Board of Aldermen Meeting

CITY OF WILLARD/GREENE COUNTY ANNUAL MEETING JUNE 18, 2009 6:00 PM Board Present: Mayor Jamie Schoolcraft; Aldermen Louie Amodeo; Aldermen Pay Lloyd; Aldermen Doug Johnson; Aldermen Paul Hood; and Aldermen Richard Simpson. Also Present: Greene County Presiding Commissioner, Dave Coonrod; Associate Commissioner District 1, Harold Bengsch; Jim Arnott, Sheriff Greene County; Tim Smith, Greene County Administrator; Dan Smith, Greene County Highway Department; Chris Coulter, Greene County Resource Management; Ralph Rognstad Jr., Springfield Planning and Zoning Director; Charlie Jones, Willard Public Works Director; Ryan Nichols, Greene County Emergency Management; Tim Conklin, Executive Director Ozarks Transportation Organization; Kate Gould, Willard Community Relations Officer; Randy Brown, Willard Director of Development; Tom McClain, Willard Chief of Police; Shannon Shipley, Willard Police SGT.; Stacy Winters, Willard Emergency Management Director; Karen Robson, Willard CFO; and Kevin McDonald, Willard Parks and Recreation Director. Mayor Schoolcraft called the meeting to order at 6:20pm. Introductions Staff and officials present from Greene County introduced themselves to Willard staff and officials. Mayor Schoolcraft thanked everyone present for attending and turned the meeting over to Presiding Commissioner Coonrod. Greene County Update Commissioner Coonrod stated that he had been discussing Willard’s sewer issues with Springfield and had hoped a representative from the City of Springfield would have been able to attend the meeting. He stated that Springfield Mayor Jim O’Neal had expressed his desire for Springfield to be a positive force. Greene County Emergency Management Director, Ryan Nichols stated that Greene County was very excited about the EOC, Emergency Operations Center, that they hoped to open in a couple of years. They were in the process of interviewing design firms. Greene County Administrator Tim Smith spoke about the new crime lab and thanked the City of Willard and other municipalities and counties for their assistance. He also described the difficulties the county has had in the past with a morgue, and stated that the county has entered into an agreement with the University Of Missouri School Of Pathology to provide this service. Sheriff Jim Arnott updated Willard officials on the budget cuts at 911 and the hiring freeze they have in place. Sheriff Arnott also informed the Board of Aldermen about the money that Greene County had raised for D.A.R.E., fundraising for K-9 units, Citizens on Patrol Program, and the new focus on citizen interaction for the Patrol Division. Willard Board of Aldermen Special Meeting Page 1 of 3 Sheriff Arnott stated that he thought there was good communication within all the law enforcement departments in Greene County. He also stated that they were still working on the computer connectivity issues, and they were installing GPS units in patrol vehicles and they should be of great assistance. Chief McClain thanked SGT Shannon Shipley for her outstanding work on a recent burglary case. Chief McClain described for Greene County officials and staff the new Willard Police Athletic League and the mission of the league. Commissioner Coonrod stated that the Greene County Parks Department was working on the Nathaniel Green Botanical Center and it was going to be built in about 12 months and would be a fantastic facility. Dan Smith, Greene County Highways Department, stated that they were getting good bids lately and were a good value. Long-term he was concerned about the cost of asphalt. Mr. Smith also noted that the City of Willard would soon be getting the $25,000 from the County to help with the new intersection at Highway 160 and Jackson Street. Mayor Schoolcraft thanked the county for their assistance with the intersection improvements at Hwy 160 and Jackson Street. Tim Conklin, Ozarks Transportation Organization spoke about the $125,000 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that was being used to build 2,700 sq ft of sidewalks along Highway Z from Jackson Street to the Willard Recreation Center. Mr. Conklin also stated that he was aware of the desire for improvements to Highway 160 and had submitted the project to Congressman Blunt’s office for consideration as a regional priority. Chris Coulter, Greene County Resource Management spoke about the number of building permits that the county has issued for the year and stated that he believed that banks were cooperating with developers. He stated that there was not as much decline in building in Greene County as other areas. He stated that they were also working on sinkhole regulations and that they were proud of the county program for sinkholes and that it was one of the strongest in the state. Ralph Rognstad Jr., Springfield Planning and Zoning Director stated that they had seen a lot of activity lately at Planning and Zoning, but a lot of it was for projects a number of years out and clean-up of previous projects. Currently they have a taskforce looking at the development process and looking at possible improvements. Also, they are in the process of changing the restrictions for the airport district and would be taking that to the council in a few weeks. Mr. Coulter informed Willard staff and officials that the County would be having a “west hemisphere” meeting to get more feedback on the Greene County Land Use Plan on June 30th, at the Willard High School. They hope to wrap-up the process this year because the current Greene County Land Use plan is 27-28 years old. Willard Board of Aldermen Special Meeting Page 2 of 3 Miscellaneous Commissioner Coonrod stated that the county was doing well despite the national economy. Commissioner Bengsch stated that he was concerned about possible unfunded mandates in the future and that they had been holding their breath during the last legislative session. Commissioner Coonrod urged city officials to contact legislators when these issues came up. Mayor Schoolcraft thanked everyone for attending and invited county officials and staff to take a quick tour of the new Willard Aquatic Center. Meeting adjourned. Kate Gould, Deputy City Clerk Willard Board of Aldermen Special Meeting Page 3 of 3