Laurie Post Office's Return Hinges On Postal Workers Union

LAURIE, Mo. — If the City Of Laurie's post office returns, it won't be in 2017.

At the Tuesday, Oct. 10 Laurie Board of Aldermen meeting, Laurie City Clerk Ron Clarke presented an update on the progress of the re-opening of the Laurie Post Office.

The United States Postal Service closed the Laurie Contract Postal Unit (CPU) in January 2017, after an agreement for an expired CPU contract failed to be negotiated by Bryant’s Osage Outdoors. Post Office Manager James Bryant said the income from the post office did not cover the expenses.

A moratorium on opening any new CPUs, issued by the United Postal Workers Union, ended in July 2017. A second moratorium was then placed into effect until September 2017. A third moratorium on the opening of any new CPUs sunsets on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017.

Clarke reported that Laurie Mayor Allen Kimberling has written letters to U.S. Senators Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill and U.S. Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler and each of their offices contacted the USPS on behalf of the city. A conference call was also held with Mayor Kimberling and a representative from both Hartzler’s office and the USPS to discuss the city’s post office dilemma.

Clarke also reported that Gravois Mills Postmaster Pam Payne has asked permission to move the Laurie post office boxes from the Gravois Mills Post Office to the Laurie Terrace Mall. The move would only give the citizens of Laurie the ability to pick up their mail from post office boxes at the Laurie Mall. This would not include a full-retail post office at this time. If the USPS approves the move, build-outs would be necessary for security.

At this time, then final word is the USPS is saying that no new CPUs will be authorized until 2018.

Refining the city’s nuisance ordinance

In other business, the board of aldermen, once again, tabled a decision on changes to a city nuisance ordinance, due in part to the wording being unclear and open to speculation.

The proposed language reads:

All persons owning or occupying any lot or tract of land in the City that borders on any city street or state highway, except those properties zoned agricultural, or clearly used for agricultural purposes, such as for livestock, food crops or hay, shall keep the weeds, high-grass and other vegetation growing on such property cut and removed. Whenever such weeds, high-grass or other vegetation shall attain or exceed the height of 12 inches, it shall be deemed a public nuisance.

Board members voiced concerns that the term “tract of land” was ambiguous. They suggested adding verbiage that would separate developed and undeveloped, or unimproved properties. “What about wooded land,” Alderwoman Karen Dobbins questioned. “We should not expect standing timber owners to clean up their timber,” Alderman Jeff Chorpening added. “That is a natural, unimproved lot.” Chorpening also said he was hesitant to pick and choose who can, and who cannot, grow their grass higher than 12-inches.

The board agreed that the biggest nuisances were buildings that were not being maintained and this was the type of complaint they received the most.

City Attorney Andrew Renken was charged with tweaking the wording and bringing it back to the table at the next Laurie Board of Aldermen meeting scheduled at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14 at the Laurie City Hall.

Special tax for city nuisance fines

The board discussed giving teeth to enforce the nuisance ordinance, at their September board meeting. The city has a problem with citizens ignoring repeated requests to clean up their properties and then not paying fines placed by the city for failure to do so. Past discussions included adding a recourse by which the city could clean up properties and then charge the property owner for the service. This charge would be a “special assessment” fee. Other cities assess this fee to the offending property owner’s real estate taxes, but since the city does not collect a real estate tax, they cannot handle it in this way. However, the county does charge Laurie property owners a real estate tax, and the city has discovered that these fees could be charged, and added to the offender’s annual real estate tax bill, by the county. If the tax goes unpaid a lien could then be placed on the property.

Municipal court transfer

In other business, Laurie City Attorney Andrew Renken updated the board on the transfer of the Laurie Municipal Court to the Morgan County Associate 26^th Circuit Court. He reported he had sent letters to judges and notified the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Department of Revenue, of the intent to move all court business to the county. “I received a call from Kenny Hayden last week giving us the heads-up,” Renken said. “It has come down to a few housekeeping issues. They want to be sure existing cases, payment schedules, probations, etc. do not linger past the takeover.”

The county also requested the city to organize files before handing them over. The state requires the county to maintain all files going back three years, cases involving alcohol must be maintained back 50 years. Clarke suggested hiring someone for this task.

Renken added that Judge Steven Grantham had agreed to serve as interim judge, and the city should be able to transfer court cases to the county by February 2018.