Fulton City Council gives first reading to slew of ordinances

The Fulton City Council advanced five ordinances to a second reading at its meeting Tuesday night. These ordinances could have a second reading at the council's next regularly scheduled meeting on Oct. 28.

Ordinance 1408 - Missouri Securities Investment Program

The city could become a member of the Missouri Investment Program through an intergovernmental cooperation agreement. According to MOSIP's website, the program started in 1991 under Missouri Revised Statutes, which gives "authority for Missouri's political subdivisions to pool their funds together for a common service..."

City Administrator Bill Johnson said MOSIP could essentially act as a bank for the city, and the city is pursuing this financial avenue because of better interest rates. Historically, he said, the city has gone with local banks, and it will still continue those partnerships while working with MOSIP.

"Interest rates are so poor, we're looking at an additional alternative to maximize cities' return on investments," he said.

Ordinance 1409 - Establishment of Sewer Rates

Ordinance 1409 repeals the sewer rate conditions in a previous ordinance and sets effective dates for new rates.

Currently the base rate, or minimum charge, is $10.50, and the user charge per 100 cubic feet is $3.35. The 2015 rate will be on users' January bills.

The city is currently working on an inflow and infiltration (I&I) project in which crews are tightening the sewer lines to decrease the water (heavy rain and melting snow) that seeps into the lines and creates an influx at the wastewater treatment facility. By lowering the I&I at the wastewater plant, Johnson said he hopes the city will be able to stabilize the numbers above and not have to put forward more increased rates over time.

Ordinance 1410 - Rezoning for an apartment complex

Enrich Construction and Remodeling Inc., a Columbia-based company, plans to construct more apartments on Tyler Street across from where it already operates an apartment complex.

The section where new apartments are to be built will need to be re-classified from single-family housing to multiple-family housing. Several council members commented a new complex would benefit the area, but Councilman Steve Moore raised a concern over traffic, as the complex sits behind the McDonald's on Business Highway 54.

He proposed that Tyler Street become one way coming into the road to cut down on traffic at the fast food restaurant.

Ordinance 1411 - Settlement Agreement with CenturyLink

The city and CenturyLink, a TV, Internet and phone provider, have come to a settlement in a lawsuit over unpaid business license taxes, according to the ordinance.

In the settlement, CenturyLink has agreed to pay the city more than $2,570 of what the company allegedly owes. Other Missouri cities - O'Fallon, Troy and Orrick - were included as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, according to Missouri's online court records system.

Ordinance 1412 - Buy America Agreement

This ordinance creates a supplemental master reimbursable utility agreement between the city of Fulton and Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission. It forms an agreement with Buy America, a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation that ensures transportation projects are completed with American-made products. This means that any work Fulton does with the Missouri Department of Transportation must be done with products made in the U.S.