Mar 27, 2008

City council members raised a host of questions Tuesday evening as the Ava Board of Aldermen and city officials continued to search for options to counter the upcoming rate increase from Sho-Me Power. The increase goes into effect April 1, and at present the only statement the city can make with confidence on the issue, is that they are aggressively pursuing alternative solutions to the problem. Council members searched for a new approach Tuesday evening, hoping to discover an untapped solution to the problem. Council questions encompassed a wide range of ideas and options, items such as meter reconfiguration, looping meters, combining meters, usage vs demand. And with each set of questions, the bottom line remained, "if we do this, what do we sacrifice, and how much do we save?" Purchasing power from another source is one of the options the City may consider, if they can get out of their contract with Sho-Me. Director of Development Janice Lorrain explained consortiums sell power to communities such as Chillicothe and Carthage, and this venue may be a viable option. However, more information is needed before Ava can seriously consider signing a membership contract. Lorrain said she had contacted Chillicothe and Carthage about their power source membership and had received positive comments from both communities. Administrative Director Peggy Porter acknowledged the issue was a complex problem, and many of the questions posed by council had also been posed by the city. However, at present no solutions were forthcoming. In an effort to provide answers, Porter said she would invite Dean Parks, an electrical engineer with BHGM Engineers of St. Louis, to the next council meeting. Porter said Parks had a broad understanding of the industry, and could provide answers to the questions. Council members amended city code Tuesday evening and brought the city into compliance with state liquor statutes. According to Porter, the state statute allows liquor sales to continue until 1:30 a.m., and in contrast, city code was written for sales within the City of Ava to close at midnight. According to Porter, the different closing times were a point of confusion for some business owners. Planning and zoning continues to review areas of the city and correcting areas that need to be changed. Lorrain said the commission is also reviewing the Ava square and how loft apartments might be an asset to city code. Adam Coulter, urban conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, presented information about a grant program recently awarded to the area promoting urban conservation. Coulter explained the grant money will be used to implement basic conservation principles that have environmental and economic benefits. The purpose of the grant is to establish positive conservation practices, facilitate community involvement and promote the creation of esthetically pleasing areas within the city. Some of the projects mentioned were rain gardens, lawn fertilizer plans, educational workshops and community tree/shrub plantings. Director Donna Watson with the Ava Area Chamber of Commerce gave an overview of upcoming activities and community events being planned for this year. Watson noted the City Wide Yard Sale is coming up in April, and in May, the Chamber is making plans for a business seminar in Ava. The City of Ava received a sound rating from MIRMA, (Missouri Intergovernmental Risk Management Association) this week. The rating is determined through evaluations made on safety issues, compliance with national standards, training procedures, management direction and human resources. This year the city earned an evaluation score of 97 percent; in 2007 the score was 98 percent. Council approved payment of bills. Council members attending the meeting were Ric Engelhardt, Judy Lovan, Burrely Loftin and David Norman. The next council meeting will be Tuesday, April 8, at 6:30 p.m.