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- 1. D uring its April 21 meeting, the Palmyra City Council was about to give a first reading to a proposed ordi- nance that would empower the city to issue administrative search warrants. City Attorney Chase Hickman said the entire six-page ordinance must be read aloud in accordance with the citys legis- lative procedures. Do you have to read the whole thing? Mayor Loren Graham asked, realizing the reading would take awhile. Hickman nodded. What would be involved if we wanted to change it to where we just read the title of the ordinance and the number? Graham inquired wistfully. Id have to look, but I think that would take a charter change, Hickman replied, referring to a special election to change the citys constitutional charter. That charter now requires every ordinance coming before the City Council to be read in its entirety at two different meetings before adoption. You might look at that sometime, the mayor told Hickman. Then without further ado, Hickman began reading the ordinance as quickly as he reasonably could. Eleven minutes later, he was done. Two weeks after that at the councils May 5 meeting Hickman went through the same ritual. He once again read the six-page ordinance from start to finish while the minutes slowly ticked away. Finally, the ordinance was adopted. Welcome to the world of city govern- ment, Missouri style. Keep in mind that not all of the Show- Me States municipalities require two complete readings of all ordinances that come forward. Palmyra just happens to be one of them simply because of constitutional charter provisions the city fathers adopted in the late 1970s. Until then, Palmyra had been operat- ing as a special charter city. Hickman, who became the citys legal counsel in 1978, said having a special charter required the Missouri Legislature to pass legislation every time Palmyra wanted to alter its charter or change an ordinance. This was burdensome, to say the least. So when the Legislature approved a bill in the late 1970s that allowed towns of Palmyras size to become constitutional charter cities, local voters granted their approval. Palmyra then had authority to pass ordinances whenever it wanted. We adopted a whole new city code once we became a constitutional charter city, Hickman recalled. The new code contained the provision requiring two full readings of every proposed ordi- nance. It was based on a model developed by a University of Missouri law professor. So we didnt dream that requirement up, Hickman said. It was actually sug- gested in a model charter at the time. He said reading ordinances twice in their entirety is not a bad thing, even though it takes time. The purpose, he said, is to make sure nothing is being railroaded through at council meetings. By reading an ordinance aloud, mem- bers of the public can hear exactly whats being proposed and then decide whether they want to speak for or against. A lot of times people dont know whats going on until its been read that first time, Hickman said. Hickman said he wouldnt recommend changing the citys charter simply to eliminate the two full readings. I dont think it would be worth the time and the effort to call a special election, he said. That, in and of itself, doesnt warrant a change in the charter, in my opinion. Ordinance reading takes up Palmyra councils time LOCAL NEWS | 3A | WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2016 VISIT BROWNDRUGCOMPANY.COM & DOWNLOAD OUR NEW MOBILE APP TODAY! 1121 Maine | 228-6400 Monday thru Friday 8:30 to 7:00 | Saturday 8:30 to 5:00 | Closed Sunday Limit 1 coupon per person per visit. Exp. 5/28/16 HW/MAY $ 4OFF FULL SERVICE OIL CHANGEMust be present at time of service. Not valid with any other offer 5HW16 3900 BROADWAY QUINCY 217-223-3900 M-F 8-6 SAT 8-3 Expires 12-31-16 EDWARD HUSAR Staff Writer | ehusar@whig.com HANNIBAL, Mo. The Hannibal City Council on Tues- day voted to annex and rezone land on the west side of the city. Beth Haven Group Homes Inc. plans to build senior hous- ing on property at 8976 Coun- ty Road 412, just south of U.S. 36. The tract is contiguous to city limits and was zoned for multiple family. In an April 22 memoran- dum to council members, City Manager Jeff LaGarce said the intended use falls within the multiple family classifica- tion. He said the zoning of sur- rounding land highway busi- ness isnt a concern because multiple family is a less intense classification. Homes and va- cant lots now surround the site. Growth of contiguous non- incorporated areas, particu- larly those located in the do- nut hole regions of Hannibal, are consistent with the citys desire for orderly growth and development, LaGarce wrote. The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously ac- cepted Beth Havens applica- tion last month. Council members also set public hearings for two other annexation requests. The Han- nibal Board of Public Works hopes to have property at 6673 County Road 437 annexed and zoned industrial. The property is east of the Moberly Area Community College campus. Russell Goodhart also has submitted an application to have a vacant lot on Stardust Drive annexed and zoned for one- and two-family. Public Works Director Brian Chaplin said he plans to build high- end duplexes there. The Planning and Zoning Commission is set to hear both requests at 4 p.m. Thursday. The councils public hearings will begin at 6:15 p.m. June 7. Council members also ac- cepted a request from the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum for alcohol sales during the museums annual Music Under the Stars series. The first event is scheduled June 2. The council also granted the Standing Bear Creek Coun- cil permission to discharge black powder firearms within city limits during the Bear Creek Rendezvous, scheduled for Aug. 13 and Aug. 14 at the Mark Twain Cave complex. By ALYSE THOMPSON Staff Writer | 217-221-3385 athompson@whig.com @AThompsonWHIG Hannibal accepts annexation request CITY COUNCIL: Beth Haven plans to build senior housing on west side of city, south of U.S. 36 FIRST CATCH OF THE DAY CARTHAGE, Ill. The Hancock County Board has agreed to sell the Shelter Care facility in Augusta for $50,000 to a Lewistown, Ill., resident. Richard McCoy submitted the only bid for the county- owned long-term care facility. The County Board voted unanimously Tuesday to ac- cept the bid. McCoy, who has a nursing background, said he wants to reopen the facility as an as- sisted living center. Were looking to open pos- sibly around September, he said. We have a couple months of construction to do. McCoy said he hopes the facility will host activities throughout the year that would include the community. Were going to try to focus more on the clients and try and make it a place they can enjoy coming to, he said. The county put the facil- ity up for sale in March after revenue from its operation de- clined. It was losing between $10,000 and $12,000 a month, and the county was subsidizing it before it closed at the end of April. McCoy said he wants to hire former employees of the long- term care facility to work in the new center. He expects to hire between 15 and 20 people, with three-quarters of them full time. To coincide with the sale, the County Board agreed to ad- vance $10,500 to the Shelter Care account for final expens- es and also pay administrator Stacy Thompson $150 a week to oversee the premises until the sale is closed. Also Tuesday, the Coun- ty Board approved a bid of $178,840 from Homeway Homes of Morton, Ill., for a modular building to house EMTs and paramedics on property next to the county jail. The building will have six sleeping rooms, two bath- rooms, a kitchen and a com- mon area. County Board member Don Little, R-2, said that although the building was the most expensive option, it was the better one, and it already in- cluded fire sprinklers, which werent included in the other proposals. The other bids were $148,056 and $153,400. In our consideration as we looked at it, its a quality home, Little said. Its better built. Yes, it would cost more upfront, but I think we will make it back because were looking at not having to do this again for 50, 60 years. Its sav- ings would be in its utilities. Little said EMTs and para- medics preferred the Home- way Homes plan. A construction agreement with the Dakota Access pipe- line also was approved. County Board Chairman Cary Gray said the agreement would require Dakota Access to restore county infrastruc- ture damaged during con- struction of the pipeline that will cut through the county. By MATT HOPF Staff Writer | 217-221-3391 mhopf@whig.com | @MHopfWHIG Shelter Care facility in Augusta sold HANCOCK COUNTY BOARD: Lewistown, Ill., resident wants to reopen it as assisted living center Were going to try to focus more on the clients and try and make it a place they can enjoy coming to. Richard McCoy, who bought Shelter Care facility Dennis Zapletal of Quincy pulls in bluegill while fly fishing Tuesday at Upper Moorman Park Lake in Quincy. Im surprised there arent more people here, Zapletal said. I grew up in Chicago, and if there was a lake like this up there, there would be a thousand people at the lake. | H-W Photo/Mi- chael Kipley