BELLE — Resident Rebecca Withouse was informed on Oct. 11 that usage of city equipment to smooth pave work at Alderman Adam Padgett’s business was a citizen service that the mayor would like offer.

“I just wanna ask, and I heard a rumor, who paid for Padgett’s parking lot being paved? Because I heard that there were city employees with city tools doing it and I am just curious,” Withouse said.

Mayor Daryl White, Jr., said the material was donated by Nathan Hale’s Trucking from his understanding.

“Ok, so no city employees, or city tools or city equipment was there?” Withouse asked.

White said, “I think there was five ton donated by Nathan Hale.”

Padgett said it was five ton delivered and donated.

“But were there city employees or anything there working on it or smoothing it out? Anything like that?” Withouse asked.

“We smoothed it out, yeah,” White said. “Same as we would do for anybody.”

Withouse asked if Padgett was billed for it and White said no.

“It’s a city courtesy, we do it for everybody, not just aldermen,” White said.

Withouse said she was just asking because she heard it and wanted to know.

“I think it is a good thing that you did it,” Withouse said.

“It’s a public service,” White said. “We can’t spend a lot of time doing stuff but if we are turning a truck around in a snow storm, it’s crazy for us to raze a blade when we can make an intersection or driveway safer for somebody.”

Withouse said she wasn’t arguing but was curious how they were deciding which businesses they would help.

“We are not looking at it as businesses, we are looking at it as citizens,” he said.

“Then I would like to look at getting some pavement to Bob’s,” Withouse said about Bob’s Frozen Custard and Coffee Shop.

White said if Bob’s gets it donated.

“If that would be a courtesy if we could get asphalt or something donated, would you guys be willing to run?” She asked.

White said they would be more than happy to look at it and talk about it.

“Ok, I was just asking,” Withouse said. “I am not complaining it was done, gentlemen. I was just asking.”

The board also discussed purchasing a dump truck to assist with street work under the mayor’s department head report.

“I added the dump truck under me instead of adding it to the agenda,” White said. “I’m not asking to buy tonight, but to start looking.”

White said building the trail is going to require a lot of hauling, including 4,000 tons of rock.

“There is money in the special road district to buy a truck,” White said. “We could do a lot ourselves.”

Mitchell asked if they would want a tandem axle truck and White said yes. Aldermen suggested seeing what they could afford since Treasurer Charro Reasor was absent and revisiting the issue next month. It was the consensus of the board to go out for bids.

Additionally purchases the board would like to make includes another police car. Marshal Jerry Coborn asked the board’s permission in September to consider allowing him to purchase a police car from Phelps Health. He had originally hoped the care would be donated. The Rolla hospital, he said, was advised by its attorney to bid the cars out. They are doing so via silent auction and Coborn wanted the board’s permission to bid on two cars.

“Would you give me an amount to spend?” Coborn asked.

He said he had two cars in mind.

White said he wasn’t comfortable simply buying the cars online.

“I like to get my hands on them,” White said.

The consensus of the board was for White to look at the cars prior to deciding to bid.

Coborn also informed the board that he is continuing to take building inspector courses online. The board approved Coborn to take the courses last month.

“After I am done I can start enforcing building codes,” Coborn said.

Coborn also asked the board for permission to join the Missouri Sheriff’s Academy, which would allow them to participate in training activities. The department and officers are required to have a specified amount of training each year.

City Clerk Frankie Horstman asked Coborn about the line in the contract that said the police department would pay the academy all of its allocated training budget.

“I can call tomorrow and find out,” Coborn said.

Alderman James (Pudd) Mitchell said, “Get clarification before we decide.”