The Macon City Council unanimously adopted an ordinance regulating the keeping of bees in residential areas and setting performance standards to protect public health and safety at its regular meeting Aug. 11.
Councilman Jerry Thompson moved the first reading. Councilman Steve Olinger seconded. The roll call was 5-0: Olinger, Theresa Ulrich, Thompson, Teresa Thrasher, and Brent Bernhardt. Council members Cheryl Blaise and Chris Walk were absent.
Bernhardt moved the second reading, Olinger seconded, and the vote was again 5-0, according to minutes of the meeting.
Jim Simon of Visit Macon County presented a proposed Heritage Park and community trail. The project would acquire Norfolk Southern Railroad property in Macon for a public park and a 1.5-mile walking and bicycling trail from Bourke Street to Don Schelle Fields, the minutes say.
Simon described the site's history as a Civil War post for about 7,000 Union troops and later as a public park, baseball field, and county fairgrounds. He said the trail would connect the new municipal pool to Blees Park and Don Schelle Fields and let people walk or bicycle without relying on city streets.
Simon asked for council support to approach the railroad about acquiring the property. Macon Mainstreet Association and the Macon Area Chamber of Commerce have expressed support, and he requested a city letter of support. Mayor James T. Holman offered to sign a letter with the council's approval. Olinger moved to provide the letter of support, Thrasher seconded, and all present voted in favor.
Mayor Holman recommended reappointment of Amanda Turnbull, Bill Noyes, and Gloria Guinn to the Library Board of Directors, all to serve through July 2029. Olinger moved approval, Thompson seconded, and all present voted in favor, according to the minutes.
Interim City Administrator Mary Lou Craigg reported that runway end identification lights at the airport no longer illuminate. The city issued a request for qualifications for an engineering firm on a REIL replacement project to qualify for MoDOT and FAA grant funds. MoDOT's cost estimate for REIL replacements is $200,000 to $423,000 based on recent Missouri awards. The RFQ also includes supplemental fuel tanks, estimated by MoDOT at $500,000 per 5,000-gallon tank. Submittals are due Sept. 18, with an award to be presented at the October council meeting, the minutes say.
Craigg also reported that the Macon Police Department completed its Missouri Blue Shield Grant budget application. With 350 communities designated as Blue Shield communities for the 2026 grant cycle, the proportionate share of the governor's $10 million public-safety initiative fell from $50,000 to $28,571 per designated law enforcement agency. The city's funding will go toward replacing an obsolete communications console needed for compatibility with the Missouri Statewide Wireless Interoperability Network. The remainder of the console cost will be covered by city funds, according to the minutes.
Mayor Holman called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. at 106 W. Bourke St. After open business, the council went into closed session on litigation and personnel under Sections 610.021(1) and 610.021(3), RSMo, from 8:03 p.m. to 9:06 p.m. No closed-meeting action was reportable. The meeting adjourned at 9:07 p.m.