City asked to reconsider equipment sale

The first citizen to appear before the commission was former city commissioner John Keating who spoke on the issue of selling the asphalt equipment. Keating said he was speaking on behalf of the people who are doing the asphalt work for the city and who want to continue to do the work.

The equipment was responsible for the asphalting of the roads in Gunn Park, the walking path at Fort Scott Community College, portions of National Avenue and Horton Streets, as well as many other streets in the town, Keating said.

"The street department needs the equipment," Keating said. "All I ask is (the commissioners) reconsider the direction the city is going in."

The second citizen was Jim Shoemaker who questioned whether a master plumber inspected the new sewer lines near his shop on Scott Avenue. He said a terrible sewer odor from the new lines was coming from his shop as well as the Courtland Hotel. Fort Scott Director of Public Works Eric Bailey said he has looked at it and found that solids have built up in the six-inch line between two four-inch lines and that he is looking into a solution.

Shoemaker also commented on his dissatisfaction with the way the bricks have been replaced from the Streetscape Project. He said the base was not prepared properly and as a result the bricks are breaking and puddles are forming when it rains. Fort Scott City Manager Joe Turner said he will have the project engineer look into it and report back.

Other business conducted included:

* Approved Certificates of Appropriateness to Iron Star, 3 N. Main, for new paint and windows, and Alltell/Verizon, 2 S. Main, for new paint.

* Approved a request to use the city's parking lot from 5-6:30 p.m. on October 28, for the First Baptist Church's Trunk or Treat event.

* Approved the 6:15 p.m., Nov. 17, for a public hearing regarding the alleged unsafe and dangerous structure located at 111 N. Judson.

* Accepted a grant for the Fort Scott Police Department in the amount of $27,495 for the purchase of new equipment.