LINN — Linn aldermen approved three ordinances at their June 15 meeting to amend previous policies related to annexation to clear up recent issues.

City Clerk Carrie Grellner explained that recently hired City Attorney Nathan Nickolaus recommended the corrections, and that city officials had consulted with the Osage County Assessor’s Office on the correct legal descriptions. Grellner said she believes the changes will straighten everything out.

— Ordinance #2026-009 amended Ordinance #1320 “for the purpose of correcting a clerical error in the attachments.” The ordinance states that the original ordinance referenced attachments labeled Exhibit A through Exhibit V, which were intended to contain legal descriptions of the territories to be annexed. However, “due to a scrivener’s error,” the attachments included with the original ordinance were inconsistent with the intended legal descriptions, making it necessary to correct the clerical error so the annexation record accurately reflects the territory approved for annexation. The ordinance also states that correcting the clerical errors does not alter the intent, scope, or effect of the annexation previously approved by the Board of Aldermen.

The ordinance declares that the annexation process was properly initiated based on the evidence presented, and that the board determined the annexation was reasonable and necessary. It further states that the clerical error in the original ordinance did not reflect the legal descriptions intended by the board at the time of passage.

— Ordinance #2026-009 will be filed with the Osage County Clerk’s Office and will take effect immediately upon approval.

— Ordinance #2026-010 will amend original Ordinance #1340, and Ordinance #2026-011 will amend Ordinance #1348. Both additional ordinances contain similar wording and details as Ordinance #2026-009.

In other business, aldermen selected Brandt Heating & Cooling for a new HVAC system for City Hall and the Linn License Office. The board selected higher-end heat pump replacement units, which will cost $13,898.08 for City Hall and $12,419.29 for the License Fee Office. The city also received bids from Superior Service, with an estimated cost of $17,340 for the total of both systems, and Heritage Mechanical Service, with an estimated cost of $12,764 per system.

After a lengthy discussion, aldermen approved the estimate with Brandt Heating & Cooling based on the energy efficiency of the heat pump that was priced. The total amount remained under budget, and the project will start as soon as possible.

* Aldermen agreed to pay an additional $500 for event insurance if the Christmas on Main Street Committee can rent a synthetic ice rink for this year’s event.

“In the past, we’ve always paid the event insurance to cover Christmas on Main Street, “ Grellner said. “The insurance for the synthetic ice rink would be more and would not be included in the regular event insurance.”

Grellner noted the event insurance typically covered by the city is only $200.

“The reason I’m asking now is because they are already booking up,” Grellner explained. “They may be able to cover part of the cost.”

“I kinda like the idea,” Boeckmann said. “I think it would be cool. I think it would be something different. It’s not good to have the same thing all the time; people just stop going.”

Alderman Chris Jaegers agreed, “I think we should go for it,” he said.

Aldermen Bill Turner and Dustin Flamm were more cautious, expressing their desire for the Christmas of Main Street Committee to cover at least part of the insurance cost.

“You know, we tried something different back in April, and I saw bikers and baby strollers all at the same place,” Troesser said of the Bike Rally held at Linn City Park earlier this year. “If you change something up, people get excited about trying something different. I think it is a good idea.”

* City Treasurer Jeanna Monroe-Lansford explained that Hood & Associates was currently working on catching up on the city’s audits. She said they are almost done with the 2023-24 audit, in the middle of the 2024-25 audit, and starting the 2025-26 audit.

The firm has recommended that Monroe-Lansford not make any transfers to accounts until after the current-year audit is complete.

“He has found a couple of items that may have been put into the system twice,” Monroe-Lansford said. “He believes that will clear everything up.”

* Aldermen agreed to allow Grellner and Monroe-Lansford to investigate details related to Linn issuing business licenses. The city hasn’t required business licenses in the past 20 years. Aldermen had a lengthy discussion about who would need to have a business license, how it would be enforced, whether food trucks would need a business license, and if the business license could be lifted for special events.

While there was general agreement that they would like to pursue issuing business licenses again, no firm details were decided.

Grellner also asked aldermen if they would like her and Monroe-Lansford to look into occupancy permits for the city’s landlords.

“We need rental inspections,” Boeckmann said.

“We need to take care of the kids that come here,” Jaegers added.

After another discussion, aldermen decided they would tackle the business licenses first and look into occupancy permits at a later date.

CITY POOL UPDATE

* City Pool Manager Christine Wells was given permission to hire an additional assistant pool manager in mid-July since two of the assistant managers will be leaving for college at that time. Wells was concerned that if all the same people come back next year, one of the lifeguards would have to take a step down and not be an assistant manager, and not receive the additional money per hour that the position allows.

“I would hate for someone to step up to take on more responsibility and then get knocked back down next year,” Troesser said. “I don’t think that’s fair to them.”

Wells agreed.

Troesser asked what the pay difference was between a regular lifeguard and an assistant manager.

Monroe-Lansford replied $.50 per hour.

“That’s like $20 every two weeks,” Troesser said. “I don’t see a problem with that.”

In other city pool news, Wells reported she is getting an estimate on the Kiddie Pool repairs. Pools Made Possible was scheduled to come out and put in a new pump and fix the slide, which is currently not working.

Wells and her husband were able to fix the ladders in the pool. One of the steps will need to be welded, after which, all the ladders will be back in working order. Currently, the boys’ bathroom at the City Pool is not working.

“Last year, the water heater broke, and we decided that we didn’t need hot water, but we didn’t bypass the water heater, which is where we think the problem is,” Wells said.

Grellner had received an estimate from Backes Plumbing for $1,300, but she did not believe it included bypassing the water heater. Grellner had reached out to several other plumbers but had not heard back as of the meeting.

Park Board President Neil Loethen asked where the boys were going to the bathroom now.

“They are all using the girls’ bathroom,” Monroe-Lansford said. “They let them in the bathroom one child at a time.”

“That’s not good,” Troesser said. “We need to get that fixed.”

Aldermen agreed to let Grellner pick from the cheapest bid that she received and get the bathrooms fixed as soon as possible.

Wells also warned that the pool will need to be resurfaced next year.

Currently, the nightly aerobics classes average about 15 people per night and have generated a lot of interest. Wells expects those numbers to increase through the summer. Pool parties can be booked online, and there are additional spaces for morning parties. Wells believes this is going well. The City Pool has sold 38 family passes already this season, and they have 187 kids signed up for summer swim lessons.

Wells explained that lifeguards are required to have at least one hour of in-service training per month. This year, they will have a drill with the Osage County Ambulance District for training.

“I’m excited about this,” Wells said.

UTILITIES DEPARTMENT NEWS

Aldermen approved $1,500 for a pallet of 60 bags of Perma patch. Utilities Supervisor Aleks Rowinski said that he believes mixing the Perma patch with cold mix is a more permanent repair for street potholes than the cold mix alone.

Rowinski has been looking at drainage issues around the city, including Twin Ridge and Sixth Street. Flamm noted the city is currently working with Bartlett & West Engineering of Jefferson City to include that area in a street bid.

Rowinski ordered pipe to replace a collapsed clay tile on Sixth Street.

* Aldermen approved a new locator to replace the city’s locator that was accidentally run over last year. The cost of the locator is right at $9,000; the part was budgeted at $10,000.

* The board also approved the replacement of seven chlorine meters for the city at a total cost of $4,781.90.

Turner questioned why the city needed seven of the same meters.

“We need one for each well house and one for each truck,” Rowinski said. “This allows me to go straight to the well if there is an emergency. This is how many we currently have. We are not asking for anything different than what we already have.”

PARKS REMAIN VERY BUSY

Loethen reported that currently the city has eight t-ball teams, 17 baseball and softball teams, and two slow-pitch adult softball teams.

“We have about 300 kids using our fields,” Loethen said. “Both fields are completely packed every night with teams practicing or playing, and it will be that way until the middle of July.”

Loethen will replace several chains and swings at the Maguire Park playground. Loethen is continuing to make improvements and complete projects at both parks. He has filed for a grant to help fund a walking trail at the City Park and another grant for an additional t-ball field at Maguire Park.

* The city plans to send a letter to the local soccer club to have the large white goals at Maguire Park either removed or repaired within 15 days.

“The big white goals are completely rusted out and ready to fall apart,” Loethen said. ” They really could hurt someone.”

Loethen added that they have reached out several times to the soccer club and told them that they are a safety hazard, without a response.

* Loethen said that he will pursue getting bids to remove the additional dead trees in the two city parks, but he is not comfortable with those funds coming out of the park budget.

“I’m adamant this year about staying on budget,” Loethen said. “I know that it’s going to come back at $6,000 to $7,000 to remove those trees, and I don’t have it in the budget.”

REMAINING ITEMS

* Troesser will need to sign for the bank accounts as the new mayor. Former Mayor Dwight Massey’s name will be taken off the accounts, while aldermen agreed to leave Jaegers and Boeckmann as signers. The board also approved Boeckman to continue as Mayor Pro Tem.

* Linn received a yearly safety award from the Workers’ Compensation insurance. Unfortunately, it does not come with a rate or premium reduction for the city.

* Turner asked if any progress had been made with codification for the city’s ordinances. Grellner replied that she needed to check on it.

* Turner asked if Grellner had spoken with Ameren about new Christmas Decorations for the city.

“I have not set that up yet,” Grellner said.

Turner asked Grellner to forward him the information, and he would set something up with Ameren.

* Aldermen approved outstanding bills for $109,210.64.

They approved additional bills for $14,134.14.

* Linn had the following ending account balances: general ($272,708.40), pool ($25,586.94), park ($64,505.99), police training ($2,813.66), general fund-improvement and equipment ($248,762.09), park-improvement and equipment (-$20,970.67), and pool-improvement and equipment (-$1,117.01).

* The city had the following ending business-type funds account balances: water ($556,492.97), water replacement ($172.328.36), sewer ($572,215.73), sewer replacement ($63,368.73), and grants (-$97,931.66).

* Linn holds nine certificates of deposit totaling $1,427,542.35.

* The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 21, at 5:30 p.m.