Miner looking to make amends with Sikeston

MINER -- The city of Miner will send Sikeston officials a letter to see if the broken relationship between the neighboring cities can be mended.

The Miner Board of Aldermen made the decision to send the letter during the regular monthly meeting Thursday after hearing from several Miner business owners who say their businesses will suffer by not being included in Sikeston's local vendor preference policy.

The Sikeston City Council removed Miner from its local vendor preference policy during their Dec. 7 meeting. Sikeston officials explained during their meeting that including Miner in the local preference policy and including Miner's wrecker services in the Sikeston Department of Public Safety's regular rotation was a courtesy extended when the cities formed the Sikeston-Miner Convention and Visitor's Bureau.

As the city of Miner withdrew from that partnership, Sikeston officials felt it was no longer appropriate to include the Miner's businesses.

The Miner business owners said they must now be 5 percent cheaper than Sikeston businesses to compete for Sikeston bids.

The Board of Alderman explained their decision to withdraw from the Sikeston-Miner CVB was based on saving the $54,000 it cost to participate.

"The decision was made to use that money toward the convention center," Mayor Mitch Thompson said. He later added that "now it doesn't look like a good decision."

Some of those who had served as Miner's representatives for the Sikeston-Miner CVB said they didn't feel as if Miner was always being treated fairly.

Deloris Smith, Miner Board of Aldermen member, said they unsuccessfully tried to discuss their concerns with the CVB's board. "We set a meeting with them and they never showed up," Smith said.

One citizen said that Miner officials should seek to address the "underlying issues" through communication instead of severing relationships. It was also noted that events in Sikeston benefit Miner as those who come to town for those events stay in Miner's hotels.

Several business owners expressed the opinion that while Sikeston doesn't need Miner, Miner needs Sikeston and it is Miner's loss, not Sikeston's.

"It's worked a hardship on me," said Don Curtis of Todd's Towing.

"It's costing me money out of my pocket," Bill James of Bill James Excavation said. "You've created a heck of a problem for all the businesses in Miner."

James urged the Board to reconsider their decision and attempt to restore the relationship with Sikeston.

"We will contact Sikeston and see what can be done," he said.

In other business during Thursday's meeting:

* The Board approved the purchase of a tool box for a fire department truck from Tractor Supply for $298.

Jack Tucker, fire chief, said the previous vendor he checked with had a tool box the same size priced at $369.

* Board members approved allowing a wireless Internet provider to mount equipment on the rail of a city water tower.

Under the terms of the contract, the city will receive 4 percent of revenue received by the company from providing services with that equipment.

Wireless Internet service is "something people here could benefit from," Smith said. "Sikeston has it, Benton has it."

* Winter fire school at the University of Missouri-Columbia for four firefighters was approved by the board.

The cost for each participant is $120 plus hotel costs for the weekend training session.

Board members also approved applying for a grant which may pay half the cost of purchasing a repeater to improve the fire department's radio communications.

Jack Tucker, fire chief, said the cost should be around $6,000 for the repeater.

* The Board approved renewing its liability insurance coverage from Missouri Rural Service.

"The rates are the same," said Charles Carroll, the insurance agent.

Carroll said the $806 premium increase for an annual total of $15,099 is because of additional property the city has acquired.

* The purchase of a 3.5 by 2 inch advertisement for $300 on the Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce's Sikeston-Miner street map was approved by board members.