Susann Huff, Laurie Parks and Events Director, Announces Her Retirement

LAURIE, Mo. — Laurie Parks and Events Director Susann Huff has announced her plans to retire in April 2018. Huff has worked for the city for 15 years.

Laurie Aldermen agreed with the suggestion she made at the Tuesday, June 13 board meeting to hire someone part time so that she could train them during the three major Laurie events. The Hillbilly Fair, the Hillbilly BBQ and the Enchanted Village of Lights.

During the board meeting Huff also reported the following parks and events activity:

The Laurie Golf Tournament earned enough ($3,336 net) to hire a circus for the Laurie Hillbilly Fair.
The garage sale earned the usual $500
The Laurie Gun Show was cancelled due to a low vendor sign up. She suspected the low interest was due to the scheduling of two guns shows the same weekend.

Huff told the board that 12 to 15 trees were ripped out of the ground and six were damaged, in the Saturday, June 3 wind/tornado event. She suggested planting new trees. Aldermen Karen Dobbins said Laurie Enhancement Committee was already on it, and they planned to meet on Wednesday, June 14 to conduct a survey of city trees and set plans on where to plant new trees.

Fundraising opportunity

Huff also reported she that she was seeking a church or organization to run the parking during the Hillbilly Fair, for a percentage of the parking fees. Approximately 20 persons are needed to direct traffic on Friday and Saturday in September, with fewer volunteers needed during the slow traffic times.

Fall Follies Car Show

The board approved a request by Laurie Sunrise Beach Rotary Club Member John Sullentrop to use Laurie Park on Saturday, Sept. 9 for the rotary’s 13^th Annual Westlake Street Machine Fall Follies Car Show. The show will feature an afternoon car cruise, an engine blow, a beer garden, vendors and trophies for the winning entries. According to Suellentrop, the Rotary Club donated the $8,000 earned at the 2016 car show to 12 local entities.

Laurie Post Office CPU contractor

In other board business, City Clerk Ron Clarke announced Gravois Mills Postmaster Pam Payne has put out a request to any business interested in hosting the Laurie Post Office CPU to call her at 573 372-6509. Laurie Post Office, Contract Postal Unit, CPU, closed on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017 due to being unable to negotiate a contract with the host business. A subsequent moratorium was place on the opening of any new post offices until July 2017 by the USPS workers union. If the moratorium is lifted in July, Payne would like to have a CPU location in place to be ready to open as soon as possible.

Citizens Comments

Laurie Resident Nancy Bailey attended the board meeting to request the board consider establishing a new ordinance with teeth to enforce the clean-up of derelict properties on Highway 5, within the city limits of Laurie. Alderman Herb Keck reported that the Missouri Department of Transportation has jurisdiction on property located within 75 ft. of the centerline on Highway 5. The current Laurie nuisance ordinance requires the city to contact property owners with derelict property by mail and request they clean up their property, if they don’t’ they can be fined. The downside of the current ordinance is the city has no way to enforce the ordinance because they do not charge a property tax, and therefore cannot legally place a levy on properties in the city. Board members agreed to consider the issue further.

Public works

Public works employee Dean Smith reported that he was in the process of upgrading 25 water meters and the city meter reading system. He expected to upgrade 75 by the end of 2017. The city has a total of 453 meters.

Public Works Employee Steve Holloway reported he has responded to an inquiry by the Department of Nature Resources asking why the city sewer system did not meet Bio Chemical Oxygen Demand limits in February and March. Holloway responded that the cause was due to unknown persons dumping large amounts of containments in the system at the local car wash. He submitted a four-line response outlining actions taken, and reported that DNR had not responded, as of the board meeting.

The next meeting of the Laurie Board of Aldermen is scheduled at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 11 at city hall.