Memphis Aldermen Move Forward On Property Donation, Trash Truck, City Repairs

MEMPHIS, Mo. — The Memphis Board of Aldermen took action on several city projects June 4, including a possible property donation, removal of parking restrictions downtown, bids for fire station accessibility improvements and the purchase of a trash truck.

The board met in regular session at Memphis City Hall with Mayor Mike Ahland presiding. Aldermen Mike Stone, George Meier, Lane Campbell and Mike Gundy were present.

During citizen participation, Tony Briggs, Terri Briggs and Melissa Fox spoke with the board about the possibility of submitting a bid on the former Shoup Building lot. Briggs and his associates said they intend to donate the property to the city, with conditions aimed at community improvement, if their bid is accepted by the county.

The property has outstanding liens and delinquent taxes owed to the county. County officials had requested a verbal indication from the city on whether it would be willing to accept the donation before considering the bid.

The board voted unanimously to authorize City Administrator Regina Long to provide the county with a verbal agreement indicating the city’s willingness to move forward with accepting the proposed gift.

Fox, owner of M’s Corner Perk, also asked the board to remove “No Parking” and “15-Minute Parking” signs in front of her business to provide more parking for customers. The board approved the request.

In unfinished business, aldermen voted to seek bids for construction and installation of an ADA-compliant wooden access ramp and exterior door at the fire station. Bids will be accepted until 4 p.m. July 13.

During discussion, the board also directed city staff to seek bids for replacement of steps and the roof at the filter plant as part of upcoming city maintenance and improvement work.

The board also reviewed quotes for a trash truck from Armour Equipment, Rantoul Truck Center and Midway Freightliner Inc. After reviewing the proposals, aldermen voted to proceed with Rantoul Truck Center, contingent upon installation of new tires and the availability of financing.

Long also reported progress on the city’s audit preparations. She said a meeting had been held with BerryDunn, and the city is awaiting a quote from the firm. She has also contacted a Kansas City CPA about audit services.

Aldermen approved annual liquor licenses for Gas & More, Keith’s Café, Casey’s General Store, Party Shack and both Dollar General locations. The licenses will expire June 30, 2027.

Department reports included updates on street, sewer, parks, electric and water operations.

The Street Department cleaned the town square in preparation for painting parking lines, trimmed trees and bushes that were blocking culvert ends and stop signs, repaired a tube runoff area and filled potholes and water-break excavations. Crews also worked on alleys, assisted with flag bracket installation on the square, hauled rock to Old Lake for new campsites and began work on fire pits and campsites at the North Campground.

The department also replaced and refaced stop signs, began cyclical mowing, assisted the Water Department with a water main break near the fire station, completed a chip-seal project list and worked on camping fee signs. The board was also told Briggs had been hired and will join the Road and Street Department in late July.

The Sewer Department completed weekly lift station and lagoon inspections, assisted with water leak repairs, helped with lead and copper inventory work and performed other maintenance duties, including work on the swimming pool pump.

Parks and Recreation continued routine maintenance at city parks, including restroom cleaning and ballfield upkeep. The city pool was reported to have had a successful start to the season.

The Electric Department completed utility locates, repaired streetlights and responded to service requests. Crews removed a hazardous tree behind Community Bank, removed trees along East Monroe Street, installed the city’s 250th anniversary banners and replaced lighting at the Johnson Park baseball field.

The department also worked on substations, repaired airport runway and taxiway lights and installed equipment on a power line near Oakwood to accommodate a new billboard installation. Reported outages included transformer and circuit issues on May 16, May 18 and June 1.

Water Department Head Randall Aldridge reported the department completed 20 utility locates, continued mapping and GPS work, conducted monthly sampling and continued lead and copper inventory efforts. The department installed three new water meters and dual-check valves at the nursing home.

Aldridge also reported repairs to water leaks on the square and near the fire station. A significant leak at Madison and Washington streets required extensive work after an old 4-inch repair clamp failed under full system pressure and existing valves could not shut off the water. M&B Construction installed two new

4-inch insertion valves to isolate the area, and crews replaced a 4-inch cross and two 4-inch valves.

A boil advisory was issued after the repair work, and water samples were submitted for testing. All results came back satisfactory.

City Clerk Kaela Shelley reported work on the TAP project, weekly I-WORQ meetings, utility billing, payroll audit preparation and other monthly duties.

Long reported continued work on the TAP grant, airport project, trash truck acquisition, website updates and training for the city collector. She also said she met with Gary Webber about the lagoon project.

The board discussed a $5,000 invoice submitted by Kary Sayre. According to the minutes, Sayre has asked the city to sign a contract and pay the invoice but has not provided an itemized statement when requested.

Long also reported the cylinder on the city’s cardboard baler needs to be replaced. Roger Tinkle obtained a quote from DeHart Recycling Equipment for replacement parts totaling $12,195.75. The board voted to accept the quote.

In aldermen and mayor reports, Gundy said the lakes and cemetery looked nice and asked for an update on camper spots at Old Lake. Meier said the shelter at Johnson Park, a pole near the tennis court, the end of North Main Street and Route A, and the wash stand hose should be reviewed. He also said daily camper checks should be considered to ensure the city is not losing revenue. Stone said streets still need repairs. Ahland said he had received several compliments on the cemetery during Memorial Day services.

The board entered closed session at 7:50 p.m. to discuss legal matters, real estate and personnel. The meeting returned to open session after closed session, and aldermen adjourned.