Council votes 5-2 to buy Shelby Road land

Poplar Bluff City Council members voted 5-2 Monday to purchase 58 acres of property on Shelby Road for a new police department and other possible uses.

An earlier ordinance specifying the intent to locate a new city hall and city court downtown passed unanimously. No other information about these facilities was discussed.

The city will pay $1,000,050 for the Shelby Road acreage, according to an ordinance approved by the council.

Financing for the purchase has to be completed and approved by the council before a closing date can be set, city manager Mark Massingham said after the meeting. It could be as late as February before the financing is organized, he said.

There will be future votes by the council to approve the closing and decide the usage of the property, according to city attorney Mark Richardson.

The property owner, First Missouri State Bank, will make a charitable donation for the remaining value of the property.

The fair market value of the property is $4,477,349, according to city council documents.

Mayor Robert Smith and council member Ed DeGaris voted against the purchase, with Mayor pro tem Steve Davis and council members Ron Black, Shane Cornman, Barbara Horton and Lisa Parson approving it.

“The location of the police station is about what’s best for the safety of everyone in the community, not just a few,” Davis said in a statement made after the meeting. “We’re doing the best we can with the information we have. We don’t have everything right necessarily, but we’re doing what we think is honest, fair and the best interest of the city.”

Retail businesses might be a better use for the Shelby Road tracts, DeGaris said of his ‘no’ vote.

More than 20 acres of the property is located in a floodway and cannot be developed, according to previous discussion by city officials.

There has been discussion of allowing the park department to find a use for that portion of the property, said DeGaris, who added he is concerned it might be too much acreage for that type of use.

Several residents came forward during the meeting to ask questions or speak on the matter.

Some residents were upset by an initial statement by city officials, who said no one would be allowed to speak on voting session items without consent of the council.

Voting session items have already worked their way through public input opportunities, including workshop sessions, Richardson said.

The only way a voting session item can receive public input is by a motion of the council, Richardson said.

This is not a policy the council has followed or discussed at other recent meetings.

A motion by DeGaris to allow members of the public five minutes each to speak on voting session items was unanimously approved by the council.

“I urge the council to resist the temptation to buy land that we don’t need,” said resident Charlotte Craig, speaking first during the voting session.

Craig raised concerns about how the vote would be viewed by those casting ballots Tuesday on a city use tax proposal. She also asked officials to cancel a contract with consultants Navigate for the city complex projects, saying it appeared they would duplicate work done by architects for the project.

Michael Doran of Poplar Bluff questioned how much property tax money the city would lose by purchasing more than the 4 acres officials have said would be needed for the police department.

Resident Jim Chrisman asked why officials are purchasing property that is on the edge of the city limits, and described the land as “overpriced.”

Council members did not respond to the majority of statements during the meeting.

The council has tried to look at all the variables and factors involved and make the best decision from that and also consider the future needs of the community at the same time, Davis said after the meeting.

“The seller of this property preferred not to sell it in parcels,” he said. “Even if we bought just the area needed for the police station, based on a $4.6 million appraisal, it would still cost close to the same amount.

“Why not have 58 acres vs. 4 1/2 acres if it’s going to cost the same. The property will provide for other needs as well in the future, such as a fire department headquarters with station and also for training needs of that department and the police. Maybe some of it can be incorporated into our local park system as well.”

It’s easier looking from the outside in, he said.

“We’re doing the best we can. The council has had some very sensitive issues over the last few months that most cities of similar size don’t deal with in decades,” Davis continued. “Sure, if we set back and look at something long enough, we can find a way to throw rocks or pick holes in it.”

Poplar Bluff attorney Robert Smith spoke several times during the meeting on other agenda items, urging the council to allow public input on matters.

Others questioned how the city keeps residents informed on city council business matters.

Resident David Sloan spoke to the council early in the meeting, about concerns ranging from unpaved streets to derelict buildings.

The city is “frivolously” spending money, while not taking care of existing needs, he said.

In other business, the council:

• Voted to rezone property at 1519 and 1529 Coolidge Street, owned by Andrew and Debra Clark, to C-2 general commercial from RD-1 residential duplex.

• Discussed adopting the 2018 international building, property maintenance, residential and mechanical codes.

• Approved an appointment of Ryan Walls to the airport advisory board.

• Accepted a bid for the Baugh Lane Water Tower demolition project from Pittsburg Tank and Tower Maintenance Company of Henderson, Kentucky, in the amount of $69,983.