City council votes to sell Baugh Lane property, set property tax rates

City officials have decided to sell the former site of the historic Poplar Bluff water tower at Baugh Lane and Barron Road.

The 1947 tower was removed in January after a new, larger tank was built on Vandover Road. The old tank provided 100,000 gallons of storage, compared to 500,000 gallons with the new tank.

The property will now be put out for sealed bids, according to one of several measures approved Monday by Poplar Bluff City Council members.

Council members also approved property tax rates for 2021, which will remain the same at .5172 cents per $100 of valuation for the general fund and .0976 cents for the police and fire pension fund.

Property taxes will generate approximately $1,338,000 for the general fund in 2021, according to city council documents, up by just under $13,000. The police and fire pension fund will receive about $252,000.

All city real estate is valued at $207 million, with personal property valued at $51.8 million.

A permit has additionally been granted for Pyrofest 2020, which will be hosted by a pyrotechnics and fireworks club created to provide more information about safety, construction and shooting fireworks.

The event is scheduled for Oct. 3 at the Poplar Bluff Motor Speedway, said Brian Wisdom, who approached the council with the request.

The group has spoken with the fire department and will comply with the city’s safety requirements, City Manager Matt Winters said.

Approximately 2,500 people attended the first event, held in 2019, said Wisdom. The group hopes to double attendance this year, he said.

In other business, the council:

• Voted to enter a grant agreement with the Missouri Department of Public Safety for the purchase of upgraded 911 equipment.

• Approved change order 1 for the Highway 67/I-57 project, for the re-evaluation of a traffic noise impact analysis. Fees are estimated to be approximately $10,500 for the re-evaluation.

• Approved a bid of almost $40,000 from the sole bidder, Today’s Computers, for the purchase of network equipment for data storage.