Hillsboro Moves Public Works Project Forward as Crews Keep Searching for Hidden Water Leaks
Monday’s meeting brought progress on a new maintenance building, questions about water loss and a chance for residents to bring their concerns to City Hall.
By The Jefferson Review
HILLSBORO — A new building for the crews who maintain city infrastructure, a stubborn search for underground water leaks and residents seeking answers about their properties brought both progress and unfinished business before Hillsboro’s Board of Aldermen Monday night.
At the November 2 meeting, aldermen approved financing that will provide $2 million for a new Public Works maintenance building. They also heard about the challenges facing employees trying to find missing water beneath dry ground and appointed a committee that will help plan the city’s future.
As officials thanked the team that helped put the building financing together, the mayor offered a personal reflection on the work behind it.
“I’m pretty proud of our city, where we’ve come from,” he said.
A Step Forward for Public Works
The new Public Works maintenance building moved another step forward with approval of Ordinance 21-2026, authorizing a lease-purchase transaction and the documents needed to complete it.
A financing representative reported that $2.09 million in certificates of participation had been sold earlier Monday. The transaction will put $2 million into the project fund, with additional proceeds covering issuance costs.
Interest from investors was strong. Orders exceeded $5.2 million, more than twice the amount available, allowing rates on two longer-term maturities to be lowered before the terms were finalized.
The presentation also offered a look at the city’s financial standing. Hillsboro received a BBB+ credit rating, with reserve levels identified as an area that could be strengthened to help future ratings.
Insurance through Build America Mutual allowed the certificates to carry an AA rating based on the insurer’s credit strength, separate from the city’s underlying rating.
The representative placed the bond yield at approximately 5.06 percent and the overall borrowing cost, including fees and insurance, at approximately 5.8 percent.
Officials thanked those involved in preparing the financing, a process that required weeks of gathering records, reviewing documents and coordinating the sale.
Searching for Water Beneath Dry Ground
For Public Works employees, one pressing challenge remains out of sight.
Staff told aldermen they are continuing to investigate water loss, but dry conditions and shifting clay soil have made the search difficult. They suspect several smaller leaks rather than a single large break.
A previous major leak along Highway 21 produced a more noticeable effect on the water system. This time, staff said, the signs have been harder to follow, with escaping water staying underground instead of appearing at the surface.
“We’re doing everything we can do, and we’re working with professionals too,” a Public Works representative told the board.
The Missouri Rural Water Association was scheduled to return the following Monday with specialized listening equipment to help narrow the search. Staff said the assistance is provided at no cost to the city.
Employees are also reviewing individual water accounts. However, water lost before reaching a meter does not show up in customer usage records, leaving crews with another gap to work through as they try to locate the problem.
Relief Expected at Highway A and Highway 21
For drivers who have been waiting through poorly timed signals at Highway A and Highway 21, staff reported that repairs were underway.
According to the Public Works report, damage to a signal control box had left the lights operating in a repeating loop. The Missouri Department of Transportation had been working at the intersection that day, and detection cameras were operating again.
Staff said the timing was expected to improve that day or the next.
Crews also reported road repairs on Oak, Third and Commercial streets. With colder weather approaching, attention is shifting toward preparing vehicles, snowplows and salt spreaders for winter work.
Reviewing Protection for City Assets
Aldermen approved the city’s EMC insurance renewal following a presentation reporting an overall premium increase of approximately 2.6 percent.
Total insured property values were reported at roughly $17.57 million, up from about $16.8 million previously. Officials also discussed work to assemble a fuller inventory and valuation of city property, equipment and vehicles.
The conversation turned to how much protection the city should carry if something goes wrong.
Board members requested quotes for employee theft coverage of $250,000 and $500,000, compared with an existing limit identified during the discussion as $25,000. They also asked about increasing umbrella liability coverage from $3 million to $5 million.
The additional coverage amounts remained options for pricing and review. No separate approval of those higher limits was recorded.
Bringing More Voices Into Planning
The board approved a master plan steering committee made up of residents, business owners, city officials and other community representatives.
An organizing meeting was anticipated for November or December, beginning the committee’s work on planning for Hillsboro’s future.
Aldermen also approved two appointments to the Finance Committee. A later update noted that a proposal describing the committee’s role and financial guardrails had been drafted for further review.
Residents Ask for Answers
Public comment brought the discussion back to the concerns of individual property owners.
Owners of a property they hope to improve and return to productive use questioned the city’s inspection and remediation requirements. They asked officials to identify the legal authority behind those requirements and requested that their statement become part of the official meeting record.
Their stated goal was to move forward with evaluating and improving the property. No resolution of the dispute was recorded during the meeting.
Another property owner asked for relief from sewer charges tied to approximately 18,000 gallons of water used to refill a swimming pool after repairs. No decision on that request was recorded.
Other Board Action
Aldermen approved Ordinance 20-2026, adding an offense addressing misuse of official information by a public servant to the municipal code.
The board also approved Ordinance 22-2026, providing for the city’s 2027 annual municipal election, along with a separate 2027 polling place agreement.
Other approvals included the 2027 tax revenue sharing agreement between Jefferson County and participating municipalities involving the half-cent tax, as well as the ordinance authorizing payment of city bills.
The building department reported 16 building permits and 29 completed construction inspections during October, with total fees billed of $2,358.92.
Officials announced that City Hall would be closed November 11 for Veterans Day and November 26–27 for Thanksgiving.
The board adjourned without entering closed session.
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