City Council — $150K Grant Application for Drones to Find Missing Persons with Dementia

Key Decisions

• The council approved moving forward with authorizing the submission of a grant application to the Bureau of Justice Assistance Kevin and Avonte Program to purchase a drone and side-by-side UTV for locating missing persons with dementia and developmental disabilities. The grant totals $150,000 with no city match required. The vote will be held March 2, 2026.
• The council reappointed Municipal Court Judge Ralph Fennis to a two-year term by a 5-0 vote.
• The council authorized submission of a grant application to the U.S. Department of Transportation BUILD Grant Program for Phase 3A of the Highway 67/Interstate 57 project (Resolution 2066, approved 5-0).
• The council approved the sale of a 1985 GMC van previously used by the fire department to the high bidder for $3,160. The vehicle will be voted on March 2, 2026.

Budget & Finance

• The council moved forward with collective bargaining agreements for both the Electric Department and Water and Sewer Department employees (IBEW Local 702). The agreements include wage increases of 5% in year one, 3% in year two, and 2.5% in year three over a three-year period. Other changes include adding Juneteenth as a holiday, increasing sick leave payout at retirement from 40% to 60%, and raising clothing allowances by 5% annually. Both will be voted on March 2, 2026.
• The annual net metering report was accepted, showing 26 customer generator facilities with an estimated capacity of 331 kW and 50,598 kilowatt hours received from customer generators in 2025. Action scheduled for March 2, 2026.

Coming Up

• The council will hold a special meeting or workshop to discuss funding requests from the newly formed Grow Our Downtown, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization. The group is seeking transfer of funds previously held by Downtown Poplar Bluff, Inc. to apply for the Missouri Main Street Connection program (deadline March 13, 2026) and to operate the downtown farmers market.
• The council provided consensus support for Grow Our Downtown, Inc. to apply for a USDA grant for the farmers market by February 28, 2026, and agreed to provide a letter of support.
• Voting on several workshop items will occur at the March 2, 2026 council meeting.

Other Business