In another sign the City of Fulton is returning to business as usual, Mayor Lowe Cannell may sign a resolution ending the city's state of emergency this evening.
The city council will also tackle issues such as whether to open the municipal pool and financing options for the new recreation center during the meeting, which starts at 6:30 p.m. at Fulton City Hall (18 E. 4th St.). The meeting is open to the public, though spectators are encouraged to adhere to social distancing requirements. It will also be live-streamed on the city's website (bit.ly/2O2A4DS).
Fulton officials declared a state of emergency over the COVID-19 pandemic on March 25. Callaway County reported one new positive case on Friday, its first since May 1. As of the weekend, two cases were active; 20 patients had recovered and one had died.
The end of the state of emergency also means the end of utility shutoff and penalty suspensions. Those will resume June 15, according to the resolution.
City council members will also vote on Resolution 3373, authorizing a contract with Christensen Construction Company of Kingdom City for a $256,056 asphalt overlay project. According to project engineer Michael Teel, Christensen submitted the low bid of two bids, plus a $29,295 low bid for 2,170 linear feet of concrete curb.
Members of the Callaway 200 Committee will give an update on their plans. The Bicentennial Bash planned for the end of May has been rescheduled to late August.
Also on the agenda are several topics left over from last meeting.
On May 12, council members debated whether to open Oestreich Municipal Pool and the Memorial Park splash pad. Fulton Parks and Recreation tentatively plans to open the pool June 3.
"We had 12 or 13 lifeguards last year, and only one or two plan to return," P&R Director Clay Caswell said. "If I don't have enough staff, we can't open."
At least three municipal pools in the region (those in Centralia, Moberly and Mexico) will remain closed over the summer to avoid spreading COVID-19. If Fulton's pool does open, the Parks and Recreation team has a long list of safety guidelines, including a midday closure to sanitize the restroom and common areas; creating a sign-in sheet to simplify contact tracing, if needed; removing lounge chairs and picnic tables; selling only prepackaged snacks and drinks; and more.
Some council members hesitated over opening the splash pad because it's unsupervised, meaning the city can't enforce social distancing measures.
"I don't think we could control social distancing there," Caswell said. "We could have 80-90 kids there on a hot day."
During the May 12 meeting, council members also discussed several options to finance the last $5 million of the $8.89 million new recreation center currently under construction in Veterans Park. Options include:
* Option one: A lease-purchase agreement with local banks, with the interest rate locked at 3.1 percent for the first 10 years then refinanced for the last five-year period. The city would have to pay at least $1.26 million in interest (in addition to the principal) over the 15-year term, and possibly more if the loan is refinanced at a higher interest rate.
Option two: A bank loan arranged through Stifel at 3.03 percent for 15 years, plus an up-front cost of $46,500 for brokerage, band and trustee fees. The city would have to pay $1.23 million in interest over 15 years.
Option three: A bank loan arranged through Stifel at 2.75 percent for 15 years, plus an up-front cost of $46,500 for brokerage, band and trustee fees. This arrangement would require the city to pledge Fulton City Hall as collateral while the rec center is under construction; once completed, the rec center would serve as collateral. The city would have to pay $1.11 million in interest over 15 years.
Discussion on the two issues will continue tonight. For a full copy of the agenda, visit Fulton City Hall.