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POPLAR BLUFF - In a letter dated September 19, the City Manager informed council that his estimate to bring the city hall structure into code compliance and building repair is $2M. Kaplan stated in his letter that staff was cataloging all of the code violations the building is currently in violation, "to hold governmental structures to the same standard as other structures when enforcing code compliance." Kaplan wrote, "I am currently preparing a plan to continue government activities by temporarily relocating City Hall, Police Department and Municipal Court to other locations since the costs of renting will be significantly lower than the anticipated costs of repair." The full letter is below:

The Poplar Bluff City Council welcomed new City Manager Heath Kaplan at the conclusion of his first day on the job, and also took care of a number of pieces of city business Monday evening. As it happened, his first day on the job was also Kaplan's birthday. After being serenaded with a rendition of “Happy Birthday” by the council members and crowd at the meeting, Kaplan, thanked the citizens of Poplar Bluff for his warm reception. Mayor Angela Pearson greeted Kaplan, and also thanked interim City Manager Mark Massingham for his service to the community. Council Votes NO on Property Tax Increase Kaplan admitted his first day on the job had been very busy. One of his first items

Poplar Bluff, Mo. - The Poplar Bluff City Council voted 5-2 to approve a one-year contract for City Manager with Heath Kaplan this evening. On Wednesday of last week, at a special session of the city council, members approved 7-0 to hire Mr. Kaplan.  On Friday, the city issued a press release introducing their new city manager. Tonight's vote was whether to issue Kaplan a one-year contract laying out the duties, salary, termination procedures, benefits and allowances. Council members Betty Absheer and Ed Degaris voted no. Mayor Pearson, Mayor Pro Tem Rushin, along with councilmen Brannum, Tinsley and Johson voted yes for the contract. At the beginning of the meeting during the citizen input portion, former city councilwoman McVey challenged the council for

There is no way Angela Pearson could have known how her life was going to change with one simple act: running for a seat on the Poplar Bluff City Council. She never imagined that in a relatively brief amount of time, she would be sitting in the Mayor's Office, in the Mayor's Seat. She looks back on this past year and admits that it has been a lot like a roller-coaster ride – at times thrilling, and at times downright scary. But she is happy with the overall results. She's been interviewed by out of town news media. She's gotten hate mail. She's gotten love mail. There is no crown for this office. As matter of fact, there really isn't