The Offical Web Site of the City of Strafford

Mayor Tom VicatOffice of Tom Vicat, City Administrator

 

Hello again from City Hall            

NOTE: Board of Aldermen meet at 7PM on the 1st & 3rd Monday of each month.  

Good news kids (and Parents) - John Collins, our School Superintendent says that School starts August 14th. 

A big THANK YOU to all of you who take pride in the appearance of your homes and businesses and keep the grass cut and “Ugly Stuff” out of sight.  For a list of Lawn Mowing Services, call City Hall.   

How about our Gas prices?  Surely it’s a coincidence that it as an election year and the price of gas is dropping slightly.

The American Automobile Association, (AAA) estimates the average cost per mile is around $.55 per mile with insurance, fuel and depreciation figured in.  $16.50 for a 30 mile round trip to Springfield!  How many hours do you have to work to pay for that trip?  Shopping in Strafford sure makes $cents.   If the merchants don’t have what you want to buy, let them know it.

Business Items:   Last month’s question about your interest in a fitness center in Strafford had many positive responses and was passed on to the people who are considering the investment.  When you are eating at a good Chinese restaurant in Springfield, why not ask the manager to consider Strafford for their next location.  Several people tell me they go to Springfield to get their hair and nails done.  Why not try the Cutting Room, D’Clips or Christina’s?  Have you checked out The Dollar Station before you buy gas to go to Wal-Mart? 

FREE hair cuts for school age kids accompanied by a parent at Christina’s Salon on Monday August 11th.

Cowan’s Conoco, has added a breakfast & deli sandwich bar to their convenience store.    

Chamber of Commerce news:  The Strafford Area Chamber of Commerce new office is at Pine & Jefferson behind Max Croxdale’s Real estate office.  The C of C is also looking for donations of office furniture, table lamps, office supplies, etc.  You can call me at city hall or Kelly Hunt C of C President at 736-2526 or Marcy Yarbrough, VP at 736-2251.   

The Howard Smith Park: Josh Termin,14, an Eagle Scout candidate & his Mom & Dad, Leann & John have built a very nice 200 foot long Post & Rail fence on the west side of the park by the parking area.  Doesn’t it feel good to have kids in our community like Josh Termin?  How about the  “Adopt-A-Bench” program. You can put your name or the name of a loved one on a long-lasting bench. Anyone interested in helping with landscaping will be appreciated.  Also, please do not let your kids bring water balloons to the park!  A balloon clogged up a pump impeller and it cost a few hundred dollars to replace the motor. 

The Strafford Historical Society is seeking information on historic businesses, such as letterheads, photo’s, abstracts, railroad timetables or any other documents to make copies of.  Help preserve the past.  Call Susan Kreiger – 736-3429. 

Strafford Fire District news:  The Fire Department’s administrative office at Station #2 on YY (Division St.) east of Hwy 125.  Generally open 8:00am to 2:00pm up to three days a week.  Lunch is 10:45 to 11:45.  The new number is 831-1211.  IF YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY CALL 911. 

VFW & Senior Center Breakfasts:  The VFW on McCabe Street has theirs on the 1st & 3rd Saturday of each month.  The Strafford Senior Center on Bumgarner has theirs on the 2nd Saturday of each month. Good food & low cost.  Serving time for both is 7:00 to 9:00 am.   Take your family out to breakfast.  Support our Community! 

Neighborhood Watch Program: The next meeting is Aug. 21st at 7PM at City Hall.  Watch for reminder signs around town.  Bring a neighbor and let’s keep our neighborhood safe from the bad guy’s out there.  Call Carolyn Lee at 736-9169 or Corporal Inlow at the Police station (736-4000).  A strong Neighborhood Watch Program WORKS.   

Route 66 Days are coming again on September 5th & 6th:  A “G” rated movie, “College Road Trip” will be shown at the School Auditorium Friday evening.  The parade starts at 9AM at the school. The committee needs ideas & volunteers.  Call Lisa Campbell – 736-3321.   It’s your town so how about getting involved?  The next meeting is Aug 7th 6:30 pm at the O’Bannon Bank Community Room.  Check out the website – www.strafford66days.com. 

Downtown Revitalization Plan:  Please call me or E-Mail your ideas on improving our downtown area to tomvicat@peoplepc.com.   Have you noticed the clean up work done by Ed & Odie at A-1 Towing on the Madison Street side?  Thank you guy’s!  Carl Kieser, who owns the building said he may do some exterior work to improve the looks of the old building.  The city will be doing some ditch work and clean up in the Right-of-Way area soon.   If  the other owners of the unsightly properties  will fix up or tear down, that section of town will look better. 

Public Works Department:  There are still a few sewer manhole cuts & broken pavement layers that still have to be repaired.  If you have a hole on your street that needs filling, call me to verify that it is on my repair list.  

The City recently traded in one of our big Backhoes for a Bobcat Compact Excavator that is much more practical for doing all the ditch work and other digging tasks around town.  If you want replace a culvert, the city will install it if the owner buys the materials. Also, please don’t put leaves and branches in the drainage ditches because they will clog the culverts

Street Paving:  As of 7/28, the Greene County Highway dept. says they are having problem getting asphalt and they also told me the price has doubled in the last 2 months.  This means our paving schedule will have to be adjusted.  Right now, Stan Harriman Blvd. (FR-84) is at the top of the list because of its poor condition.

Stan Harriman Blvd (FR-84) & 125 Drainage Ditch & Widening Project:  MoDOT has started on the widening of the entrance to Stan Harriman Blvd at Hwy 125 and that portion should be done by mid August.  Please note that on or about Thursday, August 7th, the road will be closed for a day to install the new wider box sections. 

Library Report:  The SpringfieldGreene County Library has scheduled the Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting ceremony for Saturday, August 9th at 10 AM at Chestnut Plaza strip mall across from Cowan’s Conoco.  We will have our own library finally.  We should also thank Max Croxdale for providing a parking space and electricity to the Library’s Book Mobile for the past 8 years. 

Police Department:  Our very own, Corporal James Inlow, has been selected for “Officer of the Year” and was honored at a ceremony at Osage Beach on July 18th.  James is one of the only three officers out of the several thousand police officers in Missouri to be so honored.  Congratulations James!  It’s good to have a Top Cop in town. 

Andrew Bean, has been appointed as our new Emergency Management Director.  Andy will eventually have a desk in City Hall and will coordinate with the Fire & Police departments during tornadoes, ice storms or other bad events.

Speaking of Emergency Management, all of us are responsible for the safety & protection of our families.   ARE YOU READY for bad weather?  Do you have canned foods, a manual can opener, bottled water, flashlights & batteries, battery or crank operated weather radio with a cell phone charger jack, blankets, prescription medications, etc.   Have you considered building a “Safe Room” or in-ground shelter?

Proposed Storm Water sales Tax:  On Nov. 4th, the City of Strafford Board of Aldermen will be asking the citizens to support a ½ Cent Storm Water Sales Tax.  The Capital Improvement Sales Tax passed in 2004 was needed for the following projects:

1.      New Well & Tower on the South Side                        2. New 8” Gravity sewer Line on the south Side

3.      Upgrade of Sewer Lift Stations                                   4. A solution to the sewer odors

5.      A solution to occasional water orders

Also, any other Capital Improvement Expenditures related to the efficiency and quality of the City’s Water & Sewer System as suggested by the Water Module Report and Master Sewer Plan prepared by the City Engineer.

Your Board of Aldermen are proud to announce that the sales tax passed in ’04 has allowed the completion of  Items 1,2 & 3 and we are working on the possibility of smoke testing of the sewer lines to detect odor sources.

Your Board of Aldermen is very concerned with the recent flooding and lack of a good Storm Water Drainage system in the City.  The City Engineer has estimated it will cost approximately 9.5 million dollars ($9,500,000) to correct the problem and the Aldermen are asking the citizens to pass this ½ cent Storm Water Sales Tax.  The revenue from the tax along with the possibility of receiving Grants and attractive Financing will allow the City to start addressing this serious problem.  More information will be presented in the coming months.  Please e-mail me with any comments or suggestions    

Since I have a little space left, let me tell you about your wacko City Administrator.  I went Sky Diving with my granddaughter, Shelby Vicat on her 18th birthday.  This 70 year old guy jumped out of a perfectly good airplane at 12,300 ft and did a 6,000ft freefall at 120MPH before they popped the chute.  It was a thrilling experience.  The only thing they forgot was toilet paper!

Please let me know if you have any news items, births, deaths, people in the military, people moving in,.



Respectfully,    

Tom Vicat
City Administrator
tomvicat@peoplepc.com    

Please remember: If you can read this, thank a teacher: If you are reading it in English, thank a Veteran.