This evening, members of the Fulton City Council will vote to choose a new slogan for the city sign on U.S. 54.
The council will convene at 6:30 p.m. at Fulton City Hall,18 E. Fourth St. Meetings are open to the public. They may also be streamed online at bit.ly/2O2A4DS.
Late last year, the city launched a contest to find a new phrase for the sign near the Route H exit, which formerly read, "If you lived in Fulton, you'd be home now."
"Some of the letters were breaking off the old sign," Public Information Officer Darin Wernig said in December. "It'd been up for a while."
The contest is open to all Fulton utility customers, and the winner will receive a $100 credit toward his or her utility bill.
In other business, council members will hear updates on several ongoing projects, including the construction of the Parks and Recreation community recreation center. Machines began moving earth for the estimated $8.89 million project at Veterans Park back in November.
They'll also learn the latest on the Route O lift station improvements. Back in July, the city signed off on an approximately $400,000 project to replace the existing dry pit pumps with larger submersible pumps, allowing the main pump station to be shut down for repairs without disrupting the flow, and to equip it with new controls and an electrical system including a new generator.
The Route O station was built in the early 1980s and serves about half of the community. At least 700,000 gallons of wastewater flows through the station on an average day. During heavy rain, the volume can increase to millions of gallons.
Tonight's agenda also mentions discussion on solar energy.
Historic preservation
Council members will also once more discuss the Fulton Historic Preservation Commission's proposed addition to city code. This replacement for Chapter 62 last came up for discussion in October, but was sent back to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' State Historic Preservation Office for review following confusion over state requirements.
Much of the new Chapter 62 is similar to the previous code chapter. Other parts have been modified based on a historic preservation code in use in Washington, Missouri.
The main point of contention among council members was the newly introduced "mandatory non-binding design review." The design review represents an overhaul and clarification of the current historic property construction permit process, outlined in Sect. 62-35 through 62-37.
Under the new process, anyone seeking to perform construction or demolition on a property that would require a city permit within a Fulton historical district will have to submit the project to review by the HPC. (This includes non-historic homes within the districts.) Activities such as ordinary or emergency repairs and maintenance, interior remodeling, landscaping, and the construction of unenclosed patios and small gazebos do not require a design review.
Property owners seeking to carry out construction that does require a review must complete an application and submit it to the HPC. The HPC must then meet within 30 days with the applicant or the applicant's representative to go over the planned changes and issue recommendations. The HPC will then offer suggestions, though the new chapter makes it clear the HPC's suggestions are non-binding - a homeowner may disregard them.