Pickering unhappy about lack of progress on ordinance cases

The Pickering City Council met July 6 and the topic of conversation was the lack of progress on ordinance violation cases.

No information has been forthcoming from the City Attorney Taryn Henry. Mayor Charles Smith and Alderman Dale Sharp are going to try to do a conference call with Henry.

The other aldermen want to explore whether another attorney can be found to handle the city’s legal dealings.

In the meantime, the situation on the Mike Moyer residence and business property has not improved. Complaints were made about items encroaching on the street roadway.

Mid-America Road Builders, Platte City, had completed chip and sealed city streets. The bill presented was for $39,546.81. Streets completed were Fourth and Fifth Streets, both from Highway 148 to gravel at Railroad Street; Harmon, Church and Coleman Streets, both from Fifth to Sixth streets; and the spur off of Fifth Street to Highway 148.

The city will pay $24,000 from the street funds, $8,000 from the American Rescue Act Plan, and $7,546.81 from the general fund to cover the bill. City Clerk Milt Sovereign said Pickering won’t have the money for any street repairs in 2023.

He is still trying to get the unique entity identifier number. He plans to go to Nodaway County Treasurer Collector Marilyn Jenkins for help. He hasn’t been able to get a real person at the help desk number and the automated computer system can’t provide the correct information.

Sovereign pulled and replaced two sewer pumps in June. One of the eight recycling pumps at the sewer plant has quit and needs to be replaced. It will be $1,450 to replace. This purchase was approved.

The storm siren was taken down July 6. Sovereign is going to remove the old motor to replace it with the new one. The motor will cost $1,850, the crane company is charging $250 per hour. Sovereign is going to check if the siren is covered under the city’s insurance.

On April usage sewer receipts, 67 customers averaged $30.77 each for a total of $1,934.95 which was paid in May and the city received in June, actually July 2. Eight people didn’t pay their bill. Sovereign said this was the highest number of unpaid bills he had seen.