At Tuesday's Fulton City Council meeting, the council heard from several community members about upcoming local events and discussed a few ordinances.
The first event the council heard about was the Annual Senior Car Parade. This event will be Friday, May 19, at 4 p.m.
The parade route will begin at William Woods University. It will head south on Court Street, and will disband at Memorial Park.
Katie Boland was seeking approval for the event from the council.
Fulton Police Chief Bill Ladwig said he reviewed the event request, and had no opposition to it.
He said they have done the parade for several years, and the graduating seniors always enjoy it.
The council approved the request unanimously.
The council then heard from Richard Vaughn, who spoke on behalf of VFW Post 2657. He requested financial support for the upcoming VFW Fourth of July Fireworks Display.
The group also requested financial report for the 2022 fireworks display. They previously received $2,500 from the council.
Vaughn said the fireworks display will be at the country club again this year.
The total cost of last year's fireworks display was just over $11,000, and Vaughn expects it to be in the same range this year.
Councilmember Jeffrey Stone made a motion to commit $5,000 to this year's fund. He also requested Vaughn to return before the council at a later date to provide an update on funding.
The funds from the city council would come from the council projects fund. The beginning budget for this fund is $20,000.
Councilmember Bob Washington said he was concerned with donating $5,ooo, as the fund will also be used for workshops and other council items. He said he would be more comfortable with a $2,500 donation.
Councilmember Lauren Nelson agreed with Washington.
Stone amended his request for the council to commit $2,500 to the fireworks display.
The council approved the request, with a vote of 5-1.
The last event the council heard about was the Fulton Street Fair.
Heather and Becky Jungermann, co-chairs of the event, requested permission for the event to be held June 23-24 in downtown Fulton.
The council approved the request unanimously.
Brice Walther and April Redman spoke to the council about Callaway Cares, a local non-profit organization.
They introduced the group to the council, and spoke about some of the things the group takes part in.
The council unanimously agreed to issue a letter of support for Callaway Cares.
In other business, the council:
discussed a resolution to authorize the mayor to enter into a contract with the Fulton Housing Authority for the provision of supplemental community police services. The council passed the resolution unanimously.
discussed the first reading of an ordinance that would rezone a tract of land located at 303 Claymine Drive. It is currently zoned as R-1 Residential, and would be rezoned to C-2 Commercial. A public hearing was held at the meeting for community feedback of this rezoning. Nobody spoke in favor or opposition. Kyle Bruemmer, Fulton city engineer, said four people spoke in opposition to the change at an earlier meeting. He added that Claymine Drive is a tight road, and he would not advise it to be used for commercial purposes. The council unanimously voted down the ordinance.
discussed the first reading of an ordinance that would amend chapter two of the Fulton City Code. This chapter is about administration, and the specific article is focused on "finances, purchasing, and bid procedures." Sections 2-371 through 2-375 would be added to the city code. This ordinance is to allow for funding related to the upcoming trip to Colorado for the All-American City Award. The council unanimously passed the ordinance, and it will be discussed again at the next meeting.
The next Fulton City Council meeting will be May 9, at 7 p.m.
The Mayor's Prayer Breakfast will be May 4 at 6:30 a.m. at the Callaway Senior Center. Tickets are $20, and can be purchased at the Callaway Chamber of Commerce. The guest speaker this year will be Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe.