CITY OF NEW MELLE

WORK SESSION OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN

APRIL 26, 2010

Call to Order:  A Work Session of the Board of Alderman of the City of New Melle was held on Monday, April 26, 2010 at 7:00 P.M.  The meeting was held at the New Melle City Hall, located at 145 Almeling Street, New Melle, Missouri.  The meeting was called to order by Mayor Ernest Arteaga.

Roll Call:

Alderman Don Hendrich                  Absent                        Alderman Doug Bice             Present

Alderman Janet Jokisch-Messig       Present                       Alderman Carol Proveaux   Present

A quorum was declared.

Police Chief, Aaron Burkemper was also present.

Orientation of Newly Elected Officials:

Mayor Arteaga asked Alderman Bice to inform the newly elected officials of any items the previous Board started but were unable to complete.

Alderman Bice mentioned drainage concerns and discussion ensued.  Sidewalks and tree city grants were also discussed.  Alderman Bice suggested promoting annexation.

Opinion Poll:

Mayor Arteaga explained his purpose for the opinion poll is to have residents voluntarily provide their email addresses for the purpose to establish better communications between the City and its residents.  Discussion ensued.

Goals & Priorities:

Alderman Jokisch-Messig mentioned officer retention.

Mayor Arteaga mentioned new court software, electronic display sign, flag pole for City Hall, Christmas decorations and to update the City’s website.

Financials of Police Department:

Mayor Arteaga asked to move this item to a later agenda.

Financials of the City:

Mayor Arteaga stated he contacted Botz, Deal & Company but received very little information from them.  

Discretionary Fund for the Mayor:

Mayor Arteaga stated he wants to establish a discretionary fund for purchases that would not require the Boards prior approval. 

Alderman Bice suggested that the Mayor channel his purchases through City employees who are authorized to make purchases for the City.

Public Relations:

Mayor Arteaga discussed creating an advisory board to connect with local businesses and the Chamber of Commerce.  He suggested several means of creating communication links between the City and residents and visitors of New Melle.

Calendar:

Alderman Bice asked for clarification as to what type of calendar the Mayor wants (website, Outlook, etc.)

Mayor Arteaga stated he wants some kind of physical calendar located in the City Hall.

Amendments to Code Books:

Mayor Arteaga asked about having the code books updated with ordinances that have been passed after the code book was printed.

Alderman Bice suggested we contact Sullivan Publishing and ask if they can assist us in updating the code book or recommend an appropriate method for us to maintain updates.

Non-Compliance Issues:

Mayor Arteaga wants to develop a written policy for handling non-compliance issues. 

Adjournment:

On motion of Alderman Bice, second by Alderman Jokisch-Messig, the Aldermen voted 3 “Aye”, 1 Absent (Hendrich) to adjourn the meeting at 9:02 P.M.

Respectfully Submitted,                                            Accepted,

DeeAnn Burwitz, City Clerk                                      Ernest Arteaga, Mayor