City hires engineers for storm water drainage issues

PROTECTED CONTENT

If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.

Username

Password

Login

Lost your password?

Username and Password Help

Please enter your email and we will send your username and password to you.

Email

Submit

← Back

by Mark Cheffey

The Palmyra City Council during its regular meeting last Thursday took the next step in trying to solve a storm water drainage issue in the Stanley/Bailey street area in the southeast section of town.

The council also took action to move forward on projects to fix drainage issues on the courthouse square as well as replace bridges at Main Cross and Bradley streets.

The council voted to have Klingner & Associates perform engineering services and develop cost estimates at a cost of $4,800 for a project to correct storm water drainage issues in the Stanley/Bailey street area.

Residents came before the council last month describing flooding issues into their homes following heavy rains.

Mayor Rusty Adrian said the project was important and would be the start of other efforts to correct such issues throughout Palmyra.

“This is the start of it,” Adrian said, referring to the proposed projects that have already been identified and designed to be funded through revenue collected through a special sales tax already approved by voters.

“We’re starting to see what we need to do with drainage,” Adrian said.

The city council also approved agreements with Klingner concerning the bridge project and the joint city-county project on the south and west side of the courthouse square.

Austin Dornberger, street commissioner, said the later project is expected to start the first of October.

The bridge and culvert project at Main Cross and Bradley will receive FEMA funding.

In other business, the council approved without decent another agreement with Klingner  to provide engineering, architectural and surveying services for proposed improvements to the city’s waste water treatment facility at a cost of $12,000.

Brent Abell, BPW superintendent, said the current facility is quickly nearing its capacity and will need to be expanded for the city’s future.

The council approved the language for a finalized agreement with the Palmyra Cemetery Endowment and Improvement Association concerning specific maintenance provided by the city.

Under the agreement, which has a five-year term starting Jan. 1, 2022, the city would provide snow removal, road maintenance and removal of some dead trees.

The agreement, would replace one previously entered into in 2000.

Also approved without decent was a finalized agreement regarding the emergency management director to provide compensation to the person filling the position.

The pay will be $20 per hour for time worked in the director’s capacity.

The council approved with out decent, allowing use of city dirt by the Palmyra Jaycees for a demolition derby to be held in the fairgrounds arena Saturday, Oct. 23.

Jaycees members, Eddie Neff and Kelsey Lovelace, said the Palmyra Parks & Recreation Department had also given approval for the event.

The council also heard the first reading of an ordinance that, if approved following a second reading Sept. 16, would abandon a portion of an alley lying between and parallel to Dickerson and Main streets on the north side of the courthouse square.

The abandonment was deemed necessary for Hannibal National Bank to complete construction of its new facility.

Abell said the BPW was okay with arrangements to provide utility access at the site.

Jason Dent asked for clarification concerning the city building inspector’s determination that he needed to paint the front of his store front at 312 S. Main St.

Dent said he plans to open the building as a card room as it has traditionally been over the years.

Chuck Anderson, the city’s building inspector, said he had inspected the building earlier in the week.

There was continued discussion by the council concerning projected up-front costs to establish a Community Improvement District in Palmyra. 

James Lemons, the city’s attorney said the costs, which could be as much as $50,000 to $70,000, could be recouped through the establishment of the CID’s taxing district.

The topic was to be placed on the council’s Sept. 16 agenda for further discussion.