Shine a Light on City Government

Friends & Neighbors,

Please pay close attention to messages from the Federal, State and St. Charles County Governments regarding measures to combat the Covid 19 virus.  Be safe!

I urge Dardenne Prairie residents to support our local businesses to the extent you can.  Our local restaurants will be closed for in-house dining as of Friday, March 20.  To the extent they offer take out or home delivery, please try to patronize them.  Other retail businesses will remain open as best they can.   It will help our local small businesses and their employees if you can continue to shop locally.

Here is my report on activities of the Dardenne Prairie City Government. 

City Hall is open for City business.  We are taking extra steps to wipe down doorknobs, and other surfaces with which the public is likely to have contact.  We are practicing social distancing as recommended by the US Center for Disease Control.  It is our intention to remain open to serve the residents of Dardenne Prairie.

The senior event scheduled for Friday, March 20 has been canceled.  Some scheduled field trips have also been canceled.  Please consult the City’s website www.dardenneprairie.org for information about planned events.

The Dardenne Prairie Municipal Court, scheduled for March 25, has been canceled by order of the Missouri Supreme Court.  The next scheduled Court date is April 22.

The St. Charles County Mayors’ Charity Ball, scheduled for March 21, has been moved to August 8.

The Municipal Election scheduled for Tuesday, April 7, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, June 2.  This election includes 3 Aldermen in Dardenne Prairie, several candidates for the 3 school boards serving residents of Dardenne Prairie, some bond issues and tax levies, and other local races and ballot propositions.

The Board of Aldermen met last evening to consider a light agenda.  We passed a revision to the municipal code to improve our handling of business licensing matters.  We considered a revision to the City’s policy regarding standards of conduct for officials, employees and contractors of the City.  Further revisions and discussions will be taken up at our next meeting on April 1st.

Meanwhile, the City is proceeding with the Hanley Road Construction Project.  We have acquired Rights-of-Way and Temporary Construction Easements from property owners and next we will finalize construction plans.  We expect construction work to begin in the Fall, when federal government reimbursements for our costs will be available.

The Stump Road Construction Project has been authorized.  We will be soliciting proposals from engineering consultants who would be hired to prepare preliminary plans for the project.  We don’t expect to see actual construction for at least 2 years.  These projects, funded in part by the Federal and County governments, take time.

The City’s project to fix the spillway at the Barathaven Lake and drainage problems along the walking trail under the Henning Road Bridge has been completed.  We believe that the changes made to the spillway and to the drainage on both sides of the trail will alleviate the chronic problems of mud, water, ice, and algae on the trail.  This project was funded entirely by the City.

As we begin to enjoy spring weather, we expect to see the County Road Department patching potholes in our streets in Dardenne Prairie.  Contact the City if you have concerns about the condition of streets or sidewalks in your neighborhood.  We evaluate the need for repairs, prioritize the most urgent needs and manage the repair budget enacted by the Board of Aldermen.

The spring youth baseball season, scheduled to start in April will be delayed, hopefully not for too long. We will keep you informed by posting news on the City website.

“Shine a Light on City Government”