Upon wrapping up any old business, Anderson's board of alderman bid farewell to the mayor of eight years, John Sellers, and welcomed newly-elected Mayor Rusty Wilson to the position.
Richard Cable was then sworn-in as East Ward alderman and David Roark, who previously held the East Ward alderman title, was sworn-in as West Ward alderman.
Mayor Wilson noted that the Missouri Municipal League is hosting the 2020 Elected Officials Training Conference in August, with attendance options available online or in-person. Alderman Chester Neel said that he has previously attended and learned a lot. He recommended that Wilson, Cable and Roark attend.
@@nepWilson's first order of business was to instate Ordinance No. 06162020, amending the water system rules and regulations. The amendment states that, in the event the supply of water is discontinued to any occupied dwelling within the city, the occupants of the dwelling shall return water service to said dwelling within 20 days. If an occupant fails to do so within the required time, all occupants of the dwelling are required to immediately vacate the dwelling./@@nepIt also states that, in the event that an occupant of any dwelling is not connected with a properly working water system that is connected to the city's water service in the dwelling shall, upon written notice from the city, connect to the city's water service within 20 days of the written notice.
The motion to instate the amended ordinance passed unanimously.
Departmental Reports
In the wake of the recent passage of a local option use tax, Police Chief Seth Daniels again approached the council to discuss purchasing a replacement patrol vehicle. He said the department could secure a 2019 Ford Explorer, under warranty and fully equipped, with less than 20,000 miles at a cost of $28,000. He said the city would be responsible for $18,000 after the insurance payment. The council voted to approve the purchase. Daniels said the vehicle should be available within 30 days.
Fire Chief David Abbott reported that, since the last meeting, the department has received 57 calls for service.
Alderman Gene Cantrell inquired about a donation of fundraising items to the department from Walmart. Abbott said that between $6,000 and $7,000 was raised -- half of which is earmarked for the Summer Ball Program and the remaining half is allocated to the fire department.
Public Works Director Ben Shoemaker told the council that the street department is in need of a new asphalt packer. He said a decent packer could be purchased for $2,500. The council approved the purchase of a new asphalt packer.
The council also voted to temporarily hire Chris Tinsley to serve as a licensed sewer operator over the wastewater treatment plant at a cost of $1,500 until Shoemaker is certified next year.
In other business, the council:
• Appointed Alderman Chester Neel as mayor pro-tem;
• Removed Sellers from the city's bank accounts and assigned Wilson;
• Promoted Officer David Willet to sergeant and hired Officer Steve Hollis;
• Approved a police department policy change requiring all reserve officers to work at least 8 hours per month;
• Voted to remove a tree from the right of way, at a resident's request, at a cost of $1,200;
• Paid bills in the amount of $97,268.90.
