Archive for 2021

The Salem Board of Aldermen held a regular meeting Monday at the City Hall Council Chambers. The board heard from Bill Parsons about an Octoberfest being planned for October 29th, 30th and 31st near the 4th Street Mall from Hickory to Water Street on 4th Street. He also discussed utility bills for a number of different addresses and asked the aldermen to check into these bills that appeared excessive. After the consent agenda was approved, the board discussed Bill #3485 to establish new electric rates for the City of Salem. Utility Committee Chairman Shawn Bolerjack discussed with the board and crowd how the rates were determined and the different options the city looked at before finally deciding on a 4.4% increase to cover the February cold weather incident that left the city with an additional 1.46 million-dollar bill. Since there were a lot of calculations, Bolerjack suggested tabling the passing of the bill until the next meeting so the aldermen will have more time to review the numbers. Public Works Director Mark Nash presented equipment lease and rental options that could take care of the growing waste problem out at the city yard waste disposal site at the industrial park as well as perform other functions for the city. He also had a one-time price from Philip Mercer of $3,200 to do the clean-up work, but the aldermen continued to insist that no dollars would be spent on major purchases until the financial audit is complete. With that being said, they authorized Nash to get bids for gates to seal off the area and a video security system for the waste disposal site. The board did approve a bid of $6,566 from Vandevanter Engineering to repair a lift pump in the city. Nash said the city needed to get another lift pump to have on hand in case another went out as it is getting hard to get the parts in to repair these units and they should have the same type of lift pumps in all of the lift stations. The board again said they would not spend any money on capital improvements until the audited financial statements have been submitted. City Administrator Ray Walden wanted to thank Catherine Dent for volunteering to call people who had utility bills past due to come in and get a payment plan set up. He said the current utility bills for consumption for the June 15th through July 15th time period were mailed out last week. If you have not received your bill by Wednesday, please contact the utility office. Walden said anyone who is still past due on their previous utility bills need to have them paid off or have a plan in place by 5:00 this Thursday afternoon to avoid having their utilities shut-off on Friday, August 6th. Walden stated the contractors for the sewer line extension on Route J and Highway 72 to the hospital will begin work this week near the hospital. Walden also said the City of Salem will be eligible for $992,000 in ARPA funds and he suggested the city prioritize what projects should be addressed with that money and get public input. The city must commit by September 1st to receive the funds and Walden asked the aldermen to consider this at their next meeting on August 16th. The board then went into closed session.

The Dent County Sheriff’s Department has released some reports for the middle of July. On July 16th, a deputy conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of East 7th Street and Young Street. During the traffic stop, a 20-year-old Salem man and a 44-year-old Salem man were arrested for active warrants through Dent County. Both men were taken to the Dent County Jail and incarcerated. Also arrested during the traffic stop was a 21-year-old Salem woman for operating a vehicle on a highway without a valid license, a 1st offense. The woman was transported to the Dent County Jail where she was fingerprinted, issued a summons and released. That same day, a deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle on East Fourth Street. The vehicle failed to yield to the deputy’s patrol vehicle’s emergency lights and siren. The vehicle was finally stopped at the intersection of North Russell Street and East 3rd Street. During the investigation of the traffic stop, a 23-year-old Salem man was arrested for resisting or interfering with an arrest, detention or stop, the possession of a controlled substance except for 35 grams or less of marijuana or synthetic cannabinoid, the unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, operating a motor vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner, and failure to register the motor vehicle annually with Missouri Department of Revenue. The man was taken to the Dent County Jail and incarcerated. On Sunday, July 18th, a deputy conducted a traffic stop on Dent County Road 2340. During the traffic stop, a 40-year-old Cook Station man was arrested for a felony driving while having their license suspended charge. The man was transported to the Dent County Jail and incarcerated. On Monday, the 19th of July, a deputy traveled to a location in the 1600 block of West Highway 32 to serve an arrest warrant. During the course of the incident, a 42-year-old Salem man was arrested for having an active warrant through Dent County. He was transported to the Dent County Jail and was incarcerated. If anyone has information regarding an ongoing investigation, please call the Dent County Sheriff’s Department at 729-3241.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the Dent County Courthouse for their regular meeting. Dent County and the City of Salem Economic Development Director Sally Burbridge gave her report to the commissioners for the month of July. She mentioned there would be a general housing meeting Wednesday and the “Love Thy Neighbor” volunteer group Mission Week will be next week. She also said there would be a social mixer at Echo Bluff State Park on September 14th from 6:00 to 8:00 in the evening to pull interested agencies and individuals together for economic development. She went on to say the annual meeting of the Enhanced Enterprise Zone board will be Thursday. In the road report, District 1 commissioner Wes Mobray said materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 4210 while only grading would be done on county roads 5420 and 6500. Mobray stated brush would be cut on county roads 6400 and 6410, and tires would be put on truck #125. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 3220. He went on to report that the county was going to work on the road at the end of county road 2300 where the low water crossing is to prepare it for chip and seal. He said another crew would be checking for washouts in the Lecoma and Boss areas. Commissioner Mobray had the amendment from Great Rivers Engineering for the supplemental survey work needed by MoDOT for the Cooley Bridge Project to qualify it for the FLAP project. The cost up to $3,000 would be paid from the FLAP monies. The amendment was signed by Commissioner Darrell Skiles who then said he would be in Jefferson City today to help interview candidates for the Executive Director position for the Missouri Association of Counties. The new person will replace long time director Dick Burke. Skiles said the prosecutor had prepared a Quit-Claim Deed on property owned by Dennis and Sandra Parks to remove an easement for a county road that the county has no intention of building. The Commissioners agreed to sign the Quit-Claim Deed. Bids were opened on two vehicles owned by the sheriff’s department: a 1998 Dodge Van and a 2009 Chevrolet Trailblazer. There was one bid on the van and it came from Schwartz Sales in Salem for $677, and there were three bids on the Trailblazer and the high bid came from Chafin Auto Sales for $1,675. The bids were accepted. Commissioners Larson and Mobray wanted to let people know that chip and seal will be going on this week in both districts so people should be aware when encountering those work crews on the roads. They also wanted to remind people there are a number of surplus county items at the County Road and Bridge Department shed on Highway 32-72 West on display that can be bid on. To get specifics on the equipment and vehicles that are available, stop by the Dent County Clerk’ office in the courthouse. Bids MUST be in by 10:00 Monday morning, August 9th at the clerk’s office, and please mark on the envelope “county equipment bid.” Sheriff Bob Wells was in to update the commissioners on the federal prisoners that are now being housed at the Dent County Jail. Wells said he has 20 male prisoners that came from St. Charles which is in the Eastern District which also includes St. Louis. He said the county gets paid $65 a day for each prisoner. He said this will bring in about an additional $9,000 per week to the jail operation. He also said that when a prisoner has to be taken back to the Eastern Court system for trial or sentencing, two armed deputies are paid $23.46 each per hour and the county gets 56 cents per mile. Wells said there are also 55 local prisoners in the jail from Dent, Shannon and Phelps counties. The county also receives payment from those other counties to house their prisoners, but less than the $65 payment they get for federal prisoners. Wells said the price of meals has gone down from $3.33 per meal to $2.71 per meal which consists of two hot meals and one cold meal for each prisoner. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Mid-Missouri Addiction Awareness Group in partnership with the MRPC Rural Opioid Initiative is inviting everyone to participate in the Opioid and Substance Use Disorder Awareness Walk going on this Saturday starting at 10:00 at the Dent County Courthouse Square. People will be walking “to end the stigma” and provide opioid use disorder education, increase awareness and identify prevention strategies in the Meramec Region. For more information about the walk, send an e-mail to maagwecare@gmail.com or to charmon@meramecregion.org. You can also learn more at maagwecare.com.