Town Hall Meeting shows community interest in future

Around 75 people attended a Town Hall Meeting held in the Fox Community Room on Thursday, August 27. City of Licking Mayor Scott Ogden hosted the meeting, which was called to discuss two community boards and the future of the city’s factory building.

Mayor Ogden invited those interested in being on the Planning and Zoning Commission to provide their contact information. The board is composed of six appointed members, and is a four-year commitment. Members must live within the city limits of Licking. A few people expressed interest in becoming a member of this board.

A Parks and Recreation board was also discussed. Board members must live within the Licking R-8 School District, and have been a resident of the district for the past two years or more. Members would eventually all have three-year terms, though at the beginning, one-third would have one-year terms, one-third would have two-year terms, and one-third would have three-year terms. At the end of the shorter terms, they would increase to three years; ongoing one-third of the board would have their terms expire each year. Several people showed interest in becoming a part of this board.

Those who could not attend the meeting but are interested in being a member of either board should contact City Hall regarding their interest.

Discussion of the factory building primarily centered around using it for a community center, which could possibly consist of recreational use, educational use, a daycare center or after school programs. Several recreational uses were discussed, including basketball, volleyball, archery, e-sports, trampolines, etc. Suggested outdoor uses of the property included an ADA jungle gym and a Farmer’s Market pavilion. In addition to benefitting members of the community, it was suggested that such a facility may make Licking a more attractive community to industry interested in locating a factory here.

Other suggestions for its use made by the public included an animal shelter, a National Guard Armory, a technical school, a community workspace (or market), a middle school, and a factory for medical supplies.

Concerns were expressed regarding getting an industry to inhabit the building. The ceiling height in the main factory area is about nine feet, making it not a feasible option for most industrial purposes. The lack of natural gas in the community is also a disadvantage to attracting industry.

The fire department asked for consideration that they would like to continue using the property for hose training.

Grants to fund a center were discussed. Concern was expressed whether the center would be self-sustaining, with The Centre in Rolla as a prime example of a community recreation center that has not been self-sustaining. The 25-year-old facility received additional funding from a sales tax increase approved by voters in August. Mayor Ogden expressed that he was basing his rec center ideas on the transformation of the National Guard Armory building in Salem, Mo. The facility is operated by a non-profit organization.

Discussions will continue over the next weeks and months, without a doubt, regarding what to do with the old factory building, and Mayor Ogden encouraged citizens to discuss their ideas with him. There are still many questions left to answer before any decisions can be made.

One such question is the condition of the building. How much work will need to be done to make the building usable for any of these suggested purposes? Also, is the building free from environmental contaminants and safe for occupation by humans (or animals, in the case of an animal shelter)?

Furthermore, 2024 census data showed Licking’s median household income was $35,652.00, with 55 percent of those under the age of 18 in the community living in households below the poverty level. A reason given for desiring a community center was to give area youth someplace to go locally for recreation. It was acknowledged at the meeting that an admission cost would be necessary for using a proposed center. Would an admission cost make utilization of a center not possible for a majority of youth in the community if it was built?

Steve Jackson, of Bartlett and West, the engineering firm overseeing the potable water project in Licking, spoke briefly at the meeting, giving updates on the project. The first phase of the project is nearing a close, with road repairs to begin soon.

Also discussed briefly at the meeting was the possible closure of the newspaper at the end of the year unless someone steps in to take it over, with comments varying from the loss of the newspaper having a major impact on the community, to it is to be expected due to newspapers closing all over with people getting much of their news from social media.