The Sweet Springs Board of Aldermen met Monday, March 10, to hear updates from city departments.

A motion made by Alderwoman Billie Clevenger was tabled at the Feb. 19, meeting to implement a use-or-lose policy for health insurance coverage.

Currently, employees may take $350 payment in place of the city-provided insurance.

"If you don't use the insurance, you lose it," Clevenger said.

Alderman Lewis Bybee said it would cost the city $200 more per month to provide employees with insurance who currently opt for the payment instead.

"By going this way, we are actually saving the city money," Bybee said.

"If it is going to cost us more in the long run, I don't see an advantage," said Alderman Jim Lindemann.

Mayor Roxanne Hinton said that if the had this option it would persuade more people to take the city's insurance, which in return would get the city better group rates.

A man in the audience brought up the fact that if he is single, he would have no other option but take the insurance because he doesn't have a spouse to rely on.

Hinton said she worried that limiting insurance options could be perceived as discrimination based on familial status.

The motion ended up dying for a lack of a second.

The issue was raised at the council's Feb. 19 meeting, where city officials said two city employees would be affected by a change in the current policy.

In other business, Hinton and Public Works Superintendent Hank Taber were approached by Sweet Springs School District Superintendent Boyd Jones about putting a cross walk from the school to the other side of Main Street.

Hinton and Taber think the project can be completed in the range of $200 to $500. This project includes cutting out the curbs and painting the lines for the crosswalk.

"A lot of kids are going to the new flash service at the church after school," Bybee said.

"I don't see any problem with it," said Alderwoman Vivian Wiley. Both Lindemann and Bybee have look at the area in question.

The board approved the project.

The board also approved $855.39 in old water bills to write off.

City Clerk Ronda Nienhueser said the city has to write off the bills to keep the computer program from making a billing statement each month.

"It doesn't just disappear," she said.

The bills are kept on file and if the person requests service again, they are required to pay the old bill prior to new service being established, she said.

"I think it is awful that it costs more to prosecute these people (than the bill is worth)," Alderwoman Wiley said. "They just up and leave and not pay their bill."

"We do have a good collection rate overall," Nienhueser said, about the 96 percent collection rate.

During reports, Assistant Director of Emergency Management Chad Van Steenburg asked for permission to look into renewing the weather radar and getting a new battery for the lap top computers for emergency management department.

"Storm season is upon us and we don't have any radars worth a darn on our computers," he said. "We are going to have to get something rolling." He also mentioned about putting money aside toward the future need to replace the siren system.

Hinton told Van Steenburg to get prices and check with the clerk about the budget.

Wiley asked Van Steenburg is he had a full-crew of responders. He said the fire department handles that so it shouldn't be a problem.

Mayor Hinton updated the board that the contract with Concordia Vet Clinic to act as the dog pound has been executed.

"They will do a flea treatment when they get dogs in there, so they don't infest others," Hinton said. "These fees would be charged on top of impound fees."

Hinton took a copy of the city's ordinances pertaining to the impounding of dogs to Concordia Vet Clinic, so procedures can be followed.

She told the board she gave them the go ahead to adopt dogs out after five days, if no owner is found. If there is a problem with the allotted time, she would take a different number to the clinic. The board noted they agreed by a nod of the head.

"We don't have the cost of euthanasia this way," Hinton said. The flea treatment and impounding fees will not be attached to the adoption fee. The city will pay those fees.

Mayor Hinton also informed the board that Taber stated the contractor will be moving equipment into town to begin on the sidewalk project along the east side of Highway 127 from Ray Street south to around Willa Street. The projected finish time is in one to two weeks, with weather permitting.

"This guy is supposed to be really reliable," Bybee said.

Prior to adjournment, Lindemann asked the board to honor the memory of Alderman Derl Bernard with a moment of silence.

Contact Rachel Harper at marshallcity@socket.net