KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- Improved sidewalks and city parks are in the works for residents of Kirksville.

This information was shared Wednesday during a joint meeting between the City of Kirksville and the Kirksville R-3 School District.

Kirksville has received a "Safe Routes to School" grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation.

The grant allows communities to partner with their local school district to provide safer ways for kids to walk and ride their bikes to school.

For Kirksville, this means improving the sidewalks around the school campus.

"We're going to be doing sidewalk improvements on Patterson street, from Baltimore to Cottage Grove and on Normal from Baltimore to the Ray Miller School and then on Cottage Grove Place," said Mari Macomber, the City Manger of Kirksville.

Macomber said the projects costs $130,000, and the grant will cover a good portion of it. Bids are expected to go out in April, and construction will begin this summer.

Later on in the meeting, Kirksville School Resource Officer Rich Harden gave an informal presentation on the daily duties of his job. Harden has worked for the Kirksville Police Department as a patrol officer for the previous six years. Right now, he is teaching D.A.R.E. to the fifth graders, which he said was an adjustment at first because he wasn't used to public speaking; now he said it is more of the things he enjoys most about his job. Harden also accompanies social workers with the Department of Family Services on their visits along with supervising athletic events, assisting administrators with misbehaving students, and patrolling the parking lots.

In addition, Assistant City Manager Melanie Smith mentioned that the repairs and improvements to the North Park Complex are almost complete. The ballparks in the complex were destroyed by the wind storms in June. Phelps fencing is working on the construction. They are installing a three foot knee wall fence for the ball fields and new bleachers. Smith said the park will be ready to go by baseball season.