The Chillicothe City Council approved a police recruitment program on April 29, which includes a recruitment reimbursement agreement. According to City Clerk Amy Hess, the agreement requires police officers to commit to working at the police department for at least three years and covers up to $6,000 of a recruit’s police academy tuition.
The council also approved an ordinance that accepted the lowest and most responsible bid for semiannual HVAC services on city-owned properties for three years. The successful bid, totaling $4,850 per semiannual period, was from Goad Heating and Air Conditioning.
Additionally, an ordinance was passed involving a lease agreement with Grand River Entertainment for the use of Shaffer Memorial Park for collegiate baseball in 2024. The agreement stipulates that the city will pay $20,000 for facility improvements, contingent upon an equal contribution from Grand River Entertainment.
Another approved ordinance allows the city to enter into a supervised work release program agreement with the Missouri Department of Corrections. This program will engage inmates from the Chillicothe Correctional Center in park services, with the contractor compensating workers $7.50 per eight-hour shift.
The council approved a fireworks display agreement with J and M Displays for an event scheduled for July 3 at dusk. The fireworks will be launched from the southeast corner of Highways 36 and 65, with the city allocating $14,430 for the display.
A Main Street Chillicothe painting project in the arts district was also approved, which will incur no costs to the city.
During the meeting, the council discussed an amendment to the city code regarding animals and fowl, but no action was taken on the ordinance.
