Verona City Council finally fills vacancy

The Verona City Council resolved a months-long impasse in September, accepted a new member after previous nominations by Mayor Amy Spears deadlocked over opposition.
Michael Best, a former city council member from several decades past, raised no opposition when his name came up for consideration. Best is a former law enforcement officer and serves as pastor of the Verona Christian Church.
The vacancy stemmed from a resignation from Chris Nethery, who resigned in July after work obligations prompted him to move out of town. Spears attempted to name Susanne Angel, who lost her re-election bid in April, but met with opposition from two council members. This time, the nomination received unanimous support.
Council members also returned to the issue of allowing chickens inside the city limits. The city’s 20-year-old livestock ordinance banned all animals beyond traditional pets. With the more recent economic stresses, particularly on the price of eggs, Spears introduced a revision that would allow residents to have up to 10 chickens, but no roosters. The exception reflected similar ordinances in Mt. Vernon and Marionville. The ordinance specified that henhouses would be subjected to inspection upon complaints.
When the idea was introduced in July, former council member Linda Gates spoke out against it. This time, there was no opposition. Discussion revolved around giving people time to make changes in case they had inadequate enclosures or had to remove their roosters. Enclosures would have to be kept at the rear of properties and at least 25 feet away from adjacent residences, churches, or businesses.
Complaints over animals-at-large, abuse, or improper enclosures will trigger action by the city’s code enforcement officer. Chicken breeding or “fertilizer production” was prohibited.
“We are not licensed to impound any animal other than dogs, so animals at large will result in warnings and/or summonses to court,” said Clerk Laura Hazelwood. “There was some talk about the benefit to FFA and 4-H students who live in town for the chicken ordinance to pass, and also how raising chickens for eggs and meat has become commonplace in rural communities, partly due to economic considerations and also in part to cultural and family traditions.”
The livestock ordinance still prohibits residents from having goats, sheep, pigs, horses, donkeys, or other poultry or game birds.
In other business, council members agreed to place a “no parking” sign on the dead end of Miller Ray Road to prevent parking on the city right-of-way.
Construction work upgrading the wastewater treatment plant resulted in the need to remove the current slab at the facility. A new 24-by-24-foot slab is needed for storing the city’s Salt Dogg unit for distributing salt onto streets during the winter. Ted Dorton with the public works department presented prices for materials to build a new pad that council members approved.
Upgrading the old wastewater plant, largely located in a pit and surrounded by an earthen berm to protect it from stormwater run-off, offered challenges. Hazelwood reported digging a hole to place a new clarifier resulted in workers hitting the water table, since the facility was located in such a low place near a run-off channel. She noted the soil berm was being used to fill in the old site before the new plant is built some seven feet higher. Branco Enterprises has the construction contract, under the direction of the Allgeier Martin engineering firm.
Heavy equipment was seen early in September as road crews worked on the Powerline Road/West Main Street/Farm Road 2220 hill in preparation for the Missouri Department of Transportation rebuilding the shoulders of the road to the east around the railroad tracks. Trucks accessing the BCP Ingredients will have to detour around the city to reach the plant while the railroad crossing is closed. Earthmoving equipment significantly deepened ditches along the hillside. Then a new layer of asphalt was laid over the roadway to strengthen it for handling increased truck traffic. Construction will take place in 2026.