NEW MELLE BOARD OF ALDERMEN

MEETING

FEBRUARY 25, 2010

 

 

CALL TO ORDER – MAYOR JAN MUSKOPF CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 7:00 P.M.

 

ROLL CALL – ALDERMEN PRESENT:  DARLA GREEN, DON HENDRICH AND GARY SCHNEIDER. ALSO PRESENT:  MAYOR JAN MUSKOPF, POLICE CHIEF AARON BURKEMPER, CITY ATTORNEY STEPHANIE KARR, AND CITY CLERK DEEANN BURWITZ.  OTHERS PRESENT:  DIANNE SUDBROCK – BOONE COUNTRY CONNECTION. 

 

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – RECITED.

 

APPROVAL OF MINUTES – JANUARY 28, 2010 - ALDERMAN GREEN MADE A MOTION, SECOND BY ALDERMAN HENDRICH TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.  ON A CALL BY THE MAYOR FOR THE AYES AND NAYS, THE MOTION PASSED 3-0. 

 

FINANCIAL REPORT – JANUARY – THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT COURT REVENUE FALLING SHORT OF EXPECTATIONS DUE TO THE CANCELLATION OF THE DECEMBER COURT DATE.  CHIEF BURKEMPER AND ATTORNEY KARR EXPLAINED TO THE BOARD DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES THAT AFFECT THE DUE DATE OF PAYMENTS FOR FINES THROUGH THE COURT PROCESS MANY OF WHICH CAN BE SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THE TICKET WAS FIRST ISSUED.  THERE WERE NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS FROM THE BOARD.

 

POLICE REPORT – JANUARY – THE BOARD REVIEWED THE POLICE DEPARTMENT STATISTICS REPORT.  ALDERMAN GREEN MENTIONED THE NUMBER OF SPEEDING TICKETS ISSUED HAS DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM PRIOR YEARS AND NOTICED THAT MORE PEOPLE ARE INTENTIONALLY SLOWING DOWN WHEN ENTERING THE CITY LIMITS.  ALDERMAN GREEN STATED SHE WISHED WE COULD ENFORCE NO PASSING ZONES FURTHER OUT ON HWY D.  OTHERS HAVE NOTICED THIS TO BE A PROBLEM AREA ALSO. 

 

ALDERMAN GREEN QUESTIONED THE INCREASED NUMBER OF WARNINGS ISSUED THIS MONTH. CHIEF BURKEMPER STATED THERE ARE SEVERAL INSTANCES WHEN WARNINGS COULD BE ISSUED; SOMETIMES AN INDIVIDUAL MAY HAVE MULTIPLE INFRACTIONS FROM ONE TRAFFIC STOP AND A WARNING MAY BE NOTED ON A TICKET.  IF ONLY A WARNING IS ISSUED, THERE IS A SPECIAL FORM TO BE USED.  IT IS GENERALLY AT THE OFFICER’S DISCREATION WHETHER TO ISSUE A TICKET OR A WARNING.  ALDERMAN GREEN ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY KIND OF TRACKING SYSTEM FOR WARNINGS.  CHIEF BURKEMPER STATED THEY DO TRACK WARNINGS AND TICKET REPEAT OFFENDERS.

 

MAYOR MUSKOPF ASKED FOR A STATUS UPDATE REGARDING THE WESTERN HWY D CITY LIMITS.  CHIEF BURKEMPER STATED MODOT WANTS THE DISTANCE FROM THE OLD CITY LIMIT TO THE NEW CITY LIMIT MEASURED IN FEET.  A MEASURING DEVICE WILL NEED TO BE USED TO GET AN ACCURATE FIGURE FOR THIS.  CHIEF BURKEMPER ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE CITY REQUESTED A STEP DOWN IN SPEED LIMIT ON THE EASTERN HWY D CITY LIMIT AND MODOT STATED IT LIKELY WAS NOT SUBMITTED IN THE PROPER MANNER AND THEREFORE NOT ACTED UPON. 

  

MAYOR MUSKOPF ASKED THE BOARD TO REVIEW A LETTER FROM JOE BRAZIL FROM THE ST. CHARLES COUNTY COUNCIL REGARDING THE SHOULDERS FOR SAFETY PROJECT.  ALDERMAN SCHNEIDER MENTIONED THAT CHANNEL 2 NEWS WILL BE REPORTING ON THIS ISSUE MARCH 2^ND.  DISCUSSION EVOLVED AROUND THE MONEY ISSUE HINDERING THIS PROJECT.  MAYOR MUSKOPF ASKED THE BOARD IF THE CITY SHOULD WRITE A LETTER IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT.  CONCENSUS AGREED A LETTER OF SUPPORT SHOULD BE SENT FROM THE CITY OF NEW MELLE.

 

CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER REPORT – FEBRUARY – THE BOARD REVIEWED THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER’S REPORT.  THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT MR. SHORT’S PROPERTY AT 4671 HWY Z AND DIVE STOP. 

 

MAYOR MUSKOPF ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER CONCERNS.  NONE REPORTED.

 

OLD BUSINESS:

VACATION POLICY

CHIEF BURKEMPER DISTRIBUTED PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE VACATION AND SICK TIME POLICY TO THE BOARD AND STATED THE CURRENT POLICY IS IN THEIR MEETING PACKETS FOR THEIR REVIEW.  ALDERMAN GREEN QUESTIONED THE PROPOSED CARRY OVER OF SICK TIME.  CHIEF BURKEMPER EXPLAINED THAT AN INCENTIVE FOR NOT TAKING TIME OFF WOULD ACTUALLY SAVE THE DEPARTMENT MONEY IN THE LONG RUN BECAUSE WHEN AN EMPLOYEE USES BENFIT TIME THEY ARE PAID FOR THE TIME OFF AND A REPLACEMENT WHO IS NECESSARY TO COVER THE SHIFT IS ALSO BEING PAID.  IF EVEN A PERCENTAGE OF TIME COULD BE PAID OUT RATHER THAN LOST IT WOULD CREATE AN INCENTIVE/REWARD SYSTEM. 

 

DISCUSSION EVOLVED AND CONCENSUS WAS THAT AN INCENTIVE OF 50% UNUSED SICK TIME AND 100% UNUSED VACATION TIME BE PAID OUT ANNUALLY.  ATTORNEY KARR STATED THE POLICY WILL NOT BE CODIFIED BUT COULD BE DONE BY MOTION OR RESOLUTION AND THAT POLICIES AND EXECUTIVE ORDERS BE KEPT TOGETHER.  A COPY OF THIS POLICY SHOULD ALSO BE KEPT WITH THE MINUTES FROM THIS MEETING.

 

ALDERMAN GREEN MADE A MOTION, SECOND BY ALDERMAN HENDRICH TO APPROVE THE REVISED EDITION THE NEW MELLE FULL TIME EMPLOYEE BENEFITS POLICY.  ON A CALL BY THE MAYOR FOR THE AYES AND NAYS, THE MOTION CARRIED 3-0.

 

OPEN FORUM – ALDERMAN GREEN ASKED ABOUT EARTH DAY PLANS.  DISCUSSION TOOK PLACE ABOUT COORDINATING EFFORTS WITH THE GREENWOOD GROUP AND THE IMPORTANCE OF INCLUDING THE CHILDREN IN THE EARTH DAY EVENTS.  ALDERMAN GREEN STATED THERE WERE PLANS OF ADDING ANOTHER RAIN GARDEN TO THE EAST SIDE OF THE CITY HALL.  THE COST WAS ESTIMATED AT $1,100 FOR THE RAIN GARDEN. 

 

REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF BILLS – THE BILLS PAID SINCE THE LAST BOARD OF ALDERMAN MEETING WERE REVIEWED BY THE BOARD. 

 

ALDERMAN HENDRICH MADE A MOTION, SECOND BY ALDERMAN GREEN TO ACCEPT THE BILLS AS PAID.  ON A CALL BY THE MAYOR FOR THE AYES AND NAYES, THE MOTION WAS APPROVED 3-0.

 

CLOSED SESSION – ON A ROLL CALL VOTE TO MOVE INTO CLOSED SESSION PER STATE STATUTE: 

THE MOTION PASSED 3-0 AS FOLLOWS: 

ALDERMAN DARLA GREEN – AYE

ALDERMAN DON HENDRICH – AYE

ALDERMAN GARY SCHNEIDER – AYE

 

Sealed bids and related documents, until the bids are opened; and sealed proposals and related documents or any documents related to a negotiated contract until a contract is executed, or all proposals are rejected; Individually identifiable personnel records, performance ratings or records pertaining to employees or applicants for employment, except that this exemption shall not apply to the names, positions, salaries and lengths of service of officers and employees of public agencies once they are employed as such, and the names of private sources donating or contributing money to the salary of a chancellor or president at all public colleges and universities in the state of Missouri and the amount of money contributed by the source; (Sec 610.021(12&13), RSMo)

 

FOLLOWING THE CLOSED SESSION, THE BOARD RETURNED TO OPEN SESSION.

 

ADJOURNMENT – ALDERMAN GREEN MADE A MOTION, SECOND BY ALDERMAN HENDRICH TO ADJOURN.  ON A CALL BY THE MAYOR FOR THE AYES AND NAYS, THE MOTION WAS APPROVED 3-0.   THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 8:30 P.M.