Council prepares to

Alderman Patsy Davis, right, explains to Mayor Joe Lane, left, and the Senath City Council details regarding the city's plans for decorations during the Christmas Holiday Season. Davis noted that she is currently collecting donations to raise funds to purchase banners for poles along Commercial Street. Staff photo by Joshua Payne

SENATH, Mo. -- The City of Senath will be decorating 17 poles on Commercial Street with Christmas lights and using banners to decorate the remainder of the poles throughout town in celebration of the holidays. Alderman Patsy Davis is raising funds to purchase the banners for the decorations.

"We have discovered that the banners are cheaper if we buy them in big lots," Davis said.

She noted that individually the banners were $21 to $22 a piece, but in a lot the cost is reduced to $14.99 a piece.

Davis added that the Senath Women's Club would be hosting the Senath Christmas Parade for the sixth consecutive year since the parade has been revitalized.

"[The parade] usually runs about 50 to 60 entries," Davis said.

Mayor Joe Lane said, "I think its a good thing, anything to decorate the town for Christmas."

Following the information provided by Davis, Alderman Ray Ivy and Bud Brooks, along with Lane, each donated funds to the purchase of a banner for the city's decorations.

Also during the meeting, Lane noted that the city recently began using a different computer system to keep track of water bills.

"[City Collector] Kathy [Morgan] worked very hard and had to change everything from one computer to the other," Lane said. "As of today there is $301 owed."

He added that this shows that the system is working.

"You are going to have a few that move and lose money on [them], but there is not a whole lot you can do," Lane said. "You just can't get any dollar."

Lane noted that he believed the amount owed to the city was the best that it has been in 25 years.

"I am proud of Kathy and the board for doing all of this, and do commend you for your efforts," Lane explained.

The next portion of the meeting involved a public hearing over a grant application to the Department of Agriculture for grant funding for street improvements.

No individuals attended to voice concerns on the matter, but Lane noted that his perspective on the issue is to black top the rest of State Street and hopefully the first two blocks of Caneer Street.

"We would like to black top more," Lane said.

He noted that the city did receive a letter showing that they have been semi-approved for $90,700.

Davis asked Lane if the city needed to wait until the grant money arrived before taking bids on the project.

Lane informed Davis that the city just needed to wait until it gets the grant approved.

"Any grant we received, we won't get the money until after the bids," Lane said.

He added that the city's portion of the grant would be 25 percent.

Alderman Bud Brooks followed this discussion with voiced concerns from residence on issues with water drainage.

"Some of the people have been complaining about the water, and it is a problem where it runs across the roads," Brooks said.

Davis noted that the last time, the city attempted to correct the issue, the ditches around the park were dug out.

"I don't think that is the issue," Davis said. "The issue is the ditches have all been filled in with drive ways and nobody has drainage [in the areas]."

Lane informed the council that areas with drainage issues existed all over town.

He added that maybe next summer the city can get around to correcting the issue.

"Hopefully, we can get this street and drainage improvement and that will solve a lot of problems," Lane said.

He explained that people need to realize, before we start doing this, that they will have a ditch.

Brooks said, "It is hard to drain flat land and I tell everybody that. You almost have to wait until it is soaked down."

Lane added that the year has been so wet that it is taking longer for the ground to soak the water down.

He continued the meeting by informing the council that Ray Bailey was interested in becoming a reserve officer.

Lane informed the council that City Marshall Omar Karnes had recommended Bailey, and that he was also recommending Bailey.

"We may not need him, but we may, because you never know what is going to come up," Lane said.

The council approved the hiring of Bailey as a reserve officer for the city.

Lane informed that council that the last projected date for the opening of the Dollar General building was January 10, 2010.

"They said that once the ground gets slabbed, the building will be up in a week," Lane said.

He also informed the council that the city was recently visited by the Department of Natural Resources and that the city had a few things to address but would get them corrected.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture has also recently visited the city when they inspected the dog pound, according to Lane.

He noted that the city would have to repair a few jagged edges on the wire on the inside of the pound, but he believed that the work was minimal.

Lane added that he had talked to some people about receiving grant money to build a new dog pound with the city providing the labor.

"Hopefully, Ray [Ivy] will try to get some plans drawn up and, with the board's approval, we can get grant money to build a new facility.

He added that the city would have to meet certain specifications including having an inside fence for each kennel and smoke alarms.

Senath Police Officer, Jerad Callahan, followed these announcements by presenting the police report to the council.

The department had a total of 69 calls which included, three minor detail, 10 traffic stops, two no injury accidents, one injury accident, three fires that the department arrived on the scene, one alarm call, one 911 hang up call, eight ambulance calls, five animal complaints, one assist to another agency, one burglary, two check well beings, two careless and imprudent driving, two disturbance, one domestic violence, one juvenile call, five medical assist, one property damage, two prowler, 10 requesting police, one shots fired, and one warrant served.

He added that the November court date would be good for the city, but the December court date will be busier.

"We don't have anything major, but have been pretty steady," Callahan said.

Lane noted that he had asked Morgan to pull a list of delinquent fines not being paid.

"There is no need to fine the people if we are not going to collect," Lane said.

Callahan explained to the council that several individuals that he had picked up for the Kennett Police Department recently had $100 to $500 on a warrant and that the individuals only stayed in jail two to three days before somebody bailed them out.

"I don't think it would be a bad idea to start taking some up there," Callahan said. "They can't come up with money to pay for their fine, but if they go to jail, they can come up with the money to get out. Maybe we can give people a chance to come get caught up, but make the next move if they refuse."

"The main objective is if somebody violates the law and gets a $200 fine and they don't pay it, they haven't been punished for violating the law," Lane said

Lane explained that with the board's permission he would start talking to the judge and prosecutor about possible solutions to the problem.

"Let's bring the people in [to the department] and give them a chance pay up or go to jail," Lane said.

In other matters coming before the board:

* The council approved the painting of the Senath Volunteer Fire Department's Tanker Truck, which will cost the city $100 in paint;

* and the council decided to maintain the old tanker truck, which has a snow plow, until after the winter in case of a snow.