Vienna City Council eyes replacing old concession stand at park

By Laura Schiermeier, Staff Writer
Posted 8/26/20

VIENNA — The members of the Vienna City Council discussed the possibility of a new concession stand at the city park at its recent council meeting.

South Ward Alderwoman Brenda Davis …

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Vienna City Council eyes replacing old concession stand at park

Posted

VIENNA — The members of the Vienna City Council discussed the possibility of a new concession stand at the city park at its recent council meeting.

South Ward Alderwoman Brenda Davis commented that without the annual Maries County Fair being held at the park this year because of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the city will “have a full year” to make a plan for and to build a new concession stand. She said they need to decide what to do about the old one, which is in terrible condition and has been for many years.

Utilities Superintendent Shon Westart commented the ball games will still go on at the park.  Davis said she’d like to see a plan in place. Westart said it will take money to do it.  Mayor Tyler “TC” James said the coronavirus has pushed back a lot of games to the fall. Davis said people may have to “rough it for awhile” if the city council decides to move forward with a new concession stand at the upper diamond.

Mayor James said they could always use the old concession area under the bleachers. It was used successfully for many years until it was moved to the old wooden structure next to the Vienna Senior Center because there is no running water in the concession stand under the bleachers.

A possibility discussed at a previous meeting was tearing down the restrooms behind the large bleacher area of the upper diamond and building a new facility that had new restrooms at the back and a new concession stand in front.

At the meeting, James said the old, wooden concession area needs to be torn down. Clerk Sherry James said water comes in under a wall. There is a sewer problem there as well. Westart said there would be a lot to it if they rebuilt on that site or added a bathroom as there’s an electrical pole there. Davis said the city at this point has the advantage of time.

Westart expressed his concern with the driveway through the park that passes between the end of the old concession stand and the pavilion and the playground area. He’s concerned children will run across the driveway and get hit by a car and thinks the driveway in that area needs to be blocked. Davis said so many people park there and the driving area through it becomes very narrow and its hard to see. North Ward Alderwoman Rita Juergens said both ends of the driveway could be blocked to through traffic.

Mayor James said all of this is worth looking at.

In other business at the August Vienna City Council meeting:

• Clerk James gave the council members several different examples of financial statements the new computer software system can produce. She asked them to choose one of them. Mayor James said she could choose the one she likes best and “we will learn it.”

Davis commented the check detail part of the report could be emailed to the council members before the meeting and they could ask any questions they have about the check payments at the meeting. She said it is 16 pages long and five council members receive a copy. That’s a lot of paper and ink that could be saved. Juergens asked if there is a way to consolidate the different financial statements. They agreed it is a lot of paper each month. Clerk James said she could print one to have at the meeting for reference.

• There has been some interest in the lawnmower the city is selling. Two people have come to look at it and one bid was received so far. The bids will be opened on Aug. 21.

• In old business there was a letter from Attorney Ross Bush about changes in the mobile home ordinance the city council asked for. The changes included not advertising the placement of a mobile home, but putting it on the council’s agenda and posting it to give people an opportunity to make public comment about it. Juergens said the changes say basically what the council wanted. Mayor James said the council wants anybody placing a mobile home in the city to come to the council regardless of the circumstances.

• Clerk James said the auditor was at the city the previous week and will be at the September meeting.

• Westart said he will be spending some money, probably over $6,000 to get a new communication system at the water plant. Now it is radio rigged and when it rains there are problems. He’s waiting for another bid but things there will be monthly saving realized with the new system. It would make City Hall a hub. At the water plant, tank levels would be monitored as well as other workings at the tower and at the well house. If there is a problem, it would flash and let them know what the tank level is and what’s broken. Westart would be notified of it on his cell phone. Currently the problem appears to be with AT&T. Juergens said the lines are bad there and AT&T is not going to fix them. Mayor James said Westart is not spending money but is saving money.

• Hoai Tran, EPA Remedial Project Manager, Lenexa, Kansas sent an email stating EPA is performing a study on the air stripper at the city’s Well #3. The purpose is to optimize the performance of the air stripper by evaluating pre-treatment options for the groundwater before it is treated by the air stripper. EPA has awarded a contract for this study to TechLaw and he wanted to introduce the city to Paul Chang, the civil/environmental engineer for the project who will be contacting Westart.

Westart said he thinks the study is an effort to try to find out why the city’s water is so hard. Westart said he was told a year ago EPA would bring a solution and he hasn’t heard from the EPA people since. The city’s hard water is a problem in many homes. Westart said it is very frustrating. Davis commented this has been going on for seven years and they are still testing.

• Westart said the summer help is finished for the year. They were good kids. Juergens said they were “so polite.”

• Mayor James said about the marijuanna cultivation facility at the former industrial park, he was told things will start happening there soon. They are getting numbers together and contacts for local contractors.

• Police Chief Shannon Thompson said he has not had much luck getting another city police officer. “The first thing they ask is ‘What does it pay’ and I tell them, and that’s it.”