Involuntary annexations to be placed on April Ballot in O'Fallon

O’Fallon city staff has identified 10 property parcels to be considered for involuntary annexation that are dotted between the city’s boundaries.

At a meeting of the City Council, Jack Strick, managing director of Community Development, asked the council members to support annexation of these properties surrounded by properties already annexed into the city.

“We would like to go forward,” Strick said. “Of course, a public hearing will be held at a future council meeting.”

While some parcels of land are open fields, others are adjacent to businesses or owned by family trusts. Some lots include: field on North Main near St. Barnabas Church; a parcel adjacent to a commercial business; a parcel on Pearl Drive and Hwy. 79 South; an open field near Marshall Ford; a parcel along W. Terra Lane near Specialized Roofing Co.; a parcel on Sonderen and Mexico roads, adjacent to Lowe’s; a large parcel off Laura Hill Road owned by the Keeven Trust; an open field on Hwy. N near the Missouri Highway Department Building; and a 7-acre parcel on Hwy. K across from the Duckett Creek Sewer offices.

Councilman Rick Lucas (Ward 2) said there are currently no residents living on the properties. However, Councilman Jeff Schwentker (Ward 4) urged city staff to contact owners associated with the properties to get their feedback.

Strick said most are vacant properties. He said he had not spoken with representatives of the Keeven Trust.

“We’re trying to approach issues like these with open communication,” Schwentker said. “I would say before we go forward, we should contact the owners of all properties. Communication is important.”

Strick said he would have feedback at the next meeting.

Councilman Dan Haney (Ward 3) said his opinion is that it is important to fill in the gaps of unannexed properties to unify the city map. Should the parcel cases identified be annexed, the city would become more compact and contiguous. The involuntary annexation process eliminates pockets of unincorporated properties that are surrounded by incorporated properties, he said.

“Fill in the gaps, and I’m in favor of going at this as aggressively as possible,” Haney said.

Councilman Pierce Conley (Ward 2) said he has talked with some residents located in Ward 2, and would see if he could bring some additional properties into the city. He advised other councilmen to talk with those in their wards who have not yet annexed.

Lucas said he has received calls from some residents who asked how to voluntarily annex into the city. Strick said the properties brought into the city need to be adjacent to preexisting properties.

“Let people know what the game plan is, so everyone is well aware of what we’re doing,” Lucas said.

Mayor Bill Hennessy said he thinks the pockets should be filled, but he felt 10 properties were too many for the ballot. He said he felt five were more appropriate.

Strick said those properties in the north are ones that are subject to water and sewer department. If these properties wanted city services, they would have to annex into the city.

“It would be the ones to the south that we would go after,” Strick said.

Haney said last year there were 29 properties on the ballot, and he felt there were too many, but now, he said he sees about 50 locations that are not annexed into the city.

“If the city waits and puts only 10 or so on the ballot each year, it would take 10 to 15 years to fill in the blanks,” Haney said. “It’s consistency in services; water, sewer, trash and police services. Annexation would make everything consistent and would help with issues such as street repairs. Most are empty or commercial lots, so it’s really a matter for future growth. If we do it now we can have it ready for whenever something is built there.”

The City Council will advise City Staff of the properties to be involved in the involuntary annexation process for the April 6 election. Staff will prepare the necessary documents required by state statute. The property owners will be notified by certified mail no later than Dec. 15. 

The St. Charles County Election Authority requires all information to be placed on the April ballot to be submitted to them by Jan. 26, 2010.