Freeburg approves improvements to Old Vienna Road intersection

By Linda Adkins and Neal A. Johnson
Posted 9/23/20

Freeburg trustees at their Sept. 14 meeting approved a project to improve Old Vienna Road where it meets T&L’s Zip Stop, which is improving its parking lot, which also abuts Hwy. 63.

Feeler …

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Freeburg approves improvements to Old Vienna Road intersection

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Freeburg trustees at their Sept. 14 meeting approved a project to improve Old Vienna Road where it meets T&L’s Zip Stop, which is improving its parking lot, which also abuts Hwy. 63.
Feeler explained the planned concrete addition would taper to the asphalt and cause water to run away from the building.
“They have it marked way out there, about 10 feet away from the gas pumps, but that’s still highway right-of-way,” said Public Works Director Todd Feeler.
T&L’s asked the city to bring up the street to match up with the parking lot. Two years ago, the city raised the road and water then flooded the parking lot and went into the business’s basement.
“It’s going to be about a six-inch curb that will keep the water away from his building,” said Feeler. “It’s like 10 inches now. There will only be a six-inch step going into their parking lot.”
Parking is going to be a problem, Trustee Dale Struemph said.
“The way their building sits, they’re coming out eight feet and there’s a ramp going down,” Feeler explained. “What they want to do is come out three or four feet and then go all the way out to Hwy. 63. All of it has to be matched up because it’s diving off right now.”
Feeler added the addition would help taper it and send the water away from the building.
Struemph said adding eight feet to the lot will put cars farther out on the street, which will be a problem. “We can’t let people park out on the street sideways,” he said.
“They do everywhere else,” said Feeler.
“Right now, they pull close to the building,” Struemph noted.
With the addition, Feeler estimates cars will be five feet further from the building.
“That’s a bad corner,” Struemph said.
Feeler added that when Quaker Window Products went to staggered lunch shifts, parking improved at the store.
An important consideration is what other businesses will have to do in relation to new parking arrangements at T&L’s Zip Stop.
“What is our standard for enforcing it for a situation like that?” Trustee Shane Zimmer asked. “What are we going to do about it?”
“I don’t know,” Mayor Darryl Haller replied. “We’re only losing about four feet, not even that. If they park all the way to the corner, and can truly park up to his store, it won’t be that bad.”
“I don’t think it’s going to change anything,” Zimmer said.
Feeler suggested using diagonal parking spots along the side of the store so that people would take Old Vienna Road to get out instead of trying to turn onto Hwy. 63 on that busy corner.
“There’s going to be a bad wreck right there,” said Feeler.
Trustees noted that using Oliver Street, which runs along the side of the business to Old Vienna Road would be the long way around, and some drivers try to cross the highway instead.
Struemph reiterated that having cars too far out in the road is going to create mayhem, adding some people park across the street near the church.
“So are we going to tell people they can’t park on the side of the church during Mass?” Haller asked. “It’s the same consequence. They’re still parking on city property.”
“That should have been done a long time ago,” Village Clerk Allen Gradel said.
“We have to watch our battles,” said Haller. “I think we need to keep people safe too. (T&L) brings a lot of revenue into this town too.”
Stricklan Bobcat and Concrete was selected to complete the project with a bid of $3,140 for the job, which includes 10 yards of concrete, 24 rebar rods, concrete chipping, bobcat work, and labor. Feeler suggested the village could save some money by doing the cleanup work. Struemph voted against the measure.
As of Monday this week, the concrete addition has been completed and work to the exterior of the building is nearing completion. New siding is being installed, along with a drive-up window, which is expected to be open by Thursday.
In related news, Haller said noted that Anthony Rudkin, owner of 1905 Tavern (the old Johnny B’s), has made improvements to his building. Rudkin had consulted with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) about right-of-way, sidewalk upkeep, and ADA requirements to match up with his parking lot.
MoDOT directed Rudkin back to the village of Freeburg, saying the ownership of and responsibility for that part of Hwy. 63 is Freeburg’s. The area on Hwy. 63 from the old Book Street (south of Beck Motors) to Olive Street (at Holy Family Parish) is the responsibility of the village.
Haller noted this was news to him. “I didn’t think we owned any of it,” he said. “Anything in the ditches is the city’s responsibility.”
Struemph questioned exactly what is outlined in the easement, which Haller said was set up in the 1940s. “They may have a right-of-way but we own underneath it,” Struemph said. “It depends on how it’s written.”
Feeler said MoDOT is firm in its position.
“We’re paying for everything that runs around the road,” said Haller. “It’s the ditches, and they fill up with stuff from the road. Cinders and salt come off the road and we have to take care of it.”
Gradel asked why there was no complaint about billboards, but Haller said he didn’t have an answer to that.
Mayor Haller added that what motorists pay in fuel tax is supposed to pay for maintenance of the road.
“We don’t have a fuel tax that would take care of it,” he said. “It’s just another way the state benefits off people.”
In other business, trustees looked at options to address elevated ammonia levels detected by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in recent routine testing.
Trustees are inviting DNR Environmental Engineer Keith Forck to attend one of their monthly meetings to discuss options for addressing the situation. Struemph asked whether they were consistently failing or if it was a one-time thing. Feeler estimated 4-5 months with DNR doing the test each time a discharge is performed. E. coli was also detected in the testing but that is not a problem since it was added to the village’s permit by DNR. Testing for E. coli is only required during the summer season.
Feeler also plans to confer with the Missouri Rural Water Association on the subject as advice and guidance are included with membership in the association. Plus, he notes, DNR has engineers, where Missouri Rural Water has people who are out in the field with hands-on experience.
“Just because it works on paper doesn’t mean it works in the real world,” Feeler added.
Feeler plans to discharge later this month but will hold off afterward for a month or six weeks awaiting guidance.
Haller stated he had been informally talking to folks living around the lagoon areas about spraying the neighboring fields using a land-application process, which might eliminate the problem.
Trustees discussed using a “sludge judge” to determine levels of settleable solids in the lagoons. In 2012, a “honey wagon” was brought in to remove the solid waste from both lagoons. At that time, the cost was $58,000. This was the first time in the trustee’s memory when the process had been done. Lagoon number one was packed full and the second one was approximately half full at that time.
Feeler guessed that the second lagoon now probably has no solids or at most, very minimal, so the cost should be considerably less than in 2012. There is also a “no discharge” option to consider but the cost may be prohibitive.
The subject will be taken up later when DNR and Missouri Rural Water have been consulted.
* Mayor Haller shared his plans to apply for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act mony to install touch-less water fountains (bottle-fillers), and touch-less toilets and sinks for the city park and City Hall. Haller said he plans to work on these improvements and the possible acquisition of hand-sanitizer dispensers at both locations.
* Feeler was given permission to order a utility line locator at a cost of $5,400 from Edenbros LLC in St. James. The money will come from water and sewer budgets.
* Feeler gave an update on the upcoming tree removal. Feeler Tree Service has told him it will be another month. The trees could be cut right away but the brush removal would have to wait, he was told. Feeler said he would prefer to wait and have it all done at once.
* In his regular monthly financial report, Gradel presented figures showing general fund income for August of $20,359.04. The village has $7,626.40 in general revenue checking and $453,507.64 in a general-revenue money market. Sewer system checking stands at $20,237.73, the sewer money market balance is $189,398.43, and water department accounts total $547,548.56. The purchasing account has a balance at $1,292.77. The total on hand in all accounts is $1,219,611.53.
* In financial news, general revenue bills were approved in the amount of $4,101.83, sewer bills totaled $392.49, and water bills were approved in the amount of $3,717.93.
* Water Clerk Cindy Struemph reported that from July 1 through Aug. 5, a total of 4,372,516 gallons of water were produced and 4,316,300 gallons were sold. A total of 52,216 gallons (2%) were lost. There is no meter at the park, which partially explains the loss.
* The next meeting was set for Monday, Oct. 5.