This area was not one of the top priorities identified with our plan, but will receive grant money, along with local resources to make drainage improvements in the project includes the area between Hildreth, Boundary, and Dodson and First Street. The City will be asked to provide $170,000 in in-kind support and $50,000 in cash contribution. This grant award is good news to the City, and shows the efforts that are being made to maximum are available resources available for stormwater improvements.

Press release shamelessly copied below:

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A request by Gov. Jay Nixon for a major disaster declaration for areas across Missouri hit by flooding, severe storms and excessive rain during June and July was granted today by President Barack Obama. The declaration paves the way for affected counties and local governments to seek millions of dollars in federal funds for disaster-related emergency response and recovery expenses. The federal government will reimburse local governments for 75 percent of their emergency response and eligible recovery activities associated with the damaging weather beginning June 12.

“I appreciate the President making this major disaster declaration so that our counties, local governments and communities can obtain the assistance they need in recovering their costs,” Gov. Nixon said. “Local officials across Missouri responded quickly to the devastating floods, damaging rain and severe storms, and this declaration will help expedite the recovery process.”

The President’s declaration will assist at least 29 counties in recovering from the damage caused by flooding and the damaging weather. Those counties include Adair, Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Caldwell, Carroll, Cass, Chariton, Clark, Clinton, Daviess, DeKalb, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Howard, Jackson, Lafayette, Lewis, Livingston, Mercer, Nodaway, Putnam, Ray, Schuyler, Scotland, Sullivan and Worth.
Additionally, since Gov. Nixon’s July 27 request, joint damage assessments have been completed by the State Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in nine other Missouri counties and the city of St. Louis, which were impacted by this storm system. Those counties are Audrain, Knox, Linn, Marion, Monroe, Pike, Ralls, Shelby, St. Louis and the city of St. Louis. Gov. Nixon will request that the President’s major disaster declaration be expanded to include those jurisdictions as well.

Gov. Nixon’s major disaster declaration request followed a series of visits by the Governor to affected areas and actions to assist communities respond.
The Governor conducted a visit to Holt County and met with officials there on June 18; declared a state of emergency on June 21; conducted an aerial tour of northwest Missouri and met with response officials in Buchanan and Holt counties on June 22; activated the Missouri National Guard on June 23; and conducted a visit to Buchanan County and met with officials there on June 26.

Citing the extraordinary hardship and losses caused to agricultural areas, Gov. Nixon on July 28 asked Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to designate 55 Missouri counties as primary disaster areas, which will permit assistance for farmers from the USDA’s Farm Service Agency.

Counties for which agricultural assistance has been requested are: Adair, Andrew, Audrain, Benton, Caldwell, Callaway, Carroll, Cass, Chariton, Clark, Cooper , Crawford, Daviess, DeKalb, Dunklin, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Henry, Hickory, Holt, Howard, Jackson, Jefferson, Laclede, Lafayette, Lewis, Lincoln, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Maries, Marion, Mercer, Mississippi, Moniteau, Monroe, Montgomery, Pemiscot, Perry, Pettis, Pike, Platte, Putnam, Ralls, Ray, St. Charles, Ste. Genevieve, Saline, Schuyler, Scotland, Sullivan, Vernon, Warren and Worth.

The Study Session will be held at 4:30 pm and is a time for the City Council to learn and discuss the recommendations. Bartlett & West will also be at the Council meeting at 6:00 pm to make a public presentation. This would be the opportunity for anyone to attend and hear the recommendations, and if desired, to address the City Council regarding the proposed recommendations.

Any interested residents/property owners may wish to attend the City Council meeting at 6:00 pm this coming Monday, August 2, in the City Hall Council Chambers, 201 South Franklin Street.

Egyptian-style architecture

Yesterday morning the Kirksville Historic Preservation Commission (KHPC) presented certificates to the Masonic Temple and the owners of some buildings on the north side of the square – Kirksville’s first historic district. There are great stories about the event on KTVO and the Kirksville Daily Express that detail what this means.

The KHPC formed only last year and is already making great steps forward. Thanks to a grant, they were able to commission an expert survey of the downtown area for potential historic properties. The results should be coming in soon and a similar survey of the entire city will follow shortly thereafter, thanks to a second grant.

The event was emceed by Lynn Daniels, the brand new Executive Director of the Kirksville Downtown Improvement Committee. Thanks to DREAM, we were able to receive another grant to fund this full-time position. One of Lynn’s charges is to find a source of continuous funding for the position. Her job is to be an advocate for the downtown, bringing together the property and business owners, city & county governments, citizens, tourism, KDIC and other parties with a stake in downtown revitalization to work together to improve commerce in the area. She’s in her first month and already hitting the streets to meet people and make plans.

Anyway, the turnout was great. Thank you to all who were able to attend. For more info, you can also check out the Frequently Asked Questions that I put together for the event, which details how and why the Kirksville Courthouse Square Historic District came to be.

For those who are unsure, the mayor in Kirksville’s “city manager” form of government is basically just the chairperson of the council. It’s the mayor’s responsibility to run the meetings, serve as a leader of sorts for the council, and represent the city at various events and functions. I don’t have any more “power” or influence than anyone else on the council. In Kirksville, it’s the city manager (Mari Macomber) who gets the big bucks and does the grueling 24-7 work of making sure our city services run efficiently – not the mayor.

Had a terrific lunch meeting with Lynn Daniels today, our newly hired Downtown Director of the KDIC. She has the genesis of some terrific ideas for leading the downtown into economic success, but right now she’s in a fact-gathering mission, meeting with all the business owners and building owners in the downtown area to hear what they have to say. I think she’s going to do well. It will be good to have a person full-time focused toward improving the downtown. I feel like we have a lot of the puzzle pieces already, but until now really lacked the singular leadership to be able to put them together into a cohesive whole. Please join me in welcoming Lynn into her new position.

Now, what do you think about the feasibility of these two ideas in Kirksville?:

Burning waste to generate electricity

A system for online reporting of stuff that needs fixin’

Leave your comments below!

The City of Kirksville has received record amounts of rainfall in the past few years; almost twice the normal amount in both 2008 & 2009. The amount of water has overwhelmed the existing storm water system, much of which was developed prior to 1970. Many citizens who have never had to deal with flooding and storm sewer back-ups in their homes are now dealing with these problems. City Hall has received numerous complaints and concerns from citizens about these on-going issues.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 authorized Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds for various cities and counties across the country. Adair County was one of the counties designated to receive these bonds. City staff met with the Adair County Commission and they have agreed to let the City of Kirksville use these bonds, with voter approval, to fund the improvements to our storm drainage system. If approved, this project would address some public access areas with drainage issues, but it will also help improve the privately held areas with drainage issues that have affected so many citizens.

City Council and Staff will be at the public meeting to give a presentation about the Storm Drainage Improvement Bonds. The Council will then entertain citizen questions and comments regarding the bond issue. For additional information, contact City Hall at 660-627-1225.

Here are some highlights:

Kirksville Community Betterment, a committee of the Kirksville Area Chamber of Commerce, was able to demonstrate exceptional cooperation among the City of Kirksville, Truman State University, A.T. Still University of Health, K-REDI, the Chamber of Commerce and many local volunteer and service groups.

The Missouri Community Betterment (MCB) Program is designed to help Missouri communities enhance their life through overall community development, planning, and implementation. The MCB Program accomplishes this mission primarily by lending technical assistance to communities; by officially recognizing the participating communities and neighborhoods; and by awarding those that excel in the program.

So to find out what the gaps are, city staff last year compiled this list of activities that currently happen in town that would be of interest to seniors. I asked a couple folks in RSVP to help fill in the gaps by asking, “Could you please look over this list and tell me what is missing”

Here was the response:

• Fishing Group – fishing events, socializing etc.

• Senior Dances – at least every quarter.

• Bunco Fundays – could be included in the card & game sessions that need to be facilitated so that when newbies to the community drop by they are welcomed.

• Water Walking – Led by some one where each individual works at their own pace while walking, arching, lunging, and side stepping through the pool.  Excellent for those who have had joint replacement procedures.

• Fitness Programs for Seniors – Muscular Strength and Range Movement where you move to music through excersises designed to increase musculare strength and range of movement.  A class for more active souls for muscular endurance conditioning. A Cardio Fit class for those who are fit and active as well as those who are sedentary or unfamiliar with excercise

• Wii Play   Learning to play and competitions.  Golf, bowling, tennis etc.  Other communities have this and the game was donated by a local business.

• Slim and Trim after 60:  work with trainer and dietician to set realistic goals, safe workouts, and nutrition advice all geared specifically toward those 60+

• Weekly Senior Living Programs – have professionals come in and give programs – ie, Common Foot Ailments, Add energy to your 1st Aid Kit, Afternoon Delight:  Latest research to better care for yourself as you age, Beat the Cold or Flue: Common remedies/myths, Beat the Holiday Blues, Shopping Healthy, Eye Care, Cross Train Your Brain, Ask the Attorney, Meet your State Senator, etc.

• Learn a new skill Programs – have instructors to come in and do a basic class.  Perhap the person would want to pursue and join a club or continue with lessons at a business after attending these.  ie. Harmonica lessons, painting lessons, woodcarving lessons, tap dancing lessons, needlework lessons, gardening lessons, Line Dancing, scrapbooking and card making lessons, etc.

• Kirksville Restaurant Group – Dine out with other seniors once every month at a restaurant.  Meet at the restaurant and order from the menu with seperate checks.  RSVP to Parks and Rec and so reservations can be made.

• Zumba Dance Exercise

I think this is a pretty reasonable and pointed list. Some of these would have a cost associated, but others would be relatively easy to put together. What do you think? Is there anything else you would add?

I plan to bring this issue up in a future meeting of the LPRC, so I would love to have as much input as possible. You can comment by clicking the “Comments” link at the top of the article.