Archive for 2024

The Dent County Commissioners met Thursday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. At the meeting, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said grading would be done on Dent County Roads 2470, 5110 and 6250 while brush was going to be cut on county roads 5015 and 5070. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk indicated grading was going to be done on Dent County Roads 2150, 2155 and 5240. He went on to say that county road 3260 was being prepped for chip and seal. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson reported he attended the MRPC meetings Thursday night starting with the Transportation Advisory committee meeting at 4:00 and ending with the MRPC regular meeting in St. James. He said the commission has spoken with Representative Ron Copeland and responded to Senate Bill 1359 dealing with the opening up of the local hospital districts to allow other larger medical facilities to provide services in those areas. Dent County Assistant Clerk Crystal Pilkington said the clerk’s office balanced with the treasurer on all accounts for the month of May. Dent County Collector Shannon VanKirk wants to remind anyone who still has delinquent Real Estate taxes from 2021 that you will need to pay them IN FULL by June 28th, during regular business hours from 8:00 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon. If you fail to do so, then on July 1st, the taxes for the tax years 2021, 2022 and 2023 will be declared due by Friday, August 23rd. If not paid by then, your parcel will be sold at the Delinquent Tax Sale that will be held on Monday, August 26th. Check payments are no longer accepted so you will need to pay with cash, cashier’s check or money order. If you are not sure this applies to you or you do not understand how the system works, you need to call the Dent County Collector’s office at (573) 729-3911 with any questions you may have or stop by the Dent County Courthouse. Starting July 1st there will be an additional $25.00 per parcel added to the tax bill to pay for the advertising costs in the Salem News. Remember, only the taxes for 2021 need to be paid IN FULL by Thursday, June 28th to give you another whole year to pay the other outstanding years. The commissioners also said the courthouse will be closed on Wednesday, June 19th for Juneteenth. The next commissioner meeting will be held Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthosue and the meeting is open to the public.

A Barn Quilt Class will be held Monday & Tuesday, June 17th & June 18th from 5:30 until 8:00 with Terrie Welch and Gale Huffman. In this two-day class, you will draw your own quilt block design on a sanded and primed 2’x2′ piece of plywood. You will then tape off areas to create sharp-edged lines, and paint it with chosen colors of house paint. When you finish, you will want to take and proudly display it on your barn or home! These are becoming quite popular and you can be the envy of your neighbors with this colorful display! The cost of the class is $55 with all supplies included. At least six people need to sign up to hold the class and it will be limited to 25. To register, go the SACBA website and find the Programs tab. Find the Creative Arts Center and click to register for the class. Registrations online are on a first come, first serve basis.

The Salem Utility Committee met Wednesday evening at the Salem Community Center at the Armory. A discussion on the ServLine Protection Program was held where this program is meant to provide an insurance type of financial protection against expensive utility bills that could occur due to water leaks at the option of the resident, but residents were “opted in” to the program by default. Each resident has to “opt out” in the first 30 days of the services. It was reported that 77 residents had already opted out of the program. For more information or to opt out, call the City of Salem’s dedicated ServLine phone number at 844-952-0741. Public Works Director Steve Paine reported the water crew recently repaired four water lines as well as two fire hydrants. These repairs are part of an ongoing effort to reduce the amount of overall city water loss that currently stands at 16%. Electric crews are changing out street lights and are checking out a safety hazard reported at the 4th Street Mall. City construction crews are working on numerous tasks including repairing city signage, and municipal concert work on curbs, driveways, and aprons. There was a brief discussion regarding the city’s current capacity of sludge from the treatment plant, which according to Paine is nearing 80% capacity. He urged that this level needs to be reduced soon. City of Salem Finance Director Stacey Houston presented a detailed overview of the city utility funds to the committee, which spurred discussions on different fiscal strategies. These discussions culminated in four motions being passed to be presented to the Board of Aldermen for their consideration. The first motion was made to keep the kWh rate the same for electric, eliminate the service availability fee, and pull prior year funds to balance the electric operation fund shortfall, as well as transfer some from prior year operation funds to the electric reserve fund to complete the reserve goal. The second motion was based on the Water fund balance in which a motion was made to transfer necessary funds from the water reserve fund to the water operating fund to balance the shortfall of the budget, and to transfer from the water reserve fund to the water reserve D&R fund to reach the reserve goal amount. The third motion was focused on the city’s sewer rates, proposing the sewer residential base rate be increased to $12 and the sewer usage rate be $9.85/1000 gallons. Finally, there was a motion to approve the budget as amended to account for the utility rate differences that were discussed during the meeting. All of the motions approved had no opposition from the attending committee members. These recommendations will now go before the Board of Aldermen for discussion. After some questions from the public, the meeting was adjourned.

The Dent County Fire Protection Board of Directors met Tuesday evening at the fire station. After the roll call and approval of the consent agenda, the minutes from the May meeting were approved as presented with the correction of one misspelled word. The financial report showed an ending balance of 196,301.72 as of May 31st. Bills, payments, and statements were then reviewed along with the budget and 2023-2024 budget comparison. The monthly reimbursement report showed a total of 15 calls for the month of May bringing the total year to date to 143. The department responded to five accidents during the month, two fires, two calls described as other, one public service call, one HazMat, one medical call, one agency assist, one alarm, and had one call that was canceled. In old business the board tabled the repair, sealing, and restriping of the parking lot while waiting for bids to come in. In new business, Chief Floyd asked the board to sell some of the district equipment that he feels is surplus and no longer needed. The board will look at a list of the items and decide at the July meeting. In his report to the board, Chief Floyd stated the he believes the district needs to put in for new radios for trucks and handheld units and that he would like to get more SCBA gear as the money becomes available. The Chief also brought information on grants through Fire House Grants. A discussion was held and several avenues will be investigated to determine the best possible route to take. He also reported that on June 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, firefighters would be going to school at Fenton Fire to be trained in firefighting techniques. The date was set for the July meeting to be held on Tuesday evening July 9th at 6:00 at the fire station. That meeting will be open to the public. The board then went into closed session to discuss personnel before and adjourning.

The Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Community Forestry Council are accepting nominations for the 2024 Missouri Arbor Award of Excellence. The annual award recognizes communities, institutions, businesses, organizations and individuals that make significant and long-lasting efforts to care for trees in their communities.The Arbor Award of Excellence shines the spotlight on anyone who has improved trees in their community. Any significant program, project, or event that contributes to the care or maintenance of trees could qualify for an award. Winners receive a framed award, a full registration scholarship to the MCFC conference in August, an extra ticket to the award banquet during the conference, a community forestry reference book, and a $50 gift card. Nominations are due by Monday, July 15. For more information and nomination forms, visit mdc.mo.gov.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will hold a special meeting today at noon at the Salem Community Center@The Armory at 1200 Westy Rolla for the purpose of discussing a no interest loan from the Capital Improvement Fund to the Airport Fund to help pay for the T-Hangar project expenditures. The expected amount to be be borrowed will be $700,000 with $200,000 coming in th fiscal year 2024 and $500,000 from the fiscal year 2025 budget. The amount loaned by the Capital Improvement Fund will be paid back when the city receives the grant reimbursement from MoDOT that will go to the Airport Fund. The meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Community Garden will host a Growing Green Educational work shop tonight at 6:00 at the Salem Community Garden behind the Salem Methodist Church. The workshop will be on bees and pollinators. There is no cost to attend and you do not have to have a plot at the community garden to attend. You may want to bring a lawn chair with you to be more comfortable. For more information, call Charlie Grimm at 573-368-9902 or the Dent County Extension at 573-729-3196.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new and improved Red Bluff Campground on Mark Twain National Forest will take place at 11:00 Monday morning, June 17th, at the new pavilion near the campground host’s campsite. This grand opening celebration will highlight the new and modernized camping facilities at this beautiful site. To provide the public a chance to enjoy all this site has to offer, Forest Service officials have waived all fees for camping and day-use activities at Red Bluff for June 17th. Guided tours of the site and its improvements including new campsites, showers, a dump station, additional paved loops, as well as improved electric and water will be presented to visitors immediately following the ribbon cutting ceremony. In the past, flooding from storms repeatedly damaged campsites, roads, and facilities located in the floodplain at Red Bluff. A two-part project was undertaken, starting a few years ago, to remedy this situation. The recently completed Phase 1 of the project involved moving all overnight camping facilities to higher ground; and it incorporated modernized amenities such as more electric sites, a shower house, and a dump station for visitors with RVs. Phase 2 will focus more on the areas in the floodplain. The Great American Outdoors Act provided a large part of the funding for the work at the site. Continuing to utilize this and other funding sources to improve the recreation experience of visitors to national forests is very important to the Forest Service. Visitors are welcome to arrive earlier if they choose. Parking will be available by the old well house and by the Sitze Pavilion. The entrance to Red Bluff Recreation Area is located on Route V in Crawford County, about one mile east of Davisville. A map of Red Bluff is available on the Mark Twain National Forest’s website. Visitors are welcome to walk around and enjoy the site before and after the ribbon cutting. Red Bluff Recreation Area is a great place to fish, hike, or just admire the views. Large, red bluffs on the opposite side of Huzzah Creek, gravel bars along the creek, vistas from the upper loops, and verdant surrounding forests all provide a backdrop for a very relaxing experience. People like to float on and play in the Huzzah Creek during the heat of summer.

This Friday night from 6:00 until 8:00 at the Creative Arts center, “Paint with DAD, This or That?” with Danielle Norris. What a great way to spend some quality time with your dad! Kids, bring your dad and grandpas out for a fun night of painting together! You have the choice of two different pictures. The artist will take you step by step through the whole process! Register online at SACBA website. The cost is $20 for dads and $5 for kiddos attending with an adult. For kiddos attending separately, it’s $10. At least six people need to sign up with no more than 20 permitted.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen held their regular meeting at the city hall auditorium Tuesday night. During public comments, a citizen addressed a question to alderwoman Catherine Dent as the chair of the utilities committee regarding opting out of the leak protection program. A form was developed by the Concerned Citizens for Salem to have a written form on record for those who opt out of the program. They wanted to know why the form was not accepted by the front desk at the city administration building. Alderwoman Dent deferred to the City Administrator and no answer could be given. The board approved allowing Electric Department Supervisor Josh Kotschedoff to stock up on spools of underground primary wire not to exceed $15,000. The board approved the bid from Salem Heating and Cooling to replace the HVAC System at the City Animal Pound for $7,850. A budget adjustment of $2,850 was approved as only $5,000 had been budgeted. The board approved the bid from Westport Pools for $138,986 to replace the PVC liner in the Salem Municipal Swimming Pool that was damaged by hail. Sally Burbridge made note that insurance adjusters were in town last week to assess all the damage done city wide by the hail. No details from the report are available yet, but it is very likely the $50,000 deductible will be spread across several budgets instead of just the Park and Recreation Department. The bids for the TAP Downtown Project were tabled. The board then approved Resolution #13-2024, stating the intent to seek funding through the Community Development Block Grant Program and authorizing the mayor to pursue activities in an attempt to secure funding to reduce the debt obligation for the Wastewater Treatment Facility; Resolution #14-2024, that authorized the mayor to sign an acknowledgment of renewal for health insurance from United Healthcare where the city will pay up to $550 per month for employees of the City of Salem, and Resolution No. 15-2024, a resolution authorizing the mayor to sign an agreement between the City of Salem and Westport Pools for labor and materials to remove and replace the PVC membrane for the city swimming pool. Once the work begins, it is estimated that it will take four weeks for Westport to complete the project. The “holiday trade” for city employees to trade the paid day off of Columbus Day for Friday, July 5th, was approved by the board. The Leak Protection Program Policy was on the agenda to be approved. After board discussion and the hearing of public comments, a motion was made to table the policy until the next meeting so the board could further review the contract. The board approved the purchase of 154 Water Meter Modules from Nexgrid for $20,754. During City Official Reports. several pain-points with Nexgrid were addressed including a broken website and failed communication efforts. A previous city employee offered to provide contact information from other vendors who have indicated the $20K the city is about to spend with Nexgrid would be better spent with a different vendor. The Alderman wondered if it is time to possibly consider legal action against Nexgrid. The board then went into closed session.

The 17th Annual Upper Current River Cleanup will be held this Saturday, June 15th. The locations for cleanup will be Montauk State Park to Baptist Access, Baptist Access to Cedargrove which is eight miles, Cedargrove to Akers which is eight miles, Akers to Pulltite which is 10 miles, and Pulltite to Round Spring which is ten miles. People can also cleanup a put-in/take out area. Registration will be from 8:00 until 10:00 in the morning at Montauk Lodge, Cedargrove, the Akers Lower Landing, or the Pulltte River Access point. This is where you will pick up your mesh trash bags and T-Shirt. For more information about the river cleanup, e-mail contact Jack or Mary Ficker of Stream Team 1028 at jack_maryficker@hotmail.com or call them at 573-729-7065. You can also call the Montauk Park Naturalist office at 573-548-2225 for information on the stream cleanup at Montauk.

The Salem Utility Committee meeting will be held tonight at 6:15 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory at 1200 West Rolla Road. At the meeting, the committee will discuss the Serviline Protection Program and hear work reports performed by city employees. A draft budget will be presented and there will be a rate discussion nefore the meeting is adjourn. The meeting was called by Utility Chairman Alderwoman Catherine Dent.

Lt. Levi Hamilton, a native of Rolla, Missouri, is serving in the U.S. Navy assigned to Training Squadron 21 where naval aviators learn the skills they need to fly missions around the world. Hamilton, a 2005 graduate of Rolla High School, joined the Navy 10 years ago. Hamilton also earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Missouri in 2010. Today, Hamilton serves as an instructor pilot assigned to VT 21, a U.S. Navy strike jet training squadron located at Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas.

This Friday from 2:00 until 4:00 at the Creative Arts Center, participants can learn to Tie Dye with Laura Miller. Students will learn to fold and tie a shirt, apply dye for desired pattern then take home to rinse the next day. Students will choose a pattern to tie, choose a color palette of dye, and have a hands-on experience of creating their own unique wearable art piece. The glass is available to students age 10 to 18 years old and they must be with a parent/legal guardian. Register online at SACBA website and when checking out, please choose a shirt size. The cost is $25 per person and includes all materials and instruction. There must be at least three students to hold the class and it will be limited to no more than 12.

On Thursday, June 13th at Echo Bluff State Park as part of the Women Outdoors program, women can attend “Dutch Oven Cooking: Not Just for Chili”. This class will teach women how to use and maintain a Dutch oven, and then eat some food prepared in a Dutch oven! Meet at the Bluff Top Pavilion at Echo Bluff State Park. The class is free and open to all women 16 and older, but registration is required. For more information or to register, contact Connie at 573-751-1224 or connie.weber@dnr.mo.gov.