Theodosia gets half-million-dollar grant for street improvements, discusses security system, removal of abandoned mobile homes
By Jessi Dreckman
The village of Theodosia Board of Aldermen has been discussing and working on several projects this year. Some of those activities are outlined here. The board’s most recent monthly meeting was held Oct. 4 in the Village Hall on Highway 160. The next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 3.
Village employees and operations
The village manages the sewer system, city roads and street lights and makes sure ordinances are upheld. The village’s water system is governed by Public Water Supply District #1, a separate entity.
The village employs one full-time sewer and maintenance technician, Bryan McGinnis; a part-time worker who focuses on road and lawn maintenance, David Schneider; and a part-time clerk and accountant, Shari Schaper.
The Board of Trustees meet at 5:30 p.m. on the first Monday of the month in the Village Hall. The board consists of chairman Jerry Smith and trustees John Maglione, Craig Fisher, Buddy Wondel and Randall Unruh.
The municipality operates out of the Village Hall at 23 Village Hall Drive, off Highway 160 in Theodosia; however, the building is currently closed to the public due to covid concerns. Those with questions and concerns can call 417-273-4830. Sewer issues can be addressed to Bryan McGinnis at 417-372-7287.
$498,000 grant for street improvements
In May, the village was notified that it had been awarded a $498,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the Missouri Department of Economic Development for a general infrastructure project. The village trustees signed the contracts for that work during the July 12 meeting, and a representative from the South Central Ozarks Council of Governments (SCOCOG) was assigned to the project to help the trustees and the village staff navigate the grant’s parameters.
Board chairman Smith and City Clerk Schaper had a conference call with CDGB grant officials and SCOCOG on July 31 to discuss the procedures for the grant.
“We’re planning on using the money to improve some of the roads in the city limits. We can’t start on the project until the [Environmental Protection Agency] does an environmental study of the area,” Schaper told the Times. “We still do not have this report yet. It’s a work in progress.”
The village anticipates more movement within the project when the EPA report is issued.
CCTV security system
At the June 7 village meeting, Smith suggested that the village look into installing a closed-circuit television security system at the Village Hall due to a rise in burglaries around Theodosia at the time. Smith’s proposal was prompted by a theft and break-in at the nearby Bull Shoals Lake Package and Outdoors.
“The robbers used the village parking area as their home base, and if we would have had security cameras, we may have been able to find out who they were,” Schaper said. “It’s also for safety reasons. We do have people coming and going quite often.”
During the July 12 village meeting, Smith told his fellow trustees that he had received a quote from Advanced Detection Security Systems in Mountain Home, Arkansas, for a closed-circuit TV system that would cost $1,750. He said the system would include four cameras, a network video recorder and installation. Trustee John Maglione said he’s installed his own CCTV system at his house that cost around $450. He offered to get a price on a system and do the installation himself. The board discussed the matter further during the Sept. 13 meeting and set a budget of $3,000 to $5,000. During the October meeting, Maglione gave an update, saying he’d received one quote and was awaiting two others.
The board plans to revisit the matter during the Nov. 3 meeting.
Offering employee benefits
During its Oct. 4 meeting, the Board of Trustees also discussed the possibility of offering Theodosia village employees a benefit package to make the positions more attractive to prospective employees.
Smith brought up the idea to the other trustees, and Schaper said she’d look into medical insurance quotes. The board plans to revisit the topic at the Nov. 3 meeting.
The village is currently looking to hire another full-time sewer and maintenance worker. For more information about the job, call Village Hall at 417-273-4830.
Smith announced that the village had purchased Air Evac memberships for employees Bryan McGinnis and David Schneider.
Abandoned mobile homes
Several abandoned mobile homes within the village city limits have been discussed during recent meetings.
“They’re unlivable and falling down,” Schaper said.
Certified letters asking the mobile home owners to move the trailers were sent out prior to the Aug. 2 meeting, but there has been no progress in the matter.
Smith suggested that the village offer to buy the trailers from the owners for $500 and then discard them. Trustee Craig Fisher suggested that the village attempt to buy one trailer for $500 and see how well the process works before continuing with purchasing the other mobile homes.
Other discussions and activities
These topics were also discussed recently by the board of trustees:
The village plans to rent a 60-foot boom lift owned by local resident Steve Hart to complete some tree-trimming work within the village limits. City employees McGinnis and Schneider and board president Smith plan to do the trimming.
Unruh moved that the village do an annual audit of the 2020-21 year, and all members of the board of trustees voted yes.
Smith told the board that the village had sold an old backhoe for $6,000.
Maglione said he had an appointment with the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to discuss flood plain guidelines. He planned to give an update at the next meeting.
McGinnis reported that the village’s sewer system did very well with recent heavy rains.