Local resident Terry Brunnert appeared before the Argyle trustees Sept. 17 asking for gravel on his road at Dacon Drive where it turns to go up onto Brunnert Lane. Brunnert was following up on an earlier request for work in the area.
Brunnert said Mayor Chris Brundick had previously asked Brunnert to take care of the water problem first.
“I did that last year, I spent over $3000 diverting the water and making two terraces,” said Brunnert. “Once I did that, Brundick said he would discuss bringing in some gravel.”
Brunnert added that it is always “muddy as hell” by Ralph Kampeter’s house. He requested some gravel be placed, “where the asphalt ends and bring it around to Ralph’s house so it wouldn’t be so muddy.”
Brunnert added, “I think it just needs a little rock, a little grading, I don’t think it would take much.”
In the absence of Mayor Brundick, Trustee Ryan Davis chaired the meeting and asked what kind of rock Brunnert had in mind. Brunnert said he would leave that to the trustees to decide, adding all he wants is a solid gravel base. He noted that Keith Tappel put down white base rock and redid his whole driveway up to the first telephone pole and his gravel is holding well.
Davis responded that they would probably do the same thing here since it was working on Tappel’s property. He asked his fellow trustees for opinions.
Village Clerk Kym Brunnert suggested that Davis and Brundick have a look at the spot before going forward. She felt it prudent to make certain the area was actually city property since there has been discussion before about property lines in that area.
“So is that a city road?” she asked.
“I don’t honestly know where the city road ends,” Davis replied. “I’m pretty sure that Dacon goes all the way to Ralph’s at least. I don’t know where exactly it ends,”
“I’m pretty sure it goes all the way around, goes all the way around down to Highway T,” Trustee Ronnie Brunnert said.
Davis promised a timely visit to the area and once Terry Brunnert is given the “green light,” he could handle the arrangements to have the work done and bill the village of Argyle.
In other business, trustees revisited their August discussion regarding notice received from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) outlining deficiencies in sewer system reporting. Davis told fellow trustees that Mayor Brundick has talked with DNR and the issues, “were not as severe,” as Wieberg had previously made it sound. No one with new online filings is up-to-date, according to Brundick.
“We just need to finish our application, which is in their hands, and get our filings figured out,” said Davis. “One person does the readings, a second checks those readings, and a third does the filing. It seems like a silly process but whatever hoops we have to jump through, I guess.”
Argyle’s sewer system is different than most. Kym Brunnert advised that Brundick told her many of the missing figures were zeros anyway. “But they still want them,” she said. “Just because they are zero doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be submitting them.”
* Trustees voted to get bids for erecting the new “Welcome to Argyle” signs. Two signs were delivered earlier this year but Argyle’s dependence on volunteer help to put up the signs has kept the project from progressing.
Davis said the concrete would be the village’s only expense if the volunteers can be coordinated. “That means we’re working around their schedules so sometimes that doesn’t jive,” he said. “Not to say that we could get it done any faster if we hire it out. Should we wait on the volunteer help and see when they can fit it or should we hire a subcontractor that can maybe squeeze us in a little earlier and get it done?”
Kym Brunnert asked how much concrete would be needed. Davis responded that he had no idea, but they were planning a stair-step around both signs.
One sign is planned for the Dave Schwartze place where one of the old signs sits and the second at Kat Racker’s place just below the Wulff’s driveway. The Rackers sign will be closer to town than the existing sign.
Ronnie Brunnert questioned whether the sign at Rackers would make the people on the other side of it feel “left out” of town. Davis responded that the intrusion of what they are building versus what is currently there is quite a bit more.
Davis said they may sell the old signs by bid to help recoup some of the investment in the new ones.
* Kym Brunnert was sworn in for another term as village clerk, and Ronnie Brunnert took the oath of office as trustee.
* Kym Brunnert reported the village’s last AT&T bill before changing to cell phone service was $188.05; the next bill was $118.59; the newest bill was $78.92, including $69.55 for internet service.
“So we’re doing much better” she added.
* The village continues to search for a certified sewer operator.
* Village expenses were $2673.03 and a total balance in the city treasury of $101,474.17.