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

Medical Return Drug Collection Units

The Phelps County Child Advocacy Network, Prevention Consultants of Missouri, and the Rolla Police Department are very excited to announce that we were recently selected through a competitive grant process to receive a Permanent Drug Drop Box through the Missouri Youth/Adult Alliance, a program of ACT Missouri.

The grant provided this permanent drug drop box free of charge to us.
In an effort to keep prescription drugs away from children, prescription drug abusers, and out of our water supply, citizens are able to deposit their unwanted prescription drugs in this permanent drug drop box 24 hours per day. The drug drop box is located inside the main lobby of the Rolla Police Department located at 1007 North Elm Street.

Items accepted are prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, samples, medications for pets, ointments, lotions, liquid medication in glass or leak proof containers.

Those items not accepted are needles (sharps), thermometers, bloody or infections waste, hydrogen peroxide, aerosol cans and inhalers. It is our goal to lower the rates of prescription drug abuse through raising awareness and providing education on the dangers of prescription drugs to Missouri’s youth. We hope that the placement of this permanent drug drop box will help us with our constant battle on the war on drugs.

Burn permits now available online

Beginning July 9th, you may apply online for a burning permit within the City Limits of Rolla.  

The burning permit link will open at 6 a.m. each morning and close one hour before sunset each night. 

The burning permit link will only work on days when the City of Rolla Fire & Rescue is allowing burning in the City of Rolla.  All other days, the webpage will show a sorry, due to darkness, or weather, a permit cannot be issued.

As always, burning permits may still be obtained by calling (573)364-3989.  Bon-Fires (after dark) are still required to be obtained in person at 1490 East 10^th Street. 

Rolla designated as a Purple Heart City

The City of Rolla along with the South Central Regional Veterans Group will have a ceremony on 14 June 2013 at the Veterans Park starting at 6:00 PM. Everett Kelly President of the Missouri Purple Heart Association will present a plaque designating Rolla as a Purple Heart City The Purple Heart Flag will be raised at the park for display. Jerry Bumpus, chairman of the SCRVG, would like to invite everyone to attend the ceremony with a special invitation to all active duty and veterans who have received the Purple Heart. This award is only given to those who were wounded in combat in any of our Countries wars.

Memorial Day Services set for May 27 at Veterans Memorial Park

The public is invited to attend a Memorial Day Service on Monday, May 27 beginning at 10 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park (located on Southview Drive, off Hwy. 72 in Rolla, Missouri.) 

A formal program, which will include various speakers, and the ceremonial laying of wreaths by numerous service clubs and organizations in the region, will begin at 10 a.m. Rolla Mayor Bill Jenks, III, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, will be the keynote speaker for the event. 

This service is being hosted by the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce. For more information, please call Stevie Kearse, Executive Director, RACC, at 364-3577.

Public Works Day Celebration great family event

Glorious weather coupled with lots of unique activities and special events helped make Public Works Day Celebration on May 18 in the downtown festival area a big success. This event officially kicked off National Public Works Week (May 19-25).  

The sounds of multiple horns honking, the smell of fresh buttered popcorn, free tours of the Frisco Caboose, and plenty of climbing opportunities on heavy equipment, made folks of all ages stop by to experience this festive and family event. (Children of all ages enjoyed the large pieces of heavy equipment on display during Public Works Day Celebration.) 

In addition to free photographs with Public Works mascot, P.W. Paws, an inflatable mega obstacle course, and hundreds of other free giveaways, the event was very well received by the Rolla community.

A special thanks goes to the members of the Public Works, Environmental Services, and Parks and Recreation Departments, Rolla Municipal Utilities, Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and the American Public Works Association for making this event the success it was.

“It’s always a great family outing that provides a unique opportunity to see a more interesting side of the world of Public Works,” said Hargis, who together with the Public Works staff put many hours into the creation, coordination and planning of City displays, pamphlets and educational exhibits that were enjoyed by all.   

For more information and photos of the event, please visit the City of Rolla Website at www.rollacity.org.

Solarfest set for June 21 at Public House Brewing Company

   "Solarfest" will take place on Friday, June 21 at 6 p.m. at the Public House Brewing Company located at 600 N. Rolla Street in Rolla, Missouri. The event will include live bands,a 50/50 raffle, silent auction, and delicious BBQ.
   Proceeds of the event will go to support the Missouri S&T Solar House Team as they travel to California in September to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013.
   The Missouri S&T Solar House Team is one of 14 teams under the Student Design and Experiential Learning Center on campus in Rolla. The team is comprised of over 100 students who design and build a solar house to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.  The team is also challenged with keeping an accurate budget and fundraising the almost $500,000 anticipated cost. For the Solar Decathlon 2013, Missouri S&T is proud to present the Chameleon House, an adaptable living environment.  The house is currently under construction and will travel to Irvine, CA in September to compete.
   For more information, please contact Emily Vandivert, at ecv6hb@mst.edu, or 660-853-1484.