Redgate services, appointments headline city council meeting

The Plattsburg City Council continues to have numerous irons in the fire this spring.

The council met for its monthly meeting on Monday, April 10, during which City Administrator Chase Waggoner and the council discussed possible changes to the services provided by Redgate Disposal, the town’s waste collection contractor.

Waggoner said that Redgate would like to discontinue its tire collections after finishing their current commitments, and could do away with single-site yard waste and trash collection at the city property south of Green Lawn Cemetery in favor of curbside yard waste collection. Redgate has also asked about the city adding a glass recycling collection site to simplify curbside glass collection, among other possible changes.

Nothing has been approved or implemented, as these are just initial discussions.

The council approved a long slate of appointments by Mayor James Kennedy that evening, including Fire Chief Rod McQuerrey (three-year term) and Mike Flores (four-year term) to the Board of Adjustments, and Mike Gassman (fouryear term) to the city’s planning commission.

The mayor’s committee appointments for the year were also approved. Those included: Street and Alley

– Aldermen John Mirosh, Sue Malone, Ken Tongue; Utilities – Aldermen Clyde May, Tracy Pincus and Scott Gordee; Police – Aldermen

Clyde May, Tracy Pincus and Scott Gordee; Personnel – Aldermen Sue Malone, Ken Tongue and Clyde May; Finance – Aldermen Ken Tongue, John Mirosh Sue Malone.

Alderman John Mirosh was also appointed to the city’s planning commission for a one-year term.

The council approved several amendments to the city codes in Waggoner’s ongoing efforts to update the documents. Approved updates that night included regulations pertaining to how and where the city can deposit municipal funds, fire prevention codes and the implementation of an animal control officer.

Waggoner reported that he had received notice from Congressman Sam Graves’s office on possible federal grant funding for utility projects, and that he had submitted $17 million in possible water and wastewater infrastructure work for consideration. If approved, the grant would provide 75 percent of the funding and the municipality would provide a quarter of the funding.

Under new business, Plattsburg Police Chief Dave Couzens asked that the city add disorderly conduct, improper display of a license plate and noise disturbances in industrial zones to its ordinances. Waggoner also asked the council about the possible inclusion of a new comprehensive plan for the upcoming budget year. He said the last time the city crafted a comprehensive plan was 1992, so it’s likely time, but added that the plan can be costly.

Under public participation, a resident voiced concerns with the drainage around Y Highway and Plotsky Road on the north side of town.

In a letter of commendation, Mayor Kennedy thanked Officer Ryland Sims and Sgt. Ryan Jensen for their work on a drug bust that netted more than 150 pills of a controlled substance, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

“The danger that you, the members of the Plattsburg Police Department, put yourselves in on a daily basis is not lost on me,” Mayor Kennedy wrote. “The risks associated with drug raids, especially with the threat of accidental fentanyl contact being so high, is very real.

I’m glad that our department has officers like you who are willing to take those risks to help others.”

The council will host a town hall meeting on Monday, April 24, at 6 p.m. at the Tinnen Center (102 E. Maple). During the meeting, there will be a presentation on the upcoming sewer project by Jon Shellhorn from Lamp-Rynearson Engineering. The council will also have an official meeting that night to vote on retaining Lamp-Rynearson Engineering for the project. There will also be a mayoral proclamation recognizing the 2022 Plattsburg baseball team that finished third in Missouri Class 2 last spring.

Commissioners, Continued from Page A1 ing the location, agreed with the neighbors. The commissioners – seeing no issues with the zoning request, otherwise – suggested that the petitioners find a way to relocate the driveways to the nearby county road just off A Highway.

The commissioners said that, in light of this request, they’ve asked that the zoning applications in the future include photos in both directions of the proposed road-driveway intersection.

The commissioners have also signed off on an amended road haul agreement on the Grain Belt Express, a proposed electrical transmission line set to traverse Clinton County and Northern Missouri. The aim of the agreement is to protect the condition of county road during construction of the line. Under the agreement, Grain Belt Express will need to obtain a $750,000 surety bond, pay the county $75,000 when construction begins, and then pay the county $15,000 annually for a 20-year period.

The three county com- missioners – Presiding Commissioner Patrick Clark, First District Commissioner Jay Bettis and Second District Commissioner Richard Riddell – have publicly voiced their opposition to the Grain Belt Express project, but the contentious issue has gained traction at the state level and is moving closer to reality.

The overhead line – a project of Chicago-based Invenergy – is slated to run just south of Gower and north of Plattsburg and Lathrop.

CCR-III Schools, Continued from Page A1

is a team player who understands that success is not just about wins and losses, but about building character, fostering teamwork, and helping our athletes become well-rounded individuals. In addition, Hunter is already well-respected in our community and has built strong relationships with students, staff, and community members. His humility and approachability are qualities that will serve him well in this role.

“Overall, we are excited to have Hunter Adkins as our new athletic director, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact he will have on our sports programs and our students.”

Four board members – incumbents John Thiessen, Greg Harris and Danny Parra, and newcomer Katie Arnold – were sworn in for new terms. Keith Carnie was again elected president and John Thiessen will continue as vice president.

In another close vote, 4-3, the board decided against adding a girls soccer program to its spring offerings. Girls soccer has gained some traction with smaller schools, including Mid-Buchanan in the KCI

Conference and nearby private school Bishop LeBlond in St. Joseph, but few others in Northwest Missouri and beyond have added it.

Supt. Dr. Sandy Steggall reported that the district has been awarded a mental health grant for $28,031, which will be used to add a clinical licensed social worker to the district’s staff. The district continues working with the community to update its strategic plan and officials have been in talks with the district’s food service contractor pertaining to some of the concerns with the program.