Council gets an ear-full

Councilman Jim Luster called for a point of order during the Tuesday, July 5, council meeting as the discussion teetered close to executive session issues. During the Public Forum Kathie Truitt addressed the council about a vulgar bumper sticker on the back of a city employee’s vehicle. Truitt said that it looked bad for the city and vulgarity is not covered under free speech (it is). She said the employee told her she would not remove it. In her notes Truitt said, “the failure is in the hiring process which allowed us to get to this place to begin with.”
All council members were present: Glenda Baker, Luster, Gabby Kinnett, Nathan Murrell and Mayor Corey Gayman along with City Manager Bruce Rogers and City Clerk Kandi Baldwin.
Several citizens were present to hear the continuation of a discussion to allow ATVs and UTVs to be permitted and operated on city streets. El Dorado Springs Police Chief Jarrod Schiereck said that state laws allow a city to provide permits to operate on city streets. When spoken to later he said, “I’m in the public safety business. To be blunt, I wouldn’t want some 16 year-old with an ATV or UTV full of friends to try to cross 54 at 1st street and get hit.”
Baker said she would like more time to consider the matter.
The council passed several resolutions including one to hire HDR to conduct a rate study of the Sanitary Wastewater system. Rogers will negotiate a contract for the council’s approval.
Allen Hicks asked again about the showers at the community building. Someone suggested that the showers have locking doors and keys.
Baker said that she wanted the trash receptacles off the streets after the trash is picked up.
The council voted to go into executive session.
There was no announcement from that session.