Skidmore takes council meeting online

On April 9, the Skidmore City Council met online with most participants joining in via Zoom.

City hall is closed to the public because of COVID-19, however, City Clerk Meagan Morrow is in the office 8 am to noon, Monday through Friday, and 2 to 6 pm, Wednesdays, to answer phone calls, emails and process water and sewer payments.

Help from the Quickbooks expert, Donald Erickson, has been put on hold while the council determines which accounts to merge. Mayor Tracy Shewey also wants the city audited and for the auditors to make recommendations on the setup of accounts. She has suggested Arthur White and Associates of Rock Port. Morrow was given the go-ahead to contact them.

The sludge removal at the sewer plant has been postponed due to the number of people it would take.

The city cleanup is still on for the week of April 27 through May 4, with trash receptacles at usual places. The city-wide garage sales have been postponed, maybe until the weekend of the Skidmore Punkin Show.

Five informational letters were approved to be sent to ongoing nuisance properties. Those are 204 East Cherry, 601 East Elm, 311 West Cherry, 311 West Oak and 412 West Elm. No new properties will be added at this time.

With the postponement of city council elections until June 2, the serving council members elected to be paid now and in June.

The cemetery and gravel ordinance review has been postponed. The council will take up the gravel ordinance at the May meeting, since there have been several residents requests. The council decided to make no COVID-19 ordinances or resolutions at this time, but to follow the Nodaway County mandates.

PeopleService’s Jonathan Eckstein explained what needed to be replaced on the wastewater treatment sampling boxes.

Evergy has agreed to replace a light pole at one of the cemeteries and place lights on another pole at Wildcat Park baseball field.

Clinton Allen Monuments, Maryville, is replacing tree markers with stones. The company is also planning to start headstone repairs after May 31. Discussion was held on having a uniform marker policy for future memorials at the park. No motions were made at this time.

Discussion was held on whether the city should suspend rent for the ball association, if the season is canceled. The decision was to wait to see if the season is canceled.

A $250 donation for the museum was received from a filming studio in California which has been in town to do a documentary. The council is also looking at suggestions for a permanent fence around the museum.

The council was informed resident Rick Stanton had filed and been granted a motion for an extension on the briefing to the appeals court.