Board of Aldermen approves three ordinances on impaired-driving enforcement, range use and utility easements

The Kearney Board of Aldermen unanimously approved three ordinances March 16 that together authorize a federal enforcement grant, a cheaper firearms-range agreement, and easements tied to a planned waterline near a new fire station.

Police Chief Mark Thomas presented Bill No. 16-2026, saying the ordinance authorizes a reimbursable federal award administered through the University of Central Missouri to support a spring impaired-driving enforcement campaign. The Board approved the measure on its second reading; it was enacted as Ordinance No. 1677-2026 by a 4–0 roll-call vote (Holt, Spencer, King, Lehman voting yes).

Thomas also presented Bill No. 17-2026, a range-use agreement with the City of Excelsior Springs that, Thomas said, would allow Kearney officers to use that range for $200 per use instead of the roughly $400 per use the department pays in Cameron. The ordinance passed on second reading and became Ordinance No. 1678-2026 (4–0).

Community Development Director David Pavlich described Bill No. 18-2026 as an acceptance of a permanent utility easement and a temporary construction easement across Lot 3, Wilkerson Farm 1st Plat, explained the easements are connected to the Nation Road waterline work and a second fire station, and noted the easement grantor was the Fire and Rescue Protection District. The Board approved the ordinance on second reading; it became Ordinance No. 1679-2026 (4–0).

Each ordinance was introduced, read by title, advanced on a first-reading motion, and adopted on a subsequent second-reading motion with unanimous votes. No amendments or recorded dissent were noted during the recorded proceedings.

The Board also moved into an executive session later in the meeting to address legal, real estate, negotiated contract and personnel matters; no public action or vote on those executive-session topics was recorded in the minutes.