Mayor defends administration; public commenter urges appointing records custodian and questions interim clerk pay

Mayor opened a comment to residents defending the city administration against unnamed critics and listing recent projects and spending. "This Board of Alderman and I drive these streets... This board has spent nearly $4,800,000 on various infrastructure repairs, improvements, and fixing problems," the mayor said, citing the city's work on streets and sewer improvements.

The mayor noted a sewer improvement plan and said "Nearly 1,100,000 was spent this year to get some of the worst parts of our sewer system repaired and operating as they should again." He said the board has worked to restore professionalism, transparency and relationships with other governmental agencies.

During public comment a speaker urged the board to appoint a custodian of records as required by Missouri law, citing Missouri Sunshine Law and local code sections. "I just wanted to let you guys know I figured you guys are gonna be that it's legally required to appoint a custodian of records," the commenter said, and added that failing to designate a custodian could create open-records violations and legal risk. The commenter said they had filed a sunshine request for the interim city clerk contract and questioned the cost: "Like, why are we paying somebody a $100 an hour to do this?"

The comment period included requests for transparency about who has legal authority to grant or deny access to records and for the city to identify an interim custodian while the city clerk position is vacant. The meeting record shows the mayor then requested a closed session under a cited authority and that the record be closed.

The board did not announce a response to the sunshine request in the meeting transcript; no formal action appointing a custodian was recorded.