LEADER CLINTON COUNT Y
Thurs., July 27, 2023 |
Plattsburg, Lathrop and Gower, Mo.
$1.00 | “Covers Clinton County Like Dew ”
CITY OF PLATTSBURG
Rate increases, dangerous dogs draw a crowd Residents voice frustration at Plattsburg council meeting
by brett adkison leader editor
Nearly 70 people packed into the city hall meeting room Monday, July 24, for the monthly Plattsburg City Council meeting, as two issues – proposed utility rate increases and dogs running loose in town – spurred one of the largest turnouts in recent history. After ample public input and discussion, the council ultimate-
ly approved a series of utility rate increases Monday, including a 12-percent increase for natural gas and trash collection, and a 15-percent increase to water and sewer rates. Those rates are more palatable than initially thought, as city leaders faced a sizable financial hurdle last month. In late June, while presenting his budget proposal, City Adminis-
trator Chase Waggoner warned the council they had found the city’s natural gas fund was operating at a sizable deficit, as the rate formula was flawed and not charging enough for the service. Additionally, the price for natural gas in the last year has been up, and thanks to inflation, the operational costs of all city utilities has gone up. As a result, the natural gas fund was in the red by approximately
$278,000. This also came at a time when the cost of all municipal operations are on the rise (including the effects of inflation). In order to achieve a balanced budget, Waggoner said the city would need to increase gas rates by more than 40 percent, and water and sewer rates by approximately 25 to 30 percent, unless some cost-saving measures could be
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BIG TIME DONATION
EAST BUCHANAN
Board talks levy issue, concrete work, gas
CCR-III has strong finances With a growing assessed value, district could save hundreds of thousands on early debt payments. || PAGE A16
Weekly Sheriff ’s Dept. Report See what activity the Clinton County Sheriff ’s Department handled last week. || PAGE A3
With roadwork ongoing in Lathrop, some may find themselves remembering the dusty road failure from 2010. || PAGE A4
leader reporter
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One Section | 16 pages
A Dust Up in Lathrop
by jim bonebrake
The East Buchanan Board of Education meeting held Monday, July 24, was short and to the point. No visitors were in attendance and the board breezed through the short agenda. Amy Kelsey gave the board an update for CTA, stating she had attended a meeting focused on getting people involved in some manner. She stated that the curriculum camp was coming up in a couple of weeks and the staff is looking forward to the start of a new school year. The consent agenda was approved by a vote of 4-0 with the minimum number of board members attending the meeting. The board had a few items for discussion, with the first being the propane bids for the upcoming year. Agriland submitted the lowest per-unit bid of $1.145. Ferrel Gas submitted a bid of $1.30 and MFA’s bid was $1.45. The board approved the bid of Agriland. Next, the board discussed the upcoming levy proposal, which will be on the August 8 election ballot. Dr. Newell informed members that an informational meeting would be held at the high school on Tuesday, July 25, at 6 p.m. to answer questions from members of the public. The district is proposing an increase of 65 cents per $100 assessed value to fund the construction of a
INSIDE
The Plattsburg Masonic Lodge recently donated more than $29,000 to the Clinton County R-III School District. The lodge raised funds for the donation, then submitted them through the Masonic Home of Missouri, who matched each dollar with two more of their own. For more on the donation and last week’s school board meeting, turn to page A16. Photo: J.P. Cradic (center right) presents the donation check to Superintendent Dr. Sandy Steggall last week, joined by the lodge’s Curtis Cradic (far left) and Michael New (far right). For more, turn to page A16 of this edition.
Community........A5 Opinion..............A4 Legals..............A11 CCR-III..............A16
THE LEADER Est. 1895
CITY OF LATHROP
City approves engineer on I-35 exit ramp expansion project by brett adkison leader editor
Work is wrapping up on the major street project in Lathrop, which has seen more than half of the town’s roads receive improvements of one kind or another. Lathrop City Administrator Bob Burns said last week that the crews with McConnell and Associates were expected to be done with the majority of its work Friday, July 21. This week, the crews will be working on odds and ends. Burns said approximately 54 percent of the streets in Lathrop received some form of improvement through the project.
The project was made possible through a voter-approved bond from 2019 and was planned for earlier than 2023. However, most of the street project was delayed when, in 2021, the contractor for the city’s recent sewer improvements project, Blue Nile, walked off the job and shut its doors. Much of the sewer work required cutting into city streets, so the road improvements were moved back. This round of street improvements is expected to cost between $810,000 and $820,000. Of that, approximately $671,000 is being funded through the street bond, while the remainder will be fund-
ed through American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The City of Lathrop will have an additional option for its street improvements in the coming future. Voters approved a one-cent sales tax for street improvements this past spring. The city will start collecting the tax on October 1 and, in a full year, it’s expected to generate approximately $200,000 annually. Burns said the sales tax will allow the city to give city streets a full overlay more often, instead of the chip and seal option. During its regular monthly
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VOL. 128, NO. 39