Praise offered for late Republic street department supervisor

‘Complete fluke’ off-job accident claims life of ‘great man,’ Aurora resident Fred Prisk
Issues from city personnel to construction projects were voiced during recent meetings of the Republic City Council.
At his last meeting as city administrator on May 20, David Cameron offered a tribute to Fred Prisk, the project supervisor for the Republic street division who died unexpectedly on May 20 at age 58. Prisk worked for the city for 20 years. According to Cameron, Prisk was injured in a “complete fluke” accident that was not job-related, “struggled in surgery,” and subsequently passed. A resident of Aurora, Prisk was active in the Aurora Bass Hounds and an enthusiastic bass fisherman in tournaments on Table Rock Lake running out of Shell Knob.
“There was never a day when you didn’t see a smile on his face [and] sweat on his shirt. He did it the right way,” Cameron said.
Cameron recounted how he approached Prisk in 2017 about constructing Drury Lane behind the Resource Optimization and Innovation Supply Manufacturing and Packaging plant, which closed earlier this year. “Fred said, ‘We can do it,’” Cameron said. “I remember him building that street with some of the smallest equipment on the plant. I wondered, ‘David, what have you got these poor souls into?’ They went out there and they fought. When it was done, I rented a bus. I wanted those employees to see what they had done. That street behind Amazon, he built. The citizens probably never knew the nights he was out plowing. He served the community well. We lost a great man.”

Shuyler Creek Trail concerns
Susan Peck and Lisa Roller, Peck’s sister-in-law, brought concerns to the council over the construction of the Shuyler Creek Trail expansion, which crossed their properties on Farm Road 182. Both cited dissatisfaction over the project, reportedly putting the land back “better than before.”
Peck noted that once crews laid seed, indicating their work had finished, she knew no effort was being made to correct issues created by the construction. On May 10, she asked for more topsoil to return the land to the grade it had been, since construction created a steep grade that made it unusable for haying, which is how the land was used previously. She said she contacted the city’s BUILDS department and was “blown off.”
Moreover, Peck reported crews were pouring two stormwater drains, not in the plans as presented to her, which she attributed to a design flaw. The drains would direct stormwater onto her private property, a violation of state law. “There are other ways to mediate your problem without directing it onto our property. I expect the drains to be removed,” she said.
Roller went further, returning to the application for the project to the Ozark Transportation Organization (OTO), where it said the 10-foot trail would need an additional one-foot easement. Older records showed her father built his fences 25 feet from the center of the road. The project subsequently incorporated easements given to the electric company for utility poles, extending the work out to 13.6 feet and creating a wavy line for a new fence instead of the original straight line. “That’s not acceptable,” she said. Roller wanted Olsson Engineering to resurvey the land for a true border. At present, she said the fence, based on the original measurement, would have to go through asphalt to be properly reinstalled.
Moreover, Roller noted the application to the OTO checked the box indicating the project did not require any condemnation. A copy of the application was provided to the Commonwealth. Roller viewed the subsequent condemnation for additional easement as a violation that voids the contract. Construction changed the slope of the land, documented by photos, depriving the Rollers of land they too used for making hay as part of their income. She said the BUILDS office “won’t admit they made a mistake” and that the trail process was “deceiving from Day 1.” Roller encouraged city council members to view the situation for themselves, as Ward 2 Alderman Eric Gerke had done.

Traffic safety concern on Illinois Ave.
On another issue, Gina Pennewell, who lives on Island Green Drive, reported that traffic on Illinois Avenue, which crosses the Christian County line and turns into Beal Road, had become a safety concern with an increase in traffic from children on scooters and bicycles. She had spoken to the Christian County commissioners and at a Republic Planning and Zoning meeting over the past year, and finally been referred to the city council. She recommended installing a sidewalk on one side of the street.
Mayor Eric Franklin said he would look into the matter and get back to her.

Cameron parting comments
City Administrator Cameron, recently hired as Springfield’s 14th city manager, will take that post in July. He took the opportunity to reflect on his nine years in Republic, serving under five mayors and undertaking numerous projects, including the upgrade of the city’s wastewater treatment plant.
Ward 1 Alderman Eric Gerke added the Shuyler Creek Trail, aquatic park, J.R. Martin Park, and other improvements to city parks and trails to Cameron’s list. Gerke credited Cameron for doing his work with “a lot of passion,” and presented him with a small ax as a going-away present for tackling his new post.