The following are the notes West Plains City Administrator Sam Anselm provided to the mayor and city council for the week ending July 9, and has been edited for timeliness for the current week.
Community Services
- Parks & Recreation: Site preparation continues for the new parks shed on Howell Avenue, with concrete work expected to begin in the next two weeks. Concrete has been poured for the new People's Park pickleball courts and shade structure. Old playground equipment at Butler Children's Park will be removed next week to make way for new play structures. The aquatic center was open all week and saw 1,365 visitors.
- WP Public Library: The summer reading program featured magician Brent Allen presenting "The Great Dino Adventure."
- WP Civic Center: Country Express performed Friday in the exhibit hall. West Plains Playhouse opened “The Villain of Pine Hollow” in the theater on Friday; shows run through July 26. Food Truck Thursdays return to the east parking lot on July 16.
- Tourism: Approximately 300 people attended the July 4 America 250 event.
Facilities & Planning
- Facilities: Roof coating application continues at the civic center. Crews also handled HVAC repairs across city buildings due to excessive heat.
- Planning: The city is finalizing a $500,000 grant application through the Delta Regional Authority for First Street parking improvements to support Provalus and downtown businesses. A public meeting regarding the library drainage project is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday. Bids for the hazard mitigation-funded Saint Louis Street bridge project were due Monday.
Transportation & Utilities
- Transportation: Crews are repairing a drainage wall on Monk Street and assisting with the civic center roof coating. The airport served 19 aircraft and 32 visitors. Transit operations recorded 33 route riders and 17 on-demand riders.
- Utilities: New voltage regulators have been installed at the Lincoln Substation. The peaking generator was utilized for four hours this week, producing 56 megawatts of electricity to help meet peak summer demand. The transfer station processed 785.86 tons of waste, bringing the year-to-date total to over 38 million pounds.
Emergency Services
- Police: Between July 2 and July 9, the West Plains Police Department conducted 127 traffic stops, issuing 21 summons and 109 warnings. Seven inmates were booked into the jail. Seven felony incidents were reported, including one check kiting, one harassment, one stealing/drug possession, one drug possession and three domestic assaults.
- Fire: The West Plains Fire Department responded to 18 incidents. Responses included five public service assists, five medical calls, three fires (two structure, one transportation), three false alarms and two hazardous situations.
City Administrator Sam Anselm oversees the day-to-day operations of the city government, coordinating departments such as police, fire, public works, transportation, and parks and recreation. He works closely with the mayor and city council to execute strategic plans and ensures that city policies and programs are implemented effectively and in accordance with local laws.
