LINN  —  Linn has hired Utilities Supervisor Derrick McCubbin, who succeeds recently retired Larry Fredricks in that position.

“I started last Monday, and I’ve got some pretty big shoes to fill around here,” said McCubbin at last Tuesday’s meeting. “You can tell that it is a very well taken care of the system, and I look forward to helping maintain it.”

McCubbin has been in the field for 18 years, working for various municipalities, and has spent three years in management.

“I’m looking forward to being here and doing a good job,” McCubbin said.

The city also hired Aleks Rowinski to help McCubbin with city utilities.

In related utility news, Mayor Dwight Massey noted that the city had to call All Clear to deal with a sewer issue on Benton Street.

“I’m sure it was a tree root, but we had to call them because we didn’t have anyone at the time,” Massey said. “We’ve had them on-site several times already.”

Massey also reported the city would owe Bartlett & West an estimated $7,000 for the transition contract approved by the board.

“We are anticipating getting them moved to (serve as) backup operator with Derrick here by next week,” Massey said. “I wanted to give him two weeks to figure out where things were.”

In other business, Bartlett & West Engineer Hope Drennen confirmed that the Jaegers Wastewater Project was well underway and that the contractor was progressing well.

“I don’t have a schedule from the contractor yet because he wasn’t sure about the weather or the rock,” Drennan reported. “I went by there before the meeting, and he is making good headway, so we anticipate this will be a quick project from start to finish.”

Initially, the Osage Nation had requested an archeologist be on-site for the project. That requirement has been dropped, and the contractor is asked to report if he finds anything of interest.

“That was great news because that won’t hold up construction or anything; that was going to be a kinda cumbersome thing,” Drennen said.

Bartlett & West is also looking at putting together a cost estimate for street repairs on Lee Street and the parking area at City Park.

Massey added that the ditch and culvert around the park are not handling the runoff water.

“We are going to have to saw out some culverts and replace them before we put asphalt down and concrete drop boxes to collect some of the water to try to stop some of these issues,” Massey explained. “I’d like to cut culverts down each side of the park and close most of that ditch off.”

• Aldermen approved a request by the 4-H Club in Linn to create a community garden near the water tower. Trisha Ely told Aldermen the club would like to use some of the money raised at last year’s Osage County Fair demolition derby toward a community garden. The club would initially donate $1,500 toward the project, estimated at $7,500.

Ely noted they want to build six raised beds and that fencing will be a must because of deer in the area. The garden would also need to have access to a water supply that is currently not available at the site.

Although 4-H is starting the project, Ely wants this to be a community project and hopes other organizations and individuals will get involved.

“I’d really like a lot of people involved,” Ely said. “The more input we have, the better it will be. Anyone who would like to get involved, we would love to have them.”

Ely will apply for grants for the rest of the money for the garden. She hopes to start construction in the fall and have the garden going next spring.

“For the first year, I would think we start small, just tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce,” Ely said. “Down the road, we would eventually like to put in a gazebo and benches and extend the walking trail from the bottom to the top, but that’s down the road.”

Ely said that the 4-H Club would also like to make a fitness trail like the one circling the City Park years ago.

Produce from the garden would go to the Good Shepherd Food Pantry, the nursing home, or schools. 4-H and FFA members could also use the garden to grow produce to show at the Osage County Fair. Ely noted that not all details had been worked out yet.

The city will have McCubbin look into putting a hydrant in the area for the garden.

• Alderman Bill Turner asked fellow board members for help getting things back in place at the City Pool before opening day on Memorial Day weekend.

Turner noted that the ladder needed to be set in place, the bathrooms painted, and warnings stenciled on the pool deck. Shade poles were received, but Turner was not sure they could have those up before Memorial Day.

• Aldermen are still looking for ways to stop people from driving around the gate that stops traffic from going through Maguire Park.

Park Committee Chairman Neil Loethen suggested digging the ditch deeper and filling it with rocks. He added this would make maintenance easier and prevent people from driving around the gates. There was also a suggestion to put raised flowerbeds on one side of the ditch and to put in posts with a chain between them.

Massey will check on the cost of the posts and report back to the board.

In other park news, Loethen sent in a report that damaged boards on picnic benches had been replaced, trees and flowerbeds had been mulched, and the poles around the old skate park had been painted. A black vinyl chain link fence will be ordered next week and installed before the next meeting.

Loethen also noted that 90% of the bush honeysuckle had been removed from Maguire Park, the tarp had been secured at the batting cage, and a balance log had been added to the City Park’s nature playground. Loethen noted that the nature park is a big hit with the kids. Ball season is in full swing, but the park board has not met yet.

• Massey noted that the city would be annexing property from State Tech as outlined in the contract with the sale of the seven-acre parcel of land.

“There is a clause in there for annexation,” Massey said. “So, we will be stepping over and picking up that ground.”

• Aldermen approved a $500 donation to the Gasconade Valley Enterprise Zone. Massey explained that this organization works to encourage and support local businesses.

• The board approved a sewer adjustment for a resident of the new Stonegate Subdivision trying to get the grass started in his yard.

Because he is new to the house, City Clerk Carrie Grellner does not have an average monthly use without watering the yard, although he has estimated he uses 20,000 gallons per month.

“I believe that might be a stretch,” Grellner said.

Aldermen will let Grellner use her best judgment in estimating how much water he would use and adjust his sewer bill accordingly.

• Aldermen approved a city advertisement for the Osage County Fair, which typically costs $250.

• Aldermen approved outstanding bills for $107,965.24.

• Linn had the following account balances in its governmental fund accounts: general ($499,209.89), pool (-$21,892.87), park ($114,528.71), police training ($3,218.18), general fund improvement and equipment (-$21,353.91), park-improvement and equipment ($15,193.30), pool-improvement and equipment ($11,328.89).

• The city has the following balances in its business type accounts: water ($470,479.95), water replacement ($66,368.36), sewer ($382,444.13), sewer replacement ($21,454.81), and grants (-$40,826.42).

• Linn has nine certificates of deposit totaling $1,276,980.

• The next meeting is slated for June 20 at 5 p.m.