The Trenton City Council, by way of a motion and a second, is requesting that the finance committee re-evaluate the recently defeated merit and years of service pay scale along with the employee position table. Councilman Tim Meinecke, who voted “no” at the council meeting two weeks ago, placed the topic on the agenda last night for discussion. The council approved five ordinances and one resolution and swore in four councilmen to serve two-year terms.
Meinecke emphasized that the city “owed it to the employees” to continue refining the document. Councilman Duane Urich, who helped develop the proposal, described it as “an off-schedule pay raise” aimed at making employee wages and positions more competitive with those in other municipalities. He highlighted the need for clearer guidelines on promotions and corresponding pay adjustments, citing a lack of uniformity in the current system. Mayor Soptic noted that each department head has appropriately classified their staff. The proposed raises and benefits would collectively cost the city $60,000 and Trenton Municipal Utilities (TMU) $80,000. Councilman Calvin Brown reiterated that raises are contingent on the availability of funds.
Urich also suggested that the committee should meet soon with each department and its staff to further clarify the proposal.
In a separate matter, the city council approved a resolution expressing intent to allocate a 20% local match, contingent on receiving a grant, for constructing a new sidewalk between Lord Street and Oklahoma Avenue. The local commitment is estimated at $75,000. An engineering firm has been engaged to prepare the grant application for submission to the Missouri Department of Transportation.
The council also established policies for an in-fill housing and property transfer program targeting prospective developers and the future use of city-owned lots. Further comments from Mayor Jackie Soptic will be gleaned from an Open Line interview (insert comments).
A new section of city code was added, setting standards for the construction, maintenance, and modification of small cell phone wireless facilities within public rights-of-way, such as on utility poles. Applicants must apply for a permit and pay a non-refundable fee under a small cell deployment agreement. Discussions were held regarding a 2005 agreement with Verizon for renting antenna space on the Princeton Road water tower. The current rent is $931 per month, increasing to $1,024 per month over the next five years. The council suggested comparing these rates with those of other municipalities.
The lowest bid was accepted for boring nearly 500 linear feet under Muddy Creek at 28th Street. Administrator Ron Urton explained that the work, performed by Nail Excavating LLC of Bethany for $20,790, aims to stabilize a utility pole and prevent erosion from future floods. A higher bid was received from T and H Directional Crossings LLC of Pattonsburg.
Budget amendments were approved to reflect increased asphalt sales, higher-than-expected local use tax revenue, and rising litigation costs associated with the construction of the 17th Street bridge.
By a vote of seven to one, the council approved an ordinance requiring one council member from each of the four wards to serve on committees, including administrative, finance, economic development, and utility. Glen Briggs opposed, arguing that this could restrict the mayor’s ability to appoint the most suitable councilmen to these committees.
Election results from April 2 were certified, and City Clerk Cindy Simpson administered the oath of office to Councilmen Glen Briggs, Marvin Humphreys, David Mlika, and Duane Urich. Mayor Soptic, with council consent, appointed council members to each of the four committees. Councilman Mlika was re-elected as Mayor Pro Tem.
City Administrator Urton reported that an old Case wheel loader was sold for $29,000 on the Purple Wave auction site.
