Archive for 2024

The Dent County Commission met Thursday morning at the courthouse. At the meeting, Thom Haines asked the commission if they had been in touch with MoDOT about the Standing Rock Bridge at Gladden and if they had requested the bridge be wider than the proposed 26-feet. The current bridge is 20-feet wide, but other bridges that have been replaced on Highways 32 and 19 by MoDOT have been 30-feet wide. The commission said they would get in touch with MoDOT Engineer Preston Kramer on the subject and Haines indicated he would follow up on the subject as well. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said grading would be done on Dent County Roads 4080, 5520 and 6280 while rock will be added to county road 6245. He said a worker would be stock piling the chips at the county shed for the chip and seal repair later this year. Mobray said he was contacted by Jason Lott, the Superintendent of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, about them wanting to shut off vehicle river access to TanVat near the bridge with possibly some large boulders. Mobray said the county received a FLAP Project to asphalt the road in the area and those larger boulders could impede the flow of water when it gets high during heavy rains that could actually damage the new road. Mobray said he will meet with Lott and William Terry at the TanVat location to review what the best solution may be. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk reported materials would be added and grading done on on Dent County Roads 2590, 2610 and 4437, while only grading would be done on county roads 2580, 2593, 2600 and 2613. Polk said brush would be cut on county road 4070, while rock will be added to county roads 5320 and 5325. Presiding Commission Gary Larson said he attended the TAC Committee meeting and the MRPC meeting where state and federal issues were discussed. He said the commission will be signing the agreement for an engineering study to be done on the sidewalks around the courthouse that was budgeted for in the 2024 budget. The commissioners will also be signing the agreement for support to the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said the last day to register to vote in the Municipal Election will be March 6th. At the least meeting, Curley said she balanced with the Dent County treasurer on all accounts for the month of January. She also reported the county is in the middle of a financial audit. Interim Public Works Director Joe Chase and City of Salem Electric Department Supervisor Josh Kotschedoff came in to talk with the commissioners at the last meeting about running the new electric service to the courthouse from one or two poles where the city could do the work and save the county some money. No decision was made at that time. Engineer Corky Stack was in to talk with the commission about the lights on the courthouse the courthouse and there continues to be some problems. Stack was in contact with Trim Lights and they are trying to correct the problem remotely as they feel it is a software issue, but have had little success fixing the problem. Stack took pictures of the outdoor control boxes to show there was no vandalism and also allow Trim Lights to see if something was out of place. Stack said if they can’t fix the software remotely, they may have to replace the control boxes. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson had told Stack he didn’t want Trim Lights paid until the job was completed, but the contractor did pay them out of the funds they have received which removed any leverage the county had over the company to get the project completed properly. There were also some other items the commission listed to be addressed including landscaping, painting, a window grid and more. The commission did agree to get four screens for the first floor windows. Also at the last meeting, Collector Shannon VanKirk brought in her monthly turnover report showing that $443,340.82 was collected. She also outlawed the 2019 Personal Property Tax totaling about $8,000 that was going to be abated. The courthouse will be closed Monday for President’s Day and the next meeting of the commissioners will be Thursday, February 22nd.

The Salem Memorial Hospital board of directors will he holding a special meeting this morning at 8:00; and another special meeting this evening at 6:00. Both meetings will be held in the hospital library and may be conducted and attended by telephone or other electronic means and the public may observe and attend any portion of the meeting not closed to the public. In the morning meeting after the call to order and roll call, the board will review medical staff bylaws and then go into closed session for committee reviews before adjourning. In the evening meeting, the board will be interviewing potential board candidates before adjourning. Anyone that would like to attend by telephone or electronic means should contact the hospital administration office to obtain access information at 573-729-6626, extension 4005.

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors met Tuesday evening at the fire station. After the roll call, the board went into closed session to discuss personnel and policies. No votes were taken during the closed session. After returning to the open session, the board approved the consent agenda and the minutes from the January meeting. The financial report was given showing an ending balance of $282,076.92 as of January 31st. Bills, payment and statements were reviewed along with the budget. The treasurer noted to the board that the repeater bill has not been paid for as the repeater is not yet installed. Insurance money has been received from Allied World, but the bill has not been finalized. This should be around $18,000.00. The repeater is still on order and has not been received. During the calendar review, it was noted that a representative from Scotts SCBA will be in Salem Thursday to demonstrate and give a quote for Scotts SCBA air bottles. In old business, MSA demonstrated and gave a bid of $118,036.20 for 12 SCBA packs. After some discussion, the board tabled a decision until the Scotts representative can bring their demo in and give pricing. The monthly reimbursement report for January showed a total of 22 calls for January bringing to 40 calls year to date. Of those 22 calls, six were for fires, four responding to alarms, four medical calls, two HazMat calls, and two classified as other. The department also responded to a public service call, utility problem and one accident. Treasurer Dave Wells reported that the tower lease from CTI Tower Assets would be due soon. This lease grows approximately 5% every year. In 2021 the lease price was $3,909.34 and the lease cost was $4,104.80. The lease needs to be investigated and President Craig Smith stated he would call and discuss this with CTI. In new business, after discussing and interviewing candidate, the board accepted three new firefighters into the department. Those new firefighters are Sarah Montoya, John Knight, and Hayden Lawler. The current lawn care service for the building is retiring and Mike Godi is searching for a new service. Also in new business, a pipe burst on a water fountain on a north wall of the station and Tri-Cat was called in to clean up and dry the station of water damage. The cost was $12,720.83 plus plumbing charges to date of $225.00. The will be some added costs to replace the plumbing fixtures and baseboards that were damaged or had to be removed due to the leak. The board made a motion and approved to pay the current bill. Chief Floyd was asked to get pricing for repairs and bring them to the next board meeting. Chief Floyd and Captain Thomas found a used truck that would work for the department to replace Engine 85. The price is $194,900.00. The board tabled the matter until they can investigate financing and payments before making a decision. The board also discussed allowing the use of the departments kitchen for Chamber luncheons once a month, but due to the water leak damage and short staff at present, it is not feasible. Chief Floyd reported to the board that Royal Oak has had five calls since January 23rd and asked the board to address the issue. Board member Mike Godi said he would speak to them about the issue. The Chief is also working on the department hosting a state class for vehicle firefighting. The class would be free, but 15 people would need to be signed up for the class. Before adjourning, the board set the date of March 12th at 6:00 for the next board meeting to be held at the fire station at #2 South Main Street and it will be open to the public.

This Saturday at 2:00, a field trip is planned by the Dent County Historical Society to visit the site of the old Boss Civilian Conservation Corps in what was at the time Clark National Forest, now the Mark Twain National Forest, in the Salem Ranger District. Participants are asked to meet in the Boss Assembly of God Parking Lot, and then follow the leader to the site. Wear appropriate clothing for hiking in this relic of history in Dent County. This event is being co-sponsored by the Salem Ranger District of the Mark Twain National Forest. This is a boots-on-the-ground event, so dress accordingly to explore the site that was abandoned at the start of World War II. Parents will need to supervise their children as they explore the site. The CCC was a volunteer work project created during the Great Depression and was active from 1933 to 1942. The men were trained to build fire towers, bridges, ponds, roads, and the housing where they lived. Reynolds County Road 903 that starts going east from Marcoot Tower is a Road that was rebuilt by the CCC Men. Dent County had four CCC Camps: Boss, Bunker, Indian trails Conservation and Montauk State Park. For more information contact Deloris Gray Wood, Society President on her landline at 573 729-2545.

A Date Night “Sign and Wine” class will be held this Friday evening at the Creative Arts Center from 6:00 to 9:00 with Danielle Norris where participants can celebrate Valentine’s Day with something new and fun! You and your partner will completely assemble and design an “Established” sign (or a design of your choice) from start finish together. All supplies will be provided as well as tools needed. Finished signs will be around 15×15 inches. The cost is $50 per couple/single, or you may bring your own boards for $25 per person. You can signup at salemcommunitybetterment.com and look for Programs under the Creative Arts Center.

Friday night is basketball homecoming at the Salem High school when Salem will be hosting Ava. The 2024 Senior queen candidates include Riley Darby, Fatima Careaga and Neely Leathers. The three king candidates are Karsen Bared, Owen Hamilton, and Wyatt Martin. They will each be walking with their respective other. Junior attendants are Aspen Toman and Ronald Wadsworth. Sophomore attendants are Maggie Hogan and Dylan Parker. Freshman attendants are Allison Walters and Linkyn Atkinson. The coronation will be held between the JV and varsity basketball game.

The Salem Board of Aldermen held their regular meeting at the Salem Community Center@The Armory on Tuesday evening. The board heard a presentation from Scott Cason with the Missouri 9-1-1 Service Board. He gave an update on the state’s Next Generation 9-1-1 Enhancement Program. Dent County is part of a 13 county region that is working to create virtual consolidation that would merge all Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) to allow for enhanced 9-1-1 to include caller ID and 9-1-1 texting capabilities. There are grants available to pay for the upgrades for the next five years, then the City and County would need to sustain the equipment after that. The board approved Resolution No. 4-2024 that allows the mayor to enter into a lease renewal with Pitney Bowes for a postage meter machine. A Public Comment Policy was presented by Alderman Shawn Bolerjack. This new policy would provide a platform for citizens to express views and concerns at each board meeting. Citizens would sign up before the start of a meeting and then have three minutes to talk. This new policy was approved. Eleven bills were read for the first time creating a new section to the City Codes establishing a Clean Air Ordinance and prohibiting smoking on city properties, specifically in public parks. Each bill explained in detail the types of smoking devices, the types of city property and outdoor parks, the posting of signage, as well as fines and enforcement. The Park and Recreation Board recently reviewed and recommended approval by the Alderman. A second reading of all these bills will be held at the next meeting. The board then heard a second reading of Bill #3581 updating the Utility Committee definition which was approved. A second reading of Bill #3582 was heard by the board that updated the city utility deposit ordinance, changing the utility deposit from a flat rate of $200 to an average of the past 12 months per service address with new construction deposits to equal the one-month average of other accounts in the appropriate designation. Multiple utility account customers would remain at $500. This bill is for new customers only and will not affect current customers. The board also approved Bill #3583, clarifying the City Building Inspector’s power and duties, and Bill #3584, updating the Notice of Violations of the Housing Violations section of the Codes after the second reading. Also approved after a second reading was Bill #3587 making mid-year 2023-2024 fiscal year budget adjustments. Interim Public Works Director Joe Chase updated the board on several projects including the closure of part of Rolla Road between Highway 19 and MacArthur for today; the Frisco Trail signage will be completed soon and he has been working with the County Commissioners on electric at the Courthouse. City Administrator Sally Burbridge thanked staff and alderman who attended a recent Budget Priorities Workshop and presented a priority list of projects to be considered for the next fiscal year. The “Welcome Home” Project Extension has been awarded and the scope of the grant has been reduced from 25 homes to 15. Burbridge reported that there were two water leaks at the Civic Center with extensive damage to the Council Chambers and stage. She is working on quotes and repairs to the flooring and plumbing. She is working with a company to get all city records scanned and on a Laser Fish Program. The Downtown TAP Grant Project bid opening will be on Friday and city offices will be closed on Monday for President’s Day. After reports from the aldermen and city officials, the meeting went into closed session.

This Saturday morning at 10:00, the Dent County Historical Society will be holding an event to allow people to share their family history that will be preserved in a special project that will include video. At 10:00 in the morning, the Historical Society will have a workshop for the “Telling the story of the Upper Current River from the Road,” project at the James Family Center off Center Street in downtown Salem. This is an opportunity for people to start sharing their family stories, photos, maps, newspaper clippings. Bring your items to the workshop where they can be scanned on the spot. A worksheet will be provided that the contributor can fill out to accompany the contributions, plus sticky notes to identify people or places along the Upper Current River. There will be a project update. Everyone is welcome.

A Scrappy Fabric Journal Class will be held Thursday evening from 6:00 until 8:00 with Gail Phelan at the Creative Arts Center where students will create a lovely, tactile journal using scraps of fabric. NO SEWING needed. Students just use fabric, lace, string, paper and glue. The result is a nice size journal you will take home with you. All materials will be provided. Students must be age 18 and older with a minimum of three students attending with no more than 12 students allowed. The cost is $15 per student or if you come as a pair, two for $25. Class registrations are on a first come, first serve basis with online registrations under “Programs” at the Creative Arts Center at salemcommunitybetterment.com website.