Monett City Council moves on park, utilities

Community building to upgrade as future city council annex
 
The Monett City Council in rapid succession advanced plans for upgrading the city’s park and wastewater systems, revised the tax increment financing construction plan, and named a new member to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The session began with the formal installation of Brandon Pennington as the city’s new fire chief. Mayor Randy Burke noted Pennington, who served as interim chief since May, excelled in interviews. Calling Pennington “born and bred Monett,” the mayor added, “He’s going to be here awhile.”
A large contingent of fellow firefighters, friends and family were on hand to greet the conclusion of the ceremony with enthusiastic applause.
Park action
Council members approved several actions to upgrade park services.
The biggest established a new playground area where the former municipal swimming pool had been located, south of the City Park Casino, in part because of its location near available parking. Cost for the playground equipment, made available by local manufacturer PlayPower, will be $199,000, Burke said, payable by the parks sales tax. Purchase and installation of the ground covering was contracted with Ecoturf Playground Surfacing of Kansas City, Kansas, for an estimated $103,770.40. The approved resolution said the city would oversee assembly of the playground equipment.
In park-related business, council members approved renewing the annual agreement with the Ozarks Regional YMCA for operation of the municipal swimming pool, located adjacent to the Monett Area YMCA facility, next to South Park. The Y provides staffing and chemicals, under the agreement. Burke said the cost of $42,500 is the same for 2026 as in 2025.
Property action
In what appears to be a major move by the city government, council members agreed to renovate the former Monett Community Building at 100 S. Maple in the Marshall Hill subdivision into offices for the city council. This would be the first time city council chambers have moved out of City Hall.
City Administrator Mickey Ary said the last party that had a lease for the facility moved out. He asked department heads if they had use for the facility, and no proposals came back. Ary said changes to the building, which previously held the Missouri Career Center and offices for the Barry-Lawrence Ambulance District, would be “mostly cosmetic.”
His report described the upcoming changes would make the building suitable as the city annex, “for the specific purpose of council meetings, city commission meetings, and other city business-related gatherings.” Smaller rooms adjacent to the large open space inside the east entrance “would be used as designated meeting rooms and work session rooms according to the size of the space.” Presently, he noted, the building has a mold issue that will be addressed. Bids would be taken to cover the renovations. Cost was estimated at $137,700.
City leaders have complained for years about a lack of space in the 1929 City Hall constructed by M.E. Gillioz. Talks periodically have suggested turning the City Hall Auditorium on the second floor into offices, but working around the pitched floor discouraged that idea.
Ary reported the city had several other properties it wished to sell. To find an appropriate resolution, the council approved working agreements with two local realtors, A-Properties and Century 21, to act as agents for the city in selling the unnamed properties.
Buying new meters
To modernize the city’s utility infrastructure, the council approved a contract with Wesco Distribution of Matoon, Ill., a project bid by Toth and Associates of Springfield, using equipment from Tantalus Systems and UtilityHawk for a new metering system for electric and water service. Tantalus’s advanced metering system, all readable remotely, will cost $1,866,204.40. Around 4,000 Badger water meters would cost $766,238.40, while nearly 5,000 Itron electric meters would cost $937,964. Related support equipment for both systems would run around $400,000 more. There were additional charges for software and network equipment. Annual fees to Tantalus would run more than $465,000.
Subcontractors American Conservation and Billing Solutions and Goins Enterprises would work on installation.
Burke said the city would receive more accurate readings with the new meters and would replace 100 a month. “It’s expensive, but in the long run it will be good for Monett,” he added.
Wastewater plant upgrade
Following up on previous actions, the council awarded a contract to McClanahan Construction of Rogersville for upgrades at the wastewater treatment plant. This represents a change in that Branco Enterprises has handled construction at the plant for the last 25 years. McClanahan had the lowest of the three bidders, easily outpacing the others.
Skip Schaller, utilities superintendent, reported engineers estimated the project would run $7 million. Initial bids came in at $8.8 million. Following discussions with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Schaller said the scope of the work was reduced, dropping planned work at the front of the plant and adding air diffusers at the back end for the oxidation ditch, using more air flow in the cleansing process than relying on rotors. “The work on the front of the plant is not as crucial right now,” he indicated.
For this portion of the project, McClanahan was the lowest of three bidders at $4,957,000. Schaller added, “We were able to reduce [the total cost] because our surcharge rates that we charge pretreat customers [Monett’s water-based industries] have reduced the loading coming to the plant.”
Burke noted the plant upgrade was tied to the earlier increase in sewer rates, giving the city access to low-interest loans through DNR’s State Revolving Fund. Changes will include a new capacity to reduce phosphorus discharges. A mandate to reduce phosphorus, largely from soap, has been expected for the past 20 years. Phosphorus stimulates plant growth that can choke oxygen out of discharge basins like the Grand Lake of the Cherokees in Oklahoma, where Monett’s wastewater plant effluent goes.
In a related move, council members approved a sewer rate increase for the City of Purdy, pumping its effluent to Monett for cleansing. Burke said the rates corresponded with what customers in Monett will pay. Base rates and additional 1,000-gallon quantities will rise annually for the next six years. Monett’s sewer rates had not increased since 2014. New rates will go into effect Oct. 1.
TIF change
Passing a resolution, the city reduced the length of the upgrade on Lowe’s Lane in its third tax increment financing (TIF), cutting the cost of the project by more than $743,000. Burke said the move would shift responsibility for the stormwater detention pond to the property owner, though the city would maintain it. Burke added the city still planned to add development of property north of Hwy. 60 to the TIF. The move affected only the debt for developing the roadway. No other TIF projects have yet been announced.
Council members also named Kevin Cloud to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Burke said Planning and Zoning has been short two people. Naming himself and Cloud to the board will fill out its seven-person roster.
Cloud, a Monett firefighter for 15 years, recently retired from Fastenal. He said he was particularly interested in how the city grows and wants to be instrumental in its development.