A crowd of more than 100 people showed up for the Thursday, July 23, Wright City Board of Aldermen meeting, with many voicing their opposition to a planned asphalt plant during a lengthy public comment period.

“I just want to help you understand that because this item is now under litigation, the board will not be responding to comments,” Mayor Michelle Heiliger told the standing-room-only audience at the start of the meeting.

Despite this disclaimer, numerous members of the public made their views known, the vast majority in opposition to the planned asphalt plant. The first to speak, however, was attorney Matthew Warren with the law firm Husch Blackwell appearing on behalf of Magruder Asphalt, the company developing the plant. 

Warren noted that the Wright City Planning & Zoning Commission approved Magruder’s site plan on Aug. 18, 2025. “This was after being in conversations with Magruder Asphalt since the year 2024,” he said. 

“That vote was a unanimous 7-0 vote, and now 11 months later, after this board itself voted 3-1 just a few weeks ago to approve the site plan, the board is being asked to question and reverse that decision.”

Magruder has already met four of five conditions the city required for its approved site plan, Warren said.

“The one remaining condition is a consolidation plat that requires subsequent Planning & Zoning approval,” he said, adding that Magruder has submitted the plat. The Planning & Zoning Commission is scheduled to review it Aug. 17, he said. If approved, it will then come back to the Board of Aldermen for a final vote.

Warren said Magruder has relied on previous city approvals in proceeding with plans for its asphalt plant.

“To rescind the site plan approval now, without any changed circumstances, and without any legitimate ground, whether that is in fact or in law, would be an arbitrary and capricious action on behalf of the city,” he said.

Although Warren said that “all comments for and against the site plan have been considered and the votes have been cast,” following his remarks, the Board of Aldermen heard more than an hour and a half of additional public comments. These were almost entirely opposed to the asphalt plant on grounds ranging from health and environmental issues to concerns about property values and the zoning of the planned facility.

Check next week’s edition of the Warren County Record for a full report on the  asphalt plant discussion, including some of the many comments made in opposition to the plan at the July 23 meeting.

At the end of the regular meeting Thursday, the board voted unanimously to hold a closed session “for the purpose of dealing with matters relating to Subsection 1: legal actions, causes of action, litigation or privileged communications between the city’s representatives and its attorneys; Subsection 12: hiring, firing, disciplining or promoting employees; and Subsection 13: individually identifiable personnel records, performance ratings, or records pertaining to employees or applicants for employment.”