Board adopts emergency amendment for new wastewater treatment plant

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In a unanimous decision, the Perryville Board of Aldermen approved an agreement with Robinson Industrial and Heavy Contracting for a guarantee maximum price toward the completion of a new wastewater treatment facility.
The action was presented as an emergency ordinance as it must be adopted by the aldermen prior to the closing of a loan for the project improvements, according to city administrator Brent Buerck.
The project cost of the new wastewater treatment plan is $26.8 million. Including the design and engineering work, the entire estimate is $29.9 million, Buerck said.
Funding for the project will be available from the state’s revolving loan fund, which is operated by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
Overtime policy
In an unanimous decision, board approved an ordinance that enacts a policy change for the police department which makes permanent a 12-hour shift for patrol staff and establishes a two-week, 84-hour pay period for department staff.
The new plan details holiday scheduling and pay, provides an option for buying out existing compensatory time and also establishes a policy that any and all overtime in the future will be paid.
Skate park update
Alderman Larry Riney asked Park and Recreation director Jim Cadwell to provide an update on recent Park Board on the possibility of a skate park.
“A few people have asked me again about the possibility of a skate park here in town,” Riney said.
“There was some pretty good discussion,” Cadwell said.
He provided information from the city’s recent five-year survey from earlier this year, which didn’t have a skate park has a high-priority type of improvement.

“There were some other projects that had a higher priority,” Cadwell said.
One particular improvement that many are in favor of is lighting trails.
Alderman Prince Hudson thinks the city needs to find a way to deliver on its promises.
“The only problem I have with that is we, as a group, made a promise to some people, it’s been a few years ago, that we would put a skate park back in, so if we keep pushing it back because someone else thinks something else is more important, we’re never going to get there,” Hudson said.
“I would think if you took that question to the high schools and grade schools, that it would be no. 1 on their priority list, they weren’t the ones filling out the survey,” alderman Tom Guth said.
The City Park is closed 1 to 5 a.m. each day.
“I don’t think we can compare what we’re talking about to what was over on Feltz Street,” Guth said. “Put this somewhere in a high traffic area, there are plenty of places in City Park that get plenty of traffic, day and night, people walking by constantly, you’re not going to have a problem.”
Introduction
Newly-appointed code enforcement and patrol officer Richard O’Rear was introduced at Tuesday’s board meeting.
He and his wife, Shirley, reside in Sparta, Ill. where he served as a full-time police officer and spent eight years in code enforcement.
“We are escaping Illinois and are thrilled to be giving the opportunity to serve the citizens of Perryville,” O’Rear said. “My wife and I and our grandchildren have been down here on numerous occasions before and have enjoyed the restaurants and park facilities. It’s a wonderful place to raise a family. I appreciate very much the opportunity to serve your community and I hope I do so to your satisfaction.”
His first day on the job with the city of Perryville was July 12.
Mayor Ken Baer was not in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting. Alderman Larry Riney, the council’s mayor pro tem, presided over the board’s business. The next Board of Aldermen meeting will take place Tuesday, Aug. 3, at 6:30 p.m.