The Westphalia Car Show will be returning this year on Sept. 16, from 5 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., following approval from aldermen at their meeting last Tuesday night. 

Car show organizer Chris Stuckenschneider has been working with Mayor Tammy Massman to address the city’s concerns regarding the event. The car show was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19, and aldermen voted against having the car show in 2021 due to safety concerns and destruction of property, per Mayor Massman. 

“It’s an event that I’ve heard a lot of interest in bringing back,” Alderman Ben Holterman said. “I think we have some good parameters in place to follow. We’ll have to give them a second chance.”

This year’s car show will have expanded hours. Stuckenschneider noted that in previous years, people were still in attendance at 10 p.m. when the event was scheduled to end. He said that people seemed to drive laps around Main Street and other risky driving that was seen as a safety concern.

“I think it is a good idea to extend the time to shut the street down until 11:30 p.m.,” Alderman Delbert Wieberg said. “I think (with the expanded hours) more people will be less likely to misbehave.”

Wieberg added that local law enforcement would have to get involved if there are problems.

Massman noted that local law enforcement is always notified and aware of the event and willing to help, but they are limited by what might be happening in other areas of the county on that night.

Show organizers have also agreed to obtain event insurance and list the city as additionally insured. The cost of the event insurance will be the responsibility of the show’s organizer and will be paid for through donations. 

The car show will be held from the corner of West Main Street and North Maries Avenue to the corner of East Main Street and Bridge Avenue/Mill Street. Main Street, from North Maries Avenue and West Main Street to the intersection of Bridge Avenue, Mill Street, and the East Main Street intersection, will be closed. 

Mill Street, by the post office, and the church parking lot entrances will also be closed during the car show. Spectators can access the church and school parking lots from the back entrance by taking Bridge Avenue through Holterman’s lower driveway instead of Main Street.

Organizers will be responsible for contacting the school and church for approval and for making sure that the dates do not interfere with any school or church activities. The car show organizers will also be responsible for clean-up the day after the car show.

Aldermen agreed to pay for five portable bathrooms for an estimated $375, with the organizers responsible for coordinating their delivery and pick-up.

Aldermen also voted to provide letters of approval for local businesses who wish to apply for a caterer’s license for the car show. That will allow them to serve drinks outside of their establishments, and beverages served to customers inside the business can be taken outside. Massman noted that businesses would have to hold a current liquor license to apply for the caterer’s license and that the specialty license would only allow these outside sales for the duration of the car show. Aldermen approved the letters to be generated, but the businesses still must request the letter of approval from the city and the business has to apply for the caterer’s license on its own. 

Massman said it is not possible for the city to provide a liquor license to the car show or its organizer because, as an individual, he cannot apply for a liquor license.

Wieberg noted that if businesses do not comply with the license requirements, enforcement would come from officials that govern alcohol and not the city.

Not-for-profit organizations will also be allowed to sell goods for the express purpose of raising money for their organization without the need to purchase any additional licenses through the city. 

“A for-profit business or entity that’s wanting to come in and do sales, that would require a specific license and approval from the city,” Massman said.

A rain-out date for the event was set for Sept. 23.

In other business, aldermen approved liquor sales for the St. Joseph Catholic Church Parish Picnic to be held on Aug. 7 and for the Lions Club Tractor Pull on Aug. 27, with a rain-out date of Aug. 28.

• Ben Maness with Mid Mo Operations provided aldermen a report on the sewer system. Sludge was hauled on July 1 and July 5, and the city will be billed directly. The Massman Lane Pump Station had been plugged with wipes. It was cleaned out, and the pump seems to be running fine. Maness plans to replace several wire terminals and a new battery to the pump panel to the station. 

Mid Mo Operations has not heard anything from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on their request to change the delivery of samples from weekly to quarterly.

Maness said Mid Mo Operations will continue with manhole inspections and repairs when the weather turns cooler.

Overall, Maness reported that the sewer plant and lift stations are working well.

Wieberg asked Maness if the leak in the air manifold at the treatment plant was causing any additional problems. Maness replied that while the leak did not seem any worse, it was still an item that needed to be fixed.

• Massman told aldermen that none of the insurance companies she had contacted for a cyberterrorism insurance quote were able to provide one unless the city had a current contract with an Information Technology (IT) company, which the city does not have. They would also require the city to do weekly backups for all computer systems.

“Do we have to have it?” Wieberg asked.

Massman replied that the city is not required to have the coverage, and aldermen decided not to pursue any other cyberterrorism insurance quotes at this time.

• Massman announced that there would be a porkburger sale for the Shop with a Hero Program on Saturday at Linn Thriftway. Massman will post a flyer at City Hall to promote the event.

• Westphalia had the following expenses for the month: city fund ($7,712.11), sewer system ($8,667.46), and special road district ($612.18).

• The city had the following receipts for the month: city ($10,067.54), sewer ($10,120.60), and special road district ($4,400.78).

• Westphalia had the following account balances: city checking ($174,166.97), sewer system checking ($38,496.02), special road district checking ($54,265.37), and special road district savings ($5,112.51).

• The city holds the following certificates of deposit: city ($439,319.85), sewer system ($521,589.35), and special road district ($521,879.57).

• The next meeting will be held on Aug. 30 at 6 p.m.