Hannibal City Council asks for changes in revitalization plan

HANNIBAL, Mo. — A revitalization plan for the city of Hannibal will have to wait a couple of weeks.

During Tuesday’s meeting of the Hannibal City Council, Hannibal Regional Economic Development Council Executive Director Corey Mehaffey presented the proposed boundaries for a proposed Community Improvement District.

Fourth Ward council member Charles Phillips asked that a historic property adjacent to the proposed boundaries be added. Mehaffey withdrew his proposal for two weeks to allow time to redraw the boundaries. Once the City Council approves the boundaries, the project will go through a series of public hearings before it can get final approval.

After Mehaffey spoke, Hannibal Chamber of Commerce Executive Director McKenzie Disselhorst and Historic Hannibal Marketing Council President Katie Welch spoke to the council expressing their groups’ support for the CID.

During the meeting, 3rd Ward council member Stephan Franke suggested that security at city hall should include video cameras inside the building. After some discussion, 1st Ward Council member Darrell McCoy made a motion to have the City Manager look into the cost of a camera system and bring that information to council on November first. Andrew Dorian, Director of Central Services for Hanibal said it would take longer than a month to get that information. Dorain said his department has been waiting on that kind of information for several months. McCoy amended his motion to allow City Manager Lisa Peck as much time as it will take to get that information.

Council members also learned that the current owners of the former Convention and Visitors Bureau building in the 500 block of Third Street have a potential buyer for the building. The city has the right of first refusal on the resale of the building. Council waived that right and the building will be sold. The City received around $74,000 for the building a few years ago. The new owner is selling it for $125,000.

The Council also agreed to accept the donation of property at 310 South 8th. The vacant property has been deemed a nuisance and dangerous by the city.