Monett City Council moves forward on subdivision plan; possibly changing council format

Building code office name changed
 
The Monett City Council advanced subdivision plans, efforts to change the city’s form of government, and renaming the building code office during its Sept. 11 meeting.
The council gave preliminary approval to three proposals for the North Hills subdivision as recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission. The proposed subdivision is located between the Dierker subdivision on the south and 17th Street to the east, bordered by Highway H on the west and Farm Road 2230 to the north. The land was originally zoned in 1997 for Arkansas developer Jim Lemmon, who never advanced to the building stage. The Vaughn companies of Monett now own the land and are advancing a revised plat.
Mayor Randy Burke acknowledged the changes emerged from what he called “a lively Planning and Zoning meeting.” As a consequence, he said, “I understood the need to do something about public safety as this subdivision is built.”
Actions taken by the council were not related to public safety, and were generally mischaracterized by Burke in his description of what the ordinance meant. Three actions were proposed. The first rezones a 70-foot wide strip that ran north to south across the length of the subdivision plat, creating a barrier between the single-family homes and what Lemmon planned to be larger homes along the east edge. The strip, not big enough to hold any structures, is being rezoned as medium density, like the rest of the proposed lots to the west, rearranging the remaining lots to absorb the space. Alyssa Vaughn said the change was not done due to widening of the streets under an ordinance passed after the original zoning, as Burke suggested, but to eliminate the buffer zone and make it part of the lots.
The second action adopts a plat for the first 35 houses as part of phase 1A of the 230-lot development, located along one north-south street. Phase 1 has three parts, each along a separate north-south street, all located west of the section that fronts 17th Street. Vaughn has indicated plats for remaining portions of phase 1 will be presented to Planning and Zoning later this month.
The third action rezones the easternmost section that fronts 17th Street, where the Vaughns plan to build 24 duplexes. This section is being rezoned from the original single-family housing to multi-family to accommodate duplex construction.
No questions were raised during this exchange. Final approval is expected at the council’s next monthly meeting on Oct. 16.
Government change
Also given first reading was an ordinance posing the question, “Shall a Commission be Chosen to Frame a Charter?” This was the action taken by the City of West Plains as a first step to moving away from the city’s commission form of government. The move puts the process in motion at the city council’s request, rather than wait for a citizens’ initiative petition, which is how the city moved into its present form in 1913.
The ordinance also authorizes an election on the issue for the April 2026 municipal vote, with a list of candidates who would serve on the 13-person panel drafting a charter under which the city would operate, providing voters approve the charter in an April 2027 vote. Candidates forming the panel will have from Dec. 9 to Dec. 30 to file to run for those positions.
Burke said the goal of the panel would be to draft the rules under which Monett would operate as a constitutional charter city. “We need more than three people to better represent Monett,” he said. “We are going to write our own constitution inside of the Missouri Constitution,” an option only open to cities of at least 5,000 people. He added all city council members would be elected at-large, eliminating the need to divide Monett geographically into sections.
“This bill is just to ask citizens whether they wish to change,” Gaspar corrected Burke. “The size of the council, wards etc. would be determined by a commission of 13. None of this bill determines those points.”
Building office change
Council members passed a resolution changing the name of the Building Ordinance and Code Administration (BOCA) office to the Community Development Department. Burke said most people did not know what BOCA stood for. The new name would better reflect its duties and what the office is called in other communities. According to the resolution, signage for the office would change at the earliest reasonable date.
Commissioner Darren Indovina said the building code ordinance would be modified into “more of a search engine,” enabling easier access to the pertinent information.
Burke added the city planned to hire “a development director who has a city planning background” in an effort to make the office more proactive.
Water issues
Three resolutions and ordinances relating to water and wastewater received approval
The city formalized its pursuit of funds not exceeding $4,598,936 to cover revenue bonds through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ State Revolving Fund to pay for improvements at the wastewater treatment plant. Funds raised through billing customers cover the debt for revenue bonds.
The State Revolving Fund will provide money to the city at 1.72 percent. The repayment schedule extended the city’s debt out to 2045, making payments twice a year.
The city has retained the financial advisory firm of Gilmore and Bell as bond counsel to handle the transaction, and is using UMB Bank as its escrow agent.
Burke said the funds would not result in the city making additional profit, but would cover the debt to make upgrades in the system.
A resolution was passed authorizing Burke, City Administrator Mickey Ary, and Utilities Superintendent Skip Schaller to sign paperwork seeking financial assistance from the state. Schaller said the city is pursuing a 50-50 grant to help a trailer park east of town that is having an issue with its well.
An addendum to the agreement with the City of Purdy for processing its wastewater received final approval. Burke said the change mirrored the rate hikes put in place for Monett customers earlier this year, required to qualify the city for the loan through the State Revolving Fund. Those rates, the mayor noted, were last revised in 2014. The contract with Purdy runs from 2026 through 2031, as did the rate change for city customers.
Other business
Burke issued a proclamation for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
A resolution was passed authorizing purchase of a motor for fire truck no. 1113, the primary engine for Station 1. Burke noted buying another truck would take two years to see delivery. Authorizing $50,000 for repairs and labor represented the fastest repair through MHC Kenworth in Springfield, which quoted a finished price at $41,293.33.
A resolution to dispose of out-of-service electronic equipment, including batteries, was approved. Gaspar said the agreement with Reverse Tech, doing business as sECO Processing and Recycling of Rogers, Ark., would dispose of the items “in an ecologically responsible way.” Hard drives and memory units would be handled prudently to keep their content secure.
In department reports, Ary noted park crews refurbished picnic tables at the city park pavilion. Work was continuing at the golf course and South Park cutting up trees damaged by the April 29 storm. The street department laid new concrete sidewalks for the play areas at North Park.
The city was assisting the breast cancer awareness fundraiser on Sept. 13 and aiding the Roar and Rally booster gatherings by the downtown pavilion prior to home football games.
Monett police reported 1,280 calls for service, making 76 arrests in August. These included 5 assaults and 25 driving offenses.