Rolla City Council meeting canceled Monday, April 2

Rolla City Administrator John Butz announced recently that the Rolla City Council meeting scheduled for Monday, April 2 has been canceled.

After holding two special City Council Workshops and two regular City Council meetings in the month of March, the Rolla City Council decided after the March 29 special City Council meeting to cancel the April 2 City Council meeting. The next Rolla City Council meeting will be held on Monday, April 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Rolla City Hall, 901 N. Elm Street.  

“The City has several positive and important issues on the horizon to discuss, however those items will be included on the agenda for the April 16 City Council meeting,” said Butz.

Anyone wishing to provide citizen comments is welcome to meet with Rolla Mayor Bill Jenks, III during his regular office hours at City Hall (901 North Elm Street) on Mondays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Rolla City Council meetings are ordinarily held the first and third Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. except when there is a conflict with an observed holiday.  To review a copy of the City Council agendas or the full agenda packet, please visit http://www.rollacity.org/admin/agenda.shtm. For more information, please contact Rolla City Administration at 426-6948.

Rolla General Municipal Election set for April 3

The Rolla General Municipal Election will be held on Tuesday, April 3, 2012. Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

The positions open for election this year include: one Council Representative for all six wards (two-year term), Municipal Judge (two-year term), and City Attorney (Prosecuting Attorney), which is also a two-year term.

For more information regarding voting or polling places, please contact Carol Daniels in the City Clerk’s Office at (573) 426-6942 or at cdaniels@rollacity.org.

City of Rolla Weekend E-Updates

City of Rolla

to participate

in Home & Business

Expo March 23-24

The City of Rolla will showcase the many departments, services and future plans of the City during the 24^th Annual Home and Business Expo held Friday, March 23 and Saturday, March 24 at the Gale Bullman Multi-Purpose Building located on the Missouri S&T Campus at the corner West 10^th Street and Bishop Avenue in Rolla.

The Expo, which is sponsored by the Rolla Daily News. will be held from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, March 23 and on Saturday, March 24 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The City’s booth will include a multi-media presentation, table-top display, illustrations of the Rolla West Master Plan, home safety equipment (smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, etc.) and plenty of brochures, literature and useful information on City departments and services.

Please plan to stop by the City’s booth sometime on Friday or Saturday and find out all the services and benefits you receive from the City of Rolla.

For more information, please contact Scott Grahl, Communications Director, City of Rolla, at 426-6943 or sgrahl@rollacity.org.

   

RPD to participate in

Youth Safety Belt

Enforcement Campaign

March 15-31

The Rolla Police Department announced today they are joining with statewide law enforcement March 15-31 for an aggressive youth seat belt mobilization to crack down on Missouri’s seat belt law violators and to reduce highway fatalities.

Only 67 percent of Missouri teens wear their seat belts when driving or riding in a motor vehicle. Eight out of 10 teens killed in traffic crashes are unbuckled.

Under the Graduated Driver License law, teens are required to wear their seat belt and it’s a primary offense, meaning they can be pulled over solely for not wearing their seat belt.

“Local motorists should be prepared for stepped up seat belt enforcement,” said Sgt. Tim Mayfield. “We’ll be out there to remind you seat belts can – and do – save lives.”

Seat belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes.

Buckle Up and Arrive Alive. For more information on Missouri seat belt usage, please visit www.saveMOlives.com.

Environmental Services Dept.

resumes curbside collection

of yard waste

The City of Rolla Environmental Services Department has resumed the curbside collection of yard waste in brown paper biodegradable bags.  

Yard waste bags (containing leaves, grass clippings and small sticks) should be out to the curb by 6 a.m. on your regular trash collection day.

For more information, please contact the Environmental Services office at 364-6693 or visit the City of Rolla Website at www.rollacity.org/waste.

                                                                                

One-Time FREE Tire Collection

set for March 31 at

Rolla Recycling Center

A one-time FREE Tire Collection will be held on Saturday, March 31 from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the City of Rolla Recycling Center (empty lot behind RRC) located at 2141 Old St. James Rd. in Rolla. 

This is a one-time only amnesty day funded by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' (MDNR) Transportation's Scrap Tire Unit and hosted by the City of Rolla's Environmental Services Department.

Tires from businesses will not be accepted, and residents will be asked to unload tires themselves. The MDNR will only provide one of these free tire collections in a community, so please take advantage of this opportunity, as it will not be provided in Rolla again.

Promotions for the FREE Tire Collection are coordinated by the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District, Missouri Department of Natural Resources and Meramec Regional Planning Commission.

For more information, and to answer any questions you may have, please contact the Rolla Recycling Center at 573-364-6693.

Rolla City Council

Mtg. set for April 2

The next Rolla City Council meeting will be held on Monday, April 2 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Rolla City Hall, 901 N. Elm Street. 

Rolla City Council meetings are ordinarily held the first and third Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. except when there is a conflict with an observed holiday.  To review a copy of the City Council agendas or the full agenda packet, please visit http://www.rollacity.org/admin/agenda.shtm. For more information, please contact Rolla City Administration at 426-6948.

Rolla General

Municipal Election

set for April 3

The Rolla General Municipal Election will be held on Tuesday, April 3, 2012. Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

The positions open for election this year include: one Council Representative for all six wards (two-year term), Municipal Judge (two-year term), and City Attorney (Prosecuting Attorney), which is also a two-year term.

For more information regarding voting or polling places, please contact Carol Daniels in the City Clerk’s Office at (573) 426-6942 or at cdaniels@rollacity.org.

City-Wide Clean Up

set for April 7

The City of Rolla Environmental Services Department City-wide Clean Up will be held on Saturday, April 7. If you wish to participate, we ask that you please place all items near the curb by 6 a.m.

Common acceptable items include furniture, beds, toys, microwaves, and televisions, boxed or bagged trash. Unacceptable items include major appliances, construction or demolition debris, and loose trash. Loose items should be placed in boxes or bags and small pieces of lumber should be bundled.

We ask that you do not place your roll-out container to the curb, because during this special clean-up it will not be emptied. If you have any questions, please call the Environmental Services Department at 364-6693.

Breakfast with the Bunny

set for April 7

The Centre staff is pleased to announce the annual “Breakfast with the Bunny” event on Saturday, April 7. at The Centre, 1200 N. Holloway St., Rolla, MO.

This year we have an entirely new event for you!  Along with a continental breakfast, you will get to hop, hop, and hop from game to game Carnival style thanks to many area businesses that have come in to sponsor some fun!

As always ArtsRolla! will be on hand for face painting and crafts and we have a very special guest-the Easter Bunny himself!  If you get your picture with him during the event you might just get one of his special eggs that have a prize inside just for you!

This event is FREE and open to all ages.  The fun happens from 8:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. so set your alarm clocks and hop on over to The Centre on Saturday, April 7 for this fun, free, family activity.

For more information, please call Karen Richards, Recreation Manager, at 573-431-2386 or e-mail her at krichards@rollacity.org. 

Rolla Town Hall Meeting

on Heroin Awareness

set for April 24

The public is invited to attend a Rolla Town Hall Meeting on Heroin Awareness on Tuesday, April 24 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Rolla Technical Center Board Room located in the RPS Administration Building at 500 Forum Drive.  The event is being hosted by the Phelps County Child Advocacy Network, and funded through the Missouri Department of Mental Health, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse.

 “The purpose of this meeting is to raise awareness and educate the community about the growing problem of Heroin use in our community,” said Police Chief Mark Kearse, Rolla Police Department. “Law enforcement, treatment for addicts, and personal testimony from a parent whose child died from Heroin use will be featured.”

Kearse urges the community to be proactive, and attend this meeting. “Heroin use has become epidemic in Missouri, and Phelps County and Rolla are at risk,” he said. 

Chief Kearse further states that Heroin has hit our country hard and Rolla is having the same problem. “I have seen many people’s lives devastated by this drug. It’s amazing how much heroin is in our community, as the Rolla Police Dept. deals with it almost daily. I'm one of the speakers at this event along with our Street Crimes unit - attend if you can as this effects us all,” he said. 

For more information, please visit www.not-even-once.com.

  

Environmental Services Important Dates

(clip & save coupon)

April 7, 2012 - Citywide Spring Clean Up: Saturday - Citywide clean up day (residential only).

May 28, 2012 - Memorial Day:  Monday’s trash will be picked up Tuesday; Tuesday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday.

July 4, 2012 - Independence Day:  Schedule will not change.

Sept. 3, 2012 - Labor Day:  Monday’s trash will be picked up Tuesday; Tuesday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday.

Oct. 6, 2012 - Citywide Fall Clean Up: Saturday - Citywide clean up day (residential only).

Nov. 22, 2012 – Thanksgiving Day:  Thursday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday.

Dec. 25, 2012 – Christmas Day:  Tuesday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday.

.

Holidays NOT affecting trash or recycling collection:

            Oct. 8, 2012 – Columbus Day

            Nov. 12, 2012 – Veteran’s Day

            Nov. 23, 2012 – Day after Thanksgiving

Rolla Channel 16

live streaming

24/7 on the Web

If you happen to miss the airing of a Rolla City Council meeting, Planning & Zoning meeting, Rolla Public School Board meeting or Board of Public Works meeting, you can now watch them live on the Rolla Channel 16 Website at http://rollachannel16.com.

Rolla Channel 16, Rolla’s premiere Education and Government channel, is also now live streaming (24/7) at http://rollachannel16.com. RC16 is live streaming all Rolla City Council meetings, Rolla Planning & Zoning Commission meetings, all future episodes of “City Minutes”, all Rolla Public Schools board meetings, and Rolla High School Review.

Other syndicated content on RC16 such as Missouri Outdoors, Army Newswatch, and Capitol Dialogue will also live stream on RC16 at http://rollachannel16.com.

For more information regarding programming or DVD duplication of Rolla City Council meetings, Rolla Planning & Zoning meetings, and Rolla Public Schools board meetings, etc., please contact Gabe Mankin, Digital Media Operations Manager, at (573) 426-3377 or at Gabe.Mankin@fidelitycommunications.com.

Be sure to watch Rolla Channel 16 – Education, Government and Community for you!

Upcoming Events

MARCH 2012

March 26 – City Council Workshop (5:30 p.m.); to discuss the impact DNR and EPA regulations may have on the City of Rolla

March 31 – One-Time FREE Tire Collection (8 a.m. – 1 p.m.); City of Rolla Recycling Center, 2141 Old St. James Rd., Rolla (573-364-6693)

APRIL 2012

April 2 – City Council Mtg. (6:30 p.m.)

April 3 – Rolla Municipal General Election (polls open at 6 a.m.)

April 5 – Board of Adjustment Mtg. (5:30 p.m.)

April 7 – City-wide Spring Clean-Up; items to curb by 6 a.m. (residential only)

April 7 – Breakfast with the Bunny (8 a.m. – 10 a.m.); The Centre; FREE (341-2386)

April 13 – Fine Arts Day at The Centre (341-2386)

April 16 – City Council Mtg. (6:30 p.m.)

April 20 – Rolla Earth Day Celebration (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.); Havener Center lawn, Missouri S&T campus; FREE and open to the public

Scott A. Grahl

Communications Director

City of Rolla, Missouri

(573) 426-6943

Follow us on Facebook

& Twitter at www.rollacity.org

City of Rolla to participate in Home & Business Expo

The City of Rolla will showcase the many departments, services and future plans of the City during the 24th Annual Home and Business Expo held Friday, March 23 and Saturday, March 24 at the Gale Bullman Multi-Purpose Building located on the Missouri S&T Campus at the corner West 10^th Street and Bishop Avenue in Rolla.

The Expo, which is sponsored by the Rolla Daily News, will be held from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, March 23 and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 24.

The City’s booth will include a multi-media presentation, table-top display, illustrations of the Rolla West Master Plan, home safety equipment (smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, etc.) and plenty of brochures, literature and useful information on City departments and services.

Please plan to stop by the City’s booth sometime on Friday or Saturday and find out all the services and benefits you receive from the City of Rolla.

For more information, please contact Scott Grahl, Communications Director, City of Rolla, at 426-6943 or sgrahl@rollacity.org.

  

Police Chief Chat

This past week, the Rolla Police Department handled 677 calls for service. Of these calls there were: 24 arrests, 7 alarm calls, 21 traffic accidents, 17 traffic complaints, 54 check the well being requests, 118 traffic stops, 22 disturbance calls (including domestics), 15 suspicious nature complaints, 19 assists of other agency requests, 15 field interviews, 7 escorts, 6 leave without paying complaints, 64 security checks, 1 loitering complaint and 39 animal control complaints. This call total is up 23 calls from last week and yes, another busy week!

The Rolla Police Department would like to invite you to attend a Town Hall meeting on the Dangers of Heroin to be held Tuesday, April 24, 2012 from 7:00pm until 10:00pm. at the Rolla Technical Center Board Room, located at 500 Forum Drive Rolla, MO. The meeting will be hosted by Phelps County Child Advocacy Network. The purpose of this meeting is to raise awareness and educate the community about the growing problem of Heroin use in our community. Law enforcement, treatment for addicts, and personal testimony from a parent whose child died from Heroin use will be featured. Be proactive and attend this meeting. Heroin use has become an epidemic in Missouri. Phelps County and the Rolla community are at risk.

Heroin has hit our country hard and Rolla is having the same problems, I have seen many people’s lives devastated by this drug. It’s amazing how much heroin is in our community as we deal with it almost daily. I'm one of the speakers at this event along with our street crimes unit; attend if you can as this effect us all!

In addition, Our Community is having a serious problem with synthetic drugs, we have had several kids overdose on the synthetic drugs commonly known as “bath salts” and “spice”. The “bath salts” are a powder form and are stimulants with similar effect of cocaine. The “spices”, also known as “K2” and “K3” have a similar effect of marijuana.

In Missouri, and nationwide, laws have been passed to deal with these substances, however, not all of them are illegal. When the laws went into effect, only certain substances were placed into the controlled substance list. The manufacturers of these drugs had their chemists alter the chemical compounds to keep substances legal, and one step ahead of the law. There are several of these substances on the market now that are technically legal. These items are commonly purchased in gas stations, smoke shops, liquor stores, novelty stores, and the internet. The synthetic drugs are marketed by the distributors as plant vitamins, bath salts, incense or anything other than a drug. They are not allowed to call it a drug and must say it is not for human consumption.

These synthetic drugs are especially inviting to younger people who see them as a safe and legal alternative to illegal drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana. These drugs have been linked to several health problems, psychosis, and even death. The “bath salts” are snorted, smoked, eaten or injected. They increase the heart rate and body temperature. There have been several reports of overdoses on “bath salts” which have resulted in the brain damage and death due to the elevated body temperatures. There have also been suicides reported due to the hallucinations and psychotic behavior that affects some people.

These drugs are perhaps the most dangerous types currently in use do to the lack of regulation and laws. They have been in existence for a short time, so the long term damages caused are still to be determined. It also appears that each container of these drugs is different, so there is no consistency to the dosage. The packaging for these drugs and the way they are sold in stores makes it obvious they are used to get high, and not for plants or incense. Parents need to be aware of these drugs and the dangers they pose to their children. They are not going to show up on a drug test, and that is another appealing part of these drugs. Parents and teachers should research these drugs and become familiar with them. There are many sites on the internet where they can be viewed. The people using the drugs often talk about them in forums and comment sections regarding how they felt when using them. It is shocking that any store would sell these items, knowing what they are used for and the dangers they pose.

On a lighter note, the community celebrated the coming of St. Pat’s last weekend and the mild temperatures and cabin fever brought crowds out in record numbers both in attendance at the parade and concert and also to many local businesses in the downtown areas. Our Communications and Patrol Divisions were extremely busy most of the weekend with the increased activity. My staff and I came out and supplemented the taxed patrol officers on various shifts throughout the week. I would like to thank parade participants for upholding the new city ordinance prohibiting the throwing of candies and other objects from moving vehicles within the parade. This consideration seemed to keep crowds back a safe and manageable distance from the parade.

In closing, I would like to welcome home Senior Patrol Officer Tommy Davis who safely returned from his tour of duty in Afghanistan with the U S Air Force Reserve. Tommy served as a heavy equipment operator since his deployment in August of 2011. He will be returning to police duties on Tuesday, March 27, 2012. Tommy has served with the Rolla Police Department since November of 2005. When you see him be sure to welcome him back to the Rolla community. Welcome home Tommy!

Have a great week!

Chief Mark Kearse

Mayor's Prayer Breakfast set for May 3

The National Day of Prayer Committee is hosting the 2012 Mayor's Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, May 3, 6:30 a.m., at Missouri S&T's Havener Center. 

Individual tickets for the event are $12 and can be purchased from Millie Street, Executive Secretary, Administration Dept., Rolla City Hall (3rd Floor), 901 N. Elm Street during regular business hours. The cost to sponsor a table is $125, which entitles you to a full breakfast for eight people of your choosing.

The keynote speaker this year will be Karen Dye, Executive Producer and host of a Christian television program, "A Courageous Heart." She is a 20-year veteran of the radio broadcast industry and is a former morning show co-host at SPIRIT FM. She has been a featured speaker for the "Celebrate Recovery" groups and has lived a life that has been filled with challenges and heartbreak.

If you have any questions, please contact Emily Barnes at 364-3292 or e-mail her at emilyb@fidmail.com.

Rolla Town Hall Meeting on Heroin Awareness set for April 24

The public is invited to attend a Rolla Town Hall Meeting on Heroin Awareness on Tuesday, April 24 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Rolla Technical Center Board Room located in the RPS Administration Building at 500 Forum Drive.  The event is being hosted by the Phelps County Child Advocacy Network, and funded through the Missouri Department of Mental Health, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse.

   “The purpose of this meeting is to raise awareness and educate the community about the growing problem of Heroin use in our community,” said Police Chief Mark Kearse, Rolla Police Department. “Law enforcement, treatment for addicts, and personal testimony from a parent whose child died from Heroin use will be featured.”

   Kearse urges the community to be proactive, and attend this meeting. “Heroin use has become epidemic in Missouri, and Phelps County and Rolla are at risk,” he said.  

   Chief Kearse further states that Heroin has hit our country hard and Rolla is having the same problem. “I have seen many people’s lives devastated by this drug. It’s amazing how much heroin is in our community, as the Rolla Police Dept. deals with it almost daily. I'm one of the speakers at this event along with our Street Crimes unit - attend if you can as this effects us all,” he said.  

   For more information, please visit www.not-even-once.com.