LINN — Linn aldermen discussed the reason the gates at Maguire Park have been locked at their meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 20. The issue has been a hot topic on social media, with numerous local citizens weighing in on what they thought should be done, and asking questions as to why the gates were closed while Maguire Park remained open. However, no residents attended the meeting to discuss the matter.

“Our first complaints were always regarding the playground, and that people were ripping through there at 40 to 50 miles per hour,” Mayor Dwight Massey said. “We put a gate in the center to try to curb the traffic going through, and people started driving around it. We took steps to stop that, and then people started cutting donuts in the parking lots and in the grass.”

Massey explained that rocks and gravel were thrown everywhere and caused damage to equipment and the potential for people to get injured from flying rocks.

“This time of year, when there is very little traffic anyway, and very few people using the park, we decided it would be okay to shut the road down and close the gates,” Massey said. “The park is still open to foot traffic.”

City Attorney Annie Willis said that her concern was that there was no ADA accessibility.

Massey admitted that he had not considered ADA accessibility when he decided to close the gates.

“It was more about the fact that there was constant vandalism, and we were taking steps to limit the damage to the city,” Massey said.

The mayor added that the city had no plans to close the gates permanently, just for the winter months.

Unterrified Democrat Reporter Theresa Brandt asked if the newly installed security cameras were able to help identify vandals.

“We can see the vehicles and what they are doing, but we can’t read the license plates in most cases,” said City Clerk Carrie Grellner.

She added that the Linn Police Department was able to identify and make a case for vandalism for at least one individual caught on camera.

Brandt said that she had been following the posts on Facebook and said that people had questioned who made the decision to lock the gates.

“I personally suggested we do it, if it would stop the vandalism,” Massey said. “It is something we have done more than once when we have had repeated incidents. We close the gates for a while and then open them again. We know this isn’t a permanent solution.

“We want people to use the parks,” Massey continued. “We want people to enjoy the parks, but there is only so much we can do to control the situation. It costs us money.”

He noted the city may spend weeks trying to fix the damage of one person’s actions.

Resident Willian (Bill) Wirtel, who has filed for a potential alderman’s seat, was at the meeting and commented that he had been following the posts on Facebook as well.

“I have read a lot on Facebook about Maguire Park, and I have talked to a lot of community members about why they aren’t able to drive through the park,” Wirtel said. “I think it could be a hardship in inclement weather.”

“I know people who live in that area would love it if we opened it up, but it’s not a street,” Massey said. “It never has been a street, and it’s not designed that way. Anytime we open that road up, people try to use it to cut through. My concern is for the park, and the people who utilize it.”

Wirtel asked if the city had considered paving the road or adding a speed bump or culvert to slow down traffic.

Massey responded that a speed bump or culvert would not be practical.

“If I had an open checkbook, I would pave the road, but we have streets that need to be paved,” Massey said.

Alderman Bill Turner noted that he could see where it could be an issue if emergency personnel could not get into the park because of the locked gates.

“Except if emergency personnel get paged out, so does our police department, and they have a key,” Massey said.

Massey also noted that the fire department has a key and that he would be sure that Emergency Medical Services (EMS) receives one as well.

“There are plenty of ways to get in if there’s an emergency,” Massey said.

Aldermen will investigate ADA accessibility for Maguire Park when the gates are locked and determine whether other arrangements need to be made.

In other business, the Board of Aldermen adopted Resolution #2026-001, which officially recognizes the city of Linn’s commitment to reducing violent crime as part of the Gov. Mike Kehoe’s Blue Shield Program. Massey read the resolution, which states that the city of Linn is concerned with the health and well-being of all residents, businesses, and visitors to the city, and that preventing violent crime is a top priority for the city and the Linn Police Department. The resolution goes on to state that the city knows that preventing crime is a collaborative effort of the city administration, law enforcement, and residents. The city of Linn is committed to enhancing public safety, fostering law enforcement support, and encouraging community partnerships related to public safety. The Linn Board of Aldermen is committed to public safety and reducing violent crime within the city limits, and supports applying for Blue Shield Designation.

• Massey reported that he had recently met with Bartlett & West to try to realign the sewer line at the property owner’s request for the Lee Mar Hills Regionalization Project.

“I’ve asked Bartlett & West to consider the change,” Massey said, adding that Project Manager Hope Drennan planned to revisit the area and look at elevations to determine what would be necessary to make changes. “We don’t know if it’s possible, but we are going to give it a shot.”

Massey said that he expects that Bartlett & West will present options that can be discussed with the property owner.

Massey also discussed the next street project with Bartlett & West, and hoped to have some numbers back for the board to review.

Massey noted that streets under consideration for repairs include Lee Street, Lincoln Street (from Fourth Street to Sixth Street), Fifth Street (from Highway 50 to Benton Street), Sixth Street (from Highway 50 to Benton Street), Lincoln Street (on the east side of the church), Ninth Street, Samson Street, Twin Ridge, and Old Mill Road.

Aldermen hope to use the remaining amount from the budget this year and the 2026-27 fiscal year allocations to pay for a bigger street project.

• Grellner reminded the board that the upcoming election will be held on April 7. Alderman Dustin Flamm and Mike Troesser filed for mayor, Alderman Steve Boeckman has filed to retain his Ward Two seat, and Aldermen Chris Jaegers and Bill Wirtel have filed in Ward One.

• The first annual Motorcycle Fest is set to be held on April 25 at the Linn City Park. The fun-filled, family-friendly event is sponsored by Our Little Store. The first committee meeting will be held on Jan. 28 at the Barefoot Event Center. Anyone interested in volunteering or finding out additional information is welcome to attend.

• Aldermen approved a liquor license for the Spring Fling at St. George Catholic Church on March 21 and the picnic scheduled for June 28.

• The board agreed to forgive both the water and sewer bills for a resident who had a leak totaling 35,000 gallons of water. The leak happened 18 inches from the meter and was repaired by the homeowner. Aldermen would have preferred that the resident replace the entire water line, but understood that the weather made that difficult.

“I would be in favor of giving them a pass this time, but if it develops another leak, it would all be on them,” Massey said.

Grellner estimated that the cost of the leak was about $495 and that additional gallons on next month’s bill would be forgiven as well. Grellner will use the resident’s average water and sewer bill to determine the correct utilities charge.

• City Hall will be closed on Feb. 16 for President’s Day.

• The Linn License Fee Office will be closed on Feb. 12 and 16 for President’s Day.

• Utilities Supervisor Aleks Rowinski told aldermen that Independent Electric was not willing to waive the diagnostic fee for the city’s two sewer pumps because of the hours they had devoted to diagnosing them.

Rowinski went on to explain that he wanted to have one of the pumps repaired so that there would be a spare unit for the Blackburn Lift Station.

Aldermen tabled the issue, hoping that it could be included in the city’s budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year.

Massey asked Rowinski to get a more detailed breakdown of the cost, including parts and labor.

Rowinski presented several other items he wants to purchase, and was told to bring them up at the next budget meeting, along with estimates.

• Linn Police Chief Sam Ford said that the department had been invited to join the Mid-Missouri Drug Task Force. Ford said the initial cost would be $2,000 to $2,500, but he felt like the benefits outweighed the expense.

“The great thing about the Mid-Mo Drug Task Force is that they will assist us in other things as well,” Ford said. “If they have a tool they can help us with, they will bring it in and utilize it in our investigation.”

Ford explained that the Mid-Mo Drug Task Force is a part of at least seven counties, and the agency would keep the Linn Police Department in the loop regarding what was happening in other municipalities and counties.

“Each and every police chief we’ve had has talked highly of the Mid-Mo Drug Task Force and the support they offer,” Massey said. “We have been fortunate that we haven’t needed them a lot, but as the city continues to grow, it is something to consider, if we can figure out the financing.”

Ford will conduct additional research regarding how much the membership will cost the city.

“There will be an expense involved, but the drug problem is just getting worse,” Ford said.

• Aldermen approved outstanding bills for $249,754.19.

• The city of Linn had the following ending account balances in its governmental fund accounts: general ($494,358.12), pool (-$84,799.74), park ($60,650.79), police training ($1,161.66), general fund-improvement and equipment (-$7,834.28), park-improvement and equipment (-$11,554.09), and pool-improvement and equipment ($1,948.24).

• Linn had the following ending account balances in their business-type funds: water ($548,257.90), water replacement ($154,668.36), sewer ($479,491.68), sewer replacement ($53,338.93), and grants (-$91,537.73).

• The city holds nine certificates of deposit totaling $1,387,828.51.

• A budget meeting will be held on Feb. 3 at 5:30 p.m., and the next regular meeting is slated for Feb. 17 at 5:30 p.m.