Filing begins Decmenber 17 for 2014 Rolla Municipal Elections

Filing begins Dec. 17

for 2014 Rolla

Municipal Election

ROLLA – Filing for the City of Rolla’s 2014 General Municipal Election, which will be held on April 8, 2014, begins on Tuesday, December 17, 2013 at 8 a.m.   The positions open for election this year include

Mayor:  Four-year term.

       Municipal Judge:  Two-year term.

       City Attorney (City Prosecuting Attorney):  Two-year term.

       Council Representatives: Wards I, II, III, IV, V, and VI.  One to    

       be elected to each ward for two-year terms.

Council Representatives:  One to be elected to fulfill a one-year unexpired term each in Ward I and Ward VI. 

  

Persons wishing to file their candidacy for any of the above-listed positions may do so between Tuesday, December 17, 2013 (8 a.m.) and Tuesday, January 21, 2014 (5 p.m.) in the Rolla City Clerk’s Office at City Hall (901 North Elm Street). Municipal candidates are not charged a filing fee.

       The Mayor's office must be filled by a candidate with the following qualifications; at least thirty years of age, a citizen of the United States and a resident of the city at the time of and for two years at the time of his/her election.

        City Council seats must be filled by candidates with the following qualifications; at least twenty-one years of age prior to taking office, a citizen of the United States, an inhabitant of the city of Rolla for one year at the time of his/her election, and a resident of the ward from which he is elected six months at the time of his/her election.

       The City Attorney's office must be filled by a candidate with the following qualifications; a person licensed to practice law in the State of Missouri and a resident of the city of Rolla.

       The Municipal Judge's office must be filled by a candidate with the following qualifications; a licensed attorney qualified to practice law within the State of Missouri, a resident of the city of Rolla and between the ages of 21 and 68 years.

       For more information, please contact City Clerk Carol Daniels at (573) 426-6942 or at cdaniels@rollacity.org.

Rolla Police Department Receives Grant

On November 18, 2013 the Rolla Police Department was presented with a grant at the regularly scheduled Rolla City Council Meeting. Presenting the grant was Senior Loss Control Consultant Kelly Beets from MIRMA (Missouri Intergovernmental Risk Management Association).

This grant was presented to the Rolla Police Department in recognition of their participation in the associations Risk Management Awards Program. A check in the amount of $3,375 was presented to help off-set the costs of a new in-car video camera system.

The Rolla Police Department currently has 11 in-car video cameras which are installed in patrol vehicles. The cost of one camera is approximately $5,474.00.

 Left to Right - Mayor William S. Jenks III, Chief Mark Kearse, Kelly Beets (MIRMA)

City Talk – Oct. 12, 2013

City Talk – Oct. 12, 2013
Rolla Daily News
By Mayor Bill Jenks, III   
   
Festivals abound in Meramec Valley Region
 

Get ready for  additional  weekends of festivals, celebrations and open houses as the autumn temperatures and changing colors set a spectacular backdrop for Rolla’s 36th Annual Arts and Crafts Festival on Saturday, Oct. 19th.  In addition PCRMC is hosting Heart Chase on Saturday, October 12th – a fun way to promote healthy living and support to the American Heart Association.  Missouri S&T’s Haunted Mine also opens on Friday, October 18th – a frightful, fun way to get into the spirit of Halloween.  And lastly we’re excited to once again welcome the thousands of participants to the Route 66 Marching Band Classic on Saturday, October 19th – at RHS on the beautiful new synthetic turf field.

Fall is also the perfect time to get out and explore a trail along Little Piney Creek in Lane Springs Recreation Area (located 12 miles south on U.S. Hwy. 63 South), take a stroll, jog or bike ride along the City’s 13-mile-long pedestrian bike path, play a few sets of tennis at Ber Juan Tennis Complex or play a few rounds of disc golf at Ber Juan Park or Lions Club Park before winter sets in. Historic Route 66, which runs through the heart of Rolla’s downtown and along many of the outer roads, is also a favorite among classic car enthusiasts, and fans of ‘The Mother Road’ and the ‘Main Street of America.’

Regardless of what activity you choose to participate in there is plenty to do in the Meramec Valley Region, where award-winning wineries, great restaurants and shopping, sparkling springs, abundant trout streams, and several public golf courses are just around the corner.
 

If you feel a little more adventurous, the 1.5-million-acre Mark Twain National Forest, headquartered in Rolla (401 Fairgrounds Road), offers an endless variety of parks, trails, streams and campgrounds. Be sure to check out the Mark Twain National Forest Website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/mtnf for updates on the fall colors, special places to visit and where the best places are to view the fall foliage, wildlife, and limitless recreational opportunities.
 

For a complete listing of the many activities in the Rolla region I would encourage you to check out the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce’s tourism site at www.visitrolla.com – wonderful information for residents and visitors alike!  Enjoy the upcoming festivities and have a safe week!

 

Reserved Parking now available in downtown Rolla

ROLLA – Reserved off street parking spaces are now available in Downtown Rolla just in time for the upcoming opening of two new parking facilities. Individuals who work, live or attend classes in the area will now have a guaranteed place to park.

The City will offer 143 reserved spaces on a first come, first served basis in one of three parking lots in the downtown area. Individuals may purchase a six month parking sticker for $120 or twelve month parking sticker for a reduced fee of $200, both non-refundable. Spaces are currently available at the 10^th and Main Street lot, the lot between Pine Street and Rolla Street just south of 8^th Street, and the new lot at 6^th and Elm Street. Parking will be enforced by the City of Rolla Police Department.

“Parking has always been a concern in the downtown area, particularly for the business owners”, says Steve Hargis, Director of Public Works for the City of Rolla. “Add to that the necessity for student parking and the increase in downtown residences brought about by the redevelopment of some of the vacant buildings, and you can begin to see how available parking is at a premium. We feel these reserved spaces will alleviate some of those problems.”

For those interested in purchasing a reserved parking permit, or for more information, contact the City of Rolla Public Works Department at (573) 364-8659, or visit the city’s website at www.rollacity.org/parking

City of Rolla to host Ward Meetings/Open House on Parks

The City of Rolla Parks and Recreation Department will host a series of Ward Meetings and Open Houses in September.  The focus of these particular meetings will address the future of the City’s parks and recreation programs, facilities and operations. 

The current ½ cent park sales tax will expire in December 2013.  The tax was approved by Rolla voters in 1998 specifically to build The SplashZone and The Centre.  The Rolla City Council is considering approaching voters in April 2014 to support a reduced sales tax (perhaps ¼ cent) to help maintain the current park system and the Centre and to make basic improvements to existing parks (i.e. parking lots, restrooms, trail improvements, etc.).  Information will be available relating to the maintenance standards, financial operations and capital improvements of the entire park system. 

Meeting dates, times and locations:

Monday, Sept. 23     Wards 1 & 2  Ber Juan Park Pavilion       5:30 – 7 pm

Tuesday, Sept. 24    Wards 3 & 4  Green Acres Pavilion          5:30 – 7 pm

Monday, Sept. 30     Wards 5 & 6  Buehler Park Pavilion         5:30 – 7 pm

In case of inclement weather alternate locations will be used. 

At the conclusion of the ward meetings a general public open house will be held at the Centre on Tuesday, Oct. 15.  A report as well as feedback from the Ward meetings will be presented.  

For more information, please contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 341-2386

Sept. 28 - Hero's Challenge Mud Run for Wounded Warriors

Regional Mayors Meet to Share Ideas

Mayor Jenks and the City of Rolla were pleased to host visiting Mayors from South Central MO to a networking opportunity and tour of The Centre and the new Public Services Facility.   The effort was started earlier this year by Mayor Anderson of Lebanon and Mayor Hardman of Waynesville suggesting periodic meetings of the region’s leadership.  “It is a great opportunity for the Mayors of our region to gather and share ideas and information.  We have much to learn from one another if we are open to dialog and cooperation – affecting issues at both the local and State level” said Rolla Mayor William S. Jenks.   

Recycling vs Landfill

The City of Rolla Environmental Services Dept. encourages residents and businesses to take advantage of the City’s excellent recycling program. Did you know that last year the City of Rolla landfilled more than 1,665 tons of trash than the previous year? That is about 238 fully loaded trash trucks! Yet recycling efforts remained relatively the same, increasing by a mere 153 tons for the year. We need to turn these numbers around, start recycling more and landfilling less.

Recycling has never been so easy. If you are a business, recycling containers can be provided for the collection of mixed paper (e.g., office paper, newspapers, magazines, junk mail) and cardboard. This service is provided at no additional cost to you. You might be surprised at how much paper even a small office can accumulate in a just a couple of weeks. Recycling your paper and cardboard may help reduce your monthly trash fees.

Residential recycling is just as easy. A recycling container can be provided as part of your trash service and your recyclables are picked up at the curb in front of your house. It doesn’t get much easier than that! We accept paper products, specified plastics, glass bottles and jars, aluminum and steel cans.

It takes much less energy to make a new product from recycled material than it does to use virgin material. As citizens of Rolla, we all need to increase our commitment to recycling and preserving our environment. The entire community benefits from recycling by way of disposal cost savings, increased revenue, resource conservation, and a cleaner environment. For more information, please call 364-6693 or visit www.rollacity.org/waste

Community and Business Leaders Gathered in Support of Fort Leonard Wood

WAYNESVILLE, MO—Over 130 community, business and government leaders, in the four county region neighboring Fort Leonard Wood, met  on August 1st  in Waynesville at the annual meeting of the Sustainable Ozarks Partnership (SOP).  

As an indication of the regional support SOP is gathering, Mr. John Mahaffey, Springfield entrepreneur with strong business ties to the Fort Leonard Wood region, recently donated $10,000 to the organization.  Photo shows Mr. Michael Thompson, General Manger, Results Radio, presenting the check on Mr. Mahaffey’s behalf to SOP Chairman, Steve Tupper, and Executive Director, Joe Driskill, during the conference.

The SOP meeting focused on strategies the regional group is pursuing to improve the quality of life in the region and ensure that Fort Leonard Wood continues its mission in the Missouri Ozarks.  Given the likelihood of continuing Army budget reductions and force structure changes, the region faces significant challenges. Through SOP, regional leaders believe they can impact Army decisions by showcasing the region and focusing on issues that are important for Fort Leonard Wood’s sustainability.  The participants are united together in determining how best to preserve and grow missions and jobs at Fort Leonard Wood and improve the quality of life, business climate and job opportunities in the region. 

The keynote speaker at the SOP meeting commended the region for its united response to the challenges it faces.  Mr. Tim Ford, CEO of the Association of Defense Communities (ADC), talked about what other base communities are doing around the nation to have positive impacts on their military installations.   He pointed out that not only do base communities need to work together and with their installations, but they need to work together at the national level as well.  He applauded the region’s intent to reengage with ADC and work with other defense communities.  He said, “Together, we can make sure that the Department of Defense and Congress understand the importance of installations to military readiness.”   Steve Tupper, SOP Chairman, expressed his appreciation for the national leadership that Tim and the ADC have provided.  “We are glad that we are not alone in facing this formidable challenge.”

Major General Leslie Smith, the new Fort Leonard Wood Commanding General, also gave kudos to the gathered regional leaders.  He said, “No other military community that I know of is as welcoming, friendly and giving as you are here in the Ozarks.  We will gladly link arms and continue to work with you to make the region even better.”

Regional leaders believe that by working together on strategies that support the installation, they can have an impact on where the Army makes future cuts.   In April, about 1,200 concerned citizens, business leaders and local officials responded by participating in a “Listening Session” with Army officials to explain why Fort Leonard Wood should be spared from large cuts.  The Army was proposing cuts of up to 3,900 positions at that time. 

In June the Army announced its final decision to restructure its forces and cut the number of uniformed and civilian workers at installations around the country, including Fort Leonard Wood. In total, Fort Leonard Wood is now slated to lose up to 885 positions, with the changes to be phased in through 2017.  Additional cuts across the Army and other services are expected as the Pentagon continues to reduce the size and cost of the force. 

Joe Driskill, the SOP Executive Director said, “We are able to show that the cost of living in our region is significantly lower than at most other Army installations, that the quality of services—especially education—is beneficial to Army families, and that the Fort has no encroachment issues that are common at many other installations.  Our analysis also shows that our region and state are among the most cost-effective in the country.  We think Defense leaders need to continue to see that we are taking strong actions to keep the Fort Leonard Wood region a best value for the military to do business.”

The Sustainable Ozarks Partnership (SOP) is a part of the Leonard Wood Institute (LWI), a non-profit organization located at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.  SOP focuses on sustainability strategies in the four counties neighboring Fort Leonard Wood.  It identifies and helps implement major programs and projects that sustain and improve the quality of life and business climate in the four counties and enable continued growth of Fort Leonard Wood. 

Operation Neighborhood Clean-up set for Nov. 1

The 6th annual “Operation Neighborhood Clean-up” will be held on Friday, Nov. 1st throughout the Rolla community in designated, high priority areas. The selection of these properties will be determined by the City of Rolla Police Department and the Rolla Area Ministerial Alliance.

All volunteers are asked to attend the welcome gathering at 6:30 a.m. at Greentree Christian Church Youth Center located at 801 East 10th Street. A complimentary continental breakfast will be provided. The clean-up will take place from 7 a.m. to 12-noon.

The entire community is invited to participate in this beautification effort, which is once again being coordinated by the Rolla Area Ministerial Alliance and the Rolla Police Department.

Operation Neighborhood Clean-up is an opportunity for residents to partner with the Rolla Area Ministerial Alliance, community churches, and the Rolla Police Department to enhance a sense of community, well being, pride and property values among the neighborhoods where the clean-up is conducted.

The clean-up effort will involve limited tree trimming, hedge trimming, and the removal of brush piles, leaves, household items and trash. Groups or individuals interested in volunteering may contact Chris Foster, Adult Education Minister at Greentree Christian Church, at 308-6387 cfoster@greentreerolla.org, or Sergeant Vince Giacolone at the Rolla Police Department at 308-1213, vgiacolone@rollacity.org.

Ordinance #1 - Incorporating Rolla as a city

Interesting historical document... Ordinance #1 which incorporated the City of Rolla, MO in 1890.

http://www.rollacity.org/admin/agenda/minutes/Ordinance%20Number%201.pdf

For all the ordinances from 1 to 312 (1890 to 1927) you can download a scan of one of our old books here... but its a very large PDF file, approx. 48 mb in size.

Rolla’s Public Works Dept. to begin micro surfacing City streets

The City of Rolla Public Works Department will begin asphalt micro-surfacing on several City streets beginning Monday, August 5. The area will include several streets in the Powell Addition, Heritage Heights, Holloway Addition, Schuman’s Addition, and various streets throughout the city.

MAP / LIST

This micro surfacing project is being completed by Donelson Construction Company. It is a quick set surfacing system that will provide an approximate one-quarter-inch-thick pavement resurfacing. Micro surfacing is an economical alternative to hot asphalt mix overlays, which typically applies a minimum of two inches of pavement resurfacing.

While this work may take several days to complete, streets that are being sealed may require delays up to thirty minutes. Flagmen will be present to direct traffic, and motorists and pedestrians are urged to remain cautious when traveling through the areas of work and use alternate routes whenever possible. 

For more information, please call the Public Works Department at (573) 364-8659.

Map and list of streets that are going to be paved...

MAP / LIST