During the regular monthly meeting of the Ellisville Mayor and Board of Aldermen Tuesday, November 3, the Aldermen voted unanimously to cancel the annual Ellisville Christmas Parade due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Mayor Lynn Buckhaults said the downtown Christmas Tree Lighting event would take place and that it would be a drive-thru event this year. The Ellis Club will be handling the event and will possibly be handing out small favors to each car. Also, the Aldermen agreed to allow Community Bank to conduct a fireworks show during the Christmas Tree Lighting. No streets would be blocked off, and the city is not involved with the event. The Ellis Club and Community Bank are sponsoring the event.
The Ellisville Christmas Tree Lighting usually occurs the Friday night before the Christmas parade. The date for this year’s event has not been confirmed.
In other business, Diane Shoemake with Chas. N. Clark, LTD, the county engineering firm, reported that the Pine, Front, and Ellisville Blvd project was completed under budget. She asked the Aldermen to approve the reimbursement from NRCS for the previously mentioned project and the Carter and Devall Street project to pay the contractors and county engineer.
Bids were received Tuesday afternoon, November 3, for the Downtown Ellisville Water Main Improvements Project. The county engineer recommended the Board of Aldermen award the project to River Ridge Construction, Inc., whose total bid amount of $131,520.00 was the lowest bid received and under the project’s estimated cost. The total bid amount includes the Base Bid, Alternate No. 1, Alternate No. 2, and Alternate No. 3 combined. The board voted unanimously to award the bid to River Ridge Construction, Inc.
The board also approved the purchase of 18 signs from Custom Products Corporation at the cost of approximately $6,000. The “No Tandem Axle Truck” signs will be used around the construction area.
Assistant Pastor Maurice A. Moore from Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church came before the board to ask permission to shut down Pleasant Ridge Circle in front of the church for a festival the church is having on Saturday, November 14, from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. Since the city would not be involved and the church can block the streets off themselves, the board agreed to allow them to do so.
The board also accepted the resignation of Jimmie Ezell with the Ellisville Police Department effective November 17.
The Board of Aldermen meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month in the board room at the Ellisville City Hall. The next meeting will be Tuesday, November 17, at 5:30 p.m.