Hannibal Council to Vote on Chloramine Usage

Hannibal residents petitioning for the Hannibal Clean Water Act have attained the required number of signatures and the petition will come before the city council on Tuesday.

The petition originally carried 1,660 signatures, though many were removed due to illegibility or missing addresses. In the end, the remaining 1,144 signatures--all of whom BOPW customers--were enough to warrant a council consideration.

At this point, the council can approve the initiative, putting it into full effect and ending the use of chloramines in public water. Or the council can decline the initiative, in which case the collected signatures will be used to place it on the ballot in November. The deadline for such action is August 30.

“Letting the community know of the impending vote is very important,” Hannibal resident Melissa Shobe Cogdal says. “[Hannibal residents] still have time to contact their ward councilmen and the mayor.”

If approved, the BPW would have 90 days to end the use of chloramines.

The petition has been authorized by City Clerk Angela Vance and Deputy City Clerk Rubemeyer.

The meeting begins at 7:00 pm in City Hall.