Police chief updates council on calls from 2024

The Tea City Council met March 18 and started as a board of equalization where they heard 34 appeals.

Once they concluded as a board of equalization, the council got into their regular meeting.

The council approved the building plans for Autowerks Building Plans at 1715 Mindy Street and the building plans and permit for HOH Warehouse at 2030 Merchant Street.

They also approved the replays for lots 11A & 11B, Block 1, GC Estates Addition and lots 6B, 7B, 8B, 9B, 10B, 13B, Block 2, GC Estates Addition, as well as the plats for lots 20 and 21, Block 5, Serenity Park Addition, lots 7B, 8A, 8B, & 9, Block 7, Serenity Park Addition and tracts 1 and 2, Hagedorn Industrial Park.

Police chief Jessica Quigley presented her annual report to the council. She reported a three percent decrease in calls for service from 2023 with a total of 5,606 calls. 

Responses to vehicle crashes was down one percent from 2023 with 197 calls.

Quigley reported alarming numbers in the increase in cases since 2022 for drugs, DUIs, underage alcohol and underage tobacco use. DUI cases went from 45 in 2022 to 122 in 2024. Drugs cases went from 32 to 105 in 2024. Underage alcohol cases went from 14 in 2022 to 74 in 2024. Underage tobacco cases went from 24 in 2022 to 80 last year.

Legacy Outdoors applied for a building permit for a digital billboard on one side of their billboard. The council approved the permit.

They awarded the bid for the slurry seal project to Astech for $221,691.05. The project will be done sometime this summer.

The council discussed the playground equipment replacement at the main city park playground. The city has budgeted $500,000 for the replacement this year. The council was asked to think about having a poured in place surface or engineered wood chips. No action was taken at the meeting.

Mayor Casey Voelker read a proclamation marking planning and zoning administrator Kevin Nissen’s final city council meeting of his career. Nissen is set to retire April 4.