Chamber Contract Approved.

The Full City Council met Tuesday night and revisited the issue of the contract with the Chamber of Commerce, promoting Carthage and Tourism, which was tabled during the June 22nd Council meeting.

A motion to take the Chamber contracts, Council Bills 99-41&42, off the table, and place them back on the table for consideration under Old Business Second Reading, plus amend Article 5 of both Bills was presented by Council Member Lujene Clark. Clark stressed the Chamber had worked diligently to meet all of the criteria required. She said she was confident the Council and Chamber could continue the relationship they had in the past. The motion passed 8-0-0. Council Member H.J. Johnson abstained because of a previous work related relationship with the Chamber. Council Member Charlie Bastin was absent.

The motion by Clark was to amend the Chamber Bills to include: ..the audit should be completed within 60 days.. "and a certified copy filed with the City by the (end of the) next business day." The motion passed 8-0-0 with Johnson abstaining.

Chamber of Commerce President Dexter Friesen addressed the Council and stated they were working hard to comply with the Council requirements. Friesen also said they hired Accountants Mense, Churchwell & Mense of Joplin to perform the audit as required by the City and the audit had started Tuesday morning.

Council Member Jackie Boyer announced a proposal for July 4, 2000 festivities which was presented to her at this year’s festivities by resident Marty Lown. He indicated he would help raise funds and committed an unnamed amount. Boyer made a motion that was accepted asking Mayor Kenneth Johnson to appoint a committee for the project.The Mayor said he would like to see $30,000 or more in contributions. The City typically spends $10,000 to $15,000.

The Citizens Participation Period brought comments from several residents of the 200-300 block of N. McGregor who requested private parking on the east side of the street stating that Leggett & Platt employees parking along the street prevented access to their homes. Several of the residents said when the before the building was constructed officials of the business guaranteed them employee parking would not be a problem.

Council member Larry Ross questioned how such a ruling could be enforced. City Administrator Tom Short said he had talked with Leggett officials several times. He said they have employee parking and discourage street parking. The first reading of a Council bill, sponsored by Council member Charlie Bastin, to allow "residential parking" only on the east side of the 200 and 300 blocks of North McGregor Street was on the agenda.

City Attorney David Mouton said, "It would open a can of worms."

Curb side recycling was discussed once again with the first reading of Council Bill 99-61 which authorizes an amendment to the City’s contract with waste hauler American Disposal. The amendment would remove curb side recycling from the contract.

Jackie Boyer defended the original contract as written. Johnson restated his objections citing cost to the residents. He also said he thought the contract as written was vague.

Disposition of Resolution No. 1423 approving the transfer of the Cable Television Permit currently held by Southwest Missouri Cable TV was postponed to allow Mouton to examine the ramifications of such transfer further. The local company has signed an agreement to sell the its system to TCA Cable TV of Missouri, Inc, a Texas corporation. There are also provisions of the City Charter concerning the transfer of franchise permits that may need to be addressed according to Mouton.

Director of Engineering Joe Butler reported that between January 1 and June 30, 236 building permits were issued for a construction value of $13,837,463.86. Total City permit revenue for the structures during the period was $29,638.00.

Just Jake Talkin'
Mornin',

I eat sardines two or three times a year. I grew up always havin’ a can or two in the cupboard. Maybe a can of Spam and a couple of cans of pork (sorta) and beans. That and a box a crackers made up my dad’s "emergency" food storage.

We never made a sit down meal of it, but sometimes Dad and us kids would break open the cache and have a snack fest. In a week or two, the cupboard would be replenished and not be bothered for three or four months.

After all these years, the habit hangs on. I don’t like sardines that much, but it’s comforting to know I could eat ‘em if I had too. With all the talk of the Y2K problems, I may throw in an extra can just in case. The test would be if I could eat ‘em two days in a row.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Metcalf Auto Supply

Click and Clack Talk Cars

Dear Tom and Ray:

We live up in a very steep and unforgiving road on the north side of St. Thomas, U. S. Virgin Islands. There are several spots that require exceptional steering dexterity. Top speed is about 2 mph! The bottom of our Honda Civic has no barnacles, and increasingly less of everything else! I could really use a few more inches of ground clearance. Can I get that by going to bigger tires?

-Dave

RAY: Geez, Dave. I doubt bigger tires will help. What you really need are bigger wheels. But I doubt your wheel wells will accommodate wheels big enough to give you several more INCHES of clearance (you only gain 1/2 inch of vehicle height for every inch of wheel diameter).

TOM: It sounds like what you really need is a different car. There are bazillions of people who are driving sport utility vehicles who now who really don't need them. But you're one of the few people who actually does need one. In addition to four-wheel drive (which may not be that important to you), SUV's have higher ground clearance than passenger cars.

RAY: I don't blame you for wanting a car instead of SUV, since SUVs are inherently stupid vehicles (they're big, gas guzzling, uncomfortable, hard to get into and out of, and handle like boats - but we'll save that for another column). But since you share a driveway with Grizzly Adams, you may have no choice but to step up to something a little higher.

TOM: There are quite a few "hybrid " sport utilities on the market now; cars that have been raised up and given all-wheel drive, the extra ground clearance you need, and a vehicle that's not much wider or longer than your Civic.