Sweet Springs aldermen approve ordinances on possession of alcohol, child safety restraints

Former Ward 2 alderman Vivian Willey, standing left, presents a U.S. flag to Mayor Ray Kinney, standing right, at the Sweet Springs Board of Aldermen meeting Tuesday evening, May 12, while aldermen Billie Clevenger, sitting left, and Michelle Schlichting, sitting right, look on. The flag previously flew over the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., and will now fly over the Sweet Springs cemetery. (Geoff Rands/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

The board passed an ordinance prohibiting minors from possessing intoxicating alcohol within the city limits.

Mayor Ray Kinney said previously, the city had to spend a great deal of money to prosecute minors in possession. With this ordinance, he expects the process to be simplified and less expensive.

The bill, number 517, had been on file for more than five days, said City Clerk Ronda Nienhueser, so the board did not read it in its entirety before voting unanimously to make it Ordinance 511.

The board also passed bill 518, which created an ordinance to regulate the use of seat belts and child restraints in motor vehicles, as well as spell out at what times it is legal to have passengers in the bed of a pickup truck within city limits.

Under ordinance 512, a child under 4 years old or less than 40 pounds must be secured in a child restraint system. Booster seats are required for children under 8 years old who are less than 4 feet, nine inches tall. However, if all members of an immediate family cannot all be restrained while traveling in a vehicle, unrestrained children must sit behind the front seat, unless the vehicle has no area behind the front seat. The fine for violating any of these requirements will not be more than $50, plus court costs.

The ordinance also states that no person under 18 years of age may ride in the bed of a pickup truck unless that person is an employee performing necessary duties, someone performing agricultural activities, someone involved in a parade or if that person is providing assistance to other persons engaged in a recreational activity.

The city's ordinance prohibiting the height of someone's lawn to be greater than 12 inches was changed, due to the amount of time that person had to respond to the city's request for mowing of that lawn. Now, instead of 14 days, citizens have 10 days to respond to a letter from the city.

Members of the Sweet Springs Pool Board were present at the meeting to discuss problems with the baby pool, which leaks water.

After much discussion, the Board of Aldermen advised pool board members to pump water from the pool into the baby pool in the morning, then pump it back into the main pool in the evening, to save some water. Kinney said he would look into the possibility of having the baby pool repaired.

The board received only one bid for a brush hog, a 2007 model with less than 10 hours of use. New, the model cost $9,000, but Deems Farm Equipment asked only $5,000 for their used unit. The purchase was budgeted at $6,000.

Board members decided to take a look at the unit before purchasing it.

Vivian Willey, former alderman for Ward 2, presented the board with a flag that had been flown over the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., April 6, 2009. The flag is to be flown over the Sweet Springs cemetery.

Kinney informed the board that there is currently no ordinance in place requiring citizens to follow the instructions of law enforcement personnel. Board members will look into the creation of such an ordinance.

The board went into closed session for purposes of discussing personnel.

All board members were present for the meeting.

The board's next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 9, at 7 p.m. in City Hall at 324 S. Miller St.

Contact Geoff Rands at marshallreporter@socket.net