Linn aldermen authorize park improvements

By Theresa Brandt, Staff Writer
Posted 2/1/23

LINN — Linn aldermen authorized a list of park improvement projects presented by Parks Committee Chairman Neil Loethen.

Improvements include replacing the wood on picnic tables and adding …

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Linn aldermen authorize park improvements

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LINN — Linn aldermen authorized a list of park improvement projects presented by Parks Committee Chairman Neil Loethen.

Improvements include replacing the wood on picnic tables and adding mulch at Maguire Park playground. At the City Park, projects include repainting trash can lids and picnic tables, adding a border to the nature playground, installing new doors at the city park bathroom, repainting the walls in the bathrooms, removing the concrete on the basketball court closest to the pool, adding new basketball goals, painting the basketball and pickle ball courts, and adding a chain-link fence. The cost of all these projects totaled $13,400.

Aldermen rejected putting epoxy floors in the bathrooms at the City Park since the restrooms will eventually be replaced by handicap-accessible bathrooms to go along with the All-Inclusive Playground.

“I’m okay with everything except the epoxy floors,” Mayor Dwight Massey said. “A little paint, lights, doors, I don’t have any problem with that, but I hate to spend $1,500 on epoxy floors that will only be there 12 to 15 months.”

Aldermen suggested Loethen reach out to different organizations that may be interested in doing a service project to help with improvements.

Loethen plans to get some quotes for making repairs to the existing asphalt walking trail at Maguire Park and expanding the trail’s paved areas, noting there is funding available specifically for the walking trail.

Loethen is also looking for volunteers — groups, organizations, or individuals — that may be interested in clearing out the Bush Honeysuckle along the creek at Maguire Park.

“It’s not hard to do, but it’s time intensive,” Loethen said. “I think we could make that creek bed a beautiful feature of the park.”

Loethen highlighted several completed park projects, including eight additional lights installed at the City Park ball field by Schneider Electric. The old skate park has been resurfaced; new basketball nets and toilet seats have been installed at Maguire Park; the old chain-link fence was removed at the City Park; 20 plants and trees have been planted with grant funding; and a nature playground has been added to the old basketball court closest to the grandstands. Loethen thanked Elmer Senevey for donating boulders for the nature playground and Alice and Joe Dudenhoeffer for donating stumps and a carved wooden bench.

He also thanked Shane Greer for the new City Park sign that was Greer’s eagle scout project.

Loethen has also investigated whether the City Park needs to be designated as an emergency landing area for helicopters in medical emergencies. According to Loethen’s research, the new landing area would be at State Tech. He asked aldermen if he needed to allow for an ambulance to drive onto the ball field or if he could design his nature playground without leaving gaps for large vehicles to go through.

Massey and Fredrich cautioned Loethen to leave space for big equipment to get into the ball field for repairs as needed.

Fredrich suggested having access gates on the pickleball court.

“I don’t care where it’s located as long as we can access it if needed,” Massey agreed.

In related news, the bid for All-Inclusive Playground equipment will be in the paper for the next three weeks.

• City Clerk Carrie Grellner has four estimates for removing several trees in the City Park to make way for the All-Inclusive Playground. Grellner noted they would probably not need to use any of the companies because several people have volunteered to remove the trees for free.

• The Lions Club Soccer program will have practices starting in March and games in April.

Alderman Bill Turner hoped to have turnaround areas on each side of the gate completed in time to be utilized for the soccer games. Utilities Superintendent Larry Fredrich noted he did not think he would have the time to devote to the project since he is working alone.

Turner will work with Fredrich and Massey to mark out the area and put out a bid to have the work done. Aldermen will discuss the project in the upcoming planning meeting.

• Aldermen passed Ordinance #2023-001 to place a measure on the April 4 ballot, which will ask city residents whether to allow the city to charge a 3% tax on any marijuana sold within the city limits.

Grellner noted that currently, there are no shops selling marijuana in Linn.

“I’d rather have it in place before there is one,” Alderman Steve Boeckmann said.

• In Ward 2, Turner has filed for re-election for a two-year term, and Chad Gray and Christopher Jaegers have filed for the one-year term seat recently vacated by Mike Montgomery. Dustin Flamm has filed for a two-year seat in Ward 1.

  Aldermen agreed at their December meeting to change the employee retirement fund to increase the city’s contribution and require employee contributions. The Missouri Local Government Employees Retirements System (Mo LAGERS) estimated the change to the plan would cost the city an estimated $45,000 annually, based on historical data the city provided employees. Treasurer Janelle Jaegers ran her own calculations, and assuming the city is fully staffed, the cost to the city would be $54,000, $17,000 more than what is currently being paid for employee retirement funds.

The information must be available to the public for the next 45 days, after which aldermen can approve it to go into effect for the new fiscal year.

As Jaegers had noted at the December meeting, no budget changes were needed to increase retirement contributions.

  As previously reported by the Unterrified Democrat, Chief Mike Bickell has resigned, and Jacob Cottingham has been appointed as acting police chief.

Mayor Massey said that the city is in the process of interviewing for a new police chief.

  Grellner presented aldermen with a quote from CentralSquare, a software program that would allow e-billing and permit customers to pay and check on their accounts online. Grellner hoped to change to an online billing software before the regular software comes up for renewal in March.

The cost of the software would include an initial fee of $1,283.50, with a recurring yearly payment of $503.50.

“That seems a little high, but it would save money,” Jaegers said.

“It would save a lot of time, too,” Grellner said.

Grellner and Jaegers said that earlier in the fiscal year, they had estimated that e-billing would save the city somewhere between $400 and $500 per year, but Jaegers was not sure that included all billing costs.

Grellner will confirm the annual cost with CentralSquare, and she and Jaegers will work up a more accurate estimate of how much the city would save annually by billing electronically and report back at the February meeting.

  Presiding Commissioner Darryl Griffin attended the Board of Aldermen meeting and asked what he and the other commissioners could do to help the city.

“Do you ever come through Linn at 7:45 to 8 a.m.?” Boeckmann asked.

“We’ve talked to MoDOT about that,” Griffin said of the Missouri Department of Transportation. “The good thing is in 2024, they said they’ll put a light out there at Highway 50 and Route C and put in a turning lane.”

“I don’t know if that light is going to solve the problem,” Massey said.

“I think MoDOT needs to look at a roundabout out there, a big roundabout a semi-truck can fit through,” said Boeckmann.

“What they really need is a bypass around Linn,” Griffin replied. “We’ve also asked the MoDOT engineer in our area to do a study on the speed limit. It doesn’t need to be 50 miles per hour through there. It’s too dangerous.”

“We’ve talked about lowering it all the way to (State) Tech,” Massey agreed.

“I’m on board with getting that speed lowered,” Griffin said. “It only takes a few more seconds, and it might save someone’s life or prevent an injury.”

“We’d like to move things along a lot faster, but there is only so much we can do with the bureaucrats,” Griffin added.

  City resident Robert Jaegers requested a reduction in his utility bill. He had a malfunctioning water softener, and he used 38,100 gallons of water in a month when he typically uses 3,900 gallons in the same amount of time. The adjustment for his sewer bill would be $188.10.

“Didn’t that water go through the sewer?” Boeckmann asked.

“I asked that,” Grellner said. “I was told, not necessarily.”

Aldermen discussed that the water softener could be draining into the backyard and wouldn’t necessarily be going down the drain.

Turner will check with the resident, investigate whether the extra water went into the sewer, and report back to Grellner.

Aldermen approved the reduction if the water did not go through the sewer and will rely on Turner’s investigation.

  Fredrich said he appreciated Mayor Massey’s help plowing snow in the recent storm.

“It was a tough snow,’ Fredrich said. “It came down really heavy, really thick, and really quick, especially since we were only expecting a dusting. I called Dwight when I realized I wasn’t gaining any ground.”

Fredrich noted that several people complained the city wasn’t working fast enough.

“I don’t think they understood what we were up against,” Fredrich said. “We had tractor-trailers hung up and cars and trucks on Thriftway’s hill.”

Fredrich noted that he’s called on Massey a lot in the 17 years he’s been mayor.

“He is my go-to guy,” Fredrich said. “Dwight knows just about everything in this town, and we get it done.”

Fredrich added that he has the trucks loaded up with cinders in case there is another snow.

He has made a list of things he would like the aldermen to consider working into the budget for next year.

• Grellner reported that Beverley Coleman has recently resigned, leaving the License Fee Office with three employees, one of whom is ready to go on maternity leave. Grellner noted that the office submitted two individuals to be hired, who are currently being screened by the Department of Revenue.

  Turner is researching adding speed limit signs on Benton Street.

  Aldermen approved outstanding bills for the month totaling $364,923.84.

  Linn had the following account balances in their government fund accounts: general ($338,460.09), pool (-$17,032.04), park ($94,844.84), police training ($3,566.18), general fund-improvement and equipment ($8,646.09), park-improvement and equipment ($15,792.30), and pool-improvement and equipment ($13,985.14).

  The city had the following account balances in their business-type accounts: water ($408,540.66), water replacement ($150,077.17), water improvement-equipment ($399,027.91), sewer-replacement ($105,485.30), and grants (-$49,264.86).

  Linn has nine certificates of deposit totaling $1,091,356.15.

  Aldermen will have a budget and planning meeting on Feb. 7 at 5 p.m., and the next regular meeting will be on Feb. 21 at 5 p.m.