ALDERMEN SAY GOODBYES TO OLD JACKSON CITY HALL

JACKSON -- Aldermen said goodbye to old Jackson City Hall Monday as they approved a budget, rejected a rezoning request and passed a drug testing ordinance.

The board's Dec. 25 work session was cancelled for the Christmas holiday, making Monday's meeting the last in the old building. It will be sold for cash at a public auction on Jan. 5.

"It served the people very well since 1961," Mayor Paul Sander said. "We hope the next building will serve us well for the next 50 years."

In one of their last official actions in the old building, the aldermen approved an $11.4 operating budget for 1996. There were some tough decisions to be made this year, the mayor said, but the necessary cuts made for a balanced budget and high fund balances.

A graph prepared to demonstrate the city's financial security shows an upward trend in the city's fund balances.

"The council feels good about the balanced budget," Sander said. "Our funds are in the strongest position ever."

One of the main items budgeted for this year but cut from the list was a parks and recreation director, but City Administrator Steve Wilson said the item would be brought up again for 1997. Several items of equipment requested by the electric, police, fire, street, sanitation, park and water departments will have to wait, too.

City staff placed the monetary emphasis on improving Jackson's infrastructure, Wilson said. The city will build a new electric substation, make additional improvements on the east-side water tower and complete associated water line looping, which will increase pressure.

In other action, aldermen approved a drug and alcohol testing policy for employees with commercial drivers licenses and for emergency personnel. Eventually, the program will expand to all newly hired and existing employees.

The start-up cost is $3,000 for the first year. Employees will have urine testing done to find drugs. Drug and alcohol tests will be administered after accidents.

Part of the reason for the policy is a new law that requires drug tests for CDL holders, but there was more.

"The people of Jackson have a right to know that the employees serving them are free of drug and alcohol," Wilson said.

Also on Monday, aldermen turned down a rezoning request from Mike and Joyce Baker at 977 Donna Drive.

The Bakers' home, which is zoned as residential property, sits in a long line of commercial lots. Their property touches the Boatmen's Bank parking lot on one side and Highway 61 on another.

Neighbors protested the rezoning, claiming that allowing businesses on the Bakers' lot would disrupt the area.

A two-thirds majority was needed to rezone the property. David Hitt, Jack Piepenbrok, Fred Leimer and Dave Reiminger voted in favor of the change. Glenn Oldham, David Ludwig and Kerry Hoffman voted against the rezoning. Val Tuschhoff was absent.

The next Jackson Board of Aldermen meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 2 in the new City Hall on Courthouse Square.