Pickering gains identifier number, additional ARPA funds

Pickering City Clerk Milt Sovereign announced at the September 7 city council meeting, that Pickering had received the unique entity identifier number and has received additional ARPA funds in the amount of $14,326.78 and $138.05.

He gave an accounting of ARPA funds spent to date: $1,850 for the siren repair, $8,000 on street repairs, $1,800 for Gage Crane Services for siren repair. The city plans to use the additional funds on the sewer plant repairs.

At this time, White Cloud Engineering, Maryville, has not returned estimates for the sewer plant repairs. The siren repairs have stalled while the city waits for radio parts which receive the signals to activate the siren.

Sovereign has registered the unique entity identifier number with the state of Missouri for future grants.

Sovereign has seven replacement sewer pumps available. He has one pump which needs repairs and has lost the body on another pump. Sovereign had stripped the unrepairable pump of parts for future repairs.

He estimates it takes two to three hours to rebuild a pump and takes as long to clean it up. He learned to repair the pumps by using the service manual from the company. He said there are potentially two more sewer pumps currently in use which will need to be replaced.

Resident Mike Moyer has received a court date that was continued to October 5.

Alderman Dale Sharp brought the complaints of Pickering residents Jake and Tyrone Pankau to the council. The Pankaus complained the city wasn’t doing anything. A Wray Street pole light was not replaced when Evergy updated the town to LED lights. Sovereign will contact Evergy to  put up a new LED light. The Pankaus are the only residents on that block of Wray Street. The city will try to get a road grader on the block and put down gravel.

They also complained about the city taking out a bridge. This was done by Union Township and was replaced by two tubes. The city had put in a third tube to help with excess run-off. The council members inquired if the Union Township Fire Department can flush out blocked tubes throughout the town.

Brad Judd, the city mower, has been ill. His brother has been mowing the city property as needed and will continue to for the rest of the season.

The city has received the MoDOT permit for the Highway 146 sign.

While trying to get the unique entity identifier number, Sovereign was asked to provide proof of Pickering’s incorporation. The Nodaway County Recorder of Deeds provided a petition to the Nodaway County Court dated December 10, 1878, and filed February 1879. Sovereign read it aloud to the council.