point of view

There is no single "most interesting fact," as interest is subjective, but some candidates include the fact that honey never spoils & that Australia is wider than the moon. Other strong contenders are that there are more trees on Earth than stars in the Milky Way, & that the Earth is so smooth that if it were the size of a billiard ball, it would be smoother than one. Cows have best friends & can get stressed when separated. Ketchup was sold as medicine in the 1830s.

Monday, noon - Hospital Board of Trustees; 6pm - Planning & Zoning Commission

Tuesday, 6pm - Parks & Recreation

Thursday/Friday - Thanksgiving Holiday; City offices closed

Planning & Zoning Commission will hold public hearings to -

• amend the zoning regulations concerning motor vehicle sales. The amendment removes motor vehicle sales & repair from C-2 districts (downtown tourist district) & adds motor vehilcle supplies, fuel sales & sale/leasing of new/used motor vehicles to C-3 districts. Special Use Permits will include used motor vehicle sales in C-3 & M-1 districts. The amendment also removes outdated or redundant performance standards for outdoor displaly in C-2
• to add a new section to the zoning regulations concerning overnight, cold weather warming centers. The new section establishes a clear & safe regulatory framework for the temporary operation of overnight warning centers. These facilities provide critical, short-term emergency shelter during periods of extreme cold. The amendment defines an "Overnight Warming Center" & outlines a Temporary Use authorization process. Centers would be limited to C-3 districts, require coordination with Fire Department to verify life-safety standards, establishing operational standards for occupancy, temperature, accessibility, & on-site management.
• to add a new section to the zoning regulations concerning sober living facilities. The proposed amendment adds a precise definition of "Sober Living Facility", establishes it as a permitted residential use in all R districts, subject to specific standards - limited to no more than four unrelated individuals in recovery, requiring registration statement filed with city with contact & operational information; establishing separation requirement of 1,000' between similiar facilities, subject to building, occupancy, & property maintenance standards

Parks & Recreation Board will review monthly financial report & budget, hear staff & director reports, discuss Boundless BackYard & Parks Foundation.

Celebrating work anniversaries this week - Bridgette Alter, Group Fitness Instructor - 6 years; Rebecca Gudehus, Group Fitness Instructor - 5 years; Richie Marsh, & Kaylie Como, Building Monitor, & Drake Pollard, Assistant Director of Parks, Recreation & Community Center - 4 years.

Thrive Excelsior is a community coalition committed to increasing quality of life in ES. This week's Impact Highlight - Economic Vitality. Using public data & the Community Survey, we wanted to know whether people have adequate resources to meet their basic needs? Why it Matters: The median household income is the point at which half of the households in an area earn more & half earn less. Higher incomes lead to greater economic stability reduce pressures associated with meeting basic household needs such as buying healthy foods or paying bills. Lower incomes can also limit a person's access to physical & mental healthcare. Median household income is reported by the US Census. You can learn more about his measure at www.winmeasures.org . Median household income in ES is on the rise. In 2022 MHI in 64024 measured $77,087 compared to US $75,149 & Missouri $65,920.

• City & Chamber of Commerce are putting together a Job Fair for workers at Lawn & Garden that will be closing at the end of January. Companies interested in hiring workers should contact the Chamber to learn how they can participate.
• DEP volunteers kicked off Christmas this weekend with a variety of favorite events. The lighted parade was great.

I just wanted to take a minute & say how lucky our community is to have a place as amazing as the ES Community Center. I've been a member there for a few weeks now & I have never felt more welcomed in the classes I've tried, more encouraged from the trainers, & everything the establishment has to offer is seriously so incredible. My children absolutely love the childcare & look forward to seeing their "babysitters" every morning. All the free activities they have for the kiddos, the farmers market & events they host are so fun! We truly are so lucky, E-town!