BERNIE, Mo. -- The Bernie Board of Alderman passed an ordinance closing a portion of Judy Street from where it dead ends near Highway 25 to Oak Street. The board met in regular session earlier this week.
The issue was discussed at the February meeting of the board, and they recommended closing only the portion of Judy Street from the dead end to Oak Street. They instructed City Attorney Robin Northern to prepare the ordinance at the March meeting.
The only property owners effected by vacating that portion of the street are the Bernie Church of Christ and Steve and Dottie Babb.
Steve Babb was present at the board meeting, and proposed to close another portion of Judy Street from Oak to Drake Streets. Aside from the Church of Christ, the other landowners affected by closing that portion of Judy Street was Joe Thomason.
Thomason appeared at the February board meeting and again in March to oppose the closing. He said his property currently has three sides with street frontage, and closing Judy Street would leave him with only one side with street frontage. He said vacating that portion of the street would also leave the church parking lot with only one street for access to the parking lot. He said motorists parking in that lot can now use Judy Street to enter and exit the lot.
Attorney Dennis Wilson, speaking on behalf of the church, said the church did not have any objections to vacating Judy Street to Drake Street.
After further discussion, Alderman Ray Coats made a motion to close Judy Street from the dead end to Drake Street. The motion died for lack of a second.
Mayor David Teeters read the ordinance prepared by Northern to close Judy Street to Oak Street. It passed 6-0 on both readings. Present were Aldermen Coats, Ivan Mekan, Dennis Jackson, Todd Young, Tim Gage and Barry Zimmerman.
In executive session, the aldermen accepted the resignation of Toby Haynes as a police officer and hired Alex Collier to replace him. Collier had been a full-time dispatcher. The alderman voted to hire Kristen Stevens as full-time dispatcher to replace Collier.
Stoddard County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director Kent Polsgrove was present at the meeting to update the board on the County EMA plan for disaster-preparedness throughout the year. He said the goal of the agency is to make the county, cities and rural areas ready for storms and other disasters.