Council considers donation of warning siren

 Making the county a safer place to live was a topic in work session of the Moberly City Council Monday.

Last month the council agreed to the purchase and installation of two Early Warning sirens. According to Fire Chief Robert Creed, one of the sirens will be installed in Rothwell Park near the Aquatic Center. The other will be erected at the intersection of East Urbandale Drive and Six Mile Lane.

Creed, who also serves as the county emergency management director, asked the council at its latest meeting to consider donating the early warning siren located behind Immanuel Baptist Church on Hinkley to the City of Clark.

Creed said there are just two towns left in the county that do not have emergency sirens: Clark and Jacksonville. These two communities have applied for grants to have sirens installed but have not been successful in having them approved.

“If they can’t get a grant, they can’t afford it,” Creed said.

Creed said the siren on Hinkley is 40 to 50 years old and is one of the first purchased. With the two new sirens about to be installed, there are considerations of taking the old ones out of service. Creed said the old ones are 240 volt three phase. Jacksonville doesn’t have the electric service to support one but Clark does.

“They are still in good shape mechanically,” Creed said. “But its hard to get parts for them. It isn’t feasible to try to sell them because we couldn’t get anything out of them.”

“One wonders if lives would have been saved in Renick,” said Randolph County Presiding Commission Susan Carter who addressed the Council. “We hope you find it possible to donate the siren.”

Also in work session, the council discussed a memorandum of understanding with Clarence Cannon wholesale Water commission. This agreement would allow for temporary back up service in case of an emergency. Public Utilities Director Keith Phipps told the council that it was a perpetual agreement but allowed for negotiation. Members of the Council suggested adding something specific that would allow them to review the contract at regular intervals primarily to review water rates.

Another issue involving water is a water service boundary agreement with Thomas Hill Water. This agreement involves the Mamtek sugar plant.

“The City of Moberly is trying to work an agreement to sell water to the Mamtek project,” said Travis Ginter, Thomas Hill Water District general manager. “The new plant is in the rural Macon and Thomas Hill Water District. The agreement would give the City of Moberly the right to serve the new plant water.”

Moberly Area Economic Development leases water from Thomas Hill for $350 per acre in areas served by the district. In the Mamtek case, the city seeks a detachment which raises the price to $500 per acre.

City Manager Andy Morris told the Council the new agreement requires very few conditions but the district asks that no residential development take place on the affected property.

In regular session, an ordinance was passed regarding the renewal of an annual contract with Moberly Correctional Center regarding supervised institutional work release program.

The next regular City Council meeting will be at 7 p.m., Monday, Dec. 20 at City Hall. The public is encouraged to attend.