City Council

Page 939 PUBLIC HEARING City of Caruthersville The City of Caruthersville held a Public Hearing Monday, October 20, 2025, because there was a request made to permit the placement of a manufactured home at 304 E. 20th St., which is on the southwest corner at the intersection of Kelly Dr. and East 20th St. Counselor Dorroh opened up the hearing with the explanation that spot zoning is not allowed. The changes in the zoning classification from R2 to R5 would encompass lots along Kelly Dr. including the lot at 304 E. 20th St., also including lots along E. 20th St. from Kelly Dr. easterly to the Cotton Warehouse property, and further including lots along E. 18th St. and E. 19th St. from Eastwood Ave. to Hickory Ave. Planning & Zoning recommendation to the Council was to not to change the zone. Counselor Dorroh yielded the floor for public comment. James Elliott Jr. stated that he had looked at manufactured homes that’s been in place since 2006. He passed around pictures showing the condition with them being well kept. Mr. Elliott also passed around pictures of abandoned houses within the same scope of the area, which he stated actually devalues property. James Stricklin expressed concerns about trailers decreasing in value over a span of years, and what was good for one area in town could be opened up to all areas. Councilperson Bullington made mention that Mr. Elliott had talked to her about improving his living conditions. Councilperson Bullington went on to say that a double wide trailer would be more acceptable than the abandoned houses that already exist. There was concern about someone buying up lots, and having a trailer park. Counselor Dorroh stated that trailer parks were not allowed, but there could possibly be an appearance of one if someone bought a lot of lots to put in trailers or the appearance of a residential division. There are very stringent regulations for manufacturing homes, and the ordinance could be changed for any added restrictions. James Elliott Sr. stated that he had lived on the block for 45 years, and that any improvement should be considered. . Edna Carnell expressed that she had lived all over, and had come back home. She’s proud that Mr. Elliott wanted to stay in the neighborhood. Barry Gilmore expressed concerns of what happens 10 years down the road, that a zone already exist for manufactured homes, and he supported Planning & Zoning recommendation. Amber Robbins lives on E. 19th St., and lives next to an abandoned house with the fear of her children playing outside near the area. She expressed that Mr. Elliott should be able to stay in the area in which he grew up in. Jerry Hudgens was Code Enforcement when the ordinance was enacted to get rid of the trailer parks because of the bad conditions of the trailers. After the tornado a lot of people got modular and manufactured homes because that was what they could afford. With no further comments the Public Hearing was closed to go into regular session. CITY OF CARUTHERSVILLE October 20, 2025 Be it remembered the Council of the City of Caruthersville met in regular session Monday, October 20, 2025 in the Council room of the Municipal Building at which time and place the following were present:  Page 940 Takella Motton City Clerk Lawrence Dorroh City Counselor Sue Grantham Mayor Jerry Hudgens Sergeant at Arms Fales Councilperson Grable Councilperson Hood Councilperson Spence Councilperson Robinson Councilperson Glass Councilperson Bullington Councilperson Lyons (Absent) Councilperson The number of members necessary to consider a quorum being present, the Mayor called the meeting to order and announced the meeting was in session for the transaction of business. The first order of business was the approval of the regular session minutes of October 6, 2025. Councilperson Grable motion for approval, second by Councilperson Robinson with all in favor Councilperson Hood motion for approval of the closed session minutes of October 6, 2025, second by Councilperson Robinson with all in favor. Councilperson Hood motion for approval of reports and bills, second by Councilperson Glass, with all in favor. The Notice of General Election from the County Clerk is as follows: PAM TREECE Pemiscot County Clerk DEPUTY CLERKS 610 Ward Ave., Suite 2A PHONE: 573-333-4203 Melinda Staggs Caruthersville, MO 63830 PHONE: 573-333-4204 Dana Haywood email: pemcoclerk@sbcglobal.net FAX: 573-333-0440 NOTICE TO ALL POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS APRIL 7, 2026 GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION RSMo 115.121, 115.123 Tuesday, April 7, 2026, will be the annual Election Day for schools and cities. According to subsection 5 of section 115.127, RSMo, “The political subdivision or special district calling an election shall, before the sixteenth Tuesday, prior to any election at which offices are to be filled, notify the general public of the opening filing date, the office or offices to be filled, the proper place for filing and the closing filing date of the election. Such notification may be accomplished by legal notice published in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the political subdivision or special district.” Page 941 This notice must be done before the December 9, 2025 filing date. DECEMBER 9, 2025 First day to file declaration of candidacy for April 7, 2026 Election (RSMo 115.127.5) DECEMBER 30, 2025 Deadline for filing declaration of candidacy for April 7, 2026 Election (RSMo 115.127.5) JANUARY 27, 2026 Final certification deadline for April 7, 2026 Election (RSMo 115.125.1) (Must be delivered to County Clerk) MARCH 11, 2026 Last day to register to vote for April 7, 2026 Election (RSMo 115.135.1) Please return a copy of your candidate declaration forms along with a cover sheet listing your filings to me by January 27, 2026 for final certification. I need a list of candidates even if you do not have to have an election. Voters must meet all candidate requirements including all taxes and fees paid . If you have any questions, please give me a call. Sincerely, Pam Treece County Clerk Next on the agenda was the recommendation from Planning & Zoning for the denial of changing the zone from R2 to R5 for the property on E. 20th St. and the designated surrounding areas. Counselor Dorroh gave the description of the R5 residential district and manufactured home district as follows: Placement of a manufactured home has to be attached to a continuous permanent foundation with tongue, running gear and lights removed. Have a sidewalk installed from the street/driveway to main entryway. Have a gable or hip roof with pitch with material that’s residential in appearance. Have exterior siding vinyl or metal lap with reflective qualities not to exceed that of low luster white paint, wood, or hardboard comparable in composition and appearance to the exterior used in standard residential construction. Have permanent steps at all entrances and exits. Have no additions in any manner. Have paved or gravel driveway. Be no more than eight years old at the time of placement. Occupied only as a single-family dwelling. Subject to restrictions on accessory buildings, Placed on parcel according to an approved plot plan, Crawl space with a minimum of 18 inches, Served with water and sewer, Declare property as real property, Subject to inspections by city code. It was discussed that further stipulations could be changed, such as a trailer having to be double wide and brand new, the duplex that’s in the existing ordinance could also be removed. Councilperson Bullington made mention that whether the ordinance was adopted or not that changes should be made to the ordinance. Councilperson Grable motion for an ordinance to be drafted with the new stipulations to grant approval of the change to the district for the allowance of the manufactured home. Councilperson Hood second the motion, which resulted in the following vote:  Page 942 Fales Yes Grable Yes Hood Yes Spence Yes Robinson Yes Glass Yes Bullington Abstain The Planning & Zoning Commission also was presented with a request from Mitchell Wooden for a horse therapy business. It was determined that this type of business would not be appropriate for C1, therefore the request to change the R5 to C1 was denied. Counselor Dorroh will be looking into a conditional use permit upon research. Counselor Dorroh reported that upon further review the concrete bid for the pickleball court submitted by Tri State Mobile Concrete LLC process of mixing was acceptable. Councillperson Grable motion for approval of the bid, second by Councilperson Robinson, resulting in the following vote: Fales Yes Grable Yes Hood Yes Spence Yes Robinson Yes Glass Yes Bullington Yes Police report; Chief Jerry Hudgens report from September 15, 2025 through October 15, 2025 is as follow: Responded to 740 calls for service, which covered disturbances, traffic issues, thefts, suspicious activity, and welfare checks. Numerous arrests were made, both for felony and misdemeanor offenses. There are currently two positions open, and officers have remained dedicated and responsive, maintaining consistent service levels, and a strong presence within the community. Two arrests have been made, and charges filed due to the drive by shooting on Friday, October 17, 2025. Shots were fired at Laura’s Mini Mart with two victims being shot. Fire report; Chief Lynn Moss reported six calls as of October 15, 2025 as follows: 9/25/25; Alarm set off by steam from shower on Henrietta St., 10/4/25; Trash dumped and set afire on I55/MM3, 10/9/25; Electrical short in bedroom on Jefferson, 10/10/25; Combine, wet down, with fire out upon arrival on County Rd. 534, 10/10/25; Legal fire pit called in as threat to structure on Bushey, 10/14/25; Heat lamp on top of clothes on Beckwith. Fire prevention conducted at Elementary School, and there will be a school safety committee meeting October 23, 2025. Alliance; Michael Apperson reported that he had been promoted, and will no longer be working for the City, and Erica Bogenpohl would be running things until someone replaces him. The Operations Report is as follows: Administrative/Report submitted for groundwater systems to DNR. Water Wastewater Treatment/Plant ran efficiently in September. Sludge has come back, and the plant is running great, and have prepared the field behind the Wastewater plant for sludge handling. Regulatory/ Six Bac- T samples, and 35 wastewater samples were taken to DNR, and passed. Collection & Distribution/Staff is continuing to enter GIS datapoints, completed 55 locates, fixed leaks on Marilyn Dr., 5th St., 12th & Beckwith, Greenwell sampling station, Madison, and the Crow’s Nest. Safety/Staff trained on correct PPE usage. Repair expenses were over budget by $9,661, and Chemical Page 943 Expenses were under budget by $484.00. Code Enforcement; Barry Gilmore reported that water services have increased by 2.5%, and the new bill be approximately be $53.00. The AC problem for the offices has been resolved with a replacement of a three ton unit that was in storage. The new gas lines had to be rescheduled for October 21, 2025, and there will have to be a bit of concrete work that will have to be done. Bluefin has shipped the new credit card reader for the Water department. A permit was issued for a possible coffee shop on Hwy 84 at the old bank drive thru next to Probation Parole. Debris, vegetation, and trash was removed at Beckwith, and Laurant. Mr. Gilmore and the Mayor met with Ivory Morgan for art work proposed for the Third St. Water plant. There are several lift stations and pumps having problems with chlorine. A Scada system would notify and alert the responsible party of any problems which would cost $10,780.00. Cogent already has the pump that will cost $10,780.00, 6th & Beckwith pump $2,580.45, 7th St. only has one pump at this time, and the cost of another would be $11,670.00. A LS at the Wastewater Plant would cost $20,481.72. There’s only one pump in the 3rd St. LS and it will cost $40,815.00 to add another one. It would cost approximately $65,000.00 to get everything up to speed. Councilperson Bullington motion to move forward with the upgrades pending what funding the purchases will come from. Councilperson Hood second the motion, which resulted in the following vote: Fales Yes Grable Yes Hood Yes Spence Yes Robinson Yes Glass Yes Bullington Yes The gate at the Maintenance shed has been replaced, and two more cameras will be installed for additional security. Shawnna Riggs will be going for training on CUSI billing system November 4th and 5th 2025 for the Water office. Danny Parker with Master Meter will be here on October 23, 2025 helping to resolve some of the issues with non-reading of some of the meters. This will reduce the man hours in having to read manually. So far trash service has been good, and on time. The residents will be informed of the proper way to put out trash, as to what’s acceptable and what’s not. Wastepro is working on a flyer to be mailed to residents. Mr. Gilmore met with contractors for an inspection at the old BP, the kitchen will be reopened, but it won’t be a Subway, it should be open within two weeks. MODOT has approved the grant for the tree removal at the airport. Recreation report; Lamonte Bell turnover report is a follows: Intake $3,542.60 Auto Draft $85.00 Interest $.78 Total $3628.38 Merchant Fee $372.82 Checks $220.00 Total Expenses $592.82 Turnover $3,035.56. A technician came and flushed coils and ran diagnostics in the pool area. It was discovered that a motor was out on the Soresco System that pulls the humidity out of the pool area. The cost to replace would be approximately $5,000.00, and the technician will getting a price on everything else after another visit. Little League Volleyball will be added to the Sports program. Monitors are continuing to paint the inside of the building. Memberships are increasing, with the Recreation Center moving in the right direction. Library report; Tacara Sullivan reported renewing and registering patrons. Participated in the Chili Cookoff, and took third place in the dessert category with their salted caramel rice Krispy treats.  Page 944 The Library co-hosted a Sensory Activity and Fall Scavenger Hunt, and there were over 25 in attendance. The Lincoln University talent show has been rescheduled for some time in February. On October 28, 2025 they will be showing the movie “Goosebumps.” They will also be participating in the Halloween parade October 31, 2025. Collections report; Paige Gillock reported collections from October 1, 2025 through October 21, 2025 are as follow: Real Estate $3,252.49 Personal Property $1,376.77 Miscellaneous $12,904.73 Total Taxes $16,401.72 Interest & Fees $1,132.27 Total Collections $17,533.99. Budget/Finance; Rita Jones reported being busy with training webinars for the past week, and continuing paying the weekly bills. The city wide Amazon account is underway, and once all department head are signed up, any orders placed will be sent Ms. Jones for tracking. On Monday, October 20, 2025 the process will start setting up all the City account codes in the new system; looking forward to the implementation. Business From the Floor; Paige Gillock provided the Council with a list for business licenses, and was frustrated with contractors not paying for their licenses that were doing City projects, particularly the ones for the Pickleball project. Councilperson Bullington stated that the contractors should be let known at the time the bid is awarded to purchase the business license. Emergency Manager, Charlie Jones presented to the Council a map of the sirens within the City. Coverage is provided for all areas within the City, with some people being able to hear the sirens from more than one location depending on where it overlaps. The problem is that sometimes the wind velocity sometimes hamper the frequency or the trees. But, if you’re outside you will be able to hear the sirens, and not necessarily in your house. Emergency Manager stated that you shouldn’t depend solely on the sirens. You should purchase a weather radio, or get the weather app on your phone. Davita Nellums was concerned about the culvert on 14th & Franklin. The culvert was flushed out, and flowed for about a month, and it’s full of mud again. If a grate could be put over it like on 12th & Franklin it should eliminate the mud and trash going in. Also, sweeping off the lot after the construction that had been done early on needs to take place. Mayor Grantham will look into the matter. Laura Hynds was concerened about the lack of response for an ambulance for the six year old that was ran over on Ward Ave. The police had to take charge and transport the child to the hospital. It was learned later that the ambulance was in Senath, and possibly didn’t get the call. The Senator and the Governor have been contacted about an ambulance service to no avail. Jess Cagle, the Fire department, and the Police department have come up with a response time for situations like the one that occurred. Brent Hill was concerned about the dogs that attacked his mother in law’s car with $3,300.00 worth of damage. It was explained that feral dogs can’t be dealt with in populated areas, but the dogs that are owned, the owner can be held accountable. There are also those that think it’s inhumane to trap or shoot dogs. The Shelter and the Police department are doing their very best to curtail the problem. Introduction to Bills; Counselor Dorroh introduced the following bill: Page 945 BILL NO. 2025-17 ORDINANCE 2025-17 AN ORDINANCE APPROVING AMENDMENT #1 TO THAT CERTAIN STATE BLOCK GRANT AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN THE MISSOURI HIGHWAYS AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION AND THE CITY OF CARUTHERSVILLE UNDER THE AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM Councilperson Bullington motion for the first reading by title only, second by Councilperson Hood, with all in favor. Councilperson Hood motion for the second reading, second by Councilperson Grable with all in favor. Councilperson Robinson motion for the passage of the bill, second by Councilperson Glass, which resulted in the following vote: Fales Yes Grable Yes Hood Yes Spence Yes Robinson Yes Glass Yes Bullington Yes Councilperson Grable motion to go into closed session for the purpose of personnel, second by Councilperson Robinson, which resulted in the following vote: Fales Yes Grable Yes Hood Yes Spence Yes Robinson Yes Glass Yes Bullington Yes Upon returning from closed session, Councilperson Grable motion to adjourn. Councilperson Hood second the motion, which carried unanimously. ATTEST: ___________________________________ Mayor _________________________________ City Clerk