Major issues that will impact all of the community came to the table at the June 11 meeting of the Purdy City Council.

The meeting began in the absence of City Clerk Katy Prock, who resigned effective May 28 during the closed session of the council’s May meeting after taking a position with the Cassville school district. That left office staffing shorthanded as the search for a new clerk continues.

Repeated heavy rainfall in the past month, combined with the new sewer rates from the City of Monett, pressed Purdy city leaders into action. Alderwoman Heather Van Note, who secured the higher charges from Monett arising from that city’s planned $7 million wastewater treatment upgrade, reported a combination of problems.

On one hand, effluent from the west side of the railroad tracks must all pass through one pipe to reach the gravity flow system, taking effluent to Monett. Heavy flow from rain resulted in sanitary sewers backing up. The northeast corridor of the city and Monroe Street appear especially vulnerable to backups. Combine that with rainfall seeping into the sanitary sewer system, commonly called inflow and infiltration, either through cracks in sewer lines or leaking manholes, and the city’s wastewater system has been backed up to overflow.

Resident Jim Moore, present at the meeting, complained that closing the west lagoon contributed to the problem. He challenged the engineer on site when the pipes feeding the lagoon were sealed. Van Note responded the problem runs throughout the city, rather than just the west side.

In addition, the city has a permit to send a specific amount of effluent to Monett for treatment. Any larger amount due to rainfall carries a higher charge. According to Monett Utilities Superintendent Skip Schaller, Purdy’s permit with Monett covers treating 50,000 gallons of effluent a day. After a significant rainfall, the effluent mixed with rainwater can reach as much as 200,000 gallons in a day, prompting an extra charge on 150,000 gallons.

Engineer Bob Sell with Allgeier, Martin and Associates in Joplin, according to Van Note, studied the situation and has been developing a solution involving spraying a lining into sanitary sewer lines to plug the inflow. The firm provided a map showing the worst parts of the problem. Sell’s proposal is nearly ready for submission to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Once approved, the city will secure a low-interest loan through the State Revolving Fund, then hire a company to begin the lining.

Council members estimated work could begin by this fall. Van Note said this will be a multi-year process. The city will spend a specific amount each year, but continue work until issues are resolved. Inflow and infiltration contributed heavily to the city’s decision to send its effluent to Monett initially, and has been recognized as a serious problem for decades.

Once DNR approves the plan and cost estimates are calculated, the city will use existing funding authorization for sewer repairs. The council will increase sewer rates to cover the loan for the sewer lining and the increase from Monett for processing. Council members did not offer how much of an increase per household it may cost to tackle the problem.

The last time sewer rates were raised in Purdy was in 2021.

July 4 celebration

While sewer solutions remain on hold, city leaders made preparations for the annual celebration of the nation’s birthday. At Police Chief Jackie Lowe’s recommendation, the public will be allowed to set off fireworks from Friday, June 27, to Sunday, July 6, from 10 a.m to 11 p.m. Lowe, who is working solo while Officer Russ Nichols recovers from surgery, is still seeking assistance managing public activity from the Barry County Sheriff’s Office and area firefighters.

Ken and Julie Terry plan to offer their community fireworks show on the evening of July 3. Present for the meeting, Terry said his son, injured badly by a faulty firework at the end of last year’s show, had recovered, and his crew was ready to again give the free exhibition. He expected the public to consume 900 hotdogs this year.

“People are used to [our show],” Terry said. “I don’t see how we could stop doing it. We’ve created a monster.”

The immediate concern was isolating a safety zone for the show, protected from individuals shooting off fireworks nearby that could threaten the entire supply of fireworks stored in one building within that space. The safety zone will run from Edina Street to the west, to Crittendon and Madison streets to the north, to Fifth Street on the east, to 208 S. Business Hwy. 37, which is the south city limits. This two-block radius encompassed the fireworks stand, the detonation site, and the crowd site. Anyone violating this direction will be fined and their fireworks confiscated. The restriction will be in effect from 5-11 p.m. on July 3.

At the recommendation of Van Note, Fire Chief Nick Mercer agreed to prepare a map showing the restricted area for the city to distribute. Previously notice was posted online but deemed inadequate for reaching a diverse population.

Public works foreman Kevin Cook reported he had additional road barricades he can deploy this year to divert traffic away from the center of town for the celebration, as well as more trash cans. Terry thanked Cook and other volunteers for helping with last year’s clean-up while Terry’s family was at the hospital.

Property maintenance issues

Several residents complained about neighbors with disabled vehicles, mowers and other large objects sitting in their yards. Chief Lowe noted one of those persons has been ticketed repeatedly, even “chewed out” by Associate Circuit Court Judge Johnnie Cox, but pays his fine and continues the practice. New accusations of blocking the alley behind the property offered Lowe a renewed focus of attention.

Van Note reported that in a previous reorganization of the city code, the city’s ordinance about junk vehicles had been inadvertently dropped. She said the council would raise the issue with City Attorney Toni Hendricks in an effort to reinstate the city law to better address the situation.

On another property issue, a resident reported a spike in her water and sewer bills. Without a change in usage, her sewer bill jumped from $90 a month to $266. Cook said it appeared this was a case where he installed one of two meters he got that ran on a different calibration. It measured five inches for every three inches passing through.

He planned to replace the meter. Mayor Brian Bowers said the city would switch her back to her old average use as a baseline, take a new average to use for calculating monthly use, and credit her for the extra amount paid.

Firearms issue

Mercer, who also runs Mercer Equipment, a firearms dealership, described to council members how the Purdy police acquired two M-16 rifles from the US military through a federal program. Purdy is the only department in southwest Missouri with these Vietnam-era military rifles. The department had no other rifles, and these became available.

These fully automatic rifles, Mercer noted, had visual sights mounted on a carrying bar over the barrel. These optics do not line up well, with the rifle sitting on the jawline and not the cheekbone. As a result, while the first shot might be relatively accurate, subsequent shots downrange were likely to wander. Chief Lowe added the rangemaster, where officers earned their rifle certification, urged replacing the M-16s.

As a better tool, Mercer recommended the city buy two Smith and Wesson M&P15 Sport III rifles, sized similarly but with an optic mounted differently. These rifles offered single shots and were used by other area departments. Recognizing the liabilities stemming from the military rifles, which had to be returned to the Army if not used, council members immediately authorized purchasing replacements.

Mercer said he would arrange the purchase without taking a dealer markup. The city would, however, have to purchase ammunition separately.

Department reports

Lowe said most of his work during May focused on code violations and loose dogs. He noted a credit card theft by a visitor staying at a local residence resulted in the card being used in several cities, including the subject captured in the act at Purdy’s Country Corner. The subject was subsequently charged.

On May 30, a motor vehicle suddenly accelerated, jumped a sidewalk and struck the Redshaw Auto Supply store at 101 Kay Avenue. No one was injured. It appeared the driver’s flip-flops became entangled with the vehicle’s accelerator.

Cook reported spending significant time on storm clean-up. One of two sewer pumps ordered after the special council session on April 28 at $20,457 had been installed. He expected the second pump, a backup, would arrive in another eight weeks. Water efficiency had returned to 81 percent after a series of main breaks.