Ozark Road Bridge Vote Delayed

Arnold City Council members voted 8-0 to postpone two ordinance bills concerning the Ozark Drive Neighborhood Bridge.

Council members had scheduled to vote on March 24 during a council meeting at City Hall on Bill No. 2460, which determined the project’s final cost at about $335,000, and Bill No. 2461, which allows the City to use the bridge and related land as public roads.

Ward 1 Councilman Randy Crisler wanted the City to correct a related property issue prior to voting on the bills.

Arnold resident Bennie Rose owns a 5-foot section of property near the bridge and is included in the bridge's cost assessment, Crisler said.

Crisler wanted Rose's property assessment corrected prior to voting on the ordinances.

City Administrator Matt Unrein said he would investigate the issue and hoped to bring the issue back to a council vote in early April.

The council’s decision to postpone the issue gives the residents in the neighborhood less time to save money for their portions of the bridge improvements, Unrein said.

Rose and six other households are expected to each pay about $9,900 toward the project, according to city documents, and Ozark Hills Park Properties will pay about $266,000.

Documents stated those people reside in an area that will benefit from using the bridge. 

“This is a tax bill, and they have eight months now to save for their first payment,” Unrein said if the council passed the bills on March 24. The residents’ payments would be due with their annual property tax bill for the next 10 years.

Unrein wanted to bring the ordinance to a vote in January.

No one owes money until the bill passes, City Attorney Bob Sweeney said to council members.

Bob Rosenfeld, owner of the Ozark Hills Park Properties, did not attend the meeting.

Rosenfeld’s lawyer said his client would be out of town and would not attend the council meeting, City Attorney Bob Sweeney said.

Rosenfeld and his attorney asked to council to delay discussion on the bridge’s cost, Sweeney said.

“Mr. Rosenfeld does not feel the assessment is fair,” Sweeney said about Rosenfeld’s portion of the bridge’s cost.

Rosenfeld filed a lawsuit against the city and could he receive a judge’s decision to lower the assessment, Sweeney said.

Correction: An earlier article incorrectly stated six households would pay a total of $9,900 if the council approved the ordinances. The correct fact is that each of the six households would pay $9,900. The earlier article also erred when it stated that Crisler wanted a correction to Rosenfeld's property assessment. Crisler wanted a correction to Ben Rose's property assessment.