Board discusses youth leagues

The Perryville Board of Alderman made short work of its agenda during its latest meeting on Tuesday. The meeting took a somber turn after the approval of the consent agenda when City Administrator Brent Buerck recommended the cancellation of the youth basketball leagues at the Perry Park Center this winter. The Park Center offers two separate leagues for 3rd-5th graders and 6th-8th grade.
“Buerck said that the decision was a tough one.
“Given what it going on with the COVID numbers, our goal is to keep kids in school,” he said. “I was one of the first parents to sign up my kid the first time, but the schools are working hard to keep their kids in the classroom, and anything that we can do to help, I would see as a good thing.”
In his City Adminstrator report, Buerck gave an update on the new City of Perryville phone application. The new app will allow its residents to have a mobile version of the city’s website. The app has been approved by Apple, but is still waiting on verification from the Google store for Android phone users.
“To avoid any confusion by releasing one, but not the other, we will delay the release when both versions are ready,” Buerck said. “We are hoping that it will be ready by the end of the week.”

Buerck also gave an update on a controlled burn that will take place in the Natural Area in the City Park by the maintenance shed. Parks and Recreation Director Jim Cadwell said the process is done every few years.
“It’s a good thing and is a rather small area, so it won’t be some massive flames, or anything like that,” Cadwell said. “It’s to keep the weeds and other woody invasive species out of that area.”
Cadwell also said that the City Park has started the Winterization of some of its facitilites including the water fountains and restrooms.
“We’ve already started the process with the water fountains, but once we get a cold stretch, we will also start on doing the same with the restrooms in the park,” he said.
Buerck also gave an update on the holiday trash schedule that begins next week with Veterans Day and runs through the end of the year, as well as the Humanitarian Dinner which will be smaller this year with the pandemic and will honor Kenny Buchheit.
The meeting began with two introductions of city employees, including Kaitlyn Chotrow, a police dispartcher, who began with the police department in October and Kelly Unterreiner who is working in the Parks and Recreation Department.