The board heard from proponents of the Little Lambs Daycare, which operates in conjunction with the Good Shepherd Thrift Store.
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The Wright City Board of Aldermen held their second monthly meeting last week and while there was not much discussion in terms of new business they did hear from several proponents of the Little Lambs Daycare which operates in conjunction with the Good Shepherd Thrift Store.
Proponent Linde Flanders, who volunteers at the thrift store, told board members that they are directly funded by the profits from the thrift store to provide low-cost childcare to families in need.
The organization has operated under the umbrella of St. John’s Lutheran Church. Flanders said that St. John’s is in the process of divesting from the daycare and the closure of the daycare would place a significant burden on the families that rely on their services.
“St. John’s Lutheran Church has decided to divest themselves from that property, so they’re going to be putting the building up for sale,” Flanders said. “They’ve already decided to close the daycare effective May the 31 of 2024.”
Board members were receptive to Flanders’ concerns and Mayor Michelle Heiliger also offered to make introductions with statewide organizations that may be able to help.
“It’s not a secret that one of the largest struggles in all of Warren County, not just Wright City, is childcare,” Heiliger said. “One of the reasons a lot of people have not gone back to work from Covid is that they don’t have anybody to take care of their kids.”
She offered to make a connection with Childcare Aware, a Missouri non-profit that works to bolster childcare resources in the state and may be able to help.
MoDOT Area Engineer Jeff Niemeyer delivered a brief update to the board on the progress of the Interstate 70 expansion project and what its effects would be in Wright City. While there will not be any significant updates on the Warrenton to Wentzville portion of the project he directed those interested in following their progress to the official project website.
“It’s pretty much a weekly update of what our team’s been up to,” Niemeyer said.
He also said that there will be informational meetings on the Kingdom City to Columbia portion of the project held on May 1 and 3 in Columbia and Kingdom City respectively.
They also approved a liquor license for the Wright City Lions Club as well as a festival permit for the upcoming First Fridays celebrations in downtown Wright City.
The first of those celebrations will take place on Friday, May 3 and will follow a Cinco De Mayo theme with hispanic music, food and a pinata.
Near the end of the meeting the board heard from department heads on updates around the city. The most significant of those included an update on the repairs to the bathrooms at Diekroger Park, which should be completed soon.
Finally the board met with Russ Lyons, who was brought to the meeting as a potential appointee to fill a vacancy on the Planning and Zoning Commission. Lyons carried endorsements from Aldermen Don Andrews and Kim Arbuthnot.
“I like this town, and I like to see things go smooth, and I’ve noticed a few things over these last couple meetings and I think I could benefit you guys well,” Lyons said.
The board will make a decision on Lions’ appointment at their next meeting on May 9.
