Linn aldermen at their Aug. 17 meeting approved a tax levy of $.7303 per $100 of assessed valuation, which is an increase from the 2020 levy of $.6808. The new levy is expected to generate increased revenue of $128,562.28 which is $314.74 more than last year. All the money will go into the general revenue fund. 

The board also approved a tax levy for the parks and recreation fund at the rate of $.0500 per $100 of assessed valuation, a decrease from the 2020 levy of $.0512. The tax is expected to bring in revenues totaling $8,802.02 which is a decrease of $616.87 from last year.

In other business, aldermen approved Bill #2021-019 which establishes a procedure to disclose potential conflicts of interest and substantial interests for municipal officials.

* The Linn City Police Department was awarded a $5,000 grant by Three Rivers Helping Hands for the K-9 unit, which will be put towards training expenses.  

Chief Michael Bickell explained that K-9 training for the dog and its handler will begin in early September. The K-9 Program will also be receiving a ballistic vest for the dog, a value of $500. The vest will be given to the Linn Police Department free of charge through another K-9 program in Ohio. The K-9 insert for the patrol car will be installed within the next couple of weeks. The K-9 Program account was approved for monthly charges of $3,704.88. The account has an ending balance of $15,854.56.

* The Linn City Pool has received a lot of complaints this season. City resident Christina Laughlin complained that the pool closed early this year and that for the last two weeks that the pool was open the water was green.

Alderman Steve Boeckmann noted that he received a lot of phone calls and text messages about the pool closing early. 

“It has always closed before school started,” City Clerk Carrie Grellner said but acknowledged Williams closed the pool about a week earlier than usual.

Grellner reported that Pool Manager Audrey Williams sent her a text noting that one of the pumps had gone down. Grellner was not aware of how long the pump had not been working.

“Part of the reason for her deciding to close may have been because the pump went down,” Utilities Supervisor Larry Fredrich said. “They couldn’t keep it chlorinated correctly to keep it clean.”

“My boys were kicked out three different times because the pool was not making money,” Laughlin said. “It was never fully explained to me what the thought was on that. I had left messages with the manager and she never got back to me.”

Boeckmann noted that the pool manager would close the pool even if there were people there and would tell the people at the pool that they weren’t making money.

“You pay to go to the pool and then they say they’re not making money so they send people home,” Alderman Bill Turner said. “It doesn’t make sense.”

Laughlin suggested that maybe the city needed a board or committee to oversee the City Pool.  

“I don’t need a committee to manage,” Mayor Dwight Massey said. “I need a manager, so I’m looking for volunteers.”

Laughlin laughingly declined to be the pool manager next year but did say that she would help the city find someone.

“I just felt like this year was crappy and with the State Tech Pool opening up, I don’t want to see this pool close,” Laughlin said.

Turner and Boeckmann echoed those concerns about the City Pool closing with the opening of the State Tech pool next year.

“I want to keep it going,” Massey said. “There are a lot of kids that can use this pool on their own.”

Grellner noted that St. George Extended Care uses the pool in the summer and the pool is used for swimming lessons for area kids.

Massey noted that he wasn’t aware of the problems at the pool until it had closed.

“We will start fresh next year,” Grellner said. “There is nothing we can do about it now.”

Grellner plans to get a quote for a new pump when the pool is winterized this fall. 

* Fredrich reported that a pump motor went out at the lagoon. He has ordered a new pump at a cost of $3,500 and expects it will be installed within the next couple of weeks.

Fredrich also ordered 3,000 feet of sewer line in anticipation of several upcoming projects. He estimated the cost of the pipe at around $3,100. 

“We ordered it in advance because of the shortage of pipe right now,” Fredrich explained. “It is sitting on the lot ready to go.”

Fredrich does not want any of the city’s projects to be held up by the shortage of supplies.

The city of Linn will be helping Osage County with some of its equipment to make repairs to Heritage Highway (old UD 50) in exchange for the county letting the city use its grass whip to cut down weeds and grass where it is overgrown.

Fredrich will also try to get a bucket truck so that he can take down the damaged sign on the west end of Linn. 

* Linn will reimburse Eugene Voss $4,452 for repairs that he needed to make to the sewer line at the Parson’s House, where the sewer line backed up into one of the basement apartments. Voss tried to auger the line but was only able to go about 12 feet before he ran into clay. He contacted Fredrich and they realized that one of the sewer lines for the building had been disconnected when repairs were made on Fifth Street last year. At the time, Fredrich and Voss thought that the line was unused.

“I’ve had that place for 10 years and I haven’t had any sewer back up until the street was put in,” Voss explained. “I had to get it fixed but I didn’t want to tear up a $600,000 new street to do it.”

Massey noted that the city does not typically reimburse property owners for private lines.

“We were the cause,” Massey said. “So honestly this one is on us and I appreciate the fact that the man worked to not tear up our street. He bent over backward to help us.”

Massey and Fredrich plan to meet with Voss at the Parson’s House to discuss issues he is having with the approach into the parking lot. They are hoping to fix this problem with upcoming street repairs.

* Elizabeth Anderson with the University Extension office received approval from aldermen to use Linn City Park for the Taste of Osage County event scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 16. Vendors will be charged $25 per booth although there will be early-bird signup at the beginning of September when vendors can sign up for  $15. Fees will be waived for businesses that are members of Naturally Meramec, non-profit organizations, and churches. 

Anderson is working with Jenn Millard from the Central Missouri Community Action, and Meramec Regional Planning Commission to coordinate the event.

* The city is still working on getting lien-waivers signed for the Jaegers Wastewater Regionalization Project. Grellner noted that at this point, about 25% of the lien-waivers are signed and all the property owners have been contacted.

* Aldermen also approved a capital assets policy for the internal control plan that was prepared by City Treasurer Janelle Jaegers. The plan sets the value of assets that are capitalized at $1,000 or above. It also requires Jaegers to keep an inventory of all items that each department owns valued at more than $250. Departments will keep their own inventory to coordinate with Jaegers. This policy and plan were among the improvements that the auditors suggested during the last audit.

* The board approved the continuation of an agreement with T-Mobile to use the water tower. The original agreement was with Sprint Mobile. 

* The recently passed Wayfair legislation requires that cities with a use tax notify the public by the first week of November. Grellner will run an ad in the Unterrified Democrat in the fall.

* Linn City Hall offices will be closed on Sept. 6 in observance of Labor Day, and the Linn City License Fee Office will be closed on Sept. 4 and Sept. 6.

* The Linn R-2 boy’s baseball team is practicing on the City Park field and will host games during the fall season since there are conflicts with the school’s field during the softball season.

* Boeckmann will take the lead in finding candidates to fill the empty seat on the Park Board. Aldermen are looking for one board member and two alternates.

* Turner will start looking into ways for alderman to develop a long-term city plan. 

* Aldermen approved outstanding bills totaling  $168,911.62.

* Linn has the following ending balances in its government funds: general ($336,566.59), pool (-$6,756.46), park ($68,770.52), police training ($1,203.18), general fund-improvements and equipment ($8,646.09), park-improvements and equipment ($28,410.50), and pool-improvement and equipment ($13,985.14).

* The city had the following ending balances in its business-type funds: water ($413,070.88), water replacement ($97,097.17), sewer ($318,119.51), sewer replacement ($66,485.30) and grants (-$81,874.04).

* Linn holds nine certificates of deposit with a total value of $1,086,445.29.

* The next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 21 at 5 p.m.