Council approves barbed wire for ag lab

Nevada Daily Mail

Nevada City Manager JD Kehrman told the city council during Tuesday's council meeting that a group of agricultural leaders asked about possible zoning conflicts if an agricultural education facility is built across Ashland Street from the Nevada High School. The R-5 School District's agricultural advisory committee is looking at the possibility of building a new agricultural sciences lab facility to be used by both the science department and the agriculture department.

"There is no zoning conflict," Kehrman told the council, however, the city's blanket ordinance prohibiting barbed wire fences will need to be changed to allow the project to move forward, He said the city's ordinance is aimed at barbed wire fence located at the perimeter of a piece of property, which will not be the case with the school district, Kehrman said before the council voted 5-0 to pass on first reading a general ordinance amending the city code to allow the school district to use barbed wire as part of an agriculture science lab.

In other business the council:

* Voted 5-0 to pass on first reading a special ordinance accepting the award of a two-year, $79,591.05 Missouri Department of Public Safety grant under the Stop Violence Against Women Act. Grant will pay the salary and benefits of a full-time police officer detective, with a 25 percent local match of $25,530.35 over the 24-month grant period.

* Voted 5-0 to accept the sole bid from WCA of Joplin, for trash service for the city of Nevada facilities, for $731.78 per month or $6,945.50 for the year. This is the same as WCA., which is the city's current trash service provider, charged for 2013.

* Voted 5-0 to accept the low bid of $24.40 per ton delivered for Type 1 and Type 2 slurry chat from Bingham Sand & Salt, Baxter Springs, Kan.

* Voted 5-0 to accept the low bid from Vernon County Ready Mix for various concrete mixes and additional materials, and approve a blanket purchase order not to exceed $130,000. The bid specifications requires delivery of concrete within 30 minutes of order. Failure to meet these specifications will allow the city to terminate the blanket purchase order for the product.

* Voted 5-0 to accept the low bid from Ash Grove Aggregates for various types of rock, and approve a blanket purchase order not to exceed $134,000.

* Voted 5-0 to pass on second reading a general ordinance increasing water rates by 20 percent for customers living inside the city limits and 25 percent for customers living outside the city limits. The rate increase is needed so the income from water usage covers the cost of operating the system.

* Voted 5-0 to pass on second reading a general ordinance increasing sewer rates by 20 percent for customers living inside the city limits and 25 percent for customers living outside the city limits. The rate increase is needed so the income from sewer usage covers the cost of operating the system.

* Voted 5-0 to pass on second reading a special ordinance approving budget amendments to the 2013 municipal budget to bring the budget into alignment with actual expenses and revenues.