Legal issues continue to stall the Ozark Building renovation project

Wednesday, July 2, 2003

A proposal that would have allowed work toward the redevelopment of the Ozark Building to begin is still on hold. Tuesday night, the Nevada City Council voted to table an ordinance that would have amended the purchase and sale agreement between the city and Cypress Grove Apartments until the next city council meeting. Because of pending litigation over the sale of the building, several council members wanted to have some recent amendments to the ordinance incorporated into the written document and posted on the city's Web site before they voted on it. Craig Hubler, city manager, told the council that the related lawsuit is scheduled to be heard in Vernon County Circuit Court on Sept. 9. The amended ordinance will allow the city to have three projects completed that are necessary before anyone can purchase the building, mayor Bill Edmonds said. The proposed work would cost a total of $45,000: $3,500 for an environmental study, $3,500 for a site and building survey and $38,000 to install a new electric service around the perimeter of the property. "We will only be paying for things that must be done anyway," Edmonds said. None of this work is related to Legacy, Edmonds said in response to questions from Joe Kraft and Dick Meyers. Robert Allen, Cypress Grove Apartments, said that he understands that the money for this work comes from the $587,000 that state of Missouri appropriated for the purpose of renovating the Ozark Building. Allen told the council that because of the requirement that the money be used for the Ozark Building he sees three options: "First, renovate the building. Second, let the building continue standing vacant. Third, demolish it and build a road and name it after someone." "Those funds are to be used for that building, not some other part of the city," Allen said. "That money is exclusively to be used for the Ozark Building," Edmonds acknowledged. The city council also voted 5-0 to deny $7,500 in funding for Main Street Nevada. "I would like for someone to respond to our questions," Mike Straight said adding that the organization does not have an office and meets in restaurants. Straight also said that Main Street does not have a project manager and has not had one for a long time. Tim Moore said that when they were evaluating the budget last fall he told Main Street's acting director, John Bussinger, that the group would have to present a plan to the council to receive any funding. Moore said that the council has not heard from the organization in six months. "To my knowledge they only have one fund-raiser planned for this year," Tim Moore said. In other business, the council: * Approved the reappointment of Will Messer to a three-year term on the parks and recreation board. Messer's term will expire June 2006. * Approved the reappointment of Joann Fisk to the parks and recreation board. Fisk's term will expire June 2006. Accepted the low bids from Blevins Asphalt Company of $58,492.10 for the Country Club Neighborhood Improvement District project and $282,018.90 for the 2003 sales tax improvement projects. These bids are significantly below the estimates for the two projects. The estimated cost for the Country Club NID was $64,390., and the estimated cost for the sales tax improvement projects came to $318,082. * Passed on first reading a general ordinance that will allow special council meeting notices to be delivered to council members by e-mail as well as the current requirement that they be delivered in person or left at the member's place of business or residence. City council packets are already being delivered to council members through the city's Web site.

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