Party on, Greystone subdivision construction is done

Schuber Mitchell Homes is planning a block party to celebrate the end of construction in one of its Oronogo subdivisions and pledging to quell complaints in another.

The Oronogo Board of Aldermen on Monday waived the special event permit for the Greystone Block Party, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17.

The party will celebrate Schuber Mitchell’s completion of its extension of the Greystone subdivision, located east of County Road 215.

Mayor Charles Wilkins was authorized to release bonds guaranteeing Schuber Mitchell’s performance. They were for phases 2, 3 and 4 of the Greystone addition, totaling $807,305.

Engineer Clayton Christy and Tony Cantrell, superintendent of public works, verified they had done walk-through inspections of the subdivision to verify Schuber Mitchell had resolved all code concerns.

Once the specifications for the detention pond are met, the performance bond for phase 5 (the final) will be released.

Also, the performance bonds for phase 9 of Hawthorn Hills, totaling $403,245, were released.

Hawthorn Hills is 500-home planned use development (narrow lots) that is being constructed as an extension of the Jason Place subdivision, north of Dollar General.

Houses on the first street of Hawthorn Hills are rentals known as Short Leaf Housing. According to online firms, they can be rented for $1,400 to $1,700 per month.

Police Chief Steven Weaver reported that as of July 10 there had been 91 calls from Short Leaf houses recorded by JASCO emergency services. And his department has issued 14 citations in the last 30 days.

“Most of the calls involve the same group of neighbors who cannot get along,” Weaver reported. Violations include peace disturbance, harassment, fireworks, operating ATV/dirt bikes on streets, scrap and trash not being cleaned up, and cutting locks off of water meters after shutoffs. A stolen vehicle was recovered.

Weaver said the rental management firm will institute weekly checks for overgrown lawns, trash and other violations. Violation fees will be added to the rent.

With “these types of developments we need to know what we’re getting into,” said Wilkins, citing the impact on safety and public works (shutoffs). “Population density is part of the trouble.”

A representative of Schuber Mitchell said a new firm out of Tulsa, Okla., will be taking over management of all of its homeowners associations by Oct. 1.

Lightning strikes two water wells

Cantrell reported that replacement parts for two water wells are on order since they were damaged by lightning on July 16.

In the meantime, they can be operated manually.

“We’re not in any danger” of running dry, said Wilkins. “I want that understood.”

In other action, the board:

• Accepted bids of $21,500 and $5,100 from Bobby Pearish to replace 430 feet of sidewalk and six wheel-chair ramps.
• Accepted a bid of $9,200 from Brunner Industries of Duenweg for a custom metal box for leaf collection.
• Accepted a bid of $9,240 from Consolidated Pipe and Supply for storm sewer pipe.
• Heard from Cantrell that the city’s water system has passed its three-year inspection by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.