Public invited to Candidates Forum April 1

With the Rolla Municipal Election just around the corner on April 7, I’d like to extend an invitation to everyone in the community to attend the Rolla Municipal Candidates Forum on Wednesday, April 1 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Rolla City Hall (901 N. Elm Street).

All seven candidates who are running in the Rolla Municipal Election on April 7 for the six open City Council seats have been invited to attend the forum, which will be moderated by Lee Buhr, Sports/Newscaster for Results Radio.

The forum, which will be hosted by the City and Rolla Channel 6, will include brief introductions by each candidate, followed by questions from the audience, and then an opportunity for closing remarks. Only questions given directly from those attending the forum will be included in the discussions. For more information regarding this event, please visit www.rollacity.org or call City Administration at 426-6948.

I would also like to encourage and remind everyone to vote during the Rolla Municipal Election on Tuesday, April 7. Polls will open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. One Council representative from each of the City’s six wards will be elected to serve a two-year term. The City Council positions up for election are Terry Ruck (Ward 1), Don Barklage (Ward 2), Gary Hicks (Ward 3), Louis Magdits (Ward 4), Richard Morris (Ward 5), and Mark Walburg (Ward 6).

For more information regarding polling locations and ward maps, please visit www.rollacity.org/wards/voter. You may also contact Carol Daniels in the City Clerk’s office at Rolla City Hall, 901 North Elm Street, at (573) 426-6942 or online at cdaniels@rollacity.org.

Looking ahead to next weekend, the Environmental Services Department will be hosting the annual City-wide Spring Clean-up on Saturday, April 4. If you wish to participate in this event, be sure to put your items out to the curb by 6 a.m.

Examples of items that will be accepted include: furniture, microwaves, televisions, old clothes, and household trash. Items that will not be accepted include: appliances, water heaters, yard waste, tires, or construction debris such as sheet rock, shingles, concrete or rock. 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 spring clean-up it will not be emptied. If you have any questions, please call the Environmental Services Department at (573) 364-6693.

The Environmental Services Department, formerly named the Solid Waste Department, continues to live up to its new billing with an emphasis on “Going Green”. And speaking of the environment, the Environmental Services Department will once again be participating in the annual Rolla Earth Day Celebration on Wednesday, April 22. I’m told that exhibitors are encouraged to participate in this popular and well attended event, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Havener Center on the Missouri University of Science and Technology campus.

For more information or to reserve a spot, please contact Julie Wilson at (573) 341-4262 or at wilsonjulie@mst.edu.Rolla Earth Day is a free event that includes children’s activities, educational exhibits, live music, plenty of give-aways, door prizes, and more.

St. Pat's Parade was "Best Ever"

If you didn’t have the opportunity to attend the highly touted and well attended St. Pat’s Parade last Saturday in Rolla, you may have missed one of the best St. Pat’s parades in recent years.

Every year it seems like the St. Pat’s Board that organizes the event adds something new to improve upon the year before, but this year – the 101st Anniversary - was truly something special. And I echo the remarks made by City Councilman Don Morris at last Monday’s City Council meeting when he expressed his thanks and appreciation for how well the parade was organized, coordinated and celebrated by the entire community.

I’d like to especially thank the St. Pat’s Board, Missouri S&T Professor, Dr. Lance Haynes, Advisor to the St. Pat’s Board, St. Patrick and his Court, and Missouri S&T Chancellor Dr. Jack Carney for working together with the City (Rolla PD, Public Works, Streets, and Environmental Services). This event, which is a combined community effort, reflects not only the Town and Gown relationship between Missouri S&T and the City, but the entire Rolla community. Kudos to all who made this festive celebration as enjoyable and successful as it was.

Speaking of great events, Friday, March 20 marked the first official day of spring. And along with spring, comes many events you will want to also mark on your calendar. In anticipation of the April 7 Rolla Municipal Election (polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.), the City of Rolla and Rolla Channel 6 will host a Candidates Forum on Wednesday, April 1 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall (901 N. Elm Street).

All seven candidates who are running in the Rolla Municipal Election on April 7 for the six open City Council ward seats have been invited to attend the forum, which will be moderated by Lee Buhr, Sports/Newscaster for Results Radio.

The format of the forum will include brief introductions by each candidate, followed by questions from the audience, and then an opportunity for closing remarks. Only questions given directly from those attending the forum will be included in the discussions. For more information, please call City Administration at 426-6948.

For all the sports-minded people in our community, there will be a managers meeting for the Rolla adult softball leagues on Wednesday, March 25 at 6:30 p.m. in Meeting Room “B” at The Centre (1200 North Holloway Street). Managers must attend this rules meeting as changes for the 2009 season will be discussed. This is the only managers meeting scheduled prior to the start of the season. For more information, please contact Kristy Bullock at the Rolla Parks and Recreation Department at 341-2386 or via e-mail at parks@rollacity.org.

Another upcoming event you will want to mark on your calendar is the annual city-wide “Spring Clean-up” on Saturday, April 4. If you wish to participate, please place all items near the curb by 6 a.m.

Examples of items that will be accepted include: furniture, microwaves, televisions, old clothes, and household trash. Items that will not be accepted include: appliances, water heaters, yard waste, tires, or construction debris such as sheet rock, shingles, concrete or rock. 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 spring clean-up it will not be emptied. If you have any questions, please call the Environmental Services Department at (573) 364-6693.

St. Pat’s celebration culminates with Parade on Pine

If you haven’t already dug out a piece of green clothing, hat, jewelry, or something green there’s still time to find something for today’s St. Pat’s parade at 11 a.m. on Pine Street, (which is already painted green), in downtown Rolla.

During the week-long festivities preceding the St. Pat’s Parade, I had the pleasure of welcoming, together with Dr. Jack Carney, Chancellor of Missouri University of Science and Technology, St. Pat and his court at the bandshell on Wednesday in the City’s Downtown Festival Park. If you didn’t have a chance to attend the arrival of St. Pat that day, don’t despair, as St. Pat and his court, will be making another grand entrance at the St. Pat’s Parade this morning.

Participating in the St. Pat’s festivities is an opportunity for the entire Rolla community to show their support for one of Rolla’s most celebrated events. But actually being at the parade where just about everything that moves is one shade of green or another, is the best way to experience the enthusiasm and Madi Gras type atmosphere that only the Rolla St. Pat’s Parade can evoke. Let’s hope the weather holds out as predicted and that everyone exercises caution along the sidewalks and downtown area while watching and attending this festive event.

If you happen to have missed my column a couple of weeks ago I think it bears repeating that Rolla Municipal Court has been relocated to Rolla City Hall (901 N. Elm Street). The Municipal Court administrative offices are located on the 2nd floor, and the Municipal Court Courtroom is located on the first floor where the City Council meetings are held in the Council Chambers. Rolla Municipal Court was formerly located in the old Phelps County Courthouse located at 305 West 3rd Street. The need to find another location for Rolla Municipal Court was both a cost-saving measure, and an effort to provide ADA accessible facilities that did not exist at the old Phelps County Courthouse. Rolla City Hall, which was completely renovated in March 2006, is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible, and equipped to accommodate Municipal Court and the administrative staff.

Municipal Court Sessions will continue to be held every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. and the first Friday of each month at 8:30 a.m. in the Municipal Court Courtroom, first floor, Rolla City Hall, 901 North Elm Street. If you have any questions regarding Municipal Court, please contact Rita Duvall, Municipal Court Clerk, at (573) 364-8590 or (573) 364-7190, or stop by the second floor of Rolla City Hall between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

In closing I’d like to remind everyone, as spring approaches, and the weather gets warmer, that the City will be asking everyone in the community to help beautify their yards, businesses and landscaped areas for the upcoming Tour of Missouri International Cycling Race, which will be coming through Rolla (from Farmington) on Wednesday, Sept. 9. Our downtown looked immaculate last year when the City of Rolla hosted the Stage 4 Finish of the Tour of Missouri on Sept. 11. I’m confident, that with everyone pitching in, and doing their part, we will once again shine as one of the most attractive and welcoming Tour of Missouri host cities. You’ll be hearing more from me and I’m sure the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce and Tour of Missouri Local Organizing Committee in the weeks and months to come about planned beautification efforts for this international event that will showcase our City to countries around the globe.

Please remember to pencil in your calendars on Wednesday, Sept. 9 for the Tour of Missouri Stage 3 Finish in Rolla and Thursday, Sept. 10 for the Stage 4 Start in the City of St. James, located just 8 miles east of Rolla off Interstate 44.

Tryon’s laid ground work for Rolla’s recycling movement

Going green, recycling and preserving the Rolla environment were all part of the long-range vision that Chuck Tryon and his wife, Sharon had over 30-plus years ago when they established one of the first recycling centers in Rolla.

During the 1970s when the words recycling, preservation and conservation weren’t nearly as popular and in vogue as they are today, they operated a non-profit business called “CURE” (Citizens United to Restore the Environment) in a vacated building that housed the old Kroger grocery store then located on Kingshighway. Mr. Tryon recalls that the founding fathers of CURE were four students who attended the University of Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri University of Science and Technology). The students were Dave Wright, Al Visintainer, Mike Court and Randy Necessary.

Mr. Tryon recalled with a touch of nostalgia in his voice that CURE was open seven days a week and open to the public. Newspaper, corrugated cardboard, cans, and glass were all accepted free of charge. Over a seven year period 2,800 tons of recycled materials were collected by CURE.

A plaque paying tribute to Chuck and his belated wife, Sharon, who served two terms on the Rolla City Council in the late 1970s, is mounted on the front of the Rolla Recycling Center located at 2141 St. James Road. If you have never seen the plaque, it is located just below the plaque commemorating the completion of the Rolla Recycling Center in April 1993.

The City’s Environmental Services Department, which oversees the operation of the Rolla Recycling Center, got word recently that Mr. Tryon is relocating to Visalia, Calif. so he can spend more time with his daughter, Holly, who grew up in Rolla and now resides in Visalia. During a recent visit to the Recycling Center Mr. Tryon and his daughter dropped off several items at the new Household Hazardous Waste Facility located behind the Recycling Center off McCutchen Drive. They also took a brief tour of the Recycling Center with Brady Wilson, Director of the Environmental Services Department, and had a chance to talk about the history of recycling in Rolla. Mr. Tryon recalled how he was once told by certain members of the community over 30-plus years ago that recycling was a waste of his time. That of course, was just after the first national Earth Day celebration was held in 1970, and a time when preservation, conservation and recycling weren’t the household words they are today.

The Rolla community certainly owes a debt of gratitude to Chuck and Sharon Tryon and the founding members of CURE for their unflagging efforts to bring the recycling movement to the forefront in Rolla Missouri. We wish Mr. Tryon a safe journey to his new home in California and extend our appreciation to him for the contributions he made to the health and welfare of our community.

In closing, I’d like to remind everyone to wear your ‘green’ next Saturday, March 14 (11 a.m.) for the 101st St. Patrick Day’s parade. Considered one of the largest St. Pat’s parade in the state, it is an iconic Rolla experience that thousands look forward to attending. A list of St. Pat’s events planned that week is available on the City’s Website calendar of events at www.rollacity.org/events.

Rolla Municipal Court Relocates to City Hall

After months of debating and discussing where the most feasible and economical location would be for the location of Rolla Municipal Court, Rolla City Council recently voted to approve the relocation of the Municipal Court Courtroom and administrative offices to Rolla City Hall.

The Municipal Court Courtroom and administrative offices were formerly located in the old Phelps County Courthouse located at 305 West 3rd Street. The Court’s administrative offices are now located on the second floor of City Hall, and the Courtroom will be held in the City Council Chambers on the first floor of City Hall.

The need to find another location for Rolla Municipal Court was both a cost-cutting measure, and an effort to provide ADA accessible facilities that did not exist at the old Phelps County Courthouse. Rolla City Hall, which was completely renovated in March 2006, is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible, and equipped to accommodate Municipal Court and the administrative staff.

Prior to being located in the Old Phelps County Courthouse, Municipal Court had previously been located on the fourth floor of City Hall. So the move back to City Hall after the renovations were completed is something the City had explored, discussed and considered for some time.

Municipal Court Sessions will continue to be held every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. and the first Friday of each month at 8:30 a.m. in the Municipal Court Courtroom, first floor, Rolla City Hall, 901 North Elm Street.

If you have any questions regarding Municipal Court, please contact Rita Duvall, Municipal Court Clerk, at (573) 364-8590 or (573) 364-7190, or stop by the second floor of Rolla City Hall between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Ample free parking is available in the City’s municipal parking lots next to City Hall off 9th Street in downtown Rolla.

Updated information regarding the relocation of Municipal Court is also available on the City’s Website at www.rollacity.org/muncourt.

In closing I’d like to remind everyone that the City of Rolla Public Works Department is partnering with the Phelps County Master Gardener/Master Naturalist and the Missouri University Extension to bring an environmental education program to the Rolla community.

The Healthy Yards for Clear Streams program is an effort to help landowners and businesses become more environmentally responsible with lawn and landscape practices. The goal is to promote lawn care practices that create beautiful lawns and gardens while reducing unnecessary use of pesticides and fertilizers that may run off and contaminate local streams.

The following workshops are free and will be held at The Centre (1200 North Holloway St.), from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on the following days:
Monday, March 2: Why Connect Yards & Healthy Lawn Care
Monday, March 9: Right Plant, Right Place & Using Native Plants and Rain Gardens
Monday, March 16: Soils & Integrated Pest Management and Effective Use of Garden Chemicals

The program is sponsored by MU Extension through the Master Gardener and Master Naturalist programs with support from the City of Rolla and partial funding from a Missouri Department of Natural Resources Mini Grant.

For more information or to register, please call Phelps County Extension at (573) 458-6260.

Mayor Bill Jenks, III

Show Me Green Sales Tax Holiday Gets Green Light

The concept of going green is something the City’s newly named Environmental Services Department (formerly the Solid Waste Dept.), has embracing for quite some time with its 24-hour, 7-day a week Recycling Center, E-waste events, Household Hazardous Waste Facility and newly constructed outdoor recycling exhibit.

And the strides made by Missouri University of Science and Technology with its highly acclaimed and award-winning solar houses and solar cars, hydrogen fueling station, wind turbine, and other green initiatives, have clearly demonstrated that the Rolla community is all about going green, and capitalizing on the benefits of green energy and a green economy.

In this same spirit of going green, the Rolla City Council recently approved a City Ordinance to “opt in” the Green Sales Tax Holiday enacted by the Missouri State Legislature in 2008 (Senate Bill 1181). By enacting this ordinance, the City of Rolla elects to allow the Show Me Green Sales Tax Holiday established by Sec. 144.526, RSMo. Supp. 2008, to apply to its local sales taxes so that there shall be exempted from all retail sales of any energy star certified appliance, up to $1,500 per appliance, during a seven-day period beginning at 12:01 a.m. on April 19, 2009, and ending at midnight on April 25, 2009.

In addition to reducing the consumer’s cost for the purchase of certain qualifying appliances and promoting retail sales activity, the show Me Green Sales Tax Holiday also increases awareness of an investment in energy efficient appliances that can reasonably be expected to reduce energy consumption across the state.

Some of the energy star certified appliances that will be exempt from both state and City sales tax during the week of April 19 through April 25 include: clothes washers and dryers, water heaters, trash compactors, dishwashers, conventional ovens, ranges, stoves, air conditioners, furnaces, refrigerators and freezers. An “Energy star certified” appliance is any appliance approved by both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

There is clearly a statewide trend in Missouri with an emphasis on energy efficiency, and now the purchase of energy efficient appliances. Hopefully now that the City has “opted in” the Show Me Green Sales Tax Holiday, the opportunity to go green will be more of an incentive than ever.

In the mean time, I encourage you to continue recycling, using the Rolla Recycling Center located at 2141 Old St. James Road, and participating in the Electronic Waste events sponsored by the Environmental Services Department.

For more information regarding the City’s Recycling Center or recycling services, please call the Environmental Services Department at 364-6693.

Several Spring events on horizon in Rolla

The relative lull that exists following the blockbuster line-up of community events we have in Rolla over the holidays, is about to change in the next few weeks.

In fact, one month from today on Saturday, March 14 at 11 a.m. you will want to remember to wear your ‘green’ for the annual St. Patrick Day’s parade. Considered one of the largest and well attended St. Pat’s parade in the state, this is truly an iconic Rolla experience that thousands look forward to attending. A list of St. Pat’s events planned that week is available on the City’s Website calendar of events at www.rollacity.org/events.

Looking ahead to softball season, which is also closing in on the calendar in March, the City’s Parks and Recreation Department will be holding a Manager’s Meeting for the Rolla adult softball leagues on Wednesday, March 25 at 6:30 p.m. in Meeting room “B” at The Centre (1200 North Holloway Street).

Managers must attend this rules meeting as changes for the 2009 season will be discussed. This is the only managers meeting scheduled prior to the start of the season. The deadline for team entry is Wednesday, April 8 and the league fees are $395 for a 14-game schedule. Men’s League will begin April 21; Women’s League April 22, and Coed League April 23.

League entry forms can be downloaded from the Parks homepage at www.rollacity.org/parks. For more information, please contact Kristy Bullock at the Rolla Parks and Recreation Department at 341-2386 or via e-mail at parks@rollacity.org.

In the area of beautification and the City’s ongoing efforts to “Go Green,” the City of Rolla Environmental Services Department will hold the annual city-wide “Spring Clean-up” on Saturday, April 4. If you wish to participate, please place all items near the curb by 6 a.m.

Examples of items that will be accepted include: furniture, microwaves, televisions, old clothes, and household trash. Items that will not be accepted include: appliances, water heaters, yard waste, tires, or construction debris such as sheet rock, shingles, concrete or rock. 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 spring clean-up it will not be emptied. If you have any questions, please call the Environmental Services Department at (573) 364-6693.

Also during the month of April, I encourage you to cast your vote during the 2009 Rolla Municipal Election, which will be held Tuesday, April 7. Polls will open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. The positions open for election this year are six City Council representatives. One Council representative from each of the City’s six wards will be elected to serve a two-year term.

The City Council positions up for election are Terry Ruck (Ward 1), Don Barklage (Ward 2), Gary Hicks (Ward 3), Louis Magdits (Ward 4), Richard Morris (Ward 5), and Mark Walburg (Ward 6). For more information regarding polling locations and ward maps, please visit www.rollacity.org/wards/voter. You may also contact Carol Daniels in the City Clerk’s office at Rolla City Hall, 901 North Elm Street, at (573) 426-6942 or online at cdaniels@rollacity.org.

In closing I’d like to remind everyone that City Hall will be closed Monday, Feb. 16 in observance of President’s Day. The Rolla City Council meeting, which is ordinarily held the first and third Monday of the month, will be held Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall (901 North Elm Street).

The Sanitation Department will be picking up Monday’s trash on Tuesday and Tuesday’s trash will be picked up on Wednesday. For more information, please visit the City of Rolla Website at www.rollacity.org.

Healthy Yards for Clear Streams Starts March 2

Old Man Winter continues to remind us that we’re still a long way from the promise of Spring, warmer days, and the many outdoor activities that make living in Meramec Valley Region so enjoyable.

And seeing so many residents of all ages out on the hills and slopes at Ber Juan Park and Rolla Junior High School during the recent snow storm makes you realize just how much there is to do in Rolla even during a blizzard. I was particularly glad to see so many folks using the newly opened parking lot next to the east slopes at Ber Juan Park where 14th Street intersects with Farrar Drive. This parking lot, which is graded and conveniently located next to several sledding hills, remains open when weather conditions are conducive to sledding.

Looking ahead to next month, and hopefully a little warmer weather, I’d like to announce an upcoming Spring activity where the City of Rolla Public Works Department is partnering with the Phelps County Master Gardener/Master Naturalist and the Missouri University Extension to bring an environmental education program to the Rolla community.

The Healthy Yards for Clear Streams program is an effort to help landowners and businesses become more environmentally responsible with lawn and landscape practices. The goal is to promote lawn care practices that create beautiful lawns and gardens while reducing unnecessary use of pesticides and fertilizers that may run off and contaminate local streams.

The following workshops are free and will be held at the The Centre, Rolla’s Health and Recreation Complex (1200 North Holloway St., Rolla) from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Monday, March 2: Why Connect Yards & Healthy Lawn Care
Monday, March 9: Right Plant, Right Place & Using Native Plants and Rain Gardens
Monday, March 16: Soils & Integrated Pest Management and Effective Use of Garden Chemicals

The program is sponsored by MU Extension through the Master Gardener and Master Naturalist programs with support from the City of Rolla and partial funding from a Missouri Department of Natural Resources Mini Grant.

For more information or to register, please call Phelps County Extension at (573) 458-6260.

City-wide Spring Clean-up
set for April 4

Another upcoming spring activity you will want to put on your calendar is the annual city-wide “Spring Clean-up” scheduled for Saturday, April 4. If you wish to participate, please place all items near the curb by 6 a.m.

Examples of items that will be accepted include: furniture, microwaves, televisions, old clothes, and household trash. Items that will not be accepted include: appliances, water heaters, yard waste, tires, or construction debris such as sheet rock, shingles, concrete or rock. 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 spring clean-up it will not be emptied. If you have any questions, please call the Environmental Services Department at (573) 364-6693.

In closing I’d like to remind everyone that Rolla City Hall will be closing on Monday, Feb. 16 in observance of President’s Day. The regularly scheduled City Council meeting that is held the 2nd Monday of the month will be held the day after President’s Day on Tuesday, Feb. 17. Please also remember that due to the holiday, Monday’s trash will be picked up on Tuesday and Tuesday’s trash will be picked up on Wednesday.

For more information regarding the holiday trash pick-up schedule, please call the Environmental Services Department (formerly the Solid Waste Department), at 364-6693.

Rolla scores again as Host City for Tour of Missouri

Mother nature may have put on the breaks for motorists with the recent snowfall, but it didn’t keep Lt. Governor Peter Kinder from announcing at a Press Conference in Jefferson City that Rolla has been selected as a Host City for the 2009 Tour of Missouri.

Being selected among 10 other cities state-wide, including our neighbor, St. James, who will host a Stage of the prestigious international cycling event from Sept. 7 through Sept. 13, is something worth getting excited about. I’m thrilled at the opportunity for our City to be hosting one of the top five professional cycling races in the world. Please mark your calendar for Sept. 9 when Rolla will be hosting the Stage 3 Finish (beginning in Farmington) and Sept. 10 when St. James will host a Stage 4 Start that will culminate in Jefferson City.

Last year the Tour of Missouri drew more than 435,000 spectators over seven days, and it had an direct and indirect economic impact of almost $30 million to the state. Once more, visitors from 30 states attended various stages of the Tour of Missouri, and individuals from 145 countries viewed the race over the Internet. More than 12,000 individuals attended the Stage 4 Finish last year in Rolla on Sept. 11 and the positive economic impact it had on the Rolla community in terms of local, state and international media coverage, increased hotel bookings, restaurant visits, fuel and other related purchases was significant. Placing Rolla on an international stage with Kansas City, St. Louis, St. Joseph and other prominent cities in the state is also something that elevates the visibility and stature of our City as well. In addition to the impact this event has from a tourism and economic standpoint, it also helps promote health and wellness, fosters a better understanding of different countries and cultures, builds community pride, and strengthens the City’s town and gown relationship with Missouri University of Science and Technology.

You will be hearing more about the details regarding this year’s Tour of Missouri in the weeks and months ahead, but if you’d like to find out more about what’s in store, please visit the official Tour of Missouri Website at www.tourofmissouri.com. My sincere thanks go out to the members of the Tour of Missouri Local Organizing Committee, chaired again this year by Scott Caron, the City’s Recreation Director, who worked diligently to submit another winning Tour of Missouri bid.

In closing I’d like to also extend my appreciation to all of our dedicated and hard working City employees who during the recent snow and ice storms, kept our roadways and City parking lots/sidewalks clear, continued timely trash collection, patrolled our streets and neighborhoods, and provided the same high level of safety and City services our residents have come to appreciate and expect. Please remember to drive safely and cautiously, and heed weather warnings and conditions on a regular basis.

Environmental Services name change official

The next time you need to order a blue recycling bin or make an appointment to use the City’s new Household Hazardous Waste Facility, don’t be surprised when someone answers the phone and says you have reached the City’s Environmental Services Department.

The official name change from the former Solid Waste Department to Environmental Services was finalized during Monday’s City Council meeting. A motion was made, seconded, and unanimously approved, for the rules to be suspended for the need for a second reading of the City Ordinance that officially authorizes the naming of the new department.

While it will probably take awhile for residents to adjust to the new name change, the staff and members of the newly named Environmental Services Department have been going green for so long that it will seem like a natural progression for this department.

The divisions that comprise the Environmental Services Department will still remain as the Sanitation and Recycling Divisions, and there will be no other real changes in this department resulting from the name change. One of the many improvements made by this department, however does include a new outdoor recycling exhibit located at the south end of the Recycling Center located at 2141 Old St. James Road.

The exhibit, which is made entirely of recycled materials, includes a large, handicapped accessible picnic table, message board, and composting area. The exhibit is useful not only as an educational tool for students and groups who tour the Recycling Center, but also as an example of the many ways that recycled materials are put to good use.

The next time you are stopping by the Recycling Center, which is open 24/7, and free to anyone interested in recycling, you may want to check the new exhibit out. You may be surprised how durable, attractive and useful recycled items can be. If you are interested in scheduling a tour of the Recycling Center, please call 364-6693 or stop by the Recycling Center anytime Monday through Friday during normal business hours. Environmental education is an important part of what the Environmental Services offers as part of its commitment to serve the Rolla community.

The process of changing the names on the Environmental Services Department’s trucks, vehicles, buildings, signs, etc., will be phased in over several months to minimize the cost associated with the name change. The total cost to implement the new name change is under $1,000.

In closing I’d like to announce another City event that will be held this spring in downtown Rolla. Public Works Celebration Day will be held on Saturday, May 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the City’s Downtown Festival Park next to the bandshell and Frisco Caboose.

Hosted by the City’s Public Works Department, it is the official kick-off for Public Works Week May 17 through May 23. The popular and well-attended event includes children's activities, educational displays, large equipment that children can climb on and explore, free hotdogs, sodas and popcorn, and lots of free activities. The entire event is free and open to the public. Be sure to bring your cameras for all the wonderful photo opportunities.

For more information, please call (573) 364-8659.

Crosswalks made for pedestrian safety

Public safety, and especially pedestrian safety is a topic I think we all agree is at the heart of a healthy, prosperous and peaceful community. With thousands of students enrolled in the Rolla Public Schools system, at Missouri University of Science and Technology, numerous other community colleges, and an active downtown business district, Rolla has more than its share of pedestrian traffic throughout the day. For this reason, I would like to emphasize how important it is that motorists yield to pedestrians at crosswalks in town.

Missouri Revised Statutes (Chapter 300, Model Traffic Ordinance, Section 300.375) state that “When traffic control signals are not in place or not in operation the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if need be to so yield, to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a crosswalk when the pedestrian is upon the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling, or when the pedestrian is approaching so closely from the opposite half of the roadway as to be in danger.” Rolla’s Municipal Ordinances (Chapter 27, Section 27-89, Motor Vehicles and Traffic), state that motorists shall proceed cautiously, yielding the right of way to any pedestrian within any crosswalk. Bicycle paths, such as the 9-mile-long ACORN Trail also have pedestrian cross walks and again motorists must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in all cross walks. Local law enforcement officers will be on the look out to arrest offenders.

Some of the most heavily traveled streets by pedestrians in Rolla, but certainly not all, include Pine Street, Kingshighway, Bishop Avenue; 6th through 18th Streets, Forum Drive, Salem Avenue, Soest Road, Pinetree Road, Lanning Lane and Holloway Street. Of course these areas are where the majority of students from the Rolla Public School system, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Metro Business College, Webster College, Rolla Technical Institute, Drury University and other colleges and schools attend classes every day. There also is heavy foot traffic in the downtown business district and along Kingshighway, and Bishop Avenue where numerous restaurants, fueling stations and businesses are located. Whenever you see a marked crosswalk either at an intersection or cross street, or are in a heavily pedestrian traveled area of the City, please use additional caution, be vigilant, and prepared to yield to pedestrians. A safe community, is the best kind of community.

In closing, I would to extend my congratulations to Scott Caron, the City’s Recreation Director, who was honored at the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce Annual banquet on Jan. 10 as the recipient of this year’s Annual Achievement Award. As Chairman of the last year’s Tour of Missouri Local Organizing Committee, Scott worked tirelessly to ensure that the Tour of Missouri Stage 4 Race was one of the highlights of the internationally acclaimed professional cycling event.

I would also like to remind everyone that Rolla City Hall will be closed on Monday, Jan. 19 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday. The City’s Sanitation Department will also be closed on Jan. 19. Monday’s trash will be picked up on Tuesday and Wednesday’s trash will be picked up on Thursday.

Environmental Services name change underway

“Going green” is something the City of Rolla has been emphasizing and focusing on for the past several years. So it shouldn’t come as a big surprise that the formerly named Solid Waste Department is in the preliminary stages of becoming the more aptly named “Environmental Services Department.”

The process to initiate the name change and re-branding of the department, headed up by Environmental Services Director, Brady Wilson, was put into motion at Monday night’s City Council meeting, Jan. 5. During his discussion of the proposed name change to City Council, Brady explained that over the past 10 years the Solid Waste Department has evolved with changing regulations, new technology and the community’s needs and desire for a more green approach to disposing of various materials. If you have ever visited the Rolla Recycling Center located at 2141 Old St. James Road where the Environmental Services Department is based, you may have noticed just how popular and common it is for residents and members of the greater Rolla community to recycle on a regular basis. The abundance of the little blue recycling containers that line the curbs around town are further evidence of the Rolla community’s interest and support of the City going green.

In addition to the curbside pick-ups that we are accustomed to, the Environmental Services Department now offers increased recycling opportunities, electronic waste management, household hazardous materials management, asbestos consultations, environmental education, and most recently, a new outdoor exhibit located at the south end of the Rolla Recycling Center’s parking lot.

The Environmental Services Department’s new name and brand will reflect more accurately the comprehensive “green” approach the department and the community has taken to improve Rolla’s environmental footprint. It will also portray a more positive image of the department’s activities. A City ordinance to officially rename the department in all Rolla City Code references will be brought before the City Council at the Jan. 20 and Feb. 2 City Council meetings at City Hall.

The process of changing the names on the Environmental Services Department’s trucks, vehicles, buildings, signs, etc., will be phased in over several months to minimize the cost associated with the name change. Existing stocks of letterhead, business cards, business envelopes, etc. will be used up before the new Environmental Services Department name is used on these items as well. The total cost to implement the new name change is under $1,000.

In closing, I am including a list of important dates in 2009 for the Environmental Services Department that you can refer to throughout the year. This list is also posted on the Environmental Services Department’s homepage at www.rollacity.org/waste.

2009 Environmental Services
“List of Important Dates”
Jan. 19, 2009 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Monday’s trash will be picked up Tuesday; Tuesday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday
Feb. 16, 2009 – President’s Day: Monday’s trash will be picked up Tuesday; Tuesday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday
April 4, 2009 – Citywide Spring Clean Up: Saturday – Citywide clean up day (residential only).
May 25, 2009 – Memorial Day: Monday’s trash will be picked up Tuesday; Tuesday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday
July 4, 2009 – Independence Day: Friday’s trash will be picked up Thursday; Thursday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday.
Sept. 7, 2009 – Labor Day: Monday’s trash will be picked up Tuesday; Tuesday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday
Oct. 3, 2009 – Citywide Fall Clean Up: Saturday – Citywide clean up day (residential only)
Nov. 11, 2009 – Veterans Day: No special pick-ups on Wednesday
Nov. 26, 2009 – Thanksgiving Day: Thursday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday
Dec. 25, 2009 – Christmas Day: Friday’s trash will be picked up on Thursday; Thursday’s trash will be picked up on Wednesday
For more information, please contact the City’s Environmental Services Department at (573) 364-6693.

Police Chief Chat - Mark Reynolds / Kent King / Missing child

Police Chief Chat

Good morning! I hope you had a great week. My week was not so great. On Sunday I learned that my friend and fellow law enforcement officer Sgt. Mark Reynolds had passed away. Mark was a 17 year veteran of the Missouri State Highway Patrol and was very well known and respected here at the Rolla Police Department. Mark was always there to lend a hand whether it be in the wee hours of the morning assisting officers on a traffic stop, backing the patrol division on dangerous calls or just stopping by to see how things were going. Mark was a true professional and was a proud and dedicated law enforcement officer. We will miss him!

I also learned this week that Dr. Kent King had passed after a lengthy battle with cancer. Dr. King was the Commissioner of Education at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and also served as the Superintendent of Rolla Public Schools for 19 years. Dr. King devoted his entire career to the education of our youth and is remembered by all as a very kind and caring man. Dr. King was gracious enough to take time out of his busy schedule to accept the offer to be our guest speaker at our last D.A.R.E. graduation and it was quite a thrill for not only the students and faculty but also the guests of honor and parents to have him address the graduating class. Dr. King’s passing hits very close to home in that his daughter Traci is married to our own Lt. Doug James. Dr. King will be truly missed!

This week Telecommunications Supervisor Stayce Smith conducted a 40 hour Basic Communications Training session here at the Police Department for area telecommunicators. The course offered basic radio techniques and procedures, basic operational skill training in incoming calls for assistance, 9-1-1 calls, operator and criminal history inquiries and other police related inquiries. The class was attended by members of our communications division and members of the Missouri S&T Police Dept.

This week Dennis Noel our volunteers in Police Service Coordinator Is starting his presentations to civic groups on recruiting volunteers. He conducted his first presentation to the Optimist Club on Wednesday and will be continuing with other civic groups over the next several months. VIPs is a national program to get volunteers to work with the police department in assisting the department in duties that we just don’t have the time or manpower to do. If you want to make a difference and serve your community we can use your help in many areas. I believe that VIPS is a very important program to get the Police department and the citizens to join together in taking care of this community, we can not do it alone. The duties consist of making phone calls, answering phones, patrolling, following up on minor crimes and the list goes on. A person wanting to become a VIPS can contact Dennis Noel at 364-1213 to get more information, so join us and make a difference. In the near future Dennis will be going door to door contacting business’s just to say hi and to get to know what’s going on in the community, so that we can keep up with changes in the area. So please welcome him in your door so we can get to know each other.

I wanted to share just one of our many calls we go on and to thank those employees involved for an outstand job. (Thanks Sgt. Rapier, Telecommunicator Jamie Jones , Pto. LeAnn Robertson, Rolla City Fire, Phelps Ambulance, MSHP, S & T PD, Lt. Smith and the detectives!)The department had a call of a missing six year old from his back yard late one evening. Cpl. Adam Myer quickly organized who was doing what, got extra personnel there and made what turned out to be a valuable contact, in the neighbor who’s back yard is shared with the missing six year olds yard. Considering the bitter cold and fast approaching nightfall, time was obviously of the essence.

While officers were responding and searching communicator Trina Duarte searched for registered sex offenders in that area. She came up with an address for an offender that was in the very close proximity to where the neighbor told Cpl. Myer that he had seen Alex headed. After getting out of a field he was searching Cpl. Myer quickly responded to that address only to find it was no longer the residence of the offender….but coming down the stairs inside the house was a little boy….you guessed it….the missing child! He was visiting his friend that lived there…If you can believe that stroke of coincidence.

This was a great example of the resourcefulness on the part of everyone involved, they worked as a team and 30 minutes later Alex was thankfully returned to his mother safe and sound.

Great job everyone!

Chief Mark A. Kearse

City Talk - Looking back on 2008 as winning year for Rolla

As we turn the corner on 2008, and begin to consider the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, I would like to wish all of you a safe, memorable and prosperous New Year.

Unemployment figures and the overall state of the national economy aside, Rolla has finished 2008 in much better condition than many communities throughout Missouri and the nation. More importantly, though, we as a community continue to grow and prosper in some very visible areas throughout the city. The most dramatic changes are seen along Martin Springs Drive in the Blues Lake area where the new three-story 105,000-square-foot St. John’s Clinic is being constructed, along with other new businesses and the construction of St. John’s Parkway that is further solidifying Rolla’s stature as a major medical and health care provider for South Central Missouri. The dramatic development and growth of this area, which is benefiting from the construction of the new Southwest Treatment Plant located a few miles west on Martin Springs Drive Outer Road, should serve as a catalyst to attract other businesses such as retailers, restaurants and the like.

The dramatic transformation of the intersection at Ridgeview Road and State Road 63 and Highway 72 is another example of the growth and prosperity we have seen in 2008. The renovation and enhancement of several buildings on the east side of State Road 63 North, including the greatly expanded Kia dealership with I-44 frontage, has provided yet another magnet to attract motorists along I-44. Add to these very visible developments the positive headway that is being made on the Rolla West Master Plan, the new Innovation Tech. Park on the Missouri University of Science and Technology campus, continued improvements to the City’s 100-miles of streets and roads, and a total upgrade of the City’s stormwater and wastewater systems, and 2008 in retrospect was a winning year for Rolla.

When I begin thinking about 2008 as a winning year, it would be difficult not to reflect on the City’s successful début as a host city for the international cycling event, the Tour of Missouri, on September 11, 2008. For a city of our size to successfully host the Stage 4 Start of one of the premiere professional cycling events in the country, was truly a winning event on numerous fronts. The Rolla community benefited not only from a marketing and promotion perspective by achieving state, national and international recognition, but also from an economic perspective as thousands of tourism-related dollars were generated in hotel/motel bookings, restaurant sales, and untold grocery, fuel and retail sales. The Tour of Missouri helped to put Rolla and St. James, which hosted the Stage 5 finish on Sept. 12, on the global map. We are hopeful that with the recent bid application submitted to Medalist Sports by the Tour of Missouri Local Organizing Committee chaired by Scott Caron, the City’s Recreation Director, that Rolla will be selected again as a host city for either a stage finish or stage start.

And while it is too soon to predict just how much of an impact the global financial markets, the downturn in the housing market, and other leading economic indicators have had on Rolla, the City’s revenues from sales tax are up 2.27% after the first quarter of FY 09 (last 3 months of 2008). The City experienced a 1.8 % drop in sales tax overall in fiscal year 2008. The City’s Fiscal Advisory Committee, which met over a 6-month period in 2008, addressed several fiscal policy recommendations that were adopted by the City Council to help meet the financial challenges facing the City in the months and year’s to come.

Many positive opportunities and developments are on the horizon for our City of 18,000-plus, and the regional center of South Central Missouri, so let’s keep the momentum going into 2009.

In closing, I’d like to remind everyone that City Hall will also be closed Monday, Jan. 19 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday. The regular Rolla City Council Meeting scheduled for the third Monday of the month will be held Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Rolla City Hall (901 North Elm Street). Monday’s trash will be picked up Tuesday and Tuesday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday.

Wishing you again a safe and prosperous New Year!

Mayor Bill Jenks, III

City Talk - Shopping local message echoed by many in area

On behalf of the Rolla City Council and Rolla City employees, I hope you had a memorable Christmas, and will be blessed by the peace and serenity that manifests itself during the holidays.

Throughout the last several months several members of the community, including well-known merchants, business owners and community leaders have been repeating the “Shop Local” mantra that is being heard daily on the national news, and communities and cities all across America. If the busy parking lots in shopping centers, strip malls and throughout town are any indication of the success of this often repeated message, it may very well be that many of us have once again done a significant portion of our holiday shopping here in Rolla and Phelps County. The convenience and ease of staying in town makes it all the more appealing when it’s 5 degrees below zero, and it’s difficult to tell when the next ice or snow storm is going to make its impact on our roads and highways. The Rolla and Phelps County area have much to offer, and I’d like to continue encouraging everyone to patronize first the merchants, businesses, restaurants and hotels in our area. I’d also like to extend my thanks and appreciation to all the individuals and groups who have so vigorously spread the “Shop Local” tag line. It seems to be working!

If you happen to be visiting the Rolla area this weekend, and have been away for the last several months you have probably notice that the intersection of Highway 72 and State Route 63 at Ridgeview Road looks a little different than it did this time last year. While some of the establishments located at Bishop Commons on the corner of Bishop Avenue (State Road 63) have been open for a couple of months, the new flagship Walgreens store adjacent to Bishop Commons at Ridgeview Road and State Road 63 is nearing completion. These additions to this strategic and highly traveled intersection have been a long time in coming, but demonstrate the retail strength and vitality of our community.

In closing, I’d like to remind everyone that Rolla City Hall, located at 901 N. Elm Street, will be closed on New Year’s Day, Thursday, Jan. 1. The Solid Waste Department will be picking up Thursday’s trash on Wednesday. For more information regarding the City of Rolla holiday trash pick-up schedule, please call 364-6693.

The Centre, Rolla’s Health and Recreation Complex, located at 1200 North Holloway Street, will be open on New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, Dec. 31 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed on New Year’s Day, Thursday. Regular operating hours at The Centre resume on Friday, Jan. 2. The week of Jan. 4 through Jan. 9 is “Free Class Preview Week” at The Centre, which means all group fitness classes are free for anyone interested in participating. For more information, please call The Centre at 341-2FUN (2386).

Another important communication tool the City of Rolla is making available to the residents of our community is a BLOG that is linked on the City’s homepage at http://rollacity.blogspot.com. The City is now posting my weekly City Talk column and Police Chief Mark Kearse’s City Chat column on the City’s BLOG at http://rollacity.blogspot.com. We welcome your comments, input and feedback.

Wishing you and your families, friends and neighbors a happy and prosperous New Year!

Rolla Channel 6 captures holiday happenings in Rolla

Without trying to sound too much like a cliché, I think you’ll agree that it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Rolla, Missouri. My sincere thanks goes out to all of the Rolla businesses and agencies such as Fidelity Cablevision, Rolla Municipal Utilities (RMU), and the City of Rolla’s Public Works Department who light up our downtown area and help us get into the spirit of the holidays.

Fidelity puts up all the lighted stars along Hwy. 72 and Hwy. 63 South, RMU puts them up along 10th Street and the downtown business district, and the City’s Public Works Department puts up the stars along Hwy. 63 North from Blockbuster Video to Interstate 44. The Public Works Department and Traffic Division also creates and displays all the holiday banners in the downtown business district, puts up wreaths and lights at City Hall (901 North Elm Street), and of course, displays and decorates the 20-foot-tall Christmas Tree in the City’s Downtown Festival Park.

Many events held last weekend helped kick off the holidays, and if you didn’t have a chance to attend the Rolla Christmas Parade hosted by the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce last Saturday in downtown Rolla or the Christmas Band Concert (8th-12th grades) at Rolla High School last Thursday, you can see these events in their entirety on Rolla Channel 6 (RC6) throughout the holidays.

Both of these events, which were produced by Gabe Mankin, RC6 Video Production Manager and his two video production assistants, Kile Crews and Daniel Galarza, who attend Rolla Junior High School, are examples of the many community events and educational programs that are being produced and aired on Rolla Channel 6. If you would like to receive a DVD copy of either of these events, RHS sporting events, Rolla City Council, Planning and Zoning and RPS board meetings, you can order them through Rolla Channel 6. To place your order, simply call Gabe Mankin, RC6 Video Production Manager, at (573) 426-3377. You may also place your order in person anytime Monday through Friday during normal business hours at the Rolla Channel 6 offices located at Fidelity Cablevision at 1304 Highway 72 East.

In addition to the above mentioned events, RC6 will also be airing other holiday happenings in the days to come, including a holiday greeting from the City of Rolla and Rolla Public Schools. Public service announcements showcasing The Centre, Rolla’s 63,000-square-foot Health and Recreation Complex and the Rolla Recycling Center located at 2141 Old St. James Road, and the first episode of “City Minutes” will also be airing on RC6 throughout the holidays. So be sure to tune into RC6 – Rolla’s premiere Education, Government and Community channel.

RC6 is a jointly funded education and government cable channel provided by the City of Rolla, Rolla Public Schools, and Fidelity Cablevision. The mission of RC6 is to enhance the City of Rolla’s and Rolla Public Schools’ public information and communication systems, involve the community in local government and Rolla Public School decision-making, and provide useful information to the public.

City Talk - Holiday season kicks off with Rolla Christmas parade

If you haven’t made plans yet for this morning, be sure to put the Rolla Christmas Parade on your schedule for 10 a.m., (Saturday, Dec. 6) on Pine Street in downtown Rolla. In many ways it seems that after the Thanksgiving Day holiday, the Rolla Christmas Parade officially kicks off the holidays for many residents in the Rolla community.

Coordinated by the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce, the Rolla Christmas Parade is in its 38th year, and promises to be one of the best parades ever. If you want to watch the parade again after seeing it live on Pine Street be sure to tune into Rolla Channel 6 (RC6), which will be filming the parade in its entirety.

After the parade you will also want to attend the 14th Annual Christmas at the Historic Old Courthouse located at Third and Rolla Streets across from the Dillon Log Cabin. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with historic tours of the 1860 Courthouse and 1838 Dillon Log Cabin Museum, Christmas gifts, and live entertainment in the Municipal Court Room on the second floor of the Old Courthouse. Families are also encouraged to visit and have your pictures taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus and visit the Kid’s Corner to make paper ornaments. Free holiday refreshments will also be available for everyone to enjoy.

The entertainment begins at 11:30 a.m. with “Sometimes Tuesday” Mountain Dulcimer Group followed by the Mark Twain 4th Grade Steamboat Choir at 12-noon and Rolla Community Children’s Choir at 12:30 p.m., Rolla Jr. High Choir at 1 p.m. and Rolla Sr. High Choir at 1:30 p.m. There will also be an antique clothing display and historic military display open to the public in the Old Courthouse.

While you are at the parade stop by the Bandshell in the City’s Downtown Festival Park off 9th Street where members of the City’s Public Works Department recently set up and decorated a 20-foot-tall Christmas Tree. Rolla City Hall is also decorated with lights, wreaths and a large Christmas tree in the lobby, all thanks to our Public Works and Administration Departments. The Frisco Caboose will be decorated and lighted for the holidays as well, which is only fitting when you consider that our town’s history and development was due in large part to the railroad.

Beginning next Friday, Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. through Dec. 21 be sure to attend the Christmas in the Park dazzling light display in Lions Club Park located on Hwy. 63 South across from G & D Steakhouse. The event is free, but donations are welcomed. Christmas in the Park will be open 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Saturday. For more information regarding this fun event, please call Rolla Lioness Club member Jaci Huebner at 578-9090.

There are of course numerous other holiday events, festivities and gatherings planned throughout the month of December, but I thought I would just hit some of the highlights you don’t want to miss. For a comprehensive listing of events and happenings, please visit the City’s Website at www.rollacity.org/events, and tune into the community calendar on Rolla Channel 6.

City Talk - City unanimously supports Tour of Missouri bid in 2009

It seems like just yesterday that 120 of the most talented professional cyclists in the world, who competed in the 2008 Tour of Missouri, crossed the finish line on 10th Street in front of the Castelman Hall Performing Arts Center.

Being part of the Tour of Missouri Stage 4 Finish on Sept. 11, 2008 in Rolla was not only an exhilarating experience, but also a major milestone for a City of our size in South Central Missouri. The partnerships that were forged before, during and after the international event with Missouri University of Science and Technology, the City of St. James, Medalist Sports, KOM, and the event’s area sponsors such as Brewer Science, Inc., Phelps County Bank, Phelps County Regional Medical Center, to name just a few, demonstrated how collaboration and teamwork is essential when hosting an event of this magnitude.

Many Rolla residents who attended the Tour of Missouri Stage 4 finish in Rolla and Stage 5 Start in St. James on Sept. 12 may be curious to know just how much of an impact the TOM had on the City of Rolla, and fortunately I have been provided with those statistics and figures from Scott Caron, Director of the Recreation Center and Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee for the Tour of Missouri.

Scott recently made a presentation to the Rolla City Council during our last Council meeting that outlines the many benefits and rewards the City received by participating and hosting Stage 4 of the event.

The international exposure and recognition Rolla received on television networks, Websites and newspapers from over 80 countries was staggering. In addition, numerous state-wide television and radio coverage, magazines, and newspapers, including great coverage by the Rolla Daily News, helped put Rolla on the map in a way that has not been done very often in the history of our city. Rolla’s sales tax and motel sales tax both had significant spikes during the month of September when more than 12,000 individuals came out to watch and show their support for the Stage 4 Finish in Rolla and Stage 5 Start in St. James. Most of the motels and hotels in Rolla were booked to capacity on Sept. 11 and many of the area restaurants reported record sales the day and evening the Tour of Missouri was held in Rolla. Other positive benefits the Rolla community receive from the Tour of Missouri include an increased awareness of the importance of health and wellness, a better understanding of the various countries represented in the race, and the overall community pride that comes from the team work and collaboration generated through an event of this stature and size.

My wholehearted support continues to be behind the members of Rolla’s Local Organizing Committee as they once again submit an application bid to be considered as a host city for next year’s Tour of Missouri scheduled for Sept. 7 through Sept. 13, 2009.

In closing I would like to wish everyone a happy, safe and memorable Thanksgiving weekend. Our next City Council meeting will be held Monday, Dec. 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall (located at 901 North Elm Street). If you can’t attend the meeting, be sure to tune into Rolla Channel 6 (RC6) at 6:30 p.m. The Council meeting will be broadcast live and rebroadcasted throughout the week.

City Talk - Growing the economy top priority for City Council

Among the many topics discussed at the 8-hour-long City Council retreat Nov. 13 at City Hall were the financial challenges facing not only the country, but the Rolla community in the months and years ahead.

The City’s 2009 complete budget document can be viewed on the City’s Website at www.rollacity.org/admin.budget.shtm. A hard copy of the budget document is also available at City Hall located at 901 North Elm Street.

To help eliminate some of the misconceptions that sometimes arise regarding the 7.6% sales tax in Rolla, I thought it would be helpful to explain how the City’s sales tax is distributed among the various taxing jurisdictions.

Many individuals think all of Rolla’s 7.6 cent sales tax is received by the City of Rolla, but in reality the City receives 2.5 cents. Of the 2.5 cents received 1 cent goes to the City’s General Fund (about $9.5 million for seven of the City’s departments); 1/2 cent is ear-marked for transportation (street improvements); 1/2 cent for capitol Improvements (city infrastructure), and 1/2 cent for parks and recreation. The remaining 5.1 cents is allocated this way: the State of Missouri receives 4.225 cents, and Phelps County receives .875 cents. The average overall sales tax for Missouri cities comparable to Rolla is 7-8%, with several cities with sales tax rates approaching 9%.

The City’s Solid Waste Department, which includes the Recycling Center and Sanitation (waste collection), and the Sewer Department are considered enterprise funds, which are self-sufficient departments that generate revenues through user fees. The Centre, Rolla’s 63,000-square-foot Health and Recreation complex, is funded by membership, user and program fees, and a 1/2 cent sales tax passed by voters in 1998. The tax funding The Centre sunsets in 2013. The Street fund is also maintained in its own fund to track program expenses and the transportation sales tax and capital improvement sales tax, along with the motor fuel (gas) tax.

Another question many residents may have regarding the City budget is how we plan to generate more revenue or sustain the revenues we have to meet the ongoing expenses generated through inflation and increased city services/manpower (i.e., public safety and public works).

There are many options available to address this dilemma, including cutting services, raising taxes and growing the economy. The strategy the City continues to pursue is to grow the economy so that new businesses, industry and economic development generate employment opportunities and thus fuel the economy in a way that benefits everyone. The tactics that the City employs to grow the economy are to encourage businesses, developers and real estate owners to invest and relocate to the Rolla/Phelps County area. The City regularly partners and works collaboratively with organizations, businesses and institutions such as the Rolla Regional Economic Commission (RREC), Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce, Meramec Regional Planning Commission, Rolla Community Development Corporation, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Phelps County, Rolla Public Schools, area health care providers, and many others to achieve this end.

The most recent and visible example of how the City has worked to grow the economy is the new Walgreens store being constructed at the intersection of State Hwy. 63 and Ridgeview Road. This multi-faceted, multi-phase project dramatically improved not only the appearance of this highly visible and key intersection, but also greatly enhanced the safety, slope and access along Ridgeview Road.

The City is also partnering with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) on other transportation projects such as the proposed Ridgeview Road extension to Bridge School Road, a new traffic light and entrance at the corner of Kingshighway and Fairgrounds road that will ease traffic congestion on Kingshigway and provide a entrance to the new Innovation Tech Park being developed by Missouri S&T.

By continually sending out the message that Rolla is a progressive City where the quality of life is high, the education is top-notch and cutting-edge technology, research and high-tech industry is abundant, we also seek to initiate developer-driven projects such as Rolla West. The recently completed master plan for Rolla West by HNTB is the type of tool the City and Rolla Regional Economic Commission can use to attract new businesses and industry that will help diversify and strengthen our City’s retail offerings, provide more jobs, generate more sales tax, and ultimately grow our economy. The development of Rolla West will help enhance and solidify the City’s stature as the regional hub for South Central Missouri.

In closing I would like to wish everyone a happy, safe and memorable Thanksgiving. In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, City Hall will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 27 and Friday, Nov. 28. The Centre (1200 North Holloway, Street), will also be closed Thanksgiving Day, and will be open the day after Thanksgiving from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, please call (573) 341-2386.

The Solid Waste Department will be picking up Thursday’s trash on Wednesday. For more information regarding trash pick-up, yard waste, recycling or the City’s new Household Hazardous Waste Facility, please call (573) 364-6693.

City Talk - Bourbon H.S. Ecology class tours Recycling Center

As part of a day-long field trip that included stops at the City of Rolla’s Southwest Treatment Plant, and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR), a group of 23 Ecology students from Bourbon High School recently toured the Rolla Recycling Center located at 2141 Old St. James Road.

The tour of the Recycling Center on Nov. 6 was hosted by Solid Waste Director Brady Wilson, who did a lot more than talk about trash to the group of juniors and seniors who attend Jon Johnson’s Ecology class at Bourbon High School in Bourbon, Missouri.

Wilson’s main message to the students was that “just about anything we use and consume at home, at work and around town can be recycled.” The students were surrounded by mountains of recycled paper and cardboard as Wilson emphasized how important recycling is, not only from an environmental and ecological perspective, but also an economic one.

Hylan Beydler, Public Information Coordinator with the DNR, Division of Geology and Land Survey in Rolla, said that touring the Rolla Recycling Center helps to broaden the student’s awareness of their career opportunities in Geology and Ecology, and increases their awareness of the impact that recycling has on their environment. Beydler, who coordinated the day-long field trip and environmental education outreach with Jim Lubbers from the DNR in Jefferson City, said the field trip was funded entirely from the State’s Scrap Tire fee, which is coordinated by DNR.

Wilson, who is passionate about recycling, the environment, and educating the public about the positive impact recycling and the Rolla Recycling Center has on our community, conducts student and civic tours of the Recycling Center on a regular basis.

The next big project Brady will be showcasing at the Recycling Center is a new recycled materials exhibit that will demonstrate the use of recycled products and includes a handicapped picnic table and message board totally constructed from recycled materials. The exhibit will also include a composting demonstration display.

To schedule a tour of the facility, or for more information about the Recycling Center and new Household Hazardous Waste Facility, please call the Solid Waste Department at (573) 364-6693. To schedule a tour of the DNR offices in Rolla, please call Hylan Beydler at (573) 368-2100.