Monday, February 8, 2010

Public participation needed for important upcoming meetings

Community involvement and participation have always been one of hallmarks of a healthy and prosperous City, and here in Rolla there will be ample opportunity to show your community spirit by attending some of the community meetings that are scheduled for the upcoming week.

A series of important, educational meetings begin this Monday, Feb. 8 with a special Rolla City Council Workshop that begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Rolla City Hall Council Chambers (901 N. Elm Street) to review and provide an update on the multi-phase Rolla West project. The focus of the discussion will be primarily on the proposed Bryant Drive extension at Kingshighway, which will ultimately serve as one of the gateway entrances to the new Missouri S&T Innovation Tech. Park. A development agreement among the City of Rolla, Missouri S&T, McDonalds, Fairground Chevrolet and the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) to make this project a reality is being circulated for final signatures and approvals.

On Tuesday, Feb. 9 you are encouraged to attend the Missouri Historic Route 66 Project Public Meeting from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Phelps County Courthouse, Community Room (located at 200 N. Main Street). Mark Stauter, Treasurer of the Phelps County Historical Society, reminds us that Historic Route U.S.-66 played an important role in the development of Phelps County, and that Route 66 has achieved Scenic Byway status in Missouri, as indicated by the "blue" historic byway signs now posted along the route. Mark says the next step is for Phelps County to achieve national scenic byway status, including designation as an All-American Road. This designation will qualify the roadbed, and the properties along it, for Federal funding for preservation, restoration, and tourism development.

The Phelps County Historical Society will serve as the host institution for the public meeting on Feb. 9 concerning the development of a Corridor Management Plan (CMP) for Route 66 that is being developed by the Great River Associates of Springfield. Similar public meetings will be held in 10 counties along the path of Route 66 in Missouri. Mark says the completed Corridor Management Plan will set forth guidelines (not restrictions) for the preservation, protection, and enhancement of the Missouri Historic Route 66 corridor and that it will be a milestone in the historic preservation effort in Phelps County. For more information regarding this meeting, please call 573-458-6000.

On Thursday, Feb. 11 there will be a very important meeting regarding the Missouri Transportation Alliance, and future funding for transportation improvements. The Community Meeting for the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) District 9 will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Council Chambers at Rolla City Hall. Good attendance and discussion is extremely important, as there is no area of Missouri for which this discussion is more important at this point in time.

And if you love homemade pancakes and the company of good friends and neighbors, you don’t want to miss the annual Kiwanis Pancake Day on Saturday, Feb. 13 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m in the Rolla High School cafeteria. The food, entertainment, and service are top notch, and I think just about everyone in the community attends this popular event.

Looking ahead to the following week, Rolla City Hall will be closed for Presidents’ Day on Monday, Feb. 15. The City Council meeting usually held the third Monday of the month will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Rolla City Hall. Please remember, due to President’s Day, Monday’s trash will be picked up on Tuesday.

In March we’ll kick off the month with another City Council meeting on Monday, March 1 at 6:30 p.m. That same evening will be the first of three FREE Healthy Yards for Clear Streams workshops held Monday, March 1, 8, and 15 at 6:30 p.m. at The Centre, located at 1200 N. Holloway Street. On Wednesday, March 3, the City of Rolla will join the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce and other businesses and organizations at Rolla Day at the Capitol in Jefferson City. On Monday, March 8 the City, together with Rolla Channel 6, will host the Rolla Candidates Forum. The Rolla Community Teachers Association (RCTA) Candidates Forum will begin at 4 p.m., followed by the Rolla Municipal Candidates Forum at 6 p.m.

To punctuate the festivities in March, don’t forget the annual St. Pat’s Day parade on Saturday, March 13 at 11 a.m. on Pine Street in downtown Rolla. Just look for the street that is painted green in the downtown area, and you’ll have a front row street.

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