By Woodrow Polston
Members of the Board of Aldermen for the city of Vandalia met for regular session on Tuesday, March 14, at the Lange building. After the approval of the agenda, the meeting was opened up for a public hearing concerning the proposed bill that would update city codes. One citizen requested more information about what was being changed in the codes. City Attorney Amy Rost said that there were no procedural changes that would occur.
“I do not think that anything in our procedures will be changed,” said Rost. “Because this is a whole code adoption, and there is zoning in the code, we are required to hold a public hearing,” she added.
Mayor Ralph Kuda opened the floor for discussion of proposed Ordinance 23.1240. City Administrator Darren Berry asked that City Clerk Brandie Gay explain to the members of the board the purpose for the ordinance.
“The purpose for the update is to ensure that our codes are meeting state statute,” said Gay. “We have been working on this for a long time and have just completed it. The last time it was updated was in 1990. Now we are seeking approval from the board,” she added.
Rost also added that most updates were simple, and gave an example of changing certain language such as references to the now non-existent police department. Alderman John Weiser expressed concern that due to the vast amount of content being updated in the codebook, members would have to essentially vote to pass the bill before being able to read through it all. Rost assured members that anything questionable in the updated code could be revisited and changed at the discretion of the board. A motion was made and seconded to hear Rost read the bill for the first time.
The bill stated: “An ordinance adopting and enacting new code of ordinances for the city of Vandalia in the county of Audrain, state of Missouri, establishing the same providing for the repeal of certain ordinances not included therein, except this hearing expressly providing for the manner of amending such code of ordinances, providing penalty for the violation thereof and providing when this ordinance shall become effective. Be it ordained by the board of aldermen of the city of Vandalia, County of Audrain, state of Missouri, as follows: section 1; approve all adoption and enact new code, section 2; end permissions effective, section 3; repeal legislation not containing the code, legislation saved from repeal, matters not effected by repeal, section 4; amendments to code, section 5; violations and penalties, section 6; applicability of general penalties. Section 7; filing and copy of code, code to be kept up to date, section 8; altering and tampering of code violations and penalties, section 9; severability, section 10; the effective date, which will be March 14, 2023.”
A motion was made and seconded to hear the second reading of the ordinance. After the second reading, a motion was made and seconded to approve the second reading of the bill.