The Sedalia City Council approved a bid for the removal of this building at 302 W. Third St. during Monday nights meeting. The building will make way for the future Sedalia Police Department station.

Photo by Nicole Cooke | Democrat

While there havent been many public updates on the future Sedalia Police Department station, the Sedalia City Council approved a bid during Monday nights meeting to help move the project forward.

Council approved a bid from All Weather Heating and Cooling for disposal of property, 302 W. Third St. in downtown Sedalia, which formerly housed the Bryant Motor sales office and multiple hair salons. According to the contract in the meeting packet, All Weather will remove the building in mid-September and pay the city $500.

Mayor Stephen Galliher told the Democrat that removing the building will save the city the cost of demolition.

The police station came in a little under budget, Galliher said. We hope to get the building removed soon and the other one (on the future SPD station property) demoed.

Galliher said he believes groundbreaking will occur in October for the new station, noting that is weather dependent.

We just have to finish up finalizing the financing of it. Theres a couple options were looking at and well take the best option in the near future. Ill be happy when I see machinery digging dirt over there, Galliher said. Its a much-needed expansion. It shouldve been done years ago.

Galliher said the city is trying to plan ahead by creating a building that can be expanded in the future, to avoid the current problem of needing to construct a new building.

With the new station underway, Galliher added that staff is now starting to work on ideas for a future Sedalia Community Center, after he and council told former Park Director Mark Hewett and the Park Board to go back to the drawing board to lower the cost.

Were trying to move forward with that and get it done. Im hoping we come in much less than the original. I thought we could do it a lot less so I put a halt to it a few months ago and now were starting back up, Galliher said. I think the city really needs one and weve tried for years. Maybe this time well get it done.

During the pre-council meeting, council heard from Sedalia Regional Airport Director Eric Bowers regarding the need to control wildlife at the airport for safety reasons. He said deer are frequently in the area of the airport and even on the runway, which can cause a crash if pilots are unable to see the animal in time.

He obtained councils approval to move forward with pursing options to contain the problem. One option was obtaining a permit from the Missouri Department of Conservation for a closed hunt. Another was thining out the treeline to discourage wildlife from the area.

Bowers said he looked into getting a wildlife fence for around the airport property, but said that option isnt feasible because it would cost roughly $1.5 million.

During the meeting council also:

Approved a bid of $28,564 and an ordinance approving and accepting an agreement with Agricycle Inc. for the yard waste grinding No. 9 project.

Approved an ordinance approving an agreement with Mission Communications LLC for software utilized by the Water Pollution Control Department SCADA system and ratifying the actions previously taken on past agreements.

Approved a bid of $73,737 and an ordinance approving and accepting an agreement with Poort Excavating LLC for storm drainage improvements, project areas 5B and 32 from the Storm Water Master Plan. This is the plan approved by council about three years ago.

Approved the appointment of Alice Clopton to the Sedalia Public Library Board for a three-year term expiring in June 2020.

Ward 4 Councilman Tollie Rowe was absent. A detective sergeant with the Pettis County Sheriffs Office, he was in Henry County assisting with the manhunt for a suspect who shot a Clinton police officer Sunday night.

The Sedalia City Council approved a bid for the removal of this building at 302 W. Third St. during Monday nights meeting. The building will make way for the future Sedalia Police Department station.

http://www.sedaliademocrat.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TSD080817Council.jpgThe Sedalia City Council approved a bid for the removal of this building at 302 W. Third St. during Monday nights meeting. The building will make way for the future Sedalia Police Department station. Photo by Nicole Cooke | Democrat

Nicole Cooke can be reached at 660-530-0138 or on Twitter @NicoleRCooke.

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Progress continues on new Sedalia Police Department station plans - Sedalia Democrat