Skidmore starts over with water meter project

Mayor Robert Manning revealed at the August 12 Skidmore City Council meeting that the city would have to start over with the water meter project.

BP Meters, LLC, Maryville, wants to do a lease only contract for the 140 water meters the town wants to replace. The monthly cost of $7.25 each per month was going to be too costly. The city will start over looking for water meters to purchase. USA Bluebook had submitted a revised bid of $59,000 for just the meters. Manning didn’t want to consider the proposal and tabled the discussion.

Skidmore leaders are planning to use CARES Act money for the purchase of the meters.

The city hall will no longer be used as a food pantry. The Skidmore Christian Church is looking to take over as a 501c3 and is waiting on paperwork.

Three bids were received for the demolition of the two buildings at 305 Oak and 301 Elm. The council decided to table the matter until the September meeting.

Mid-America Roadbuilders, Platte City, plans to come to Skidmore on a Sunday to look over the city streets to suggest repairs and give quotes.

Emily Wicoff, PE, from Snyder and Associates, Inc., St. Joseph, attended the meeting to tell the council what they needed to do going forward with the sewer plant project. The first item was a resolution, which the council approved, giving Manning the authority to sign for the bond.

Jeri Dearmont, Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments, is working on the needed ground for the perking field. Manning planned to tour the sewer plant with Wicoff.

Questions were asked by the museum committee about the repairs and costs of materials. Several of the repairs have not been completed to the committee’s satisfaction. The committee wanted to know how much money was left in the museum’s account. City Clerk Meagan Morrow said $2,000 was left. The repairs used the $10,000 grant monies.

City Attorney Miles Figg is still trying to find a local attorney to act as prosecutor on law days for Skidmore’s ordinance violations.

Figg reported:

• A judgment against Arthur Mack was approved with a fine of $500 and $1,984 in attorney’s fees for violating ordinance 2020-NUISANCE.

• Rick Stanton’s counterclaims against the city of Skidmore were denied and the original judgments were upheld. “Declaratory Judgement that Plaintiff is in violation of the City of Skidmore’s City Ordinance 2018-POS-B, as set out in the letter of Mayor Tracy Shewey served on Plaintiff by the Nodaway County, MO, Sheriff’s Department on or about June 28, 2018.”

After the open meeting was finished and the closed meeting was preparing to start, resident Lou White asked why her letter wasn’t discussed. The city had received the letter August 11 and was unable to put it on the agenda. White had not brought up the matter in the public comments section of the open meeting. Figg informed her that it was inappropriate to handle because open session was closed. White’s letter will be put on the September agenda.

In closed session, discussion was held on the applicants for code enforcer. The council hired Mason McCrary as the new code enforcer.