New councilman, Cory Gayman, sworn in

Cory Gayman was sworn in as an El Dorado Springs City Councilman during the Monday, Nov. 5, council meeting. Gayman replaces Jerry Baldwin who resigned when his daughter, Kandi Baldwin, became city clerk. Current clerk, Lisa Allison, swore him in. Gayman will serve until the April 2019 election.

Present at the meeting were Councilmen Jim Luster, Nick Bland, Randy Bland and Mayor Brad True along City Manager Bruce Rogers, Baldwin and Allison as well as Gayman.

During the public forum, Glenda Baker asked if the city had checked on additional bulky trash pick-ups. Baker is in favor of monthly bulky trash pick-ups. She said there is bulky trash out for pickup and there wont be another one for months. She asked if there is a number citizens can call to get rid of appliances and tree limbs if they can’t dispose of them.. Rogers said he had hoped that some of the people that are involved in the clean ups, like Jack Daniel, could possibly help. Rogers said

that the WCA’s cost for a bulky thrash pick-up is $5,000 per week. He said that two additional bulky trash pick-ups would cost every residential customer another 60 cents per month.

Cory Gayman is a 2003 graduate of the El Dorado Springs R-II High School. He received his Bachelors degree in accounting in 2007 from Drury Unversity and his Masters in accountancy also from Drury in 2011. That same year he passed the CPA exam. He worked as a CPA for seven years in Springfield and the last four in his hometown of El Dorado Springs,

He is married to Whitney Brower and together they have three children. They recently purchased the Leeper Building in downtown El Dorado Springs.

He looks forward to serving on the council and “hopes to make a difference.”

Baker asked if the city has a five or 10-year plan. Rogers said there is a three-year capital improvement plan.

Tate Thoreson said he wanted to follow up on the southeast corner of the Nine Wonders property on Hwy. 54. He said he was interested in purchasing approximately 3-4 acres and wanted to know if the city was interested in selling the property. Rogers said that the Park Board had talked about the possibility of developing park facilities on the property. R. Bland stated that the city should look into it.

Sheridan Garman-Neeman, economic director for Kaysinger Basin, gave an update on what she has been working on in the area. She said she is filling in for Marge Vance, the Cedar County director of economic development, who resigned in October. She said a economic resiliency grant in the amount of $13,000 had been awarded to Cedar County. She said she has been approached  by ElDo Youth to try to find a way to keep the building. She mentioned there is a Liston Listening meeting scheduled on Nov. 13 for community input. She said a program called Launch Stockton has been started regarding digital marketing and she would like to start that in El Dorado Springs. She also said she had been driving around Cedar County looking for a site for a potential company. After the meeting she said she couldn’t say who it is or what they do or who many people they’ll employ only that she was looking for about 80 acres.

The Council re-approved Mike Frier as a member of the El Dorado Springs Parks and Recreation Board and Allen Hoover and Thomas Bryant as directors to the Industrial Development Authority.

The council approved a change order with Southard Construction Company of Joplin. Rogers explained the overall change is a deduction of $3,500 from the original contract price. Due to an oversight by the supplier the project went approximately 30 days over the contract completion date. There was no monetary cost to the city so the city has chosen not to apply liquidated damages and the contractor has agreed to reduce the contract with the change order.

During the City Manager’s report, Rogers said that a $1,000 donation to help with the replacement fire truck was received from Gerald Shumaker. Shumaker has made a couple of past donations to the Fire Department.

Rogers said the bids for Phase II of the sidewalk project were opened last week and the low bibber was AT Urban with a bid of $345,587.55. The paper work has been submitted to MoDot for their approval, then the council can award the bid.

Rogers said that an offer has been made and accepted for Josh Gracin to perform Saturday night of the Picnic. He also said the school is still interested in pursuing a school resource officer. All the council members said they could attend a joint meeting when the school meets on Thursday.

Rogers said another sidewalk project was completed on the north side of the Christian Church at the intersection of Main and Hightower. The church paid for the materials and the city donated the labor.

The council allowed Madlynne Carothers to speak to the council even though she was not present during the Public Forum. Carothers said she is only one person and was billed for 5,000 gallons of water. Rogers explained that Carothers originally called due to dirty water and the Water Department replace the meter, Carothers bill included approximately seven weeks of usage due to the meter change and an adjustment has been made when discovered.