The Cuba Board of Aldermen met at city hall on Monday, Oct. 5 to conduct regular business. Following is a report of their actions:

• During payment of the bills, Alderman Don Conaway questioned why city employees are reimbursed $15 per month for cell phones but the mayor is reimbursed $39.99 per month.

Conaway also asked if the $250 monthly payment to Viva Cuba could come out of the tourism tax money, rather than general revenue. It would require approval from the Tourism Tax Board.

• Amanda and David McIntyre appeared before the council to address issues regarding the dangerous animal ordinance. Their son was bit by a Pit Bull mix and Amanda had intended to request that the animal be destroyed, but she said the dog was already put down after it had attacked another child.

She thinks something needs to be done about the ordinance so that it can be better enforced and animals can be put down before they injure people. The dog that attacked her young son was not registered with the city and did not have any vaccinations.

She said the animal had attacked other children previously and was known to be a trouble animal. “If it’s a dangerous dog, then maybe we should enforce (the ordinance) a bit more,” she told the council.

City Attorney Kent Robinson explained that at one time the council considered outlawing specific breeds (such as Pit Bulls) due to their being more apt to vicious attacks, but that was not adopted as an ordinance.

He also stated that the prior attacks were never reported and so the city had no knowledge of this particular dog being dangerous. “We have to be told of the prior problems before we can take proper legal steps to enforce the ordinance,” he said. “Unfortunately, what would have been beneficial would have been for the parents of the children who were hurt in other incidents to come forward to the city and report what had happened.”

• Car wash owner Tim Ryle asked that the city enforce people illegally using other people’s dumpsters. He said the car wash often has household garbage dumped into his business dumpster, and he must pay additional fees to have it removed.

“It happens all over town, but by what (former police chief) Tim Bailey told me, there’s not a lot that can be done about it,” he said. “It’s happening constantly. This isn’t a one-time deal. You can pretty much figure out it’s the same person doing it. If there was some way to enforce it, I’d put a camera on the dumpster. I just want you guys to consider it.”
Robinson called it “a theft of services” and said he would draft an ordinance for the council’s consideration.

• Les Murdock, emergency preparedness director, said the sirens were tested and seven of the ten work. He assisted the Red Cross in updating the city shelters with equipment. Blankets were given to the police department, fire department and public works for city vehicles. He also reported on flu shots and a SEMA meeting held at the school.

• The council authorized a name change on the Phillips 66 liquor license.

• Chief Bo Dildine requested that he be allowed to hire another police officer. “Currently, we are down two officers here in Cuba,” he said. “Cuba is the largest city in Crawford County, and we take more calls than anybody with the exception of maybe the sheriff’s department. We’re looking at ways to keep overtime down and if we keep losing people, we’re not going to be able to do it. I’m asking the council to replace one of the men we’ve lost.”

Dildine said he had several applications already and he can run ads if the council desires.

Alderman Kevin Copling made a motion to go ahead and hire an officer, but other aldermen indicated they thought a hiring freeze had been put into effect due to the budget conditions. “But this is a different situation,” said Copling. “We’re talking about the police department.”

“It’s still people, Kevin,” answered Alderman Maurice Grant.

The mayor asked that the issue be tabled until the next regular council meeting and be placed on the agenda for action at that time.

• The council passed the first reading of Bill #1535 to create a three-way stop at the intersection of Fair and McCormick streets. The bill passed its first reading by a 4-2 vote, with Conaway and Faye Howard opposed.

The council was in disagreement whether there should be a stop sign at just Fair Street or both Fair and McCormick streets to curb the dangers of the intersection.

A second reading is to be heard at the next council meeting.

• The council passed first and second readings of Bill #1536, an agreement for services with Missouri Engineering to complete the MoDOT bike trail project on Thoroughbred Drive.

• Conaway asked if there were plans to build additional bathrooms at Hood Park. The public works director said there were no new capital improvement projects slated for this year.

• The council agreed to reduce the speed limit on Smith Street to Orchard from 25 to 15 miles per hour. The motion passed by 4-2 vote, with Grant and Howard opposed.

• The mayor asked about putting a four-way stop behind Jack in the Box. Bob Baldwin said MoDOT will not permit the city to stop traffic coming from Highway 19 for a certain distance.

• In executive session, the council agreed to offer the North Crawford County Ambulance District a piece of ground at the north industrial park for $1,500 per acre, with the district paying for any surveying and closing costs. The district is looking to build a new ambulance shed.