MAYOR BREAKS TIE: JACKSON BOARD OF ALDERMEN REJECTS EMPLOYEE PAY HIKES

JACKSON -- The Board of Aldermen on a 5-4 vote Monday night rejected a 2 percent pay hike for city employees, with Mayor Carlton Meyer casting the tie-breaking vote.

The motion submitted by Alderman Phil Johnston would have instructed the city attorney to draw up an ordinance spelling out the pay hike.

Voting for the pay increase were Aldermen Val Tuschhoff, Kevin Sander, Paul Sander, and Phil Johnston. Voting against the proposal was the mayor, along with aldermen Leroy Brown, David Ludwig, Glenn Oldham and Jack Piepenbrok.

Meyer presided over his first board meeting since late December, when he was hospitalized for major surgery in a Kansas City hospital.

In other action, the aldermen voted 5-2 Monday to go ahead with installation of stop signs for a three-way stop at Greensferry Road and Clark Street.

The issue was tabled for additional study during the board's March 2 meeting after petitions opposing the stop signs were received from some property owners who live on Greensferry Road.

The matter was taken off the table Monday night on a 7-0 vote. But when it came to the vote on amending the stop sign ordinance, Aldermen Paul Sander and Leroy Brown voted no.

After the meeting, Sander said he understood why the other aldermen voted for the stop signs, and explained the reason for his own negative vote. "I feel a stop sign may at some time cause a rear-end collision because of the low sight distance there," he said. "But I agree that something must be done to improve the situation."

Sander said he hoped a flashing yellow light could be installed over the intersection, and on Greensferry Road, south of the intersection, to warn motorists of the three-way stop. "I hope that in the future we can fix this problem permanently by cutting back the hill to increase the sight distance," he added.

In other business, the board voted to provide up to $20,000 to the Jackson Park Foundation for the purchase of building materials to construct restrooms to serve the city soccer fields south of West Jackson Blvd.

Also approved was a motion to advertise for bids for the second half of the West Main Street improvement project, from the Hubble Creek Bridge east to High Street. Bids will be opened at the April 20 board meeting. Work will begin this summer.