Archive for 2024

The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Brooke Bollman will begin her duties as the hospital CEO later this month. The hospital will announce her start date when it is certain. Ms. Bollman is moving to the Salem area after serving as the CEO of Caldwell Regional Medical Center in Caldwell, Kansas, since 2019. It was originally anticipated that Ms. Bollman would begin her duties on July 1st. The Salem Hospital Board of Directors would like to thank Kayla Chamberlain, the hospital CFO, for her willingness to serve as Interim CEO until Brooke Bollman’s arrival at SMDH.

The Missouri State Oil & Gas Council will hold its quarterly meeting on July 17 at 10:00 am in the Land Survey and Agriculture building, located at 1251 Gale Dr in Rolla. The council is responsible for adopting and amending regulations related to the oil and gas industry in Missouri. Its primary objectives include: Promoting economic development and production of Missouri’s oil and gas resources, ensuring proper management of wastes from oil and gas wells protecting

groundwater aquifers potentially affected by well drilling, and establishing standards for well drilling, operation, and underground storage of hydrocarbons. The public is welcome to attend these meetings, Webex is also available. Those wishing to address the council on any agenda item must notify the department beforehand by emailing council secretary cara.bird@dnr.mo.gov, if attending remotely. In-person attendees can complete a Speaker Request form at the registration table. For more information about the Missouri State Oil & Gas Council and its activities, visit the Department of Natural Resources website or contact the Missouri Geological Survey in Rolla at 573-368-2100.

Governor Mike Parson signed into law what many are referring to as the Veteran Omnibus Bills, Senate Bill 912, and HB1495. In these bills, the Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC) is charged with creating a new program to aid in the efforts to prevent Veteran suicide. The Veterans Mental Health Program will be the Commission’s fourth core program. MVC also operates the Veterans Homes Program, Veterans Cemeteries Program, and the Veterans Service Program. Governor Parson said that we are proud to be a leading state for veterans, military members, and their families where they can find professional success, affordability, welcoming communities, and, above all, support and respect for their service to our great nation. He went on to say that the legislation we are signing continues our commitment to our nation’s heroes that Missouri will remain one of the best places for veterans and service members to live, work, and raise a family. A special thank you to Representative Dave Griffith and Senator Ben Brown for leading these important efforts to protect, honor, and support Missouri’s military members, both past and present. MVC Executive Director (Ret.) Col. Paul Kirchhoff said that since our inception, the Missouri Veterans Commission has been helping Missouri’s Veterans, and we are honored to be able to help in a new way. He went on to comment that this cause is near and dear to my heart, as I have lost close friends to suicide, and I am not the only one. We are losing Veterans every day, and whatever we need to do to curb that, we are all in. MVC is working on a timeline for the rollout of the new program. SB912 and HB1495 require MVC to review the provisions of the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019 and all subsequent regulations and then compile an annual report first due on July 1, 2025. MVC will work in collaboration with the Missouri Department of Mental Health to “provide recommendations and make efforts to adopt procedures, programs, treatment options, aid, and other assistance necessary to assist in the efforts to prevent Veteran suicide.” The Missouri Veterans Commission operates seven State Veterans Homes, five Veterans Cemeteries, and the Veterans Services Program. The Commission is committed to providing high-quality, compassionate care for Veterans, seamlessly integrated with the Veteran community,

emphasizing a culture of transparency and excellence. For more information about Missouri Veterans Commission programs, call 573-751-3779 or visit mvc.dps.mo.gov.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will host a family fishing event on July 23 at Little Prairie Conservation Area in Phelps County. The event will take place from 6-8 p.m. at William E. Towell Lake. MDC staff will be on hand to provide assistance and instruction to families new to fishing. Fishing poles and lures will be provided for participants. The event is open to all, but is specifically designed for families. Anglers between 16 and 64 years old will need a fishing permit. Little Prairie Conservation Area is located at 12600 Prairie Lake Road, approximately five miles east of Rolla. While the program is free, registration is limited and required. Interested participants can register online at the MDC website or contact Lance Lewis at Lance.Lewis@mdc.mo.gov for more information. MDC reminds residents that various virtual and in-person programs are available across the state. A full listing of these programs can be found at mdc.mo.gov/events.

The Dent County Commissioners met Thursday for their regular meeting at the courthouse. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson was not in attendance due to prior commitments. First District Commissioner Wes Mobray was appointed as acting presiding commissioner. Philip Karr and Rich Green attended with their concerns still about the truck traffic from Royal Oak Charcoal as it has now returned after the county put up their road signs. Royal Oak, after a discussion with the commission, stated they would be putting up their own truck signs on their property but they have not been installed yet There are still issues on Route JJ at the end of state maintenance where there is no sign by the county or Royal Oak, and the highway patrol has told residents they can’t do anything unless a sign is posted, and county deputies can’t write citations without an ordinance which the commission has yet to finalize as they are trying to make sure the ordinance doesn’t impede local truck traffic from using the roads to do their jobs. Karr would like to see the sign prohibiting trucks over ten tons placed at that location. Denver Ellis brought in a sample initiative petition that would allow the public to place the questions on the ballot of “Shall the County of Dent exempt senior citizens from increases in the property tax liability due on such senior citizen’s primary residence? Yes or No.” County Clerk Angie Curley took the petition from Ellis but said she only certifies signatures. Ellis said a petition similar to this was passed by a county in southwest Missouri and Curley asked him which one, but Ellis did not have the information with him. He will provide that to Curley so she can follow up the petition to she what steps need to be taken. Curley did say that Ellis would need to collect 362 signatures for the initiative to be put on the ballot. The petition when completed would have to be delivered to the commission. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said three grader drivers are busy patch grading numerous roads with the damage from the rain with two men hauling materials to a number of those roads. Mobray said brush cutting is being done to county road 6660. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk said materials are being added and grading done on Dent County Road 2160, while only grading would be done on county roads 2165, 2170 and 4290. He said brush was being cut on county roads 3260 and 3290, and a crew was fixing a tire on grader #37. Gary Fritzinger came in to talk about getting the culverts cleaned out on county road 4030 as well as possibly getting the bent parts cut off. Commissioner Polk said he would check into it. County Clerk Curley said excused absentee voting continues at the courthouse until August 5th and no-excuse absentee voting will begin July 23rd. She also said the last day to mail out a ballot will be July 24th. The treasurer received a check from Terry Baker in the amount of $7,000 for chip and seal of 2/10ths of a mile on county road 2370. He will maintain the road for five years and the commission will have the prosecutor draw up an agreement. The next commissioner meeting will be Monday morning at the courthouse at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

The City of Salem Utilities Committee meeting was called to order at 6:15 Wednesday evening at the City Auditorium. Finance Director Houston presented first with her finance report. During which she highlighted several utility line items, in summary the Electric Fund, Electric D&R Fund, and Electric Reserved Fund totaled a little over 2.5 million dollars, this is an increase of about 1.3 million dollars from the same time last year. The Water Fund, corresponding D&R, and Reserve Fund totaled nearly 1.7 million dollars, the difference compared to the beginning balance is an increase of $34,524. The Sewer Fund, corresponding D&R, and Reserve Funds had a beginning balance of $471,454 and an ending balance of $834,696. An attending citizen asked for clarification about the expenses on chemical supplies for sludge and sewer tools, including a hydrovac truck. Director Houston elaborated on the amounts spent, clarifying the expenditures. Utility Director Paine then arrived at the podium to report on work updates. He stated the water department has been focused on water service line repairs, a major sewer repair off Hickory and 11th street among their routine responsibilities. The Electric department focused on reported outages mostly caused by local wildlife, streetlight replacement, and provided assistance to other departments for infrastructure repairs. City Administrator Sally Burbridge reported that the approved electric and trash rates will go into effect on the September Billing cycle, while the approved sewer rates will go into effect on the October billing cycle. On the topic of the MPUA Mutual Aid Agreement, which for context, is a multi-community agreement designed to be utilized under conditions when time is of the essence to save lives, prevent human suffering, and/or mitigate property damage following an emergency. Director Paine informed the committee that the city’s current agreement expires August 1st, and would need to be renewed by an authorized signature should the city decide to continue to participate in the program for the 18th consecutive year. Discussions regarding liabilities, updated insurance requirements, commitments to other communities including those out of the state of Missouri, logistics of communications during a disaster, the presentation of time sensitive documents, overall expenses, the city’s emergency action plans and personnel were all raised by committee members and citizens in attendance. A motion was then made by Kyle Williams to amend a prior motion, and moved to recommend continuation of the city’s participation in the mutual aid program provided the necessary updates with current administration and a legal review. John Hambacher seconded the motion and stated that the city needs to be sure that they are meeting all requirements of the agreement. The motion was approved unanimously. Catherine Dent asked to obtain an updated disaster manual from the city. Director Paine stated he will provide that. The committee also discussed water meter size fees, with John Hambacker presenting documents and Kyle Williams providing comparative information from nearby towns. Two options were considered for metering fees: one based on account and the other on service line size. It was agreed that this would be discussed further in future meetings. At 7:18 PM a motion to adjourn was made and approved by all members present.

The Board of Aldermen met at the City Hall Auditorium Tuesday at 6:00 in the evening. Salem Police Chief Joe Chase updated the board in regards to the bidding on two Dodge Durango police cruisers, this is apart of an ongoing vehicle replacement plan. The purchase price of these two vehicles is $83,936, and a $13,908.40 police equipment package required for the department’s use. The funds will come out of the Capital Improvement budget set aside specifically for purchasing and outfitting patrol cars. A motion was made and approved unanimously by the Aldermen. Bill 3612, has to do with the repeal of a redundant and duplicate ordinance. Repealing Section 710.350 keeps all utility rates in the same Chapter 700 instead of scattered through different sections of City Code thus making it easier for anyone trying to identify the correct rates. This repeal was approved 3-0. Bill 3613, 3614, and 3615 were each derived from recommendations made by the Utility Committee during their meeting on June 12th to maintain the current kwh rate for all in-city electric utility customers and the elimination of the Service Availability fee for residential and commercial accounts. The Utility Committee also recommended transferring from Prior Year Fund Balances to complete the 25% Reserve Fund Goal and eliminating the Service Availability Fee which was used this past year to rebuild the Reserve Fund. These bills were passed 3-0. Reports were then heard from Mayor Greg Parker at which time he passed on his gratitude to Fleetwood Pyrotechnics LLC for their hard work putting on a successful 4th of July fireworks display, he also thanked KSMO Media for live streaming the parade earlier that day. Parks and Rec. Director Melisa DuBois reported that repairs to the city pool were likely to start as soon as this week. She also reminded all those in attendance that they’re working with Intercounty Electric Cooperative for the Movie Night at the Park, July 20th at dark. They will be showing the movie Sonic the Hedgehog 2, this event is free to the public. Alderman John Whelan complimented the work done by the Parks and Rec department regarding various summer programs, stating he’s heard a lot of positive feedback from the community. At 6:14 the meeting was adjourned.

The Board of Adjustments held a meeting in the City Hall Auditorium at 5:30 in the evening Tuesday. In new business there were two requests for variances of city ordinances. The first was a request reduces the required parking spaces to 1 parking space for each 207 square feet of gross floor area for a retail business that is being proposed at Lot 3 (3B) of the Scenic Rivers Plaza subdivision, owned by Ridge Properties I, LLC. The second request was for a variance to allow placement of a structure inside the rear setback of the property located at 200 Walnut Hill Dr., owned by Michael Letchworth II. Both requests were approved and the meeting was adjourned.

The Dent County Fire Protection Board of Directors met Tuesday evening at the fire station. The financial report showed an ending balance of $176,124.92 as of June 30th. Bills, payments, and statements were reviewed by the board along with the budget for the year. It was noted to the board the tax levy will have to be set at the August board meeting as it must be submitted to the state by September 1st. The monthly reimbursement report showed a total of 12 calls for the month of June bringing the total year to date to 155. The department responded to two vehicle fires during the month, two medical assist calls, three gas leaks, one outside rubbish fire call, one special type of incident call, one grass fire, one fire call that was classified as other, and they had one call that was a false alarm. In old business, the board received three bids for the repair, sealing, and restriping of the parking lot. The board accepted the lowest bid from Pierce Asphalt for $9,450.00 provided money was available later in the year. Chief Dennis Floyd asked the board to declare some equipment as surplus which included a 1990 Dodge Ram 350, a John Deere Gator that had 219.5 hours on it with a diesel engine, and a NorthStar 55 gallon skid unit with a Honda engine. After discussion, the board agreed to declare all three items as surplus and to list the items on Purple Wave to be sold. In new business, the board discussed some sort of legal representation for the department moving forward. They also discussed insurance policies and what options may be available such as increasing deductibles to save money. The board also discussed the AFG Grant as Chief Floyd asked where the district was on getting help with the grant and how much they should ask for as there is a 10% match. Chief Floyd will get more information for the board. The board reviewed and approved an early reimbursement request from Nathan Kinsey of $600. In his report, Chief Floyd reported the four firefighters that attended training in June will be implementing the new ideas at local trainings. The next meeting of the Dent County Fire Protection District Board will be at 6:00 Tuesday, August 13th at the fire station and it will be open to the public.

The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce announced the winners for the 2024 Independence Day Parade. Taking 1st Place in the Commercial Category was Town & Country Bank in Salem, while taking 1st Place in the Non-Commercial Category was the Salem Full Gospel Church. Both winners received the $100 prize for taking 1st place. The winner of the Best Horsemanship during the parade went to Jill and Jodie Dean. They received a $50 prize for their achievement. Congratulations to all those who had entries in the parade which was well attended considering the heat.