Hannibal City Council votes to allow smoking in private clubs

The Hannibal City Council held two meetings Tuesday night. During the first meeting the council gave second and final reading to three ordinances before adjourning Sine Die. The first bill approved changes the city’s smoking ordinance to allow smoking at private clubs. The second deals with renovating and replacing the runway lights at Hannibal Regional Airport and the third deals with the reclassification of Parks Secretary-Fiscal Assistant to a Finance Fiscal Management Assistant.

Council then certified the April election which saw the reelection of both Mayor James Hark and Second Ward Councilmember and Mayor Pro-tem Mike Dobson as well as the election of a new fourth ward Councilmember, Charles Phillips and voter approval of Proposition 1, a half cent sales tax that will fund infrastructure improvements.

After the adjournment Municipal Judge Don Bastian gave the oath of office to Hark, Dobson and Phillips and the new council met for its first meeting.

During that meeting, Judge Bastian spoke with the council about the need to hire a Municipal Court Clerk. Bastian said the need for the clerk has developed as the court has changed its operations to comply with new software used by the State Office of Court Administrators. Bastian says the “Show Me Court System” is more robust than the system currently used by the local court. He said the data entry for the new system is requiring courts across the state to add employees to make it work. Council gave first reading to an ordinance creating the new position later in the meeting. 

Council also approved accepting three properties that are being donated to the city. The properties at 201 and 205 Dowling and 1512 Guernsey are being donated by their owners who have been unable to improve the buildings on those lots.

First reading was also given to the ordinance which will put the money earned by the new sales tax to use.