeds to meet requirements of an ordinance approved last month. Owners of Pit Bulls, Doberman Pinchers, Chow-Chows, Rottweilers and Akitas will have until Dec. 31 to have the dogs microchipped, spayed and neutered and insured as well as having pens to hold the dogs when outside. The vote was 8-0.
Also approved on an 8-0 vote was an agreement between the city and RDG Planning and Design to begin work on a Downtown Improvement Plan being put together in conjunction with the city’s DREAM application. Community Planner Sean Burge said the $25,000 needed for the plan had been raised by the city, North Central Missouri College, the Hoover Foundation and the Trenton Downtown Improvement Association and work is to begin soon, with the plan to receive its initial public unveiling at the city’s 150th Sesquicentennial Banquet on Feb. 27, 2007.
The council approved three appointments to the city Building and Nuisance Board.They include Dennis Morse, Forrest Foland and Pam Infranca. Mrs. Soptic, who serves as chairman of the board, noted the appointments meet the goal of the board to have at least one business owner, one landlord and an individual with structural experience as part of the board membership. They will serve two-year terms on the board with their terms to be determined at the next building board meeting.
The council approved a contract with Ace Pipe Cleaning Inc. to check a stormwater line in the area of Ninth Court and Grant, which Sampson noted has been the site of several stormwater problems. The company will already be in Trenton to do other work for Trenton Municipal Utilities and the street department will work with the company on the stormwater issue.
The mayor announced a decision regarding members of the public being able to speak at future council meetings. If an item is already on the agenda, members of the public will be able to address the issue without having to file a request with the city three business days prior to the meeting, as had been the previous policy. Hall said if there are several persons wanting to address the same issue, he would like to see them come up with one individual to be the spokesman for the group. Speakers would have a time limit of five minutes to address the council. Individuals wanting to discuss an issue not on the council agenda will still be required to file a request with the city three business days prior to the meeting. This is to allow the city council time to research the topic that is being requested for discussion Anyone addressing the council would be asked to identify themselves.
Perry asked, and the mayor agreed, that guests at future council meetings introduce themselves prior to the start of the meeting.
Council members were reminded that a retreat for the council would be held at 6 o’clock tonight in the enclosed shelterhouse at Crowder State Park.