The Poplar Bluff City Council workshopped several zoning items with City Planner James Sisk on Monday. The council unanimously approved all measures to move to the June 3 voting session. Member Mark Massingham was not in attendance.
Regarding the recent annexation of 3209 Oak Grove Road next to the high school, Sisk recommended changing the zoning of the property to match the RS-1 rural-residential zoning of the school.
Discussion moved to the undeveloped Jennifer Street north of 1349 Baron Road. Sisk explained the property is city-owned, but was never developed into the planned road. The applicant, Paul Dragon, wishes to build an outbuilding on the lot.
If vacated, the lot would be split down the centerline and evenly distributed to the surrounding properties.
When the adjacent property owners were notified, “We had no opposition to this in any way,” Sisk clarified.
For the city-owned flood buyout property on Cole Avenue, he presented the possibility of leasing the lot to John Thacker for $10 per year for the use of his garden.
Sisk explained the properties had previously been flooded, bought by the city, and are unable to be developed due to their environmentally precarious location. Thacker already leases an adjacent flood buyout property from the city for the same rate and purpose.
“It sounds like a good use,” member David Boyer remarked.
Next, the board heard General Manager of Municipal Utilities Bill Bach on a request to dispose of antiquated records. Bach assured members the disposal was within the standards of the relevant regulations, though some records must be kept for the life of the utility.
For the ongoing discussion for the joint acquisition of park benches with the Poplar Bluff Housing Authority and the Parks and Recreation Department, council member Lisa Armes Parson motioned to move the matter to a later voting session.
The council also approved the following bids unanimously:
• Hessling Construction’s bid for $973,735 for the completion of the Wolf Creek Trail project, which would connect the network to trails in the city of Poplar Bluff.
• Zoellner Construction’s bid for $416,179 for renovations to the Black River Coliseum.
• Citadel Security’s bid for providing bailiff services for Poplar Bluff Municipal Court at a rate of $35 per hour with worker’s compensation and $22 without.