News & Highlights

City to Raise Money For New Animal Shelter

The City of Fulton has announced plans to begin a fundraising drive to build a new animal shelter. It will be a public-private partnership with the Kingdom of Callaway Chamber of Commerce Community Betterment Foundation. All donations to the foundation will be tax deductible. Mayor LeRoy Benton has set a goal of raising $250,000 in two years.

Engraved bricks be available for purchase beginning on March 1 at a cost of $50 for three lines of text. These bricks will eventually be laid around the new shelter as sidewalks or patio areas. Larger donors will be honored with a special wall dedicated to “Friends of the Shelter.” A location for the new animal shelter has yet to be determined by the Fulton City Council.

The current animal shelter, located in Veterans Park, is a former swimming pool bath house. It was converted into an animal shelter in the 1990’s, but as a temporary location. The current shelter is crowded and is in need of significant upgrades. The city staff has determined it’s better to replace the facility than renovate the current shelter. But because such city funds for a shelter will not be available for some time, a public-private partnership is needed.

New Abatement Ordinance Now In Effect

Temperatures might still be cold outside and the grass in your yard might be dormant, but spring will be here before you know it. And once the grass starts growing again, it’s important to know about the city’s updated ordinance for weed, grass, trash, and debris abatement.

If a property owner receives a notice that their yard is in violation of the city’s ordinance, the owner has seven days to begin correcting the issue. Previously, property owners had only five days to resolve any problems.

The most significant change, however, concerns abatement hearings. When a notice was previously sent to a violator, a hearing date was automatically set by the city’s health officer. Now, a resident must request a hearing with the city within seven days of receiving a violation notice.

If a property owner is found to be liable for the abatement and any removal costs, they have 45 days to pay the bill before a tax lien is placed on the violator’s property. Previously, property owners had only ten days to pay their bill.

Should the city be forced to correct any abatement violation, the property owner will be charged a minimum fee of $100 plus an hourly labor fee of $50 per hour for the employees work, as well as any equipment and disposal costs. To view the full ordinance, go to fultonmo.org/ordinances.

City To Purchase Wastewater Centrifuge

Dealing with wastewater sludge can be pretty messy. But soon that mess will be lessened as the city plans to purchase a wastewater centrifuge.

Wastewater sludge is currently dried in vacuum drying beds that have reached the end of their life expectancy. The city explored several other options and a sludge centrifuge proved to be the best solution.

Once the sludge has gone through the centrifuge, the final product is 20 percent solids. The old drying beds, meanwhile, had only eight percent solids.

This will allow the city to transport sewage sludge in one third the trips as previously required and with less chance of spillage. The sludge is used to cover farmer’s fields as fertilizer at no cost.

Snow Routes Being Marked With Signs

The city recently adopted an official snow policy to effectively deal with winter weather. Now signs designating emergency snow routes are being installed around town.

Emergency snow routes are priority roads that are to be plowed when 12 or more inches of snow has fallen. When an emergency snow event is declared, all cars must be cleared from the designated streets and are subject to being towed if they are not removed.

A map showing all of the City of Fulton’s emergency snow routes can be found on the city website at fultonmo.org/snowpolicy.

New Fire Station Dedication Photo Gallery

The City of Fulton officially dedicated its new 14,000 square foot fire station on Thursday, December 15. Check out the photo gallery of the ceremony.

Liberty Bridge Monument Dedication Photo Gallery

The City of Fulton dedicated the Liberty Bridge Monument at Memorial Park on Friday, November 11. The monument is a section of the old Liberty Bridge that was demolished to make way for the roundabout at Market and Second Streets. Mayor LeRoy Benton, members of the Historic Preservation Commission, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the American Legion all took part in the ceremony.

Solid Waste Department Holiday Reminder

In observance of Veteran’s Dat, Fulton City Hall and the Solid Waste Department will be closed Friday, November 11. Trash, recycling, and yard waste collection for Friday, November 11 will be on Monday, November 14. Please contact the Solid Waste Department at 573-642-3421.

City to Dedicate Liberty Bridge Monument

The City of Fulton will be holding a special dedication ceremony for the Liberty Bridge Monument. It will take place on Friday, November 11 at 11 a.m. in Memorial Park. Mayor LeRoy Benton, members of the Historic Preservation Commission, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the American Legion will also be present.

The monument is actually a section of the old Liberty Bridge which used to cross the Stinson Creek on Second Street before being demolished for the city’s first roundabout last year. The saved section of bridge includes the original dedication tablet from 1920.

Pumpkins in the Park Photo Gallery

The City of Fulton hosted the first ever Pumpkins in the Park on the Stinson Creek Trail in Memorial Park. Check out this photo gallery showing the pumpkins that were dropped off by citizens for the event.

City Prepares to Amend Ward Ordinance

The City of Fulton is in the process of changing its ward boundaries according to 2010 United States Census population statistics for the city. The goal is to have all four wards with as close to the same number of people as possible. New boundary lines have been proposed and the topic will be discussed beginning at the November 8 City Council meeting.

Below is a map showing the new ward boundaries. Shaded areas represent changes to a residence’s ward.

View Full-Sized Ward Map