A Poplar Bluff location that was made possible through the support of a former mayor may soon be renamed.
City council members discussed Monday the possibility of naming the Poplar Bluff Farmer’s Market for the late Ed DeGaris, who was a past city council member and mayor.
The city is considering renaming the farmer’s market structure for DeGaris, said city manager Matt Winters.
“Ed was very instrumental in getting the original structure for the farmer’s market,” Winters said. “He was out there with a hammer and nails and screw done and doing a lot of the work himself.
“To me, that would be an appropriate thing to honor him and his family with.”
The DeGaris family was also very involved in the project, Winters said.
The Downtown Poplar Bluff, Inc. board is also supportive of the effort, he said.
“(Ed) was there through all of it,” said city council member Jerrica Fox, who made the motion to move forward.
The item will move to the council’s voting session during the first July meeting.
The council also discussed a request for a conditional use permit from Diane Hager and Alle Blue to operate a trucking terminal at 301 Highway 53; changes to a supplemental agreement with the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission; and a collective bargaining agreement with the Poplar Bluff Professional Fire Fighters Local 2543.
All three items were also moved to the first July voting session.
The trucking terminal will proceed with a recommendation in support of the permit from the planning department.
The areas to the south and west of the property are already commercial and Highway 53 already sees heavy truck traffic, so no excessive noise would be added for neighboring properties, said city planner James Sisk.
The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission relates to Phase 1 of the Highway 67 south four-lane project, Winters said. The low bid was approximately $7.4 million.
“It is a little bit higher than the original grant and loan amounts,” Winters said. “So, this agreement modifies the original agreement that the council approved in March 2022. Some of the loan proceeds will be dispersed earlier than expected.”
The project will go from a 10-year note to a 15-year note, now sunsetting with the sales tax sunsets, Winters said. The project is paid for with a dedicated sales tax and grant money.
The firefighters’ union began negotiations at the end of 2021, according to the discussion.
Chief Mike Moffitt said he believes the contract is good for both the city and firefighters.
The contract includes raises in the salary schedule starting in fiscal year 2023. Firefighters receive a 2% raise under the contract and 25 cents per hour for five years of service.
Starting firefighters will see their hourly rate go from $12.43 to $12.81.
Similar raises of between 40-60 cents will be seen for other firefighters and officers.
The top of the pay scale is a captain with at least 12 months’ experience, which will go from $18.88 per hour to $19.45 per hour.
The contract also moves any firefighters who are not at their tenure-based place on the salary schedule to their position on the schedule at the start of fiscal year 2022.
The contract also says the city will provide 100 percent of the cost of health, dental and vision insurance for employees, as well as 66.67% of family premiums.
In other business, the council voted to:
• Annex into the city 3260 Mystic Lane.
• Approve an amendment to sewer usage.
• Authorized the use of COVID-relief funds to purchase basketball court flooring for the Black River Coliseum.
• Make an addition to city codes regarding the revocation of business licenses.