By Tim Schmidt Record Managing Editor Wright City aldermen agreed to waive $4,158.85 in sewer charges for the Scotts Miracle-Gro Company. The board voted 4-0 to waive the charges from the past two months, and will begin charging for water only for one of the two meters located at the property. The action was taken at the July 24 board of aldermen meeting following a written request from company officials. Scotts had been billed $2,361.65 in sewer charges for June and $1,797.20 for July, according to the city. Water that was used as part of Scott’s manufacturing process was mixed in with the product and did not go into the city’s sewer system. In June, the company inquired about being charged only for water and having the sewer charges waived. City officials were receptive to the proposal at the time, but said they preferred to take action once a formal request was presented by Scotts. The company will continue to be billed for sewer charges from the second water meter at the facility. “All of the water was used in the yard was going in the mulch,” Alderman Jim Schuchmann said. “None of it was going back into our sewer system.” The Scotts facility is located at 15990 Veterans Memorial Parkway, just east of the South Stracks Church Road overpass. In other news • Also at the July 24 meeting, two conditional use permits were unanimously approved for two businesses. Vaughn Telfer will open an auto body repair shop at 201 Hedeman and will share space with a cash checking business. Stipulations that were placed on the permit include that no clients will come to the business due to an insufficient parking area and that no outside storage will be allowed. The other permit is for Jessica Grose to operate a home-based photography business at 204 Midland Drive. Stipulations that were approved will prohibit appointments or additional traffic to the home in connection with the business. Both permit requests were previously approved at the planing and zoning commission meeting held July 21. • An ordinance establishing a tree planting committee was approved unanimously by the board. The committee will be comprised of three members recommended to the mayor by the Wright City Memorial Society. The members will be appointed by the mayor and must be approved by aldermen. According to the ordinance, the planting of shrubs, trees, bushes, flowers or plants of any kind in the Wright City Cemetery is prohibited without the review or recommendation of the tree planting committee. • Aldermen agreed moving forward with providing a school resource officer with the Wright City R-II School District, which will cover the officer’s salary during the school year. The proposed program was approved by a 4-0 vote. Police officer Jeff Catron will fill the new role. In a corresponding move, aldermen voted 4-0 to promote Chris Beard from a part-time to full-time position effective Aug. 8. He will be paid $16.50 an hour. • The board voted 4-0 to switch the city’s provider for mobile phones to Verizon from Sprint, a move that is expected to improve cellular coverage though the monthly cost will increase slightly. According to officials, the city is paying around $440-450 monthly with Sprint. Under the new agreement with Verizon, the city won’t have to pay for new phones and will have 100 text messages on each device. • An updated ordinance requiring that shut-off valves be accessible to city crews is expected to be voted on at the next meeting on Aug. 14. City officials said they have trouble finding shut-off valves when it’s time to disconnect water and that many times they are covered up by landscaping. • A decision for the city to change its disability insurance provider, from Principal to MetLife, was approved unanimously. Under the new policy, employees will be paid 66.66 percent of what they are paid. Previously, the most an employee would receive was $500 a week. • City officials agreed to pay for a new dump truck outright with cash rather than finance the purchase. The new vehicle, equipped with a plow and spreader, will cost the city $61,280. • The board agreed to solicit bids for auditing services for the 2014 fiscal year. Karen Girondo, economic development director/treasurer, noted that 2013 was the final year of a three-year contract with Hochschild, Bloom and Company, LLP, of Washington. • City officials continue to review regulations for off-street parking and proposed changes are expected to be reviewed at a future meeting. • A picnic liquor license requested by the Wright City Lions Club was approved for Strassenbash, scheduled to be held Sept. 19-20. • Aldermen voted 4-0 to allow for the destruction of certain records.
Wright City board waives sewer charges for business
