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Kennett council approves fire pager upgrades, vehicle transfer, new street hire and publishes health-insurance RFP
Summary
The council approved purchasing two digital pagers for the fire department, transferred $9,255 for a 2019 police vehicle to the Police Equipment Reserve, authorized adding one full-time street employee, and voted to publish a request for proposals for employee health insurance; they later entered closed session under RSMO provisions.
The Kennett City Council on Jan. 20 approved several administrative and operational measures affecting public safety and city staffing.
Fire Chief Lance Davis told the council the department’s current pagers are analog while the state and many other agencies, including the Kennett Police Department, have converted to digital. “I would like to start transitioning the Kennett Fire Department from the analog system to the digital system by purchasing equipment each year,” Davis said. The council approved purchasing two pagers at $716.40 each, totaling $1,432.80, to be paid from the EMA Reserve Account.
On equipment and asset management, Council Member Dennis Pelts said the bids received for a 2019 KPD Ford Taurus would be rejected and the vehicle reassigned to City Administration. The council approved transferring $9,255 from the General Fund to the Police Equipment Reserve Fund in exchange for the vehicle.
Council Member Mark Bryant said the Street Department is operating at about half its usual staffing and that hiring an additional employee would help with streets, drainage, weather response and upcoming mowing season. The council approved hiring an additional full-time Street Department employee to bring the total to nine.
City Clerk Mandy Lewis presented a draft Request for Proposals for employee health insurance; after no changes were requested, the council voted to publish the RFP. Mayor Jake Crafton also suggested forming an informal committee—composed of the chairs of the standing committees (Fire, Police, Street, Humane and Finance)—to review proposed updates to Humane Resources policies; no objections were recorded.
Later in the meeting, the council voted to enter closed session for legal matters per RSMO 610.021(1) and personnel per RSMO 610.021(3); the roll call vote for entering closed session recorded seven yes votes. The council returned to open session by recorded vote and then adjourned.
