12/20/2024
Live blog of the City of Richland, Missouri Municipal Government City Council. Members present are Mayor Laura Lobland; Aldermen Dana Tanner, Kevin Harris, Bob Lilly, Mark Howlett and Jason Williams, along with City Clerk Betty Godfrey, Richland Police Department Chief Sinden, Richland Parks Department board chairman, and City Attorney Tyce Smith.
The Park Board chair, during her report, asked police, if possible not to block the park entrance during traffic stops. She said there was a situation some time back in which a person fled from police, got tased, and "ate the pavement."
Aldermen have approved most of the proposed ordinances.
Dana Tanner asked why the proposed two-year contract with Arthur and Shannon Starnes for city cemetery maintenance is a multiyear contract since he's been told multiyear contracts aren't allowed since the city council members change annually.
City Clerk Betty Godfrey: "We've always done that."
Tanner: "I know what we've always done, I want to know what's right."
City Attorney Tyce Smith: "Any agreement that you have, the major example would be the lease-purchase of a police car, has to have language for annual renewal."
Smith said a second specific example Tanner brought up, a golf course lease, is one on which he can't advise the city because he has a conflict with a prior client.
Smith thanked Tanner for catching the language in a contract that predated his law firm being hired by the city.
Aldermen are considering declaring 113 East Pulaski Avenue to be a public nuisance. Several council members said the house doesn't have electricity, water or sewer, but homeless people are living there.
Smith said hiring a code official from the City of Waynesville MO Municipal Government or City of Saint Robert, Missouri to inspect the home and issue a formal finding will likely be legally necessary.
Smith: "Clearly from my layperson's eye, that is going to qualify as a health and welfare nuisance... clearly any code guy is going to call this a threat."
Dana Tanner is objecting to the reappointment of Utility Board Chairman Ken Struckhoff.
"The board of aldermen hates the utility board, the utility board hates the board of aldermen... I feel there need to be changes."
Tanner said the city has 30 days to find a replacement and the only requirement is the board member has to live in the city for one year.
Lilly: "All I know is I don't want that job."
Tanner: "I think we need to find someone."
Lilly: "You might lose some other guys on that board."
Tanner: "We either stay hostage to that board for the next four years or we find someone... and rekindle and rebuild our relations with that board."
Lobland: "I think sometimes this board does things at the last minute.... If this is something you are passionate about, I think this is something we need to spend the next four years talking about. I think if we do things hastily we risk creating more problems."
Lilly: "I think this is going to create some heartache, even if you postpone this... that board approved him and recommended him. I don't care who you get, you're going to have animosity on different boards."
VOTE 3-2 with Dana Tanner and Jason Williams opposed. All others in favor.
Aldermen unanimously approved Wes Ellzey to the Board of Adjustments, and Kelsey Veasman to the park board.
Lobland said she is running for re-election as mayor.
