Linn aldermen approved pay request #4 for the design-build project with Bartlett & West for $63,191.08 for the wastewater projects at the Stonegate Subdivision and the State Tech-owned golf course. 

“It is good news tonight,” Project Engineer Gary Davis said. “As you know, on the two sewer lines you hired us to install, Stonegate has been done for months, and the one for the golf course has sewage flowing through the pipe, and the pipe is in the ground and covered up with dirt.”

According to Davis, installing the sewer line on the hill to go to the golf course was challenging. Initially, local company Aplex, Inc. won the bid to do both projects. They ran into problems with scheduling for another project in Jefferson City and ended up substituting in a different company to do part of the work.

“It has been a team effort, but we got it done,” Davis said. “Both of these projects needed to happen, and that’s definitely a win for the city.”

Bartlett & West will need to have grass sown, and the area restored for State Tech and the Stone Gate Subdivision.

In other news with Bartlett & West, the Jaegers Wastewater Regionalization Project is on hold as City Attorney Kent Brown pursues legal means to get property easements. Brown has been in contact with the two property owners at odds with the city on the easements.

“The condemnation lawsuits have been filed, and I have been in contact with both parties,” Brown said. “I don’t want to antagonize them, but we want to continue to move forward.”

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has extended the deadline for the grant-funded project to Oct. 31, 2023.

Davis pointed out that the city will find out if it has been awarded any of the governor’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding on Oct. 12.

“It is a very lucrative program, but it is also very competitive,” Davis said. “I’m optimistic, but I’m not writing home about it yet.”

Davis also noted there is an opportunity to apply for a Community Development Block Grant (CBDG), which is limited to storm water projects. 

“Dwight has a lot of ideas,” Davis said of Mayor Massey. “We just need to narrow down what we are going to apply for.”

• Aldermen approved the purchase of a generator and two lawnmowers from the Linn Police Department at the cost of $2,400. The items were initially procured from the Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO), which transfers excess military equipment to non-military law enforcement agencies, which are allowed to sell the items after they have them for a year. The Linn Police Department also sold $5,000 in equipment procured through LESO to the Special Road District. These included general tool kits, a floodlight set, a backhoe, and a generator.

• Aldermen Bill Turner asked whether there was any progress on the sign at the west end of town. City Clerk Carrie Grellner responded that she had not received the signed paperwork from State Tech.

“We wanted an agreement that (State Tech) pays part of it, and I haven’t heard back from them,” Grellner explained. 

The total cost of the sign was estimated at $42,000, and the cost to the city would be about $18,000.

“I wasn’t expecting to pay $40,000 for a sign down there,” Turner said. “I just wanted to replace the sign that had been torn up. I just don’t even know how the (digital) sign is going to even be read while you’re driving by. Even the Legends Bank sign is hard to read. I know they are nice and flashy but ….”

Resident Neil Loethen volunteered to put together a proposal for a static, simple sign to replace the old one and present it at the next meeting.

• Aldermen voted to keep all the gates open at Maguire Park for scheduled soccer games. Utilities Supervisor Larry Fredrich was able to install the gate in the center of the park and remove the concrete barriers. The gate will be closed and locked after games.

• The board approved the Basic Membership dues for the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) for $964.59. The annual membership comes with 15 membership hours to help the city to write grants or help with other issues.

Aldermen also approved the new policy changes that MRPC adopted on Aug. 11, 2022, which include the city signing a contract agreeing to an hourly rate for hours above the 15 hours that the city gets as part of its membership fees and an increase in fees of $10 per hour more for a non-member.

• Aldermen approved a liquor license for the St. George Catholic Church Fall Festival on Oct. 2 and the Taste of Italy on Jan. 21, 2023.

• The aldermen tabled a request by the public library to be classified as a residential property. The library is located outside the city limits and is classified as a commercial building. The base rate for a commercial building outside of city limits is $81 a month, while residential out-of-city limits customers pay a base rate of $19 per month.

Alderman agreed the library was a non-profit but so was Linn Lions Club, which pays the commercial rate.

Grellner will verify how other customers out of the city limits are classified when they are non-profits and report back to the aldermen.

• City Hall and the Linn License Fee Office will be closed on Oct. 10 for Columbus Day.

• The board is looking to fill the vacant seat left when Alderman Mike Montgomery resigned at the August meeting. The city has one interested party, but they will not be qualified to be appointed until November.

• Grellner has contacted Pools Made Possible and Richard Backes to winterize the city pool. Aldermen voiced concern that the pool had been closed for several days and had to cut the season short because of problems with the pump. The pool has been running on one pump all summer because a replacement unit has been on backorder. Grellner plans on contacting Pools Made Possible and Pools Unlimited to make sure that the control panel and pump are replaced before the pool is ready for the 2023 season.

• Fredrich is by himself keeping the city running. He has several part-time workers but needs full-time help.

• Several months ago, the board approved that the Linn Police officers could receive double time for overtime pay in relation to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) grants. MoDOT was opposed to the wording of the city of Linn’s policy and requested the Missouri Department of Transportation Grants be replaced with “Overtime Traffic Enforcement Assignments.”  Aldermen approved the change.

• Aldermen approved the bills for the month totaling $200,356.30.

• The city had the following balances in their government fund accounts general ($337,028.26), pool (-$27,201.67), park ($89,367.07), police training ($2,806.18), general fund-improvements and equipment ($8,646.09), park-improvement and equipment ($26,140.30), and pool-improvements and equipment ($13,985.14), water replacement ($141,247.17), sewer ($472,194.44), sewer replacement ($98,985.30), and grants ($46,289.97).

• Linn had the following balances in their business type accounts water ($413,567.73), water replacement ($141.241.17), sewer ($472,194.44), sewer replacement ($98,985.30), and grants ($46,289.97).

• The city of Linn holds nine certificates of deposit totaling $1,091,071.13.

• The next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 18 at 5 p.m.