Fears were put to rest Tuesday night at the Noel City Council meeting as an alderman addressed a question about the town marshal's office.
During the public comments portion of the meeting, Noel resident Lisa Reese asked if it was true the council was going to have the McDonald County Sheriff's Office patrol the town.
Alderman Linda Glendenning said some residents in her ward had asked her to look into it as a possibility, and she brought it up at a recent special meeting. Since then, she said, a rumor spread that the council was planning to get rid of the marshal's office and replace it with a sheriff's office patrol.
"No, we are not going to get rid of the police department, as far as I know," Glendenning said.
Also Tuesday night, Marshal Paul Gardner told the council he had found a 2007 Crown Victoria for $500. The council gave its consensus for the marshal's office to purchase it, provided it passes inspection. This follows a consensus at the recent special meeting to not allow the marshal's office to purchase the $34,500 Ford F150 it had originally asked for.
Gardner also told the council the phones have been rewired, the heating and air conditioning replaced, and the basement mitigated and cleaned following the flooding at the marshal's office.
Robert Thompson of 699 S. Cliffside Dr., appeared before the council again asking for a variance in order to do auto repair at his home. He had previously asked for and been denied a rezoning from R1 to C2. This time Thompson brought a list of signatures from all but three of his neighbors.
"I did everything I could to make it happen. It's just a variance. I'm not changing the zoning," he said.
Aldermen agreed they would like to look at the property before making a decision. The matter was tabled until the next meeting.
Dirk Deaton of the Noel Betterment Association presented Fire Chief Brandon Barrett with an award for his service during the December flood. Deaton said he heard from several people that Barrett went above and beyond, going days without sleep at one point.
Christopher Craig of the Street Department reported flood cleanup is almost complete and the department will soon begin addressing other needs around town.
"Roads will be our number one focus," he said. "We're getting ready to do a better job."
He also noted he plans to start a Facebook page where residents can let their needs be known.
General News on 02/11/2016