Kahoka Council Looks To Amend ATV Ordinance

Kahoka Council Looks To Amend ATV Ordinance

By Mike Scott

Golf cart and “gator” drivers in Kahoka may soon be subject to paying the same licensing fees as cars and other ATV’s in the city as the Kahoka Board of Aldermen took the first steps to amending their current ordinance.
At their Monday evening, April 11 meeting, the board gave a first and second reading to an ordinance amending the definition of an ATV, so that it now includes golf carts and other all terrain vehicles such as Kawasaki Mules and John Deere Gators. The ordinance would subject those vehicles to the same ATV fee charged other four-wheelers in Kahoka.
“The current ordinance just covered vehicles that you straddle,” said City Attorney April Wilson. “This just adds to the definition.”
A third and final reading on the matter will be held at next month’s meeting.
The board also discussed the Downtown Enhancement Grant, which it received in 2008 from the Missouri Department of Transportation. The project will go to bid soon in four segments. The base bid will be for sidewalk and gutter replacement on the east and west sides of the square. Alternate bid one will include sidewalks in the park. Alternate bid two will be sidewalk replacement on the north side of the square, and alternate bid three will be for sidewalk replacement on the south side of the square.
Grant money for the project could total as much as $127,000, with the city splitting the total project 65/35. Part of the city’s contribution to the project could be “in-kind” work, such as hauling off sidewalk and gutter concrete chunks.
The board asked Jim Sherwood to clarify a few more questions before they would proceed.
Valerie Brown of the Clark County Health Department reported on two sidewalk-related grants she is pursuing. ?The first is a Safe Routes To Schools grant through MoDOT, which could be as much as $242,000 for sidewalks near Black Hawk Elementary and the Clark County Middle School.
Brown has identified usable and unusable sidewalks throughout Kahoka. She is
also seeking a second grant through the Missouri foundation For Health to bring sidewalks and health programs to Kahoka.
In other business, the board:
–Approved an ordinance agreeing to a contract with MoDOT to install a flashing stop sign at the four-way stop of Main Street and Highway 81 in Kahoka. The city originally purchased the light last fall.
–Discussed the need to hire an engineer to develop the Washington Avenue street design. Washington Avenue is a platted street running roughly between Brown Automotive and the buildings including Shelter Insurance and Kahokaland Video, west toward Dean’s Building Supply. The city wants to pave the street to improve drainage in the area.
–Discussed how to handle a damage claim from Daryl Johnson, for damages arising from a faulty city transformer.
–Instructed City Attorney Wilson to prepare an agreement with Clark County for the city to pay worker’s compensation for county deputies working part time as city officers.
–Discussed the city’s water contract with the City of Wayland, which expired in 1999. City Attorney Wilson advised the council to meet with Wayland officials to negotiate a new contract.
–Approved an ordinance authorizing the sale of the lot on the north side of the square to Patrick and Kim Schantz.
–Discussed the need to get more lights working at O-Mak-O-Hak Park. Current only 3 of 16 are working.
–Alderman Larry Young asked that the public be reminded that flowers in the cemetery are to be on the stones or hung on shepherd hooks. Other flowers may be removed.