RECORD OF PROCEEDING
Meeting of the Board of Aldermen of the City of Clarkson Valley, September 5, 2023
The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.
A roll call for the meeting was taken with the following result:
PRESENT – Ward – ABSENT
Mayor Sue McNamara
Alderman Andrew Low – Ward 1
Alderman Jeff Schweig – Ward 1
Alderman Honora Schiller (arriving late) – Ward 2
Alderman Brock MacDonald – Ward 2
Alderman Lin Midyett – Ward 3
Alderman Gregg Bogosian – Ward 3
Also in Attendance:
City Attorney: Patrick Butler attended virtually
City Clerk: Michele McMahon
Alderman Midyett made the Motion to amend the Agenda by adding line item (i) under New Business to Discuss/Pass – Worker’s Compensation Insurance. Alderman Low seconded the Motion. A voice vote was taken to accept the amended Agenda with an affirmative result and the motion was declared passed.
Alderman Low made a motion to accept the Minutes of the August 1 meeting, seconded by Alderman Midyett. A voice vote was taken to accept the Minutes with an affirmative result and the motion was declared passed.
Mayor McNamara informed those present that there would be a Public Hearing at 7:00.
REMARKS, PETITIONS AND COMPLAINTS
There were no remarks, petitions or complaints.
REPORTS
Chesterfield Police Report
Lt. Connelly was unavailable and P.O. Chris Pollman gave the August Police Report.
Mayor’s Report
Marquette Mustangs vs. Lafayette Lancer – Annual Mayor’s Cup: Mayor McNamara reported that she attended the 6th annual Mayor’s Cup, and she was happy to report that this was the 6th year Marquette won and we can keep the trophy another year. She said it was a good game and the excitement came at the very end when we won by a field goal.
Governor Parson Visits Marquette: Mayor McNamara said that she was able to meet the Governor after he attended a bill signing ceremony at the high school. It was a unique opportunity for the students to see the government in action and the bill Gov. Parson signed was the Education Bill awarding 9.8 million dollars to Missouri schools.
St. Louis County Highway Department – Kehrs Mill Sidewalks: Mayor McNamara described spending time this month speaking to County representatives, and she was happy to report we will now know who owns each portion of the sidewalks. Alderperson Bogosian asked what portions we are responsible, for which she responded, that the City is not responsible for any of it. She said the County is willing to give up their portion, or portions of their ownership, and Kingspointe is amenable to that. Dunhill is contemplating but will likely not partake of the ownership and lastly, she is not sure Kehrs Mill Estates will partake of the either.
Kansas City MML Conference: Mayor McNamara reported that she will be attending a 4-day MML conference in Kansas City and besides the classes that are offered, she hopes to get a few leads for potential aid (in the form of grants) to Kehrs Mill Trails regarding the dam repair issue.
ARPA Application – Phase 2 -Dunhill: Mayor McNamara reported that Dunhill’s ARPA submittals came in this morning which was too late to get on the Agenda and will be discussed next month. There was some discussion that Dunhill used the previous Application, which stated that they only received one bid, which was sufficient for Phase 1 but needs to be amended and submitted as a new Application for Phase 2 now that they received their three bids.
Aldermen Reaching out to Subdivision Trustees: I heard from several subdivision trustees who said their Aldermen reached out to them to see if they had anything to report or any concerns or issues and specifically thanked Alderperson MacDonald. He said he did call all the Ward 2 Trustees and although he probably won’t do that every month, they now have his contact information and they are free to call or write him.
Aldermanic Reports
Volunteered to be Liaison Between Forest Hills Country Club and the City: Alderman Bogosian reported that with the Mayor’s agreement, he met with Emma Gore, General Manager for Forest Hills Country Club and he had a good conversation. He reported that the reason the errant ball safety net has not been constructed yet, was the owner of the company bidding on the net, passed away and they are attempting to find a new company to complete the project. They are hoping to get that project underway this month.
Mrs. Gore also reported to Alderman Bogosian they now want to put a fence around the pickleball courts. It will be 6’ high and be covered by a black net windscreen to protect the courts because the courts lie on a high ridge. They will come to us with their zoning request in approximately 6-8 months, once their budget allows.
Another report she made regards the lake on Hole 17 on the Champion Course where they will remove a man-made dam and restore the stream bed as necessary, per the Army Corps of Engineers.
The last item he discussed with Mrs. Gore was holding several City-wide meetings with the residents and Mayor each year and holding the Trustees Meetings that we intend to have three times per year.
Westhampton Update: Alderman Midyett reported that Westhampton began their street light upgrade. They are removing the existing lights now, and the new ones will be installed on the first of the year. He also reported the dead pine tree on the berm has been removed.
Aldermanic Reaching Out: Alderman MacDonald reported that out of six emails he sent, he received four responses (including himself since he serves as President of his HOA). He had a long conversation with HOA President, Tom Beck, who discussed a long-standing issue with vehicles and school buses parking in his neighborhood directly across from the rear of Marquette High School. At pick-up time, vehicles are sometimes double and triple parking to pick up the students. The street is posted, he said, with ‘No Parking’ signs, but people aren’t parking, they are stopping. He is asking if there is anything we can do. Alderman Bogosian asked if the signs could be changed to state: ‘No Parking, Stopping or Standing’. Alderman MacDonald said we would have to do an Ordinance for that further stating that Schedule III of the Code does indicate ‘No Parking’ on the entire street. I’m sure the spirit of this Code was ‘No Stopping’ and suggested we amend the current Code. Alderman MacDonald reported that Mr. Beck understands the situation because he is a parent, too, and is willing to place signage on only one side of the street, stipulating those three provisions: ‘No Parking, No Stopping, No Standing’ which would still allow fire trucks to get through. He further said he would even paint the curb if someone got him a bucket of paint. This is a long-standing issue but sometimes it’s so bad that residents can’t get out of their driveways. He even said school buses use this as a staging area in instances where they’ve arrived too early. Mayor McNamara said it’s unfortunate that Officer Pollman had to leave because he probably could have weighed in on it. Mayor McNamara asked if she should contact the school about the bus parking there, but it was mentioned that this happens very rarely. The discussion ended to begin the Public Hearing portion of the Meeting.
PUBLIC HEARING
Notice is hereby given: The Board of Aldermen of the City of Clarkson Valley, Missouri, will at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, hold a public hearing at the Clarkson Executive Center, 15933 Clayton Road, to discuss the following three (3) items:
1) a request from Crestview Middle School to install an electronic message center sign on Clayton Road at 16025 Clayton Road; and
2) to discuss 405.080.E. Area Regulations and Building Lines by adding language regarding corner lots and sight distance triangle; and
3) to discuss 405.060.E.3 regarding Encroachment into the Setback to include the word “Structure.” Signed, Sue McNamara, Mayor, City of Clarkson Valley
Dr. Christopher Brandriff, Principal of Crestview Middle School, Dr. Gary Jansen, Executive Director of Secondary Education for Rockwood School District and Matt Hrdlicka, owner of Excel Signs and Design Company were present to answer any questions. Alderman Low said he is aware of the sign and asked the two gentlemen if the sign was ‘end of life’ and if that’s the reason you are replacing it. Dr. Jansen said it is up to him to use best practices and not to create unnecessary or hazardous distractions, but yes, said Dr. Jansen, the existing sign will have to be removed no matter what. Instead of physically changing letters, they would now be able to change wording through the software. Alderman Midyett asked if it was the same size as the current sign, to which they responded yes. Alderman MacDonald said he read a little about the sign, which is not a local company and to change the messages, it is cloud-based. His question was who hosts that service, to which Mr. Hrdlicka stated that Next LED Signs, headquartered out of Wichita, KS, and it is contained on their servers.
There were two other items regarding zoning code changes and upon hearing no further discussion, Mayor McNamara closed the Public Hearing at 7:05 p.m. Alderman Schiller entered the meeting at that time.
Aldermanic Reports – Continued
Aldermanic Reaching Out – Continued: Alderman MacDonald reported that while speaking with Forest Hills Ridge, he learned they signed the Police Agreement, and he is aware of one other in his Ward who is actively working on signing the Agreement. Because he is the President of the HOA, his Subdivision has also signed and submitted.
Forest Hills Club Estates – Speed Indicator Signs: Alderman MacDonald said he spoke with the President of HOA, Valerie Denton, who is pleased with the solar signs they recently installed and because data is collected from these signs, they can detect a pattern of when infractions are occurring. They can submit that information to the police, who in turn will make their presence known, too. When he spoke with Dunhill representatives, they also mentioned they had speeding issues.
Sewer Odor and Standing Water Issue: Alderman Low mentioned a resident in Kehrs Mill Estates has an issue with sewer odor and standing water they smell from their house and has called MSD regarding this. This resident reached out to Mayor McNamara who has asked Aldermen Low and Schweig to investigate this matter. He said this complaint was just brought to their attention and reported, he and Alderman Schweig will become involved with this in the coming weeks and make a report next month.
Alderman Schiller had nothing to report but asked if the Meeting could skip ahead so the gentlemen presenting Crestview’s proposal could leave.
RESOLUTION NO. 23-08 – A RESOLUTION ISSUING A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO ROCKWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT AUTHORIZING THE LOCATION OF AN ELECTRONIC MESSAGE CENTER MONUMENT SIGN AT 16025 CLAYTON ROAD IN THE CITY OF CLARKSON VALLEY, MISSOURI.
A motion to discuss and pass Resolution No. 23-08 was made by Alderman Midyett, and seconded by Alderman Low. The City Clerk read the Resolution. There were no further questions and there was no discussion and Mayor McNamara called for the vote. A voice vote was taken to approve Crestview Middle School’s EMC sign with an affirmative result; the motion to approve Resolution No. 23-08 was declared passed.
City Attorney Report:
The City Attorney, Patrick Butler, was available via Zoom but had nothing to report but said he would answer any questions relating to the Agenda as the meeting progressed. Mayor McNamara said she would have questions for Mr. Butler regarding a few of the Agenda Items.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
ARPA Committee Report: Committee Chair, Alderman Midyett, reported the City has received three fully approved applications and Westhampton’s is on tonight’s agenda to cover payment. He also reported he believes The Manors Subdivision is getting near to submitting a receipt for repayment using ARPA funds. The third one is Clarkson Mill Circle but we have not heard anything from them as yet. We have one application on tonight’s Agenda for approval of the Resolution, and one additional application was submitted late yesterday. The remaining nine Subdivisions have not submitted anything. Westhampton was $38,279. The Manors is looking at $20,190; Clarkson Mill Circle is requesting $6,200; and Kehrs Mill Estates (on tonight’s Agenda) is requesting $95,000. Committee Member MacDonald mentioned that the remaining subdivisions have 27 days to submit their complete applications. Mayor McNamara asked all Aldermen to reach out to the Subdivisions in their Ward who have not yet submitted to remind them of the deadline and to see if they had questions.
Technology Committee Report: Mayor McNamara introduced this Agenda item, thanking those serving on the Committee and stated that they have been very hard at work. Alderman MacDonald reported that obviously, the streaming of our meeting went very well last month. We purchased some additional equipment to improve the results and as far as the financing for this is concerned, we believe at this stage we will require no additional equipment. He congratulated Mayor McNamara since this was her idea.
We are transitioning away from The Miller Group as service providers. Our domain has been transferred from The Miller Group to Google Domain. That was the biggest goal was to transfer from The Miller Group so we could have control over our website; they previously held all the keys to open all the doors and they no longer have that. The control is in our hands. Alderman Midyett asked if there was any difference in charge to which Alderman MacDonald said it was significantly cheaper. Likewise for hosting, The Miller Group will continue doing that through the end of the year, but Alderman Low and I are in the process of evaluating the many service providers that are available and once they make their choice, they will report back and transition all those records over.
He reported that the six Aldermen, Mayor McNamara and the City staff all have new email addresses. For the Board Members, we are using our first name followed by clarksonvalley.org as opposed to charter.net or att.net or whatever provider each Board Member utilized. Effective tonight we are only using our City email addresses and he realizes it’s hard to pull out these previously populated email addresses, anyone using another one will be redirected. We will not have to worry about any Sunshine Law issues. He said the staff have years and years of emails and he will be transitioning those over the weekend. He reminded everyone that previous conversations on these emails will continue and still be included if you are going to further respond or include anyone else, so please remember to scroll down to make sure there are no internal-type messages (threads) when sending to external individuals. Andrew Low interjected that Lt. Connelly and City Attorney, Patrick Butler, are part of the City but they will not have the clarksonvalley.org addresses.
The computers for City Hall are up and running and ready to go but they are not physically in City Hall yet. The big thing is transitioning all files from the different computers we have and adding them to Google Drive so there is just one place where everything lives, and the staff can access them in one spot.
When browsing the City website, changes in formatting and structuring were made so it is a little more consistent and easier to view on your phone. He added all the new emails, as well. There are over 1700 pages on the website that were broken links and he brought that number down to less than 30. Mayor McNamara again, expressed how grateful she is and commended them for doing a Yeomans job. Alderman MacDonald also mentioned his gratitude to David Grable, who serves on P&Z.
Investment Committee Report: Alderman Bogosian reported that we have invested over 90% of our available funds in high-yield investments. He went on to say, right now we show interest accrual of $3,980 but that most CD holders do not publish the interest earned until the end of the term. He said the projected interest we should accrue is going to be over $100,000 per year, or $8,300 per month. Mayor McNamara thanked all Members of that Committee and all the Committees for the work and effort they have put into this and specifically named them saying they have done an excellent job. She also said she appreciates all the work they have done in their off-hours.
NEW BUSINESS
RESOLUTION NO. 23-09 – RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN OF THE CITY OF CLARKSON VALLEY APPROVING THE DISTRIBUTION OF AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT (“ARPA”) FUNDS TO THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION OF KEHRS MILL ESTATES (“KEHRS MILL ESTATES”).
A motion to discuss and pass Resolution No. 23-09 was made by Alderman Bogosian and simultaneously, to amend the wording to state that they are requesting $95,858.25 but have been allocated $95,062.57. Alderman Midyett seconded this. The City Clerk read the Resolution. After discussion, it was noted that the original motion from Alderman Bogosian was both to discuss, pass and amend, which was duly seconded. Alderman MacDonald explained the reason this did not include that wording in this Resolution was because he mirrored the Resolution passed for Clarkson Mill Circle, which requested over their allotted amount but going forward, we will include that language when appropriate. Mayor McNamara called for the vote. A voice vote was taken to approve Resolution No. 23-09 as amended with a vote of five ayes and one abstention; the motion to approve Resolution No. 23-09 was declared passed.
RESOLUTION NO. 23-10 – RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN OF THE CITY OF CLARKSON VALLEY APPROVING THE DISTRIBUTION PAYMENT OF AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT (“ARPA”) FUNDS TO THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION OF WESTHAMPTON (“WESTHAMPTON”).
A motion to discuss and pass Resolution No. 23-10 was made by Alderman Midyett and simultaneously, to amend the wording in the title to state PAYMENT instead of DISTRIBUTION, seconded by Alderman Bogosian. Alderman Bogosian stated the reason they wanted to do that was because the title reads identical to the previously approved distribution Resolution, which made sense to everyone. The City Clerk read the Resolution. There was no discussion. A voice vote was taken to approve Resolution No. 23-10 as amended with a vote of five ayes and one abstention; the motion to approve Resolution No. 23-10 was declared passed.
Marquette Craft Fair Banner: Alderperson Bogosian made a motion, seconded by Alderperson Low to approve the request for a banner for the 30th Annual Marquette Marching Band Craft Fair. The requested date for installation of the banner is late September and the banner will be placed close to the electronic marquee. A voice vote was taken to approve the request for a banner with a unanimous affirmative result and the motion was declared passed.
BILL NO. 0531 – AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF THE CITY OF CLARKSON VALLEY, MISSOURI, BY ADDING LANGUAGE IN TITLE IV: ZONING REGULATIONS, ARTICLE 11. DISTRICTS AND DISTRICT REGULATIONS, SECTION 405.060, SUB-PARAGRAPHS E.I., E.3. AND E.5.
A motion was made by Alderman Bogosian and seconded by Alderman Schiller to discuss and pass Bill No. 0531. The City Clerk read Bill No. 0531 for the first time. There was no discussion. The City Clerk read Bill No. 0531 the second time. A roll call vote was taken, with the following results. Ayes: Bogosian, Low, MacDonald, Midyett, Schiller and Schweig. There were no nays. Whereby, Mayor McNamara declared Bill No. 0531 as having passed and is now Ordinance No. 23-12.
BILL NO. 0532 – AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF THE CITY OF CLARKSON VALLEY, MISSOURI, IN TITLE IV: ZONING REGULATIONS, ARTICLE II. DISTRICTS AND DISTRICT REGULATIONS, SECTION 405.080, PARAGRAPH E USE REGULATIONS BY ADDING LANGUAGE TO SUB-PARAGRAPH 1. FRONT YARD AND FRONT BUILDING LINE.
A motion was made by Alderman Bogosian and seconded by Alderman Schiller to discuss and pass Bill No. 0532. The City Clerk read Bill No. 0532 for the first time. There was a question pertaining to the front yard requirements, but through discussion, that was resolved. The City Clerk read Bill No. 0532 the second time. A roll call vote was taken, with the following results. Ayes: Bogosian, Low, MacDonald, Midyett, Schiller and Schweig. There were no nays. Whereby, Mayor McNamara declared Bill No. 0532 as having passed and is now Ordinance No. 23-13.
BILL NO. 0533 – AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF THE CITY OF CLARKSON VALLEY, MISSOURI, IN TITLE I: GOVERNMENT CODE, CHAPTER 120, BY DELETING ARTICLE IV IN ITS ENTIRETY AND ADDING A NEW ARTICLE IV CITY ADMINISTRATOR/CLERK.
A motion was made by Alderman Bogosian and seconded by Alderman Low to discuss and pass Bill No. 0533. The City Clerk read Bill No. 0533 for the first time and some discussion took place. The City Clerk read Bill No. 0533 the second time. A roll call vote was taken, with the following results. Ayes: Bogosian, Low, MacDonald, Midyett, and Schweig. Nays: Schiller. Whereby, Mayor McNamara declared Bill No. 0533 as having passed and is now Ordinance No. 23-14.
Flock Cameras: Mayor McNamara stated her interest in using the remaining ARPA money to purchase Flock cameras. Alderman MacDonald asked for the number of cameras currently located in this area. Mayor McNamara said we will get those numbers for you for municipally owned cameras. Alderman Low mentioned that $18,800 remains in ARPA funds and he feels there are other things the City could spend that money on. Mayor McNamara asked each Alderman their opinion of pursuing Flock Cameras: Schweig is in favor; Bogosian said he concurs with Alderman Low; Midyett said not now; MacDonald said that it’s not a bad idea, but it should be set aside for now; Schiller said no.
Workers Compensation Insurance: Alderman Midyett reported that he contacted a brokerage firm for Workers Compensation, saying it is not required of the City to have it because we have under five employees, but it is a good idea to have coverage for the City’s two employees and the contract workers in case they are ever injured on the job. He found a company that would cover the City for $1,200 per year. Alderman Low said he thinks it’s a great idea and thanked Alderman Midyett for working on this. Alderman Schiller asked if other quotes were received and Alderman Low pointed out that this is a brokerage firm that did all that legwork and found the best quote for the City. Alderman Midyett made the motion to approve the Missouri Employers Mutual as the underwriter for the workers compensation insurance. Alderman MacDonald seconded the motion. A voice vote was taken with a unanimous affirmative result and the motion to obtain and pay for the City’s Workers Compensation was declared passed.
Adjourn: Alderman Low made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Alderman Schiller. A voice vote was taken with a unanimous affirmative result and the motion was declared passed. The Regular Meeting of the Board of Aldermen adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
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Sue McNamara, Mayor
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ATTEST: Michele McMahon, City Administrator/City Clerk