Westphalia City Clerk Kerry Bax submitted her resignation to the Westphalia Board of Aldermen at their meeting last Tuesday night, effective in May 2022, at which time she will have served the city for 22 years. 

Mayor Tammy Massman noted that the city has time to find a new clerk. She hopes that someone will step forward soon so that they can do some training with Bax before she leaves. Anyone interested in becoming the city clerk should contact the city. All applicants are required to be a resident of the city of Westphalia for at least a year. Aldermen expressed their appreciation for Bax’s service and will start thinking of anyone that they believe may be able to fill the role.

In other business, Massman informed aldermen that Republic Services would be increasing the cost of trash service to its customers within the city limits on Nov. 1. Commercial rates will increase by 4.3% and residential customers will see a 3% jump. Fall Cleanup has been scheduled for Oct. 1. The plan is to have dumpsters delivered to the Millard Funeral Home parking lot on Friday and picked up on Monday.

* The sewer system is continuing to have breakdowns for the city of Westphalia. Early in August one of the two pumps at the Hwy. 63 Lift Station stopped working. Sewer Operations Manager Phil Peaks contacted Mid Missouri Environmental, which replaced the bad pump with a pump that the city had in storage since March of 2019. The pump initially worked but within two days also failed.

“Technically, the pump had only been in service for two days but it had been in storage longer than the warranty,” Peaks explained.

Since one pump was not sufficient to run the lift station, Peaks got several quotes for replacement pumps. A Meyers brand pump was quoted at $6,000 and a Keen pump was estimated at $5,000. Neither pump was currently available and will need several weeks to be delivered. 

WebTroll offers a similar pump for $1,600 and that pump was available for pick up that day. Peaks and Massman decided to go that route on an emergency basis. The new motor was installed and the pump station was back up and running. But this still only leaves the Highway 63 Lift Station with two functioning pumps while it is built for three. 

WebTroll has offered to sell the city another new pump for $1,285 to help offset the cost.

“That’s smart money,” Peaks said. “WebTroll is local and they plan on keeping these pumps in stock. It’s crazy to have these pumps sitting in storage when you can get them and put them in on the same day. The warranty starts the day you pick them up.”

This brought up a source of frustration for aldermen that repairs authorized by the board are not followed up on by Shawn York with Mid Missouri Environmental.

“What I’m frustrated about is that Shawn is not getting things done,” Alderman Delbert Wieberg said. “Shawn is not the only guy out there.”

Peaks explained that York has been spread thinly lately.

“He’s lost some help and his truck has been in the shop,” Peaks explained. “I try to work with him as best as I can.”

Massman pointed out that the rails for the pumps in the Highway 63 Lift station had been purchased in March of 2019 and have still not been installed.

“I understand where you are coming from,” Peaks said. “Shawn is a friend but business is business.”

Alderman agreed to purchase another WebTroll pump for the discounted purchase price of $1,285. That pump should be installed at the Highway 63 Lift Station with the new rail system and the lift station should be thoroughly cleaned. They also agreed that the repairs and cleaning should be done by the company or persons that could get there fastest. 

The board also authorized a service call on the City View Lift station where the pumps have been making noises for the last several months.

Peaks believed that York deserved to know that aldermen were not happy with his company and their response times before they looked for another company to do the work.

Aldermen had no problems with Peaks approaching York with their concerns but they wanted the work done as soon as possible.

“I want it done now,” Wieberg said, speaking for all the aldermen.

Wieberg also voiced concerns as to whether the sewer system equipment was prepared for an emergency. Peaks noted that in an emergency the city would be able to access generators or pumps that could be rented or they could access the equipment through the Missouri Rural Water Association.

Aldermen plan to talk about repairs and upgrades to the sewer plant at their September meeting.

* Aldermen authorized Central Missouri Professional Services to draw up a new zoning map for the city of Westphalia, which is outdated. The cost will range from $500 to $1,000 and the city will receive the new map in digital and paper form.

* Street repairs were supposed to be completed before school started but Massman explained that the contractor is behind and the new schedule has street repairs scheduled for mid-September.

* The new signs to extend the school zone had been put up before school started and they are being ignored. Massman plans to call the Osage County Sheriff’s office to enforce school zone regulations.

* Aldermen also talked about last month’s meeting.

“There was kinda a ruckus in here,” Alderman Gerhard Schmitz, Jr. said referring to last month’s meeting.

“That type of incident, while I’m sitting in this chair will not happen again,” Massman said.

She noted that any resident is welcome to attend the open meetings but encouraged residents who have business with aldermen to be asked to be placed on the agenda. Residents who are not on the agenda will be limited to three to five minutes to present their concerns to the board.

“They (city residents) are not allowed to interject,” Massman said. “They are not allowed to impede the process of our business. If it becomes derogatory, defaming, attacking, that will be handled, moving forward, differently, with law enforcement, or the city attorney taking action.”

Schmitz asked if Stephan Johannesmeyer should have been allowed to come to the front of the room and sit on the city clerk’s desk and argue his point.

“That was unacceptable,” Massman said. “This is a place of business. Any attack on anyone individually should not be condoned. It was completely inappropriate.”

Massman noted that Johannesmeyer and Roger Kloeppel have continued to ask questions of the city attorney in relation to several properties they hope to sell within city limits. The city attorney has advised them to seek their own legal counsel. 

No formal documents have been submitted to the city requesting variances for any of the properties that are owned by Johannesmeyer and Kloeppel.

Massman noted that the city could not make any decisions or issues any variances if there is not a specific request made and officially submitted to the city.

* Alderman approved the following expenses for the city of Westphalia: city fund ($3,848.64), sewer system ($9,015.50), and special road district ($774.40).

* Westphalia had the following receipts: city ($8,658.93), sewer ($8,978.14), and special road district ($32.57).

* The city has the following account balances: city checking ($165,458.01), sewer system ($23,685.95), special road district checking ($75,547), and special road district savings ($5,109.96).

* Westphalia holds the following certificates of deposit: city ($438,177.59), sewer system ($520,255.58), and special road district ($521,013.68).

* The next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 21 at 6:30 p.m.