New members to begin council terms in Scott City

Two new members will be sworn in when the city council of Scott City meets Monday night. One has served on the council so many times he doesn't recall whether this will be his fifth or sixth two-year term. The other member also has served on the council before but only for a few months.

Norman Brant, the new councilman with all the experience, defeated Councilman Ron Gray in the Ward 4 election earlier this month.

Jeff Curnell, the other new face, was not opposed in Ward 1. Councilman Rodney Holloway decided not to run for re-election.

Brant's council experience goes back to the 1980s. He last served on the council two years ago but gave up his seat to take a job with the city. He now works for the Scott County Highway Department.

Getting involved in city government again only seems natural to him.

"I grew up here in town, and I care about what takes place in the city," Brant said. "A lot of people live their whole life here and couldn't tell you who the mayor is or who their council member is. ... I can't believe anybody would want to live in a town and not take part in the growth."

Fixing infrastructure problems ought to be the city's top priority, Brant said. "Our water and sewer system is old. Most of the lines are at the 70- and 80-year mark. They are in bad shape."

The city has begun building a new water treatment plant, but Brant says that will do little good if the delivery system isn't replaced as well. That's a big job. "It's not only a major problem, it's also an expensive problem," he said. The city may have to work on the system in sections, he said.

Conflicting meetings

Curnell works for the North Scott County Ambulance District. Getting accepted for paramedic training was the reason he had to resign from the council in 2000 only a few months after his election. The paramedic class met on Mondays, the same as council meetings.

He had barely started learning the job of councilman when he had to leave the Ward 2 seat. He was replaced by current councilman Terry Gettings. Curnell, who now lives in Ward 1, said, "I'll still be the new kid on the block."

He wants "to fulfill what I wanted to do the first time," he said, though adding, "I don't have an agenda. I want to see what the city runs like and contribute to its betterment."

He thinks Scott City's biggest problem is a stagnant economy. "We need to try to figure out something to attract some revenue and industry for the city," he said.

Monday, Brant will present the council with a design he proposes to become the city flag. Also on the agenda is a public hearing on developer Monty Kessee's proposal to rezone an area near the city's baseball park for a 63-lot subdivision.

sblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182