📢 Tree Pruning Notification from Liberty Electric 🌳✂️
Liberty Electric has notified us that they will be conducting tree pruning activities in our area this year to help maintain safe and reliable service. We understand that residents can expect to receive a letter from them within the next 7 to 90 days with details about scheduled work.
Additionally, they advised us that wood chips generated during the process will be available to residents upon request when crews are working in your neighborhood.
If you have any questions, keep an eye out for Liberty Electric’s letter or contact them directly. #WillardMO #TreeMaintenance
City hall will open on time tomorrow.
Please anticipate refreezing of melting snow overnight and take appropriate precautions when you travel.
City of Willard – Weather Closure Announcement
Due to ongoing winter weather, City offices will remain closed tomorrow for the safety of our staff and residents.
We recommend folks limit travel as much as possible, if you must travel please take appropriate precautions.
Stay warm and stay safe!
City of Willard – Weather Closure Announcement
Due to the anticipated winter weather, City offices will be closed tomorrow for the safety of our staff and residents.
Public Works has a plan in place to clear the roads, but with the expected snowfall, it will likely take time to see significant results .
To assist in their effort, we ask that residents:
• Keep roadways as clear as possible by avoiding parking vehicles in the street.
• Limit travel as much as possible to reduce hazards and allow crews to work efficiently.
• Stay informed by monitoring news and weather updates, such as those from the National Weather Service.
We appreciate your cooperation and patience as we work to keep Willard safe. If you must travel during the winter weather advisory, please take precautions. Stay warm and stay safe!
https://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=MOZ090&warncounty=MOC077&firewxzone=MOZ090&local_place1=Willard%20MO&product1=Winter+Storm+Warning&lat=37.3077&lon=-93.4263
🚨 Important Update on Payment Fees 🚨
Hey Willard residents! We want to give you a heads-up about a change to credit/debit card payment fees, commonly called convenience fees. Our processing company has increased their convenience fee charges from 3% to 6.6%, which means the City must adjust the charges collected when processing credit/debit card payments.
💳 This applies to any credit/debit card payments made online, by phone, or in person beginning around 5pm tomorrow.
💰 Want to avoid extra fees? You can always pay by cash, check, money order, or set up automatic bank draft—these options have no additional charges!
📞 Also, the processing company may add an extra $1.25 for credit card payments by phone and $2.50 for debit card payments by phone.
We know no one likes extra fees, and we appreciate your understanding as we work to keep credit/debit payment options available. If you have any questions or need help setting up an alternative payment method, give us a call at City Hall.
We understand that recent car break-ins have left many in our community feeling uneasy. While Willard remains a safer place than many larger cities, we take every incident seriously and are committed to addressing these concerns. 72% of those arrested for crimes in Willard were non-residents, highlighting the importance of vigilance among members of our community. It is a fact that, even in this era of cutting-edge technology, the best equipment the police have is us—everyday citizens who look out for one another and support the efforts of our officers.
The Department of Justice shared a report stating that small town police departments are often very effective at suppressing crime. The report attributed that effectiveness to: “the high degree of personal interaction among police officers, and between police officers and individual citizens. Police in small towns and rural areas are part of the community.”* Our officers are not just enforcers, they are neighbors, friends, and partners in keeping Willard safe.
The recent rash of car break-ins in our town has a lot of us feeling more vulnerable. Our police force is constantly striving to improve through continued education and upgrading technology. To continue improving our technology and training, we are considering additional funding sources, including a proposed public safety tax.
Citizens in a small town can also help their local police by
• Report suspicious activity promptly to local law enforcement,
• participating in neighborhood watch programs,
• building positive relationships with officers,
• volunteering for community policing initiatives, and
• providing information about potential crimes or criminal elements
Our own Chief McClain added, “Our public safety program has always been strongest when the public and the police joined hands in an earnest, all-out effort to overcome the adversity that criminals and crime bring to our table.”
When crime occurs, it's natural to feel concerned, but we should also recognize the strong foundation that we have in our community. Thank you for being proactive, looking out for your neighbors, and supporting the officers who work tirelessly to protect our town.
Coffee Hour from 11am to Noon on Friday February 28 at The Hive.
Have thoughts on Willard’s future? Ideas for things you'd like to see? Concerns, hopes for our community, or something else you'd like to discuss? Come chat over coffee! This is a great opportunity to share what’s on your mind—whether it’s a challenge you see, an idea you’d love to explore, or just a wish for our city.
Let’s talk, connect, and work together to keep Willard moving forward. See you there!
As promised, in response to a community question here’s the link to our snow clearing protocol: https://5il.co/366z6. Please note that adjustments to the plan may be necessary based on real-time conditions, but we hope this serves as a helpful guide for the community.
We do strongly recommend that if you believe road conditions may be unsafe, the best choice is erring on the side of caution by delaying travel plans or allowing extra time to reach your destination safely.
Have you heard of Chappell Roan, the “Midwestern Pop Princess”? Did you know she grew up in Willard? How do you feel about becoming famous, along with her? The City Of Willard and Springfield area were spotlighted in Chappell’s guest performance on “Carpool Karaoke “. Fans around the world want to know what it is like to live here, and to have this connection to a rising star.
Reporters are already asking:
“How do locals feel about the spotlight being in the area featured in her music video? What do you think of her rise to fame? Do you have any advice for her?”
Now is your chance to have your voice heard. Post your thoughts here, and they may be included in an upcoming story featuring Chappell Roan and us!
The City of Willard will be closed Monday January 20, 2025 for Martin Luther King Day. We will resume regular business hours on Tuesday January 21, 2025 at 8:00am.
Public Notice: Email Compromise Alert
We want to inform you that the City of Willard's clerk email account (clerk@cityofwillard.org) was recently compromised. As a result, an unauthorized email containing a Zoom link was sent out to recipients this morning.
If you received an email with a Zoom link from this email address, please delete it immediately. Do not click on the link, interact with the email, or reply to it.
We are actively investigating the issue and taking steps to secure the email account.
We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding as we work to resolve this matter.
Thank you for your attention to this important notice.
— City of Willard Administration
A rate hearing will be held this evening at 6:30 p.m., following a work session at 6:00 p.m. The regular Board of Aldermen meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. All meetings are open to the public.
We plan to hold the meeting in the board room but will have a backup plan to move to the Community Center if attendance exceeds capacity.
The board remains evenly split between two rate models:
1️⃣ A flat rate where all customers pay the same rate.
2️⃣ A rate maintaining a 10% surcharge for out-of-city customers.
We strongly encourage customers to attend and share their preferences to the board.
You may submit comments:
✉️ By email to the city administrator at ca@cityofwillard.org (subject line: Rate Comments).
📬 By mail or hand delivery to City Hall.
🗣️ In person at the hearing.
A comment survey is also available at https://forms.gle/rRcyMieSzGRwkRsJ6 and will remain open until 5pm this evening.
Your voice matters!
City offices will remain closed for the rest of the day. We will reopen to the public on Monday, January 13th, at 8:00 a.m. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Stay safe!
City Hall will be closed until 10:00 a.m. today due to road conditions. This delay will allow staff additional time to arrive safely. Thank you for your understanding.
An application (LOMAR) has been received to revise the floodway on the Willard branch. All affected property owners have been notified and should understand that the proposed rerouting of stormwater will not remove all flow from the properties and the potential for flooding still exists. Some existing drainage routes will be altered to optimize drainage flow toward the Willard branch drainage. We will be having a meeting of all property owners on January 16, 2025, at 5:30 PM in the Willard City boardroom. The address is 224 West Jackson Street in Willard MO
If you have any concerns about how the project may impact your property, please contact Mike Ruesch at 417-742-5310 to discuss any concerns.
City Hall is open today, Monday Jan. 6, during our regular business hours despite the recent winter weather in the region.
Special thanks to the city's public works staff. who worked to treat roads overnight! Crews will still treat the roads throughout the day as well.
📢 Rumor Alert! - City of Willard Does Accept Checks
We’ve heard there’s some confusion about whether the City accepts checks or not, so here’s the scoop:
✅ We ARE accepting checks for payment of utility accounts.
🚫 However, we do not accept checks for:
- Payment agreements
- Shut-off accounts
- Accounts with bad check history
If you have any questions about payment methods, feel free to reach out to us directly. We’re here to help! 💬
Thank you for helping us clear up the confusion. 😊
Candidate Filing Deadline Today!
We’ve made special arrangements for the City Clerk to remain available until 5:00 p.m. to ensure no interested candidates miss the opportunity to file for the April 8th election.
If you or someone you know is considering running for a position on the Board of Aldermen or for Mayor, please stop by City Hall before 5:00 p.m. If you arrive after City Hall has officially closed, simply call the Clerk at 417-742-5302, and she will assist you with the filing process.
Please note: no other city business will be conducted after noon today. Regular operations will resume on Thursday, January 2nd.
Don’t miss your chance to get involved and serve your community!
Just a reminder that City Hall will close today December 31, 2024 at noon. We will reopen on January 2, 2025 at 8:00 am. So that our employees can celebrate the New Year.
We want you to stay in-the-know with what's happening in City of Willard! Download our app to stay informed.
Download for Android https://aptg.co/N9NR4C
Download for iPhone https://aptg.co/7LvGvT
