The Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority Board held their monthly meeting Tuesday and heard their progress report for 2022.

According to David Crader, LCRA attorney, the LCRA authorized and executed contracts to sell and convey title by deeds for 40 properties.

Also, LCRA approved in 2021 the gift of an additional 14 lots on Scott, Stoddard and Kathleen to DAEOC for the purpose of building a homeless shelter. The LCRA is currently waiting for DAEOC to finalize items needed to complete for grant purposes. Upon the completion of those items, the LCRA will convey those 14 lots to DAEOC.

The LCRA also gifted and paid the City of Sikeston $32,000 to assist in costs for equipment to clean up lots and reimburse the city for mowing LCRA lots.

“We’ve made a lot of progress in the last year on getting 40 vacant lots back into the ownership of citizens so they’re back on the tax bill,” said Dan Marshall, chairman of the LCRA board.

Crader also explained that it was time to extend the city and LCRA’s redevelopment plan.

He said statutes require a redevelopment plan for the city. Twenty years ago it was enacted for the purpose of clearing and redeveloping and rezoning and developing the city.

“Every 10 years it has an anniversary date and 10 years ago we requested and obtained from the city, an ordinance, extending it another 10 years,” Crader said, adding it was extended without much change.

The board agreed to take a month to go over the ordinance to see if any changes or tweaks should be made.

One possible change that was discussed was the extending of the area covered by the LCRA. Currently the LCRA boundaries are approximately along Main and west from Salcedo to Murray Lane.

“The plan doesn’t prohibit going outside of the district area and Missouri statutes do not prohibit us going out of the designated area,” Crader said.

Board member Michael Harris also spoke of the need of an educational course on property maintenance to help people get prepared for home ownership. While the issue may not be something added to the ordinance, it is brought up as something that could fall under the umbrella of the City’s community development department.

Other items discussed at the meeting were:

• Approved the sale of a property at 618 Daniel.
• Were informed the sale of 314, 316 Dixie for $1,000 was completed.
• Heard from Barry Blevins, community development director, that it is time to prepare mowing bids from LCRA lots as well as debris removal from LCRA lots.
• Explained the process of buying LCRA properties to citizen Matthew Gadberry.

The next LCRA Board meeting will be held Tuesday, Feb. 21 at Sikeston City Council Chambers at City Hall.