The Owensville Board of Aldermen discussed plans to reduce meetings, heard updates on departmental projects and approved board appointments and a lease agreement at their June 15 meeting.

Owensville Mayor Kevin McFadden discussed the Board’s current meeting schedule and upcoming changes. In an attempt to “respect the time” of city staff he discussed reducing the meetings to once per month.

The new meeting date will be the third Monday each month at 6 p.m. with the possibility of a second meeting, if needed.

These changes are expected at a later time, once the city attorney creates an ordinance.

Owensville Police Chief Scott Griffith advised the board that his department’s Friday, June 12 barbecue fundraiser for the Shop With a Hero program raised approximately $2,100 for their Christmas assistance fund. This number is down from the $3,500 raised at last year’s event held on a Saturday.

“It was okay thinking that businesses and stuff would come and preorder and purchase,” Griffith said, “but that just didn’t happen.”

The Public Works Department has used $25,000 of leftover budget funds for curbing and concrete work on Marvin Avenue, Second Street and Moore Avenue.

The city’s celebration of the United States 250th anniversary with their annual fireworks display which will be held this Friday, June 26, beginning with the flag raising ceremony at 5:30 p.m. and fireworks display starting at 9:30 p.m.

City Engineer James Kolbe informed the board that he would be approaching the Owensville Planning & Zoning Commission at their meeting to do a “mass switch" of the Old Town Commercial District to Old Town to bring it up to date.

“Old Town Commercial is defunct, so we don’t allow any new zoning in that district,” Kolbe said.

The switch would also be to the benefit of some of those affected who hold conditional use permits.

“It won’t require those anymore,” he said.

Kolbe additionally informed the board that the city is currently using the 2003 International Building Code and there have been talks of bringing it up to the 2021 code. He shared that there are some benefits in terms of the insurance analysis for being within 10 years of the current code, which is published annually.

With the city 22 years behind, they are looking to align with the upcoming changes in Hermann and New Haven, with Hermann currently using the 2015 code.

The Parks and Recreation Department had around 225 attend their first Sparklight Series showing “Angels in the Outfield.”

An ordinance was approved to lease property at Lot 7 of West Side Industrial Park, plat 1, to Gasconade County for salt and cinder storage. The county will maintain the road.

This ordinance passed with a first reading requested by Ward 2 Alderman Denise Bohl, seconded by Ward 1 Alderman Dan Breeden and a third reading requested by Board President and Ward 1 Alderman Dr. Cathy Lahmeyer.

Derrick Tyree and Dana Hampton were assigned to the Parks Commission for four-year terms. Assigned to the Board of Adjustment were Roxanne Brueseke and John Hoffman.