BELLE — Belle aldermen on Monday night approved unanimously to “assign the marshal additional duties with additional pay” and “pay Marshal Coborn his hourly wage ($25 an hour) for the remainder of April” with a 4-0 vote.

Belle Mayor Daryl White, Jr., on April 24 added an agenda to a special meeting that was posted to only include reviewing a request for qualifications from engineers. Grant writing, marshal and dumpster were the line items added.

“I spent a lot of time talking to Amanda (Grellner) this week,” White began. “A lot of time talking to several people about the marshal’s salary. This is the case I told you guys about last month, with the city of Fayette, extra duties. This is what they done and they went to court and it was upheld.”

White said Grellner, the city attorney, said she could defend it if the decision is contested.

“Her best opinion, Ordinance 115-020, that the marshal could be set up as street commissioner, that is what they did with Herb Finley, and pay him a salary,” White said. “If Jerry (Coborn, marshal) wants to resign and go back to chief of police he would have to re-run in April. She didn’t know if the public would be happy doing that.”

Alderman Jeanette Struemph said she thinks the public would be happier doing that than changing the salary like that.

“She said that he will have to do it again, if he gets elected next April, and the people may get tired of electing somebody that does that,” White said. “She said since we already of that in the ordinance — on the flip side of that, there is nothing that specifies street commissioner duties. We would have to set forth duties what a street commissioner would get.”

Struemph asked if they should make an ordinance of duties before they appoint Coborn.

“We already have the ordinance, it’s 115-020,” White said.

According to the ordinance, read by City Clerk Frankie Horstman, “The mayor, with the consent and approval of the members of the board of aldermen, shall have power to appoint a city treasurer, city attorney, city collector, city assessor, street commissioner, and night watchman and such other officers as he/she may be authorized by ordinance to appoint. And if deemed the best interest of the city, the mayor and aldermen may employ, by ordinance, special council to represent the city either in the case of vacancy in the office of city attorney or to assist the city attorney and pay reasonable compensation therefore. The person elected to marshal may be appointed to, and hold the office of street commissioner.”

White said a street commissioner is important because many other things already fall under the blanket duties of the marshal, so they can’t double-duty that.

“So we don’t have to go out for bids?” Struemph asked.

White said no. “The position is appointed.”

“You better make 500 copies of that for when they come knocking at the door,” she said.

White said they have it on a recording.

“I would like to see something from our lawyer to back this up,” Struemph said. “That we went to a lawyer and spoke to a lawyer.”

“That’s not a problem because I’ve talked to her every day about it,” White said.

Alderman Barb Howarth said the case they are going off of happened 43 years ago in 1976.

“I believe that is something we need to get accomplished sooner than later,” White said.

Alderman James (Pudd) Mitchell said, “We gotta get the man paid.”

White asked for a motion. Howarth made the motion.

“What’s the pay?” Howarth asked.

“Whatever he was making before,” Struemph said.

White said they have to keep the pay separate. The marshal position makes $1,200 a year.

“I feel he should get the marshal pay and what he was making before,” White said.

Coborn said he makes $25 an hour. That translates to $52,000 a year. White said it would be an hourly rate for the street commissioner.

“What about job duties?” Horstman asked.

White read the duties from the Missouri State website, “Duties and responsibilities include formulating policies, managing daily operations, planning use of materials and human resources.”

The position is below the board, but above the public works director.

“I make the motion that Jerry be appointed as street commissioner, with the same price as his police salary, Howarth said.

White added that they could add salary to the street commissioner position.

Mitchell asked about job duties, and White said they have what was suggested on the state website.

Alderman Adam Padgett seconded the motion, which passed with a 4-0 vote.

“If it comes down to going to court, Amanda is going to represent us?” Mitchell asked.

Struemph said she would.

“We talked all the way from Lebanon to Belle,” White said. “One other question while we are talking about the marshal salary, Jerry asked me, he’s put his hours in since the election, can we give him his back pay?”

Coborn said he has still been doing his job and putting the hours in every day.

“Did you keep a time card?” Struemph asked.

Coborn said CAD would show him on duty.

“Another thing, our CAD was supposed to be matched with the time card,” Struemph said.

White said the city time clock is in now and they are fingerprint-style.

“Good luck with that,” Padgett said.

Padgett made a motion to back pay Coborn for the hours he has worked and Mitchel seconded. The motion passed with a 4-0 vote.