The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

Gladstone Approves New Attorney

Mayor Breaks Tie To Approve Street Closing For Levee

by Dessa Rodeffer, Quill Publisher/Owner

Gladstone:After breaking two tie votes Monday evening, Gladstone Mayor Rex McKinney settled a hot issue among village trustees.

The board was divided on whether to build up Lynn Street with gravel and continue to use it as a road and a levee of sorts to hold back water, or to close Lynn Street altogether and turn it into a permanent levee by building a levee right down the middle of it.

Jim Hetrick made a motion which was seconded by Byron Sebastian to level off and put rock on the existing Lynn Street levee that was built and successfully held back flood waters this year from entering the north part of Gladstone.

Voting in favor of this motion were: Junior Bielser, Hetrick and Sebastian.

Voting against the motion were Mike Hopkins, Darlene Manes, and Florence Stewart.

After some heated discussion, Mayor Rex McKinney broke the tie with his "No" vote.

Then Manes made a motion which was seconded by Stewart to close Lynn Street and build a permanent levee down the middle of it.

Voting in favor of this motion were Bielser, Manes, and Stewart . Voting against the measure were Sebastian, Hetrick, and Hopkins. Mayor Rex McKinney broke the tie with "yes".

The board approved 5-1, a motion made by Stewart, and seconded by Manes, to hire Monmouth Attorney Andrew Youngquist as Gladstone Village Attorney effective immediately, and to continue using Attorney Mike Neff in finishing up the current business he is presently working on. Sebastian was the only nay vote.

ĘThe board emphasized that the water policy will be enforced in that if the village turns off a customer's water and then a customer turns it back on, they willĘ be arrested for this illegal act.

Stewart made a motion, seconded by Manes, to give trustees and the Mayor each a $10 raise from $15 to $25 (67%) and the Village Clerk a $10 raise from $100 to $110 (10%), for officials elected next April 2009.

The paying of flood bills brought about some lengthy discussion. Byron Sebastian inquired about the status of payment and Darlene Manes and Mayor Rex McKinney said most of the bills had been approved for payment by FEMA but he thought there was a "Conflict of Interest" with Byron hiring himself. McKinney said that was FEMA's response.

Sebastian expressed concern about the bill of Kevin Shauman of Biggsville who did back-hoe, uniloader work along with transient work to determine how high they needed to go with the levee. Sebastian expressed his concern and that he would like to see that bill included with the "Flood Bills" to FEMA for payment.

In other business the board unanimously agreed:

• to hire Bill Lukens to install the new stop sign with the post for $25 an hour. all agreed (by Manes, seconded by Stewart)
• to hire Bill Lukens to dig ditches on the east side of Wesley and Darlene Manes' property (by Manes, seconded by Sebastian).
• to have a wiener roast at the Gladstone Village Park October 25th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to include hot dogs, chips, potato salad, and buns and paper items and not to spend over $300.
• to have trick or treat night on Friday, Oct. 31stĘ from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30. p.m.

The board also:

• heard report from Village Clerk Joyce Hetrick that a total of $190 was collected during Heritage Trails in September from 12 vendors at the Village Park; five on Saturday, seven on both Saturday and Sunday. Charges were $10 a day for use of the village owned property at the park.Ę
• The board voted to put the $190 into the General Fund.
• heard about a parking problem at Sebastian Drive and in discussion with Peter Rousonelos, it was found to be resolved.
• heard Mayor Rex McKinney allow a motion to hire Doran Jones to replace a stool in the men's restroom in the Gladstone Community building which unanimously passed.
• accepted September minutes
• approved bills totaling $7,858.68.
• approved interest payment of $9,337.50 on the water loan to be electronically taken out of the "Bond and Interest Account" on November 1st. (Interest is taken out every six months, and the principal payment is taken out, once a year.)
• approved payments made from the Water Operation & Maintenance account totaling $4,318.46.

At opening roll call, all the board was present including:

Mayor Rex McKinney, Clerk Joyce Hetrick, and six trustees: Junior Bielser, Jim Hetrick, Mike Hopkins, Darlene Manes, Byron Sebastian, Florence Stewart.

Guests present were: Peter Rousonelos, Don Olson, Dick Bigger, Scott Kelly, Pam Furnald, Russ Furnald, Margaret Johnson, Brady Smith, and Brenda Smith.

The Meeting adjourned at 7:10 p.m. The next regular meeting will be at 6:00 p.m. November 10th, at the Gladstone Community Building. The meeting is open to the public.