Golf Decisions, Veterans Park Design Among Topics at 3-hour meeting

Mayor Donnie Pruett’s absence at the regular meeting of the Board of Aldermen on Feb. 14 in Mountain View prevented the scheduled discussion of his conduct. Mayor Pro Tem Punkie Stevenson conducted the meeting in Pruett’s absence. The last item on the agenda of the meeting that had already stretched 3 hours long on Valentine’s Day read, “Alderwoman Wagner conduct of the mayor: to discuss the issue of a complaint received by the council members.” The item has been tabled.

Three Action Items for the Golf Course
The already hefty agenda of last Monday’s meeting carried three separate items for action for the Mountain View Municipal Golf Course. First, the Board of Alderman heard a pitch from Club Car in West Plains to trade the course’s used golf carts for 12 new ones on a lease/purchase agreement. After lengthy discussion to determine whether golf carts were a need and whether it was acceptable to enter into an extended lease agreement, the Board of Aldermen voted for an option that uses the trade-in value of the city’s current carts to make the payments until June of 2025. A verbal resolution to allow the mayor or mayor pro tem to execute contract documents passed 3 to 1. Alderwoman Judi Colter was the dissenting vote.
Superintendent Denny Cunningham made a case for raising cart and green fees at the golf course. The Aldermen were generally in favor, but did not come to an agreement on the details. After extensive discussion, the Aldermen tabled the discussion pending the presentation of an ordinance next month that will seek to raise the fees.
Alderman John Krasuski sponsored an agenda item to “address much needed part time help at the golf course beginning in March.” Cunningham gave the names of two men he hoped to hire, but Alderwoman Colter suggested instead making use of employees from the parks department who usually have down time in March. The Aldermen decided to prolong the hiring of the requested part time help until the next fiscal year in July.

Veterans Park Renovation
In preparation to use the private donation for a revitalization project at Veterans Park, the Board of Aldermen voted unanimously on two items of business. First, they voted to amend the 2021 to 2022 budget to reflect the sum received and then they voted to place the remaining funds from a similar donation made in 2020 into the parks fund as well.
City Attorney Deedra Nicholson and Alderwoman Laura Wagner brought up the mishandling of these private donations during a special meeting on Jan 31. The budget amendment and subsequent votes were the corrective actions. At the February meeting, Nicholson confirmed there was no money missing.
“It wasn’t done ideally, but what’s done is done,” she concluded.
That done, Justin Miller presented his plans for the park. His proposal is to remove the old railroad ties, replace them with landscaping blocks, and hopefully reduce the maintenance required at the park. His bid was unanimously accepted by the Board of Aldermen.
Immediately afterwards, Hilary Connolly addressed the assembly on behalf of the Mountain View Garden Club. She confirmed the Garden Club is not involved with the upkeep of Veterans Park at the moment, despite having planted 1,000 daffodils there in 2006.
“It’s frustrating for us,” she said.
Her goal was to present Miller with a list of native plants and ask whether he would be open to the Club’s advice.
Miller was magnanimous, though he admitted his low-maintenance plan is a “completely different way of doing things.” He promised to save any bulbs he finds as he completes his work.

Sewer project will wait
As a follow up to the special meeting on Jan. 31, the Board of Aldermen heard information from the city’s finance officer confirming that it is possible that they can apply for a $2 million grant from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and still receive funding through the USDA’s Rural Development. The sewer project remains on hold while the city will seek these grant funds in an attempt to avoid borrowing $6 million for the project.