Jackson aldermen announce Route 61 will open Friday

The Jackson Mayor and Board of Aldermen meeting Monday, Feb. 3, covered a dearth of topics, from recognizing a city employee to confirming an end to a long-standing construction project.

Service to the city

Before the meeting, the board recognized wastewater and street department worker Kenrick Gibbar, who is retiring after 45 years with the city.

“We really appreciate the service to the City of Jackson, Kenny. You’ve done a lot for the city, a lot of hours … and you always were there for the city, so we really appreciate it,” Jackson Mayor Dwain Hahs said as he presented Gibbar with an honorary plaque.

Construction completed

Hahs announced the reopening of U.S. Route 61, which had been blocked off for a bridge replacement project for the last 15 months. After temporary striping is painted on, it will reopen to motorists Friday, Feb. 7.

“We’ve done an inspection and walk-through for our utilities and so forth … won’t be any big announcement, you can just drive on it,” the mayor said.

Approvals and rejections

The aldermen approved a $7,505.17 change order to RIHC Contracting of Perryville for water plant improvements. The money is for portions of the project completed in 2024.

They also accepted a proposal from S H Smith & Company of Poplar Bluff to improve sidewalks along West Independence Street by the Jackson Middle School. This was in the amount of $87,389.66.

In a rare move, the city rejected bids for two projects. First, a pair of bids for cemetery trimming services and, second, all submissions for a software migration project. These endeavors will be opened for submissions again at a future date.

The board also approved raising the Jackson Civic Center’s rental fees, effective Tuesday, Feb. 4. This is designed to raise funds to purchase new equipment and to offset the increased minimum wage impacting the state.

Study session

During the evening’s study session, Don Schuette, Jackson’s director of electric utilities, updated the board on tree trimming rates to be voted on at its next meeting. Townsend Tree Service of Muncie, Indiana, proposed a 2025 hourly rate of $121.43, with additional labor and equipment rates between $26 and $34 per hour.

Townsend Tree Service’s rate is 3% higher than in 2024, which Schuette said is within the contracted allowance, so he recommended the board accept the proposal.