LINN — Linn aldermen approved Bill #2025-021, which renewed the franchise agreement with Ameren for 10 years at their meeting on Dec. 16. The standard franchise agreement gives Ameren the right to build, maintain, and operate equipment to supply electricity to the city of Linn. The length of the contract was reduced from 20 years to 10.

In other business, aldermen approved an estimate from Mid Mo Quality Seamless Gutters of Mexico, Mo., for $4,420 to install new gutters and replace the facia on City Hall. JLL Construction of Linn submitted an estimate for the same project for $4,722, but was not awarded the job.

• Bartlett & West Project Manager Hope Drennan reported that progress had been made on the Lee Mar Hills Regionalization Project.

“I’ve just finalized the contract with Flat Earth Technology for the cultural resource study,” Drennan said.

While Flat Earth Technology was ready to get started right away, Drennan delayed the work on the cultural resource study until January.

“That will give us time to coordinate with the property owners and let them know what’s happening, and besides, they don’t need people on their property when they have family over during the holidays,” Drennan explained.

She added that the grant covers the cultural resource survey and that there is extra money within the grant in case additional research is needed.

“We are moving right along,” Drennan added.

• Utilities Supervisor Aleks Rowinski presented the board with options to repair two pumps that had been sent to Independent Electric for an estimate. Rowinski is hoping to repair one of the pumps to have as a backup for the Blackburn Lift Station off Hwy. 50.

“One of these pumps had a catastrophic failure, and the other has blown-out seals,” Rowinski explained. “Both pumps are the same age, but having one on the shelf for an emergency is a very worthwhile endeavor.”

The cost of repairing the pump with blown-out seals is $19,749.93, and the cost to repair the pump that had a catastrophic failure is $26,254.93.

The cost for diagnosing the problems with the pump if it is not repaired is between $1,320.20 and $1,650.

Rowinski reported that the pumps were disassembled by Independent Electric to do the diagnostic and estimate.

“If we say we don’t want them to repair the pumps, can we get the pumps back in one piece?” Mayor Dwight Massey asked. “They are disassembled at this point; we only have pieces.”

Rowinski agreed that it was his understanding that the pumps would be returned as a crate of pieces if Independent Electric was not approved to complete the repairs.

“Regardless of whether or not we repair the pumps, we are out $2,970,” City Treasurer Jeanna Monroe-Lansford said.

“Plus shipping,” Massey added.

Massey asked about the cost of a new pump. “A standard pump is about $29,000,” Rowinski said.

“In my opinion, they are overcharging us to begin with,” Massey said.

Alderman Dustin Flamm asked why the diagnostic fee was different for each pump if they were the same model number.

Rowinski said that he could ask Independent Electric. He also noted that the repaired pumps and a new pump have the same three-year warranty.

The diagnostic fee is forgiven if the repairs for the pump are authorized.

Massey asked Rowinski to call Independent Electric and see if they could get a better deal and find answers to the board’s questions.

Rowinski also reported that his department made it through the first snow of the season.

“We had a few mechanical hiccups with the equipment, but overall, I think everything functioned well, and we got everything down in a timely manner,” Rowinski said.

Rowinski announced that he had passed his Class C Wastewater License and was waiting for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to issue the license.

“I have reached out for bids on North Ninth Street, where the street is caving in and covered by a metal plate,” Rowinski said.

Massey asked why maintenance employees couldn’t do the repairs themselves.

“We would be in MoDOT’s right of way,” Rowinski explained. “We don’t have the right equipment or personnel for the project within MoDOT’s guidelines.”

“Are they willing to work with us and possibly partner with us to make the repairs?” Massey asked.

“No, they are just dumping it on us,” Rowinski said.

Massey offered to call MoDOT and see what could be done.

Rowinski purchased tires from McKnight Tire for $1,371.76 for the 2016 White Ford Maintenance truck.

“I thought we were getting tires for the other truck,” Massey said.

Rowinski explained that both trucks needed new tires, and he had been waiting for a quote for the other truck.

“It takes 60 minutes to get a quote,” Massey said. “What were you waiting for?”

“I was waiting on information from Chief (Sam) Ford,” Rowinski tried to explain.

“You are a big boy; you can do this yourself,” Massey answered. “I can get you a quote in a hurry.”

Rowinski also announced that the wash bay garage doors were operational.

“I thought that was done six months ago,” Massey said.

Rowinski reported that although Hometown Lumber and Hardware had some additional work to do on the doors, they are functional right now.

Rowinski reported that his crew was able to fix a hose in the lagoons that had come loose.

“We were able to fix the situation without calling anyone,” Rowinski said. “With some waders, we were able to reach out there and basically put the hoses back together, clamp them, and replace the hose. It may have just come loose, or there may have been degradation.

“We’ve been knocking off work orders and checking things off our list and trying to make forward progress,” Rowinski added.

• Monroe-Lansford noted that an invoice from 2022 needed to be paid to Motorola Solutions for $9,999.

“It was a Bickell thing,” City Clerk Carrie Grellner said, referring to the former Linn Police Chief.

“No, that is an accounting thing,” Massey shot back.

“No, it was a grant we thought that Bickell had followed through on, and he had not,” Grellner said. “We just got this invoice last week.”

“What was the grant for?” Massey asked. “Unicorns and sunshine? What the hell was the grant for? Was this one of those things that was supposed to be wonderful, and it wasn’t?”

Chief Ford replied that it seems that the grant was for two Watch Dog Camera Systems, and the amount was supposed to cover the equipment and installation.

“Before I came along, a lot of stuff was going out for installation,” Ford said. “I’ve got guys who know how to install things, and so I try to keep everything in-house if I can.”

• Grellner reminded aldermen that the election was coming up in April 2026, with two aldermen and the mayor’s position open. To date, Michael Troesser and Alderman Dustin Flamm have filed for mayor, and aldermen Chris Jaegers and Steve Boeckmann have filed for their respective seats.

The last day to file for the April election is on Dec. 30 at 5 p.m. All applicants must file in person at City Hall. Contact the City Clerk for additional information.

• Grellner reported that codification was done except for a couple of questions. City Attorney Annie Willis has posed those questions to Lauberth Municipal Law and is waiting for answers from their attorney, Nathan Nickolaus.

“If I have to change things, I’d like to do it before it is posted,” Grellner said.

“We’ve been waiting on this since 2023,” Massey said, offering to call Nickolaus to see if he could speed up the process.

• Auranet, an internet service company, has provided a map with proposed routes to run fiber for internet service to City Hall at the request of the board. Grellner asked the aldermen to consider changing internet service providers so that City Hall and the Linn License Office will have better and faster service.

“He is looking at going on the North Side of Jefferson Street,” Grellner said. “There is currently a utility easement he would like to use.”

Rowinski added that he would be crossing the city’s water and sewer line in several spots, but planned to go eight feet deep to avoid any issues.

“He is planning on coordinating with us,” Rowinski said. “They would be about 1.5 feet below our line when he crosses over. He wants to make it so that we don’t have to work around him.”

Grellner noted that the cost would be less than what the city is paying now for internet service.

Flamm and Massey asked if Auranet had a franchise agreement to present to the city of Linn.

“He wants to do a franchise agreement, but he first wanted to see if we would allow him to run the line,” Grellner said.

Massey asked if he is planning on supplying many residents with internet service or just a few select customers.

“He won’t be able to do that right away,” Grellner said. “He’s slowly trying to make his way through town.”

Grellner explained that Cable America had a franchise agreement with the city for only 3%, while a typical agreement is 5%.

“I’m okay with him doing it, but I’d like to see some progression,” Flamm said. “What are they planning over the next five years? For the next eight years? I would want to see them progress quickly so the community will benefit, not just 20 people.”

Grellner said that she would ask them if they had a plan to present to the board.

• Hood and Associates will be at City Hall for the in-person portion of the audit Jan. 22-23. Monroe-Lansford reported that she had submitted all of the requested paperwork at this time.

• Monroe-Lansford and Grellner have reviewed the insurance renewal with the Missouri Public Entity Risk Management Fund (MOPERM)and corrected several errors before submitting it to be adjusted.

“We are expecting the new bid to be higher,” Monroe-Lansford warned.

• Massey reported that Christmas on Main Street seemed to go well.

“Personally, I had a lot of fun,” Massey said. “As always, it is a wonderful event run by wonderful people within our community.”

“Most of the businesses I spoke with said they had decent crowds,” Grellner said.

“There were a lot of people cruising up and down the sidewalks,” Massey said. “People were around, supporting the local businesses; it looked good,”

Massey noted that the cold may have deterred some people from attending the parade on Saturday.

Massey thanked all the people who took the time to put together and sponsor the event.

“As always, getting our community together and seeing them interact and participate as one is wonderful. It was a lot of fun.”

Massey said that it was humbling to be selected as the grand marshal for the parade this year.

“I always looked at the people who were grand marshals as being significant members of the community,” Massey said. “I’ve done what I have over the years because I felt like it was the right thing to do, so to be asked to be the grand marshal was an honor for me. It was a special day.”

• Grellner reported that she has been asked several times if the gates to Maguire Park could be unlocked.

“Nope,” Massey said. “People are cutting through the park going 100 miles per hour when there are kids on the playground. If the people in the community cannot maintain their decorum, then we are not going to open the park gates.

“We could open it every day, but as long as there are morons that want to run through the park to go to MFA at 40 miles per hour past the playground, we’ll keep it locked,” Massey continued.

Grellner said that several residents have asked if the gates are locked and the park is closed.

Massey said that the park remains open even when the gates are locked.

Alderman Bill Turner thanked park employee KP Nilges for fixing the cable so that people could more easily access the park when the gates are closed.

• The city received an estimate from Osage Auto Center for $2,954.58 to fix the truck that the Linn Police Department was going to transfer to the Parks Department.

“The truck isn’t worth that much money,” Massey said. “They need to sharpen their pencil.”

Turner asked how necessary all the repairs were for the truck.

Grellner noted that the truck was taken to Osage Auto Repair to see what repairs the truck might need.

“We asked him to look over the truck and tell us what was wrong,” Grellner explained. “He wasn’t asked to fix anything.”

Aldermen reviewed the estimate and found numerous items that they did not believe were necessary.

Board members questioned why the truck had not been transferred to the Parks Department already, because they believed it was what they had voted on at the last meeting.

Turner asked if some of the things that were listed in the estimate as repairs could be done by the city.

“Time and time again, people say they’ll do things; they put it on the list, and it never gets done,” Massey said. “I don’t think it will ever get done.”

Aldermen voted to have the truck transferred from the Police Department to the Parks Department.

“Since we transferred it, it is now the asset of the Parks Department, so they can do what they want with their own budget,” Massey said.

• Chief Ford told aldermen that everything in his department is running smoothly, noting he picked up a used Ford Explorer for $7,000 to replace the vehicle that recently hit a deer.

Turner asked if the department had trouble determining the new city boundaries after annexation.

“Yes, it is very confusing,” Chief Ford said. “We are having trouble with maps and boundary lines, but the problems are not affecting public safety because Osage County Sheriff Michael Bonham and I have an agreement: if it’s questionable, we both go. Our concern is public safety, so we don’t get worked up about boundaries.”

Massey agreed, noting that there is no legal issue with the Linn Police Department operating outside of the city limits.

“I’ve never restricted our police department to the city limits boundary because if they are in pursuit or requested for mutual aid, we’re not going to leave an officer standing outside of city limits alone,” Massey explained. “If we were to say that the city limits are the boundary, we’d have to drag race everyone to the boundary.”

• Aldermen agreed to write a letter of support for State Tech’s grant application to build new sidewalks.

• City Hall will be closed on Dec. 25-26 for Christmas and Jan. 1 for New Year’s Day. The Linn License Fee Office will be closed Dec. 25-27 and Jan. 1.

• Aldermen approved a Christmas ad to be posted in the Unterrified Democrat at a cost of $146.50.

• The city will look into building a rack to hold Christmas decorations to prevent damage. Currently, the city has 20 snowflakes, four to five holly decorations, and two large wreaths.

Rowinski said that he only put up the best decorations this year, noting that a lot of them are damaged.

Flamm noted that the city needed to look into purchasing new decorations or compare the cost of repairing the existing items.

• Aldermen approved outstanding bills totaling $158,305.49.

• Linn had the following ending account balances in their governmental fund accounts: general ($508,857.69), pool (-$83,585.21), park ($62,637.57), police training ($1,143.66), general fund-improvement and equipment (-$7,319.28), park-improvement and equipment (-$4,031.91), and pool-improvement and equipment ($1,948.24).

• The city had the following ending account balances in its business-type funds: water ($534,693.64), water replacement ($154,668.36), sewer ($454,022.78), sewer replacement ($53,338.93), and grants (-$88,745.65).

• Linn holds nine certificates of deposit totaling $1,384,592.

• The first budget meeting for 2026 will be held on Jan.6 at 5:30 p.m., and the next regular meeting is scheduled for Jan. 20 at 5 p.m.