SCOTT CITY COUNCIL PUTS HOUSE RENUMBERING PROPOSAL ON HOLD

~Correction: Scott City Postmaster Theon Schlosser was misquoted in Tuesday's Southeast Missourian.

Schlosser told the Monday night Scott City Council meeting that fliers encouraging citizens to attend the meeting should not have been placed in mailboxes without postage affixed. He said this constitutes a possible violation of federal statutes and, if it happened again, he may have to notify postal inspectors about the problem.

The fliers encouraged those living in the Country Club subdivision to attend the council meeting to protest a planned renumbering of about 126 homes.

Schlosser said his carriers brought back at least 25 copies of the fliers that were placed in mailboxes without postage.

SCOTT CITY About 70 people attended a Monday meeting of the Scott City Council to protest a city project that would change the house numbers of at least 200 city residents.

City officials told the group they will have to present a petition to the city before the project is terminated but agreed to put it on hold.

"If there was a logical reason to change them, then I'd say change them. But there's no reason for any of this," said Melba Sharrock, one of the residents who spoke.

Most people who attended the meeting are residents of the city's Country Club subdivision, where 126 house numbers are being changed.

City officials say the changes are necessary so that emergency vehicles can find homes on emergency calls. They said some homes in the subdivision are numbered incorrectly or lack a posted house number. In addition, they said the block numbers are not consistent with the rest of the city.

Chief of Police David Beck said that while some police, fire and ambulance workers live in Scott City and are familiar with resident's homes, some of those workers reside in Chaffee or other towns and are not familiar with the town.

But residents voiced opposition to the change, saying the city has operated for many years with its house numbering system and there have been no significant problems.

"You may not perceive there to be a problem, but there is one," Beck said, calling the present numbering system a "major headache."

"We tell new officers `don't go by the streets' when they're looking for a house," he said.

Earl Fehr, who said his mother lives in Country Club, accused city officials of "jumping into" the renumbering project without thinking it through. He said that although there are problems with the city's house numbering system, they aren't all in Country Club.

"This whole town is screwed up," Fehr said. "If you're going to do this then ... do it right. Start out at Cloverdale and change the whole damn town."

Cloverdale is a subdivision on the city's north edge. Lloyd Young, who helped plan the renumbering, said 144 homes outside of the Country Club subdivision also require new numbers, but that these homes are scattered throughout the city

Dick Brashear, a resident of Country Club, asked the council how residents should fight the renumbering and whether the council or the mayor had initiated the project.

The council last month approved the project and letters where sent to city residents affected by the changes, informing them of changes.

"It's possible that next election, you won't be sitting up there," Brashear told council members.

Others said the city should have included residents of the subdivision when planning the project.

After more than an hour of hearing residents' protests, Mayor Shirley Young said she was in favor of halting the project, at least in Country Club.

"I don't know how the council feels, but I'm in favor of cutting Country Club off and not doing a thing," she said. She said the city would not be responsible if emergency vehicles could not find homes in the subdivision.

She said residents would not be required to change their numbers in 30 days as the letter requested.

Country Club sits in the city's Ward 1. Councilwoman of that ward, Brenda Moyers, told residents the city was not trying to upset them when they devised the renumbering project.

"We jumped into it because we thought we were doing the right thing. Obviously we're wrong." she said.

Councilman Jerry Cummins suggested the petition.

Postmaster Theon Schlosser, who emphasized that the post office was not responsible for the renumbering project, threatened to have postal inspectors investigate the subdivision if the renumbering project is not done.

He urged residents to carefully consider whether the project is necessary.