Missouri
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City of Clarkson Valley Missouri |
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Spring is in the air. It's time for those outdoor activities; Barbeques, lawn
mowing, swimming, etc. and long walks.
A reminder, when walking on the street, remember to walk facing
the traffic. That's
the left side, not the right side of the street.
And if you are going to be out at dusk or later, be sure to wear white or
better still, a reflective gear of some kind.
Your outdoor activities may include a yard sale or garage sale.
There is a city ordinance requiring you to have a permit before the sale
begins. Call
City Hall in advance - there is no charge.
Talking about permits leads me to another subject, citizen cooperation.
As citizens, you don't receive many "thank you's" from
government at any level.
But you deserve a lot of thanks from your city government:
Neither you nor the Board Members nor I will always agree on how to solve a given problem, but we can always listen to each other and respect opposing views. If you have issues you wish to discuss, call City Hall, your Alderperson, or me. By the way, hope to see you at our next Board Meeting, May 4th (see story below).
An open house will be held at the meeting of the Board of Aldermen on Tuesday,
May 4, 2004.
This will be to honor Mary Ann Gatto, who is retiring after serving on
the Board of Aldermen since April 1995.
It is also to introduce Walter Mixson, a new Alderman.
Refreshments will be served, rumor is Tippin's Pies will be served.
All residents are invited to attend.
The April elections yielded the following results: Alderperson Susan Shea was reelected to a new term of two years in Ward 1; Alderperson Wendell Sittser was reelected to a new term of two years in Ward 2; Walter Mixson was elected to a new two year term in Ward 3
At
its April meeting, the Board of Aldermen approved Rockwood School District's
request to construct an emergency entrance into Marquette High School.
This would be located on Kehrs Mill Road west of the current service
entrance. Until road improvements
are made, which is scheduled to begin in 2006, this Marquette entrance will only
be used in emergency situations. There
will be a locked gate. In last
years April Election, voters approved the bond issue funds for this entrance.
In order for the Board Members to make an informed decision whether to allow a permanent entrance, additional information is necessary to determine the potential for an increase of traffic when the Long Road/Kehrs Mill Road intersection is completed.
During the first week in April, the Discovery Group went before the Planning
& Zoning Commission and the Board of Aldermen with a proposal to take lot 2
of the Fru-Con property and divide it into two lots.
The Discovery Group is developing the smaller of the two lots for St.
John's Mercy Health Care. Their
intent is to build a three-story medical office building for an internal medical
group specializing in female issues, along with cardiology and oncology.
Both the recommendation from the P&Z Commission and the vote from the Board
of Aldermen were positive. There
will be no new curb cuts on Clayton Road and no new drives within the Fru-Con
complex. The completion date is set
for mid 2005.
At
its February meeting, the Board of Aldermen passed a Resolution implementing a
moratorium on the prosecution of violations concerning the discharge or use of
projectile weapons within the city limits in order to allow the Missouri
Department of Conservation (DOC) to hold a controlled hunt.
The permits issued by the DOC allowed hunting from February 21 through
March 23. This controlled hunt was
held on four lots within the Kehrs Mill Trails subdivision.
There were 6 deer harvested. The
Board has not made any plans for another hunt.
There are many construction projects (replacing tie walls is a good example)
that require construction dumpsters. If you have this requirement you need to
know the city has a new ordinance. On
January 6, your Aldermen passed an ordinance prohibiting the placement of
construction dumpsters in the street. This
is for your safety and for all traveling the streets.
It will also help preserve the privately owned streets.
On February 25, Mayor Douglass and Frank Hodgdon, who serves as the city's
P&Z Commissioner and as our Floodplain Administrator, met with a
representative of State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
During the visit, the three drove through our neighborhoods, reviewing
areas identified to be inside a 100-year flood plain. Clarkson Valley participates in a federal flood insurance
program. If your home or lot is
located on or near water, you may want to inspect a Flood Insurance Rate Map
(FIRM) to see if your property is affected.
The FIRM is available for inspection at City Hall during normal business
hours.
Permits are required when decks, patios, walls, fences, pools and other
additions are being planned.
This requirement is to ensure that the safety of residents be maintained,
that zoning laws be observed, and that the City will stay aesthetically pleasing
to all. Provisions
have been streamlined to make it as easy as possible to obtain a building
permit. Applications
for a permit may be obtained at City Hall.
New ordinances passed since the last newsletter include; signs in the Dunhill
subdivision restricting parking to residents and guests only. This was to quell
students from parking in front of homes and trespassing through the lots to get
to school. The
penalty provision was changed enabling the city to fine up to $1,000.00 per day
for infractions.
In April the Board passed an ordinance prohibiting weapons from being
carried into city buildings.
The St. Louis County Department of Health (DOH) is co-sponsoring several one-day
collection events with different communities within St. Louis County.
Acceptable materials include paints, aerosols, motor oil, and gas
cylinder (barbeque pit size or smaller).
Please call City Hall at 636-227-8607 for the lists of
acceptable/unacceptable items and the list of dates and locations.
After serving the city for nine years as Alderperson, Mary Ann Gatto said it was
time to retire from the Board.
Mary Ann immediately jumped into her position as Alderperson and always
asked what she could do to help.
One of Mary Ann's first tasks she took to heart was maintenance of the
berm along Clarkson Road.
From there she brought the City into the 21st century as our web master.
She has been penning the newsletter these nine years.
There are so many things for which we wish to thank Mary Ann.
We will truly miss her.