Factory building to be vacated
Photo by Shari Harris
Mayor Scott Ogden is planning a Town Hall Meeting for August 27 to discuss ideas for the future of the Rawlings/TAG factory building, which will be vacated by the end of October.
The regular meeting of the City of Licking Board of Aldermen was held beginning at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, August 11, in the Council Chambers at Licking City Hall.
After approval of the agenda, the Public Tax Levy Hearing was opened, with no public comment made. The hearing remained open until 6:55 p.m. The board approved Ordinance No. 678, establishing general fund property taxes in the City of Licking, Missouri, for the 2027 fiscal year, at a rate of .4322 cents per $100.00 of assessed valuation.
In other business, the board approved July meeting minutes, July financials, August tentative payables and the July court review.
Tina Caudill, Hickory Manor Administrator, was not at the meeting. City Administrator Rhonda Kirkwood commented that the stove was being repaired at the facility, and that the contract had not been signed by the nursing home operators yet, and they are currently operating the facility without a contract.
Steve Jackson, with Bartlett & West Engineering updated the council on the Water Project. Caldwell Tanks is disinfecting the new tower, then hope to fill the tower and have it ready to go online by the end of the week. Jackson wasn’t sure of the date the school tower would be removed. It will probably be September before Maggi Construction gets everyone tied in to the new water lines. Work on roads will begin soon. The ARPA phase of the project will probably be wrapped up at the end of September.
An asphalt bid for $167,850 from Pierce Asphalt was accepted by the board to pave Maple Street with hot mix from Main Street to Prescott Road. It is anticipated that the hot mix will last five to six times longer than the cold mix used by the city and will be easier to maintain. A two inch overlay will be applied with aprons on every drive.
Department Head Reports:
Superintendent of Utilities Donnie Trout: College Street and Walker Street between College and Maple have been asphalted. A cost estimate for an 18” backhoe bucket was presented to the board and its purchase was approved. Batwing bush hog estimates were provided for the board to review.
Chief Bobby Hearty: Levi Trout was recognized for working most days this summer at the fire station, organizing and cleaning. The hot weather has made it a bad time to burn. Work continues on AED bids; the cost is $2,300 per unit. The rural fire truck will have one, and he recommended the city fire truck have one as well. A garage door opener is down and is going to be replaced.
LPD Sgt. Brian Allgire: A MIRMA grant application is due at the end of August and he plans to acquire the AEDs for the city with that grant, which would pay 75% of the cost. The department is working on abatement of a nuisance property on Old Salem Road. Some nuisance properties have been abated. The department is waiting on the status of a $30,000 grant. The overtime grant was awarded by MoDOT; the department will have to attend training on August 28 to lock in the grant.
City Administrator/Clerk Rhonda Kirkwood: The burned house on Beth Street has been cleaned up. District clerks will be here next Wednesday for a meeting. A motor at the pool is having issues and may not make it through the season. Calls have been made to order another one. The damage to landscaping at the four-way stop occurred on MoDOT right-of-way, so the City can not collect damages from the company that caused the damage. A celebration of the completion of Phase 1 of the Wastewater Treatment Plant project was discussed, with a potential ribbon cutting ceremony. The board accepted a resignation from an employee of the City Maintenance Department. No response has been received from the ad for applications, but three applications have been submitted. TAG is vacating the old factory building by October 31.
In other discussion:
A landowner will be called about mowing ditches.
A question was submitted about the future of the factory building. Mayor Scott Ogden announced he will be holding a Town Hall meeting August 27 at the Fox Community Room at 7 p.m. to discuss plans for the factory building. Filling positions on the Planning and Zoning Board and the Parks and Recreation Board will also be discussed at the meeting.
Licking Downtown will be holding their Fall Festival on September 19 at the Licking Mill and invited all first responders to attend.
The new steps built at the north end of the MFA building appear to obstruct a city sidewalk, but the sidewalk is actually a curb and is a MoDOT right-of-way.
The mayor will not be able to attend the regularly scheduled September meeting and it will be postponed until Tuesday, September 15.
Why not turn the old factory into Licking recycling center. The city would make money,the people recycling would make money and you would employee a few people. Not to mention maybe people would be encouraged to get rid of the junk in their yards to make the city more presentable to visitors traveling through our area. The pool needs experienced people doing the maintenance that have been trained. Pool maintenance is crucial to the longevity of a pool. I worked for Westport pools for years and if you don’t keep chemicals and preventive maintenance in check, well you have the problems you’re having. You might want to consider salt generation instead of chlorine. Easier to maintain and kinder to the equipment. Thanks for reading.
Enjoyed knowing the agenda at this meeting, as we are moving to Licking in September, awaiting appraisal of the home we will reside in. I am currently an alderman in our town and plan on attending your meetings. We should be there in time for the fall festival.