Puxico declares state of emergency;closes facilities

The Puxico Board of Aldermen closed city hall and other facilities to the public and authorized Mayor Rick McLean to declare a state of emergency amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bill 20-01, which authorizes the declaration of a state of emergency within the city, calls for proactive measures to be taken to protect the public's health, safety and welfare. It also expressed support for and called upon the mayor to enact regulations to protect the public health, safety and welfare of citizens of the City of Puxico.

This declaration of a state of emergency gives the mayor the ability to enact and enforce temporary emergency regulations deemed advisable or necessary to minimize exposure risk to COVID-19 and protect the health and safety of people in the city. The bill was approved by the board.

The facilities closed include the lobby at Puxico City Hall, the public library, the museum and the police and fire department building. The city parks will be closed to group activities but may be used on an individual basis.

City bills may be paid by either using the city drop box, debit/credit cards online at puxicomo.us or by phone at 573-222-3162 or mail. City staff will continue to report to work as scheduled.

On March 20 municipal water disconnects were suspended. However any delinquent accounts will still accrue late fees, charges and interest.

Despite the closure of the library, the drop box may still be used to return books. The closures started March 20 and tentatively will reopen on April 6. The public may call city hall at 573-222-3162 or the police department at 573-222-3565 with any questions or concerns.

A discussion was held concerning running a city water line north to the Mingo Residential Care Facility. The owner of the facility requested the city check into the possibility of doing this while he was doing upgrades on the facility, which included the fire protection system.

The city water line at this time ends at the property where the Puxico Masonic Lodge plans to build its new lodge building. The distance between the end of the line and Mingo Residential is a little over half a mile.

The board decided that in order to consider this item, it would need a written contract stating that the owner of Mingo Residential would pay to have a professional company to install lines that would meet city water line standards, as well as pay for the materials and supplies needed for the line. It would also need to state that the city’s maintenance supervisor, David Hawthorne, would be able to inspect the line as it was being done to make sure that it was being built to city standards.

Finally, the contract would need to state that once the line has been installed and connected to the city water line, it would become city property with all rights to the line being given to the city, and the city would maintain the line from that point forward. The item was tabled until the contract could be drawn up.

Two items on the agenda, a contract to place internet/wireless antennas on the water tower and a closed session concerning personnel, were moved to a later date.