Following City Clerk Pamela Kearbey's presentation during a public hearing, the Poplar Bluff City Council adopted a new City Code of ordinances.
"It will be much easier for persons to find what they are looking for, and it will be online in a month," Kearbey said.
She explained how the language in the ordinances was updated and some of the changes, including an increase in the maximum fee for a final plat from $15 to $150 so "the city can recoup its costs for legal ads."
Sketch plat was changed to preliminary plat. In the planning and zoning chapters, it now refers to city engineer or other designated officials. In some places, city engineer was changed to city planner.
Stormwater management plans are required. The list of occupations was updated. The RS-5 zoning designation for mobile homes was removed.
"All mobile home parks were grandfathered in, but no new mobile homes can be put in the city limits," Kearbey said.
Model ordinances were added in various sections of the City Code.
"City Attorney Wally Duncan looked over all the sections. Each department head reviewed each section that applied to them," Kearbey said.
Duncan said the City Code is now better organized.
"It was a long laborious procedure. Pam Kearbey deserves an awful lot of credit," Duncan said. "It has been needed to be done for more than 20 years."
City Manager Doug Bagby said the new City Code will become effective Oct. 1.
In other action, an ordinance approving a conditional use permit for SEMO Opportunity House to operate a group home for at-risk boys at 468 N. Main St. was approved.
"This property is in a RD-1 residential duplex zone and has been used as an apartment building," City Planner Dennis Avery said.
"SEMO Opportunity House will provide a safe nurturing environment for young people successfully leaving a rehabilitation program to make a transition to become a productive individual for society," said Peter Tinsley, a member of the First United Methodist Church and one of the organizers. "We will provide mentoring and guidance while allowing the clients enough freedom to prove they are capable of functioning on their own."
Tinsley emphasized the clients must agree to participate in any rehab program deemed necessary by the board of directors and submit to drug testing upon request.
"The program will hold the client to a high standard with no tolerance for drug and substance abuse," Tinsley said.
Avery said stipulations include:
* Conditional use permit going only with the owner.
* A final walk-through involving the city inspection and fire departments.
* Meeting all state and local standards for housing at-risk boys.
* Getting required alterations approved by city.
* Staff using off-street parking on the site.
An ordinance accepting bids for title insurance services, primary residential appraisal services and review appraisal services for the flood buyout project was approved. Southern Land Title Company will provide the title insurance services; Heritage Appraisal Services, the primary residential appraisal services; Russ Redmond Appraisals, the review appraisal services.
Applicants for vacancies on four city boards are:
Airport Advisory Board -- Jeffrey Sifford, Greg Brainard, Kevin Brown and Tim Griffin.
Fair Housing Board -- Sifford and Andrew Murphy.
Library Board -- Cindy White, Murphy and Sifford.
Planning and Zoning Commission -- Sifford and Murphy.
Appointments will be made at the Sept. 6 meeting.
An ordinance establishing a procedure for the disclosure of potential conflicts of interests and substantial interests for certain municipal officers was approved. This ordinance is required by the Missouri Ethics Commission.