Scott City council discusses amphitheater in city park

This past week, the Scott City Parks Board chose a design for what a future amphitheater is going to look like in Scott City Park.

At Monday night's Scott City City Council meeting, city administrator Ron Eskew showed council members the chosen design and said a construction date has not yet been set. The parks department is continuing to raise money.

At the Scott City Chamber of Commerce meeting Jan. 28, the chamber donated $1,000 to the city to be used for the theater. This brings the parks department's total fundraising amount to nearly $20,000, council members said

At the Monday council meeting, a total price for constructing the amphitheater was not determined, but council members talked of needing funds of up to half a million dollars.

"There's 40 acres in that park, so it's going to be on the southwest quadrant of the park," Eskew said.

Talk of constructing an amphitheater began in 2010, Eskew said, and it is largely being funded by Capital Improvement Taxes the city passed.

Members of the council were concerned residents were not aware of what the tax was going to be used for when passing it, thinking the improvements were going toward general improvements to the city. Council members want to make the amphitheater plans and funding more transparent to city residents.

911 center

Also during Eskew's portion of the meeting he clarified a point made last month regarding the city's involvement in a possible 911 center in Sikeston, Missouri.

Eskew clarified that after last month's meeting he spoke with Scott County Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger on plans to consolidate multiple centers in Scott County and make the primary focus in Sikeston.

Scott City would not be working with just Sikeston, as he previously thought.

"[The Scott County Commissioners office] doesn't have a set figure on how much it is going to cost the county yet," Eskew said.

The council discussed that if the current system should go down, it would cost approximately $100,000 to get the 911 center running again. The unofficial conclusion was to wait for more information, and if their system should suddenly break, they would seriously consider consolidating.

Fire department

Fire chief Jay Cassout announced to the board that the Scott City Fire Department once again received a grant from the Missouri Department of Conservation. He said the grant could award up to $6,000 to the fire department that he plans to use for equipment.

Cassout said the fire department has responded to a high number of calls this year, with 70 in January and nine in the two days of February.

Other business

• The council also unanimously agreed to rent the old police building on Third Street East to the Scott City Kiwanis Club to hold its T-shirt printing equipment.

Eskew said the Kiwanis Club uses the printing machine for fundraising and working with the Scott City Interactive Parks Program.

• Police chief David Leeman announced the bids for the Crown Victoria police car that was for sale, and they will be accepting the bid for $701.99.
• Kenny Massa, who was initiated as a reserve officer last month, also has been reinstated as a full-time patrolman to fill a gap the police force has had for the past few months.
• There was an accident at St. Joseph Cemetery early Sunday morning, in which a fence was damaged. Leeman said the person responsible contacted police and will be paying restitution.

The next city council meeting is scheduled for Feb. 16 at Scott City City Hall.

smaue@semissourian.com

388-3644

Pertinent address:

215 Chester Ave., Scott City, Mo.