Resident concerned about trash in vacant field

Nevada Daily Mail

"It looks terrible for the city," Ralph Underwood, 711 S. Medowlane, told the council during Tuesday's regular meeting.

He told the council that there is a big problem with trash from Wal-Mart blowing into the neighboring field along Johnson Drive.

Underwood said that Wal-Mart needs to have a chain link fence along the east and south side of its property to stop the trash from blowing onto neighboring property.

Underwood said he told the manager at Wal-Mart about the problem and five people cleaned up the trash, but within a couple of weeks it was back.

"It's coming out of the dumpsters," Monte Curtis, who owns the farm field the trash blows onto, said, adding that during the summer you can't see the trash because of the crops.

He said that Monte Sheets, who farms the property, told him it is terrible when it comes time to combine the crops.

Underwood told the council that the Wal-Mart manager told him that 99 percent of the trash comes from the store's parking lot.

In response to a question from council member Jayne Novak, Curtis told the council that the dumpsters are not within a fenced area.

City Attorney William McCaffree said there is no good legal remedy available under state law and the best course may be to talk to store manager when the problem occurs.

In other business the council:

* Voted 5-0, to approve the certification of the 2015 municipal primary election results for the election held Feb. 3. According to the resolution the official election results are: Michael Brown received the highest number of votes; Annie Daugherty the second highest; Ryan H. Watts, the third highest; and Jayne Novak the fourth highest. Brock Daulton received the fifth highest total. The four highest vote getters, Brown, Daugherty, Watts and Novak will be on the ballot for the general election on April 7 to fill two city council seats.

* Voted 5-0, to accept the bid of $7,620.50 from Blue Water Pools for chemicals for Walton Pool. The low bid from D. Gerber Commercial Pool Products would have required the installation of $800 in additional equipment.

* Voted 5-0, to accept the bid of $15,000 from Heartland Tractor for a groom mower to be used at Twin Lakes Sports Complex. This will replace a five-year old mower that has more then 5,000 hours on it, which exceeds the life expectancy of the mower.

* Voted 5-0, to pass on first reading a bill to approve an agreement with APAC-Missouri of Springfield for the city's 2015 transportation sales tax improvements. APAC's bid of $359,005.35 was previously accepted by the council.

* Voted 5-0, to pass on first reading a special ordinance approving a three-year, $30,680.37 inter-fund loan from the special projects funds to the parks department for the purchase of two mowers at the market rate of 1.47 percent. The loan is to be repaid in three annual payments of $10,226.79. The mowers include the groom mower for Twin Lakes and a Grasshopper 725 DT trim mower.

* Voted 5-0, to pass on first reading a special ordinance amending the parks department budget by an increase of $9,800 to cover the cost of the two mowers, which were more than was budgeted. City treasurer Kristie Modlin said this is to correct a typographical error in the printed budget, which listed the groom mower for $5,000 instead of $15,000.

* Voted 5-0, to pass on first reading a special ordinance accepting the bid from U.S. Bancorp of 1.47 percent interest for the financing for the lease/purchase of five 2015 Ford Interceptor utility AWD police cars with equipment. The total cost of the five vehicles will be $155,585 with an annual payment of $32,502.61.

* Voted 5-0, to adopt Resolution No. 1418 authorization the Nevada Police Department to participate in the Missouri Department of Transportation Traffic Safety Grants Program and pursue available grants The grants can be used for programs that incorporate education, enforcement and engineering efforts and reduce fatalities and injuries from motor vehicle crashes.

* Voted 5-0, to give final approval to a special ordinance leasing a 30-foot gooseneck trailer to Young Iron & Metal at no cost to provide metal recycling services to area residents. The trailer was purchased with money from the Region M Solid Waste District.

* Voted 5-0, to pass on second reading a special ordinance approving a agreement with Western Missouri 9-1-1 Dispatch Center to provide 911 and other dispatch services at a cost not to exceed $200,000.

* Voted 5-0, to pass on second reading a special ordinance approving a contract with Buildet LLC of Nevada for the construction of a sidewalk along North Spring Street for a cost of $93,213.46. The project is paid for with a MoDOT Surface Transportation Program grant.