The Poplar Bluff City Council approved a request for the discharge of fireworks inside city limits for the June 15 Juneteenth celebration during its session on Monday. Resident Nicki Johnson explained this is the eighth year of celebrations in Poplar Bluff.
This year will have events for children and a basketball tournament.
“It gets larger and larger,” Johnson said and hopes to have fireworks again for the festivities.
City Manager Matt Winters clarified Johnson has been coordinating with Poplar Bluff Fire Department Chief Mike Moffitt to ensure proper fire safety. The fireworks will be discharged at Bacon Memorial Park.
Council member Smith added, “We’ve done this every year... and we’ve not had any problems.”
The council approved the motion unanimously.
__Saturday food drive__
Mayor Shane Cornman also presented a proclamation to the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 1016 for their upcoming Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Day on Saturday. Cornman encouraged residents to place a bag of non-perishable food items in their mailboxes Saturday.
Mail carriers will pick up the items and help stock the shelves of food banks in need.
__Wolf Creek project bids over budget__
Members considered bids for the Wolf Creek Trail Project which would connect the city’s trails to the larger network. The effort would be part of Missouri Department of Transportation’s Transportation Alternatives Program. The city received six bids with the lowest being Hessling Construction at $973,735.
“This project is over budget by approximately $91,000,” Winters informed, “Smith and Company will work toward finding ways to bring this project within budget.”
He said there are also other possible funding sources in the works before construction begins.
“None of our city funds are going to be spent on this... This just gets it to the next step with MoDOT,” Winters confirmed.
The council unanimously approved moving the item to the May 20 voting session.
__Other business__
Other business approved for May 20’s voting session:
• Director of Parks and Recreation Lanny Corcimiglia presented designs for park benches made out of recycled wind turbine blades. Council member David Boyer found them, “uniquely unappealing.” Corcimiglia said he respectfully disagreed.
• The council considered bids for bailiff services for the city’s municipal court. The firm previously providing this service resigned. Citadel Security bid $35 per hour. Winters stated the cost to pay a member of the police department with overtime would be $34.59 in addition to benefits such as worker’s compensation. Hiring a private firm, “takes one less burden off of them,” he clarified.
• The council considered bids for renovations to the lobby of Black River Coliseum. Zellner Construction put forward the lowest total bid of $437,179.
Members voted unanimously on the following action items:
• A change order to the Community Development Block Grant stormwater drainage improvement project at Three Rivers College
• Entering into a sub-award agreement for the American Rescue Plan Act State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds First Responders Equipment Grant
• Bids for new Dell internet servers to replace aging systems. The city will reduce from four to three servers given the new equipment’s increased capability. The lowest bid totaled $25,047 from Today’s Computers.
• An ordinance authorizing the city to use tourism tax funds to help pave the county road to Brick’s Off-Road Park ahead of the Rock the Country Concert
• Annexation of the unincorporated property located at 3209 Oak Grove Road.
• Submission of an application to the Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant Program for the expansion of Highway 67.