Board Meeting Minutes

REGULAR TOWN BOARD MEETING  (Old & New Business; Open to Citizens)

New Business

• Motion made by Bob Hofer to accept the Town of Augusta Zoning Commission recommendation to enact a Moratorium on Vacation Rental Dwellings by Owner.  The process was followed and approved to become Ordinance 2022-02.
• Business License process has begun.

Old Business

• Town Directories have been mailed.
• Still looking for a Parks Committee person.
• April 5 election material submitted.

Open to Citizens    (no signups)

COMMITTEE REPORTS

• Treasurer’s Report:    –Treasurer’s Report will be given in March.  (The Treasurer was absent.)
• Collector:    –Sign Permit ($15.00) for the Cottage at 215 Jackson St.    –Business Licenses (2 @ $25.00) from Nick Henderson and the Botanical Tea Room.    -Eff 1-25-22 for $1,133.16 from the December 2021 RR & Utility tax.    -Eff 1-14-22 for $10,986.08 from Final Dist tax in December 2021.    –Land Use Permit ($75.00) for 5573 Walnut.
• Public Works:    –Tree service work completed by Tree Brothers.    -Still waiting on asphalt bids.
• Farm Report:    No updates.
•  Zoning & Planning:    –233 Jackson withdrew their application to rezone from Residential to Commercial.    -Motion approved NOT to refund 233 Jackson the rezoning application fee.    -Sign Permit at 215 Jackson approved.
• History & Museum:    No report.
• Chamber:    -Visitor’s Center Store opening the 1^st week of April.    -Request by Chamber of Commerce to use the Town Hall for Plein Air Judging on April 30, 2022 from 7am to noon.  Town Board approved.
• Other Committees:    No reports.

CALENDAR  EVENTS 

First week in April        Augusta Gifts 2022 opening (Visitors’ Center)

April 20 – 30, 2022       PLEIN AIR Art Festival

REGULAR TOWN BOARD MEETING  (Old & New Business; Open to Citizens)

New Business

• Bill introduced for An Agreement with St. Charles County for Kennel Services and Animal Control.  It was approved and became Ordinance 2022-01.

Old Business

• Signups ended on December 28, 2021 for the election of TWO Trustee positions  on the April 5, 2022 ballot.
• Town Directories are back from the printing company and ready to be mailed to the Town residents.
• Currently working on putting together a Parks Committee.
• Best of Augusta” Photo Contest for the adults/teens is on hold for this year.  The KIDS’ “BEST OF AUGUSTA” PHOTO CONTEST is still set for September later this year in 2022.  The Boone Country Connection articles on photography tips will keep the contest in front of the BCC readers.  Some of our photographers have mentioned that this is where they heard about the contest.
•  Town of Augusta website:  The Town website is soliciting ideas of how to  improve.  One suggestion is to link the Facebook page with the website.  (If anyone knows how to link the two or has any ideas, please contact me, Gay Eskew, on the Town email of townofaugustamo@gmail.com .)  Another idea is to add a page with the latest updates.  Possible examples of photos are the winners of the house-decorating contest, the gingerbread house contest,  Christmas Walk highlights, Harvest Festival highlights, Plein Air “People’s Choice.”  The Town Board meeting minute highlights are similar to the summaries that Anita Mallinckrodt used to do for the ANN (Augusta News & Notes).  http://www.townofaugustamo.org 
• COMMITTEE REPORTS

• Treasurer’s Report:  -Treasurer’s Report was approved.
• Collector:  –Eff 12-15-21 $114.77 for November collections.  -Eff 12-16-21 $6,800.00 Advance on Dec collections.  -Eff 12-23-21 $ 2,300.00 Advance on Dec collections.  -Eff 12-30-21 $2900.00 Advance on Dec collections.  -$1,000.00 for Rezoning at 233 Jackson St.   -$50 for Building Permit for Botanical Tea at 5350 Hackman Road.
• Public Works:    –Tree service scheduled for 1/6/2022.   – Cold patching material has been delivered.                –Mount Pleasant Drain still has not been moved.   -Working on getting asphalt bids for March or April 2022.
• Farm:    -Town received farm payment of $30,766.50 on December 28, 2022.
•  Zoning & Planning:   –Jan. 6, 2022 Zoning meeting concerning Air B&B at the Kemner Bldg @6:30 pm.  All are welcome to attend.   –Jan 24, 2022 Rezoning meeting for 233 Jackson at the Kemner Bldg @ 6:30 pm.  All are welcome to attend.
• Cemetery:   No updates.
• History & Museum:  No report.
• Chamber:   –Next meeting on January 17, 2022.
• Other Committees:  –Arbor Day application submitted. No response received yet.

CALENDAR  EVENTS  

April 20 – 30, 2022       PLEIN AIR Art Festival

REGULAR TOWN BOARD MEETING  (Old & New Business; Open to Citizens)

• Resolution presented for the election of TWO Trustee positions for a 2 year Term on the April 5, 2022 Ballot.  It was accepted and approved.
• A Resolution Directing the Zoning Commission to conduct a Public Hearing and make the recommendation regarding the need for a moratorium on the development of vacation rental dwellings by owner was introduced, read in full, accepted and approved.
• Fireworks Permit issued to Ben Moseley at 5557 Railroad St. on 12/31/21 to celebrate New Year’s Eve.
• The Christmas Light Decorating contest winners are as follows:  1^st Place / Walsh Family = $100;           2^nd Place /  Moseley Family = $75; and 3^rd Place / Borman Family = $50.
• The “BEST OF AUGUSTA” PHOTO CONTEST judging results for adults/teens are in.
  First Place:  “Winery Colors” photographed by Marilyn Kluesner of Marthasville.  The prize is a $25 gift certificate from Stone Ledge Antiques.       Runner Up:  “Artistic Augusta” photographed by Linda Becker of Union.  Prize donated by Quaint, Cozy & Quiet Airbnb for a $25 gift certificate to any Augusta business.  Photographs are on display at the Augusta Library, in the December 2021 Boone Country Connenction, and on the Town website under Photo Contest.       This is the last adult contest for the present.  The “Best of Augusta” Photo Contest may resume at a later date in a new format.  The KIDS’ “BEST OF AUGUSTA” PHOTO CONTEST will continue in September of 2022.
• The Town website is soliciting ideas of how to  improve.  One suggestion is to link the Facebook page with the website.  (If anyone knows how to link the two, please contact me, Gay Eskew, on the Town email of townofaugustamo@gmail.com .)  Another idea is to add a page with the latest updates.  Possible examples of photos are the winners of the house-decorating contest, the gingerbread house contest,  Christmas Walk highlights, Harvest Festival highlights, Plein Air “People’s Choice” contests, etc.

COMMITTEE  REPORTS

• Treasurer’s Report:  -Treasurer’s Report was approved.   -The resolution to accept the Actual Budget amounts from Sep 2020 thru Aug 2021 was approved.
• Collector:   -Zoning submitted 3 checks for sign permits (@ $25.00):  Augusta Homestead, Garden-to-Plate, and Botanical Tea Room.   –One business license (@ $25.00) application received for Hoffman Guest Homes at 5567 Walnut.
• Public Works:   -Tree Brothers starting work on January 6, 2022 for tree removal and cleanup.   -An asphalt repair bid was received for Webster & High St, Public & 5^Th St. and Lower St of $17,500. Bob Hofer requested an additional $2,500.00 to the already approved $15,000 for street asphalt repair.  Approved.
  –Cold patching material is on order.
• Farm:    –Crops were harvested and the Town should receive their last payment by the end of December.
• Zoning & Planning:   -The 3 sign permits were approved as presented (see Collector’s Report).   -Motion made to accept the recommendation from Zoning to NOT approve the sign permit because it is on residential property.
• Cemetery:   No updates.
• History & Museum:  No report.
• Chamber:   –39th Augusta Candlelight Christmas Walk on December 3rd was a huge success.   –House Tour was extremely successful.   –Trivia Night tickets are sold out.   –Gertie the Grinch Goat raised $372.   -Motion made by Bob Hofer that the Town of Augusta pays $480 and the Chamber pays $480 for a total of $960 for 2 Shuttles.
  Other Committees:  -Town of Augusta is in it’s 12^th year as a Tree City.

CALENDAR  EVENTS

December 10 (Friday)   5 – 10 pm — 39th Candlelight Christmas Walk

Dec. 10 — Christmas Market at the Harmonie Verein

December 11 — Christmas Trivia Night at Harmonie Verein – Sold out

December 3 -10 — Gingerbread House Contest  – Vote for your favorite house.