Power and Light workers recognized for efforts following tornado

Mt. Vernon employees “came running” when assistance was requested to restore power in city of Monett
Four city employees who work in the Mt. Vernon Power and Light Department were recognized during the Mt. Vernon Board of Aldermen meeting on Tuesday, May 28. Dalton Cooper, Superintendent Bailey McCann, Colten Gorman and Jake Garretson were presented with a commendation for providing mutual aid assistance to the City of Monett during the tornado that struck on Wednesday, May 8.
Public Works Director Dustin Davis said that the men helped restore power in Monett after the tornado knocked it out in that city.
“They got the call,” he said, “and they came running, and they got the lights back on.”
In other business...
The board voted to pay $21,155.79 to upgrade the computer server at City Hall and hire DaZZee IT Services to handle the upgrade. Additionally, the board voted to award the job of maintenance cleaning of the CCTV sewer line from Waters Street to the city’s Wastewater Treatment Plant to Visu-Sewer, at a cost of $23,000.
The board also voted to hire Trent Thompson as a Building and Code Enforcement official and Lane Loftis for the city’s seasonal brush hog position; both men will be hired pending their completion of pre-employment requirements. Additionally, they voted to accept the resignation of Officer Dawlton Pittman from the Mt. Vernon Police Department and gave Chief Dave Hubert permission to advertise for the open position in the department.

Also during the meeting, City Administrator Joe Kelley told the board that Branco and Olsson Engineering were working on a solution regarding the topsoil on the baseball and football/soccer fields; Kelley said it would result in a cost credit of $52,146. He also told the board that the city was working with Branco and Olsson to look into the cost of repairing and reinforcing several areas that were damaged during the last heavy rainfall; he said the estimated cost would be $30,000.
Kelley also told the board that the board approved an amendment of the Power Supply and Administrative Agreement between SWMPEP and Missouri Electric Commission (MEC) in March, which included the city receiving power from the Dogwood Power Station in Kansas City. He said that the city received a preliminary cost of $9,660 to finance this option, and that the final cost had been determined at $10,945.
In his report, Davis told the board that he had reached out to several private pest control businesses but couldn’t find anyone to fog the entire city for mosquitoes. He said he reached out to the Monett Public Works Department, who said that they used a fogger to spray for mosquitoes at night.