City awarded MIRMA safety grants

MARYVILLE, Mo. — The city of Maryville was awarded more than $5,000 in reimbursement grants from the Missouri Intergovernmental Risk Management Association to pay for multiple safety enhancements.

During Monday's regular City Council meeting, Jeff Arp, a loss control specialist with MIRMA, the statewide municipal self-insurance group Maryville is a part of, presented city officials with a certificate for three grants totaling more than $5,000 that are awarded to participating cities for projects that can help with loss control.

Maryville was awarded $2,925 to purchase six body cameras for the Maryville Police Department, $1,200 for the purchase of an automated external defibrillator and $1,000 for work zone signage for a total of $5,125.

Liberty Road traffic studyAlso during Monday's meeting, council members approved a program agreement with the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission for a traffic study of Liberty Road and 245th Street, which lead to Mozingo Lake Recreation Park.

The scope of the study will run along Liberty from its intersection with U.S. Highway 136 to 245th Street, then on 245th Street to approximately the intersection with Ridge Road.

Assistant City Manager Ryan Heiland said the study will focus on making the roads safer for both motorists and pedestrians by looking into widening the streets and also adding sidewalks and pedestrian crossings to allow easier and safer foot traffic. Heiland said pedestrian safety was a particular consideration near the Back Nine RV Park at the intersection of Liberty and 245th. Sidewalks would allow people staying there to more easily walk to the park, he said.

The agreement approved on Monday formalizes a $12,000 grant awarded to the city in October by the Highways and Transportation Commission through the Traffic Engineering Assistance Program. The final project cost is expected be around $72,000, city staff estimated.

Other City Council notes

Council members approved a $35,000 agreement with Speak Creative to redesign the Mozingo Lake Recreation Park website. Since Madden Media took over hosting and maintaining the site in 2017, Mozingo staff said that parts of the site have become unusable and is sometimes difficult to edit.The council approved a $56,000 agreement with David E. Ross Construction to repair piping at the Maryville Water Treatment Plant. Public Works Director Matt Smith said that several cracked 10-inch PVC pipes at the facility will need to be replaced along with some associated equipment.Council members approved a $12,804.58 agreement with VF Anderson Builders to repair storm drainage infrastructure at 1206 S. Main St.The City Council meeting scheduled for Dec. 25 has been canceled. The next meeting will be held on the regularly scheduled date of Jan. 8, 2024.