Fulton City Council votes for consent agenda

Fulton Superintendent of Utilities Darrell Dunlap discusses lateral sewer hookups during Tuesday night's City Council meeting.
Fulton Superintendent of Utilities Darrell Dunlap discusses lateral sewer hookups during Tuesday night's City Council meeting.

The Fulton City Council adopted a new, streamlined format during its Tuesday night meeting. Known as a consent agenda, items deemed "routine" would be approved en mass with a quick vote.

"My question is why didn't we do this eight years ago?" Councilman Lowe Cannell asked.

City Clerk Courtney Crowson explained items on the consent agenda need to be routine.

"The purpose is to have one motion and one vote on all the items," she said. "The items would not be discussed. Any councilman would have the authority to pull off and discuss any item. All a council member needs to do is make a motion."

Director of Administration Bill Johnson said items like 5Ks would be placed on that agenda.



"Something like the Street Fair would not be on there," Crowson added. "Because there are so many moving parts to that event, it would be handled normally."

If the new agenda does not work as expected, Mayor LeRoy D. Benton said returning to the old format would be easy.
The new consent agenda format was unanimously approved by the City Council.

During the City Council meeting on March 14, Bill No. 1468 was passed. The bill - which enacted a reduced speed limit of 40 mph on Route C around the Tennyson Road intersection - was vetoed by Benson.

"I am informing the Council as to why I vetoed the bill," Benson said. "Because it is unenforceable, I believe it should not be included in our code book. We want to keep our ordinances enforceable."

During discussion at the Feb. 28 meeting, two members of the Missouri Department of Transportation - Mike Schupp and Garrett Depue - informed the council MoDOT did not advise reducing the speed limit at the intersection and would not grant a change.

The City Council has 30 days to override the veto with at least six votes.