SWC Council Hears Street Dispute Between Businesses
Traffic was the hot topic in Southwest City during the City Council meeting on March 28.
Ira Allman, owner of Allman General Auto and Paint, addressed the council with regards to a traffic issue that he said prevents him from getting in and out of garage bays and creates an unsanitary environment. Allman recently moved into the building to start his business.
Allman’s business neighbor is Southwest City Meat Processing, owned by Gene and Cindy Buchite.
On Friday mornings, from 6 a. m. until 10 a. m., the processing plant takes livestock to be processed. Customers and their trailers queue up in front of the business while they wait to be unloaded — and, admittedly, the four-legged customers are guilty of defecating, with the excrement often spilling onto the street.
Allman’s garage opens at 8 a.m. each day, so for two hours these trailers occupy the roadway in front.
“Why after twenty-some years is this now a problem?” Mrs. Buchite asked. “I know it may be inconvenient, but it’s important. Those four hours determine what we do for the next 14 days.”
“It comes down to an ordinance that says city streets can’t be blocked,” said Police Chief Bud Gow. “You pay me to enforce the laws in this city and that’s what I’m doing.”
Gow presented both parties with a proposed plan for re-routing. The path would queue the processing plant’s customers a block east and two blocks north. Vehicles lining up, Gow suggested, would go east onto Cherokee from Missouri Highway 43, turn south onto Birkes Street, then west onto Choctaw Street. The head of the line would be at the intersection of Missouri 42 and Choctaw Street. One vehicle would be serviced at the plant’s chute while the next in line would be on deck across Main Street, on Choctaw.
While this will lose two trailer- lengths of queue capacity, it will also allow for emergency traffic to pass down the roadways which is vital to public safety, Gow said.
“What a wonderful problem for a small town to have — so much business there is a traffic jam,” said business owner Kitty Collingsworth, noticing a silver lining amid the conflict. “I’d like to feed off that.”
Communicating the plan to customers can be done, because each one has to schedule a processing appointment in advance.
The council voted to try the new path.
Alderman David Blake recommended the two business owners get together with their fishing poles and talk the situation out.
It was later determined by city attorney Bill Weber to be a civil affair between the two business owners and that they are responsible for agreeing on an acceptable and legal compromise.
Departmental
Reports
Acting Public Works Director Jackie Coatney informed the council of a fallen tree in the park following recent storms. He said the Street Department has cleared the tree and brushhogged the new acreage at Blankenship Park.
The department also installed curve signs and an additional speed limit sign on Liberty Road.
Coatney said the Water Department repaired a one-inch main that broke at a residence on Park Drive.
Old Business
The council discussed a troublesome concrete-lined ditch on Broadway Street, south of Comanche Street, and how to fund rebuilding it.
The Wallgren family has been seeking aid in repairing the ditch for years, but the city budget hasn’t allowed headway.
“We need to fix it though, it’s eroding more with every rain,” Alderwoman Cheryl Howe said.
The mayor commented that the city will have to sell their pump truck and backhoe to afford the repairs without dipping into the General Fund or making adjustments to the budget.
Together, the pump truck and backhoe are expected to bring between $8,000 and $9,000.
The Broadway ditch project comes at a cost of $ 4,000, half of which is required up-front.
Carpenter noted that the Building Fund currently owes $ 13,500 to General Fund for a loan repayment from roof work on City Hall and the Police Department.
The council voted to use funds from Building Fund to pay for repairs in the event the surplus equipment sells slowly.