THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS
May 26, 2026
The meeting of the Board of Public Works was held on May 26, 2026, at 5:00 pm in the City Council Chambers. Those in attendance were President David Ausmus, Vice President Jeff Roberts, Board Member Ryan Johnson, General Manager Dana Ulmer, BPW Liaison Councilwoman Cheryl Blaise and guests Josh Lambeth and Shannon Howe with Howe Company. Board Member Chris Nelson was absent.
President David Ausmus called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm.
1. The minutes from the previous water and wastewater workshop of the Board of Public Works were reviewed. President David Ausmus made a motion, seconded by Vice President Jeff Roberts, to approve the minutes of the water and wastewater workshop from April 28, 2026, as presented. The motion carried with three votes for and none against.
2. The minutes from the previous regular meeting of the Board of Public Works were reviewed. President David Ausmus made a motion, seconded by Vice President Jeff Roberts, to approve the minutes of the regular meeting from April 28, 2026, as presented. The motion carried with three votes for and none against.
Old business
- There was no old business to discuss.
New business
4. Review of Financials – April 2026 – There was no discussion or comments.
5. Approval to Purchase Budgeted Replacement Assistant General Manager Truck – Mr. Ulmer shared that Assistant General Managers 2013 Chevy K-2500 diesel with 295,000 miles was budgeted for a replacement at $56,000. The new truck will be used daily by electric distribution supervisor and utilized to take multiple crew members to training or during mutual aid. The existing electric distribution supervisor truck (2016 F-150) will be then used by the Assistant General Manager, and management is requesting permission to sell the current 2013 Chevy K-2500 diesel truck. Three bids have been collected from local dealerships: Lovegreen $48,091, Moberly Motors $47,780 and Smith Motors $48,696. Board Member Ryan Johnson made a motion, seconded by President David Ausmus to approve the purchase of a 2027 F-250 4X4 Crew Cab from Lovegreen for $47,396.
Additional discussion regarding the comparability of the truck bids was had and Board Member Ryan Johnson amended his motion, seconded by President David Ausmus to approve the purchase of a 2027 F-250 4X4 Crew Cab from Moberly Motors for $47,780. The motion carried with three votes for and none against.
6. Approval of Construction Contract to Relocate Wastewater Main on Bowzer Road – Mr. Ulmer reviewed the history of the wastewater main on Bowzer Road. In the fall of 2024, the creek bed near Bowzer Road eroded causing a failure of the existing clay gravity main. MMU received a Letter of Warning from DNR regarding the incident, in response a contractor was hired to excavate the area and stabilize the ground to temporarily restore the flow within the main. In 2025, Howe Company was retained as engineer to permanently relocate the wastewater main. In April 2026 Howe Company published bids for the permanent relocation, they had three contractors purchase the plans for a prospective bid and on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at the bid opening one bid was submitted Freedom Excavating, LLC submitted a bid of $99,650. The project was budgeted for $250,000 including both engineering and construction. Additional discussion as to whether Howe Company had any previous experience with Freedom Excavating based out of Ludlow Missouri was had. Josh Lambeth of Howe Company stated that they had not done any prior projects with this contractor. Vice President Jeff Roberts noted that Howe Company was then expected to keep an eye on the contractor to ensure the quality of their work. Board Member Ryan Johnson made a motion, seconded by Vice President Jeff Roberts to approve the bid from Freedom Excavating, LLC of $99,650 to permanently relocate the wastewater main on Bowzer Road. The motion carried with three votes for and none against.
7. Employee Retention & Recruitment – Emily Winkler accepted another position through the State of Missouri, her last day with MMU will be Friday, May 29. Advertisement has been published to fill the Accounts Payable position.
8. Board of Public Works Member Reports – No Board Member reports were made.
9. Approval of Accounts Payable – Board members signed accounts payable without revision.
A motion was made by Vice President Jeff Roberts, seconded by President David Ausmus to adjourn the meeting at 5:25 pm, with the next regular board meeting set for Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 5:00 pm in the City Council Chambers. Motion carried with three votes for and none against.