STE. GENEVIEVE – The Ste. Genevieve Board of Aldermen Thursday night voted to place a $10 million bond issue on the August ballot.
The money would be used to extend Basler Drive to Progress Parkway and construct the streets and infrastructure for a new subdivision. It would also be used to make improvement to more than two dozen streets in Ste. Genevieve.
The $10 million general obligation bond issue would require an increase of 27 cents for each $100 assessed valuation. On a $200,000 home, the increased in taxes would be about $102.
The proposed projects:
Basler Road Extension, $1,331,144.72
Subdivision Road Costs, $1,765,716.07
City Wide Road Improvements, $6.6 million, for the following streets in the construction year indicated:
Austin (Linn to Linn) 2025
LaRose (Linn to Linn) 2025
Ninth Street (Market to Ridgeway) 2025
Scott (Linn to Linn) 2025
Audubon (Linn to Linn) 2025
Parkwood (Highway 61 to Pointe Basse) 2025
Eighth Street (Market to Washington) 2026
North Fifth Street (Washington to Kohm) 2026
Pointe Basse (Route M to Brookdale 2026
North Sixth (Jefferson to Washington) 2026
South Sixth (Market to end of street) 2026
Rozier (Center to Park) 2027
Rozier (Center to Highway 61) 2027
Jefferson (Main to Second) 2028
Market (Ninth to Fourth) 2028
Walnut (Cedar to Park) 2028
Additional streets:
St. Mary’s Road (Highway 61 to Main) 2029
Market (Fourth to Main) 2029
Market Group 2029
LaHaye (Fourth to Main) 2030
Creek (City Limits to LaHaye) 2030
Wilder (LaHaye to Biltmore) 2030
Little Rock Road (Riverview to Flood Gate) 2030
Washington Group (2031)
Jefferson Group (2032)
Parkwood Group (2033)
Maple Group (2034)
Chip Marzuco discussed the Spring for Down Syndrome UTV and Jeep Poker Run event to be held Saturday, June 8.
Aldermen Robert Donovan conducted the meeting in the absence of Mayor Keim.
In his report, City Administrator Happy Welch discussed the proposed new sidewalk on South Fourth Street.
“It doesn’t look like this (sidewalk grant application) is going to be approved (by the state, since Fourth Street is part of state Highway 32) where we want to put the sidewalk on South Fourth Street. We will submit to see what happens (but) it will likely be rejected. There are more applications than funding. We will know better next time. We’re probably going to have to look at keeping the sidewalk on the west side of the street or the American Legion side. The inner side of that curve. The MoDOT engineers don’t like the (number) of driveways we would be going through and all the stormwater. We don’t have a price for that (alignment). When we found out they weren’t going to approve what we were submitting, we didn’t have time to draft any new plans.”
Welch said he discussed with the state what he considered were legitimate reasons to keep (the sidewalk) on the east side of the road, but he doesn’t expect the state will change its stance.
“This is ridiculous,” Alderman Joe Steiger commented.
“It seems we’re going to be back to the same thing where the kids will be crossing the street again,” Alderman Robert Donovan stated.
“Multiple times now,” Steiger agreed. “And even in a worse place down there at that (Rozier Street) intersection. So are they going to be put in a (traffic) light there?”
Welch said that he brought up the idea of a pedestrian activated light for the crosswalk.
“That’s the only thing I can think of to put in there that would protect the actual crossing of the street,” Welch said.
The city administrator said they will have to wait until next year to submit a new request for funding.
Discussion then shifted to the pedestrian bridge across the South Gabouri Creek in front of the Green Tree Tavern building.
Alderman Patrick Fahey expressed his disappointment in the pace of repairs following a traffic crash which damaged the bridge.
Welch said the last he heard is they were still trying to collect the proceeds from the motorist’s insurance.
“It is not a great look as people come and go on that end of town. It is the nicest view in town wit the Green Tree Tavern across that bridge and that construction tape has been up for six months,” Fahey said.
The consent agenda was approved. It included the following items.
Resolution 2024-26 a renewal of city employee health insurance.
Three street closure requests:
Market Street east of Main Street to the Welcome Center parking lot entrance. May 18 and 19 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the Ste. Genevieve Master Gardeners.
Market Street from Third to Main Streets 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 29, 2024 for the Fourth Annual Honey Festival and Market.
Merchant Street from DuBourg to Fourth Street from 8:45-9:15 a.m. Wednesday, May 1, 2024 for Valle Catholic Grade School. This is in addition to street closures requested by VCGS and were previously approved by the board of aldermen for this date.
Old Business:
Bill No. 4615 – Placing a $10 million bond issue on the August ballot given final approval 8-0.
Bill No. 4616 – A memorandum of agreement with the Ste. Genevieve County Levee District and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service given final approval 8-0.
New Business:
Bill No. 4617 – Increasing the threshold required for purchasing and competitive bidding, first round approval.
Bill No. 4618 – An amendment to city cemetery rules given first reading approval.
Bill No. 4619 – An agreement with Ste. Genevieve County for collection of city taxes was given first round approval.
The meeting was shown live on SteGenTV Channel 991 and is now available on the SteGenTV You Tube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh9k8yK6yzk&t=605s