Meta aldermen at their Oct. 11 meeting agreed to have Bartlett & West fill out the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application since the Jefferson City engineers are handling the City Hall project.

City Clerk Deidra Buechter noted that to qualify for CDBG funding, the project must be for community improvements and not just to improve city infrastructure.

“It has to be a project to improve the city,” Buechter added.

Bartlett & West and the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MARC) have advised the city to make this a stormwater project and include the culverts with the CDBG application for the project to address flooding around City Hall.

Alderman Otto Wankum reviewed the state of culverts around town and provided a list of seven in need of replacement. Considered a priority are the culverts at the junction of East Fourth and Cherry streets, Cherry Street between Fifth and Sixth, Bluff Street between West Fifth and West Sixth streets, West Second Street, west of Bertha Street (extend the Culver), and the culvert at the Shieffer street needs to be replaced and a ditch dug out. Wankum also suggested adding a drainage ditch along the old track right-of-way and East Third Street, and at Short Street, near the old track right-of-way.

Wankum said the first culvert on the list is about three-quarters collapsed, while the second culvert has a few smaller units feeding into the main culvert, which Wankum said should be replaced with pipe and possibly a concrete box to better direct water. The end of the Bluff Street culvert needs to be located, Wankum said, noting that when it rains, there is a deluge of water crossing the highway.

Regarding the culvert on West Second Street, Wankum suggested asking the fire department to blow it out before a decision is made to replace it because the entire structure may have to be addressed as opposed to just the end of the culvert.

The ditch that had come off the hill at the Shieffer street is no longer there, Wankum said, explaining that when the rains come, about 60% of the water runs into an alley, 10% goes into what remains of the ditch, and the rest goes “God knows where,” he added. Wankum said the post office has been flooded and told colleagues that the condition of the culverts at the end of that street is known because they are under concrete.

Wankum also suggested every ditch in the city should be dug out to improve water flow.

City Attorney Nathan Nickolaus said that having companies such as Diamond Pet Foods and the post office endorse the city’s CDBG application would help since both have been impacted by flooding as a result of these culverts.

In other business, Alderman Lawrence Hoffman announced he will be resigning from the board in April and moving out of town in May.

Nickolaus noted that because of the timing, the city could encourage anyone interested to file between Dec. 7-28 for the position and run on the ballot in April. However, the city would wait until April and appoint someone to complete the remainder of Hoffman’s term in 2023.

* A resident fell on the stairs at Bertha Street in front of Natalie’s Pastries. Buechter said because it happened on city property, the city would be responsible if the resident went to the doctor or got hurt.

Buechter suggested the steps leading up to the sidewalk be removed and filled in with dirt since other projects are going in town that will have dirt available.

Aldermen approved the project for $200 through Matt Kliethermes Excavating.

* Meta Holiday Mart will be held Nov. 6 from 9 a.m. to noon and the city entered a rental agreement to use the Meta Citizens’ Civic League facility for the event. There is no cost to the city.

Buechter noted that 20 people have signed up to offer a wide variety of products in booths inside and out of the Civic League Hall.

“We want to thank everyone for supporting our first-ever Holiday Mart,” said Buechter.

* Aldermen agreed to advertise for a chief water operator.

“When I took on this position, I didn’t want to do it forever,” said Buechter, who has been serving as interim water operator. “I don’t mind helping out but I’d like to have this position advertised.”

Operators will be required to either have their own equipment or access to equipment.

Buechter said she is immensely grateful for the assistance she has received from Ruben Wieberg. “Without his help, I don’t think I could have gotten everything done,” she said.

* Dollar General has officially been annexed into the city limits with the adoption of a resolution to that effect.

“This is the final step,” said Nickolaus.

Sales tax doesn’t become effective until January.

* Aldermen approved a resolution to authorize the following city officials and employees to use a credit card with Mayor Emily Sommerer and Buechter allowed a $3,000 limit each, and maintenance employee Kenny Loethen and a second maintenance employee a limit of $500 each.

* An individual who wants to complete community service with projects around town will not be covered by the city’s liability insurance or Workers’ Comp.

“Is it court-ordered?” Nickolaus asked.

“Yes,” Buechter replied.

“We’re immune then,” Nickolaus said.

* Wankum addressed street parking, noting there are some streets wide enough to allow cars on both sides, and some that are not. Last winter, when maintenance crews were cleaning the streets, some parked cars created a hazard and liability.

“I don’t want to have someone crash into their cars and quite frankly, the streets down here in town are wide enough for cars to park on both sides and traffic to move freely back and forth,” said Wankum.

Meta’s parking ordinance cannot be enforced by the sheriff without a contract authorizing the department to do so.

“The sheriff isn’t going to enforce city ordinances,” Nickolaus said.

Alderman Ivie Helton suggested sending a letter to residents warning that during winter weather, plowing will take place and that vehicles should not be parked on the street.

“We can consider everybody warned and go from there,” she added.

Aldermen agreed to try that approach and if that doesn’t work, they’ll look at other options.

* A business license was approved for Fun House Quilting, LLC, owned by Billie Jo Keeran. The business will be located at 311 E. Sixth Street and will feature textile, quilting, custom quilts, bags, and gnomes.

* Halloween candy purchased by the city will be given out by Wankum at his business. He did it last year and said it went pretty well.

* Buechter was given permission to clean out the ballpark storage area. Loethen said he recently looked it over and said there is nothing of value in the shed.

* Buechter asked aldermen to consider using the storage area to house a couple of pitching mounds for use in the batting cage and on the field. She said Ben Scheulen requested they be purchased by the city and offered to come to a meeting to answer questions.

* Concrete for the batting cage was to be poured last week and aldermen agreed to allow Buechter to check with state surplus for guardrails to put up at the site to keep people from driving on it. Wankum agreed to check on it as well and said he can haul it with his trailer.

In maintenance news, aldermen in closed session hired part-time maintenance employees Lance Welschmeyer at a rate of $15 per hour, and Taylor Backes at a rate of $11 per hour.

There is no supervisor at this time.

* Loethen told the board he is preparing for the winter months with the acquisition of sand and cinders. He plans to ask Osage County if any cinders are available to purchase.

* Winterization of the restrooms at the park will be done on Nov. 1. All toilets and hydrants will be drained.

* Buechter, in her role as Interim Water Operator, reported a citizen had expressed concern about the water meter pit lid behind the bank rising above the concrete pavement, causing issues during snow-plowing. A red cone was placed over the lid last winter and there have been no issues since.

Wankum said the problem when the plow driver hit the meter pit was that he was not accustomed to plowing the parking lot at the bank. “They caught it but they didn’t really tear it up,” he added. 

Nickolaus noted that property and homeowners are responsible for damage to city property if it’s caused by them, even if it’s on their personal property.

Aldermen agreed with that approach and with the idea of using a cone.

 * Gavin Poston of Troop 76 continues his effort to attain the rank of Eagle Scout. He requested permission to build a box for American flags that are ready to be retired.

“I know how important the American flag is, and I think this project would give us and the surrounding community something we can be proud of,” he said. 

Poston said he would like to place the flag box at the park near the flag display and rock memorial. “I think the box would be a great addition to that,” he said.

Aldermen agreed it was a worthy idea.

Poston added he thought the city could hold a retirement ceremony to properly dispose of the collected flags.

“It would be good for the community and bring us together more often,” he said. 

Poston is awaiting the go-ahead from the Schroeder family, which has installed the flag display and rock memorial. He said his goal is to make sure the box doesn’t interfere with those structures.

Aldermen approved his request.

WATER/TRASH SALES

* A total of $4,874.90 in water sales were recorded, with $1,096.52 collected for trash service, $60 in late fees, and $159.18 collected in sales tax. Total charges were $6,190.60 with a previous balance of $295.41, and payments were received in the amount of $4,993.41, leaving a balance due of $1,492.60. 

* Buechter reported that 463,644 gallons of water were pumped during September, with 321,020 gallons sold, and 60,000 gallons leaked, leaving 82,624 gallons of water lost, or 17.82%. 

FINANCIAL NEWS

* In her regular monthly financial report, Treasurer Mary Plassmeyer noted income/deposits totaled $38,152.33 and debits of $8,575.69 for a balance on hand as of Sept. 30 totaling $329,801.59; the money market balance was $140,301.17, and certificates of deposit totaling $53,885.29 and $124,709.59, giving the city total funds on hand of $648,697.64. Checks written last month totaled $13,433.78.