Local News – Thursday, April 13th, 2023

The City of Salem Utility committee met Wednesday evening at the Salem Community Center@The Armory. Alderman Kyle Williams was unable to attend due an illness in his family. Mayor Greg Parker ran the meeting and the committee heard from City Treasurer Stacey Houston who reported the electric fund sales are up 30% over last year but most of that is due to a rate increase earlier this year. She said the $10 residential fee and the $15 commercial availability fee has accumulated $229,075 which will be transferred to the reserve fund at the end of the fiscal year. For this fiscal year, the electric department has collected $5,276,227. Houston said the amount of water sold is up about 6% from last year and will exceed the expected budgeted revenue for the fiscal year as 92% has already been billed. She also said the sewer revenues for this fiscal year have already exceeded what was budgeted and that again, that was due to the increase in sewer rates back in the fall as was needed to apply for the ARPA Funds DNR grant. She said the city is paying this year 7.15 cents per kilowatt hour while last year, the city was paying 6.5 cents per kilowatt hour, an increase of about 10.5%. The committee reviewed Public Works Director Mark Nash’s infrastructure report in their packet and he also reported that in the last two weeks, the street department has put down 18 tons of asphalt in filling potholes and patching roads. City Administrator Sally Burbridge presented some charges for water meters from Rolla and Columbia to show the different prices for varying sizes of water meters, but she also showed rates for St. James that was actually based on the water consumption of the customer with their sewer rate rather than the water meter. The discussion was to focus around residents in Salem that are not paying the service availability fee because of a single water meter covering trailer parks, housing developments, etc., but the discussion was anything but focused. There was also a discussion of residents that do not have all the city utilities (water, electric, sewer, trash) that still receive a bill from the city for the services they have. So for the next meeting, the committee wants to know how many residents are being served by a common meter on property and how many residents in the city are billed devoid of a specific utility service. Burbridge then explained net metering and that the city ordinance does comply with the state statutes in providing those who are on net metering to get the avoided fuel cost credit if their system provides enough electric. After a discussion on how that rate is calculated, Burbridge said she would recommend to the aldermen to stay with the current ordinance for net metering systems. The meeting was then adjourned.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education will be holding a re-organizational meeting this evening at 5:45 in the high school library. After the roll call and approval of the agenda, the board will certify the results of the election April 4th and swear in newly elected board members by the board secretary. Superintendent Dr. Lynne Reed will act as temporary chairman to select a new board president and vice president. The new board president will then preside over the election of a secretary and treasurer. The board will then elect an MSBA delegate and alternate before adjourning and opening the regular meeting at 6:00. After approval of the consent agenda, Superintendent Reed will then give her report to the board followed by principals’ reports from William Lynch Elementary, the upper elementary, middle school and senior high as well as the activities and athletics report. In new business, the board will adopt MSBA policies and discuss the OPAA Food service renewal. The board will hear any resignations before voting to go into executive session to discuss personnel. The meeting of the Salem R-80 Board of Education Thursday night at 6:00 is open to the public.

A one vehicle accident happened Tuesday morning at 5:45 in Crawford County on Highway 8 just west of Highway 19. According to the highway patrol report, a 1993 Ford Ranger being driven west by 21-year-old Jessie Bullock of Steelville, stalled on Highway 8 and began rolling backwards. Bullock, while trying to gain control, over corrected and overturned. Bullock suffered minor injuries and was taken to Phelps Health in Rolla by a private conveyance for treatment. The Ford was totaled and removed from the scene by Miles and Sons Towing.

National Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, April 22nd. The drop boxes are provided to keep unwanted and expired medication away from kids, persons struggling with substance use disorder, and out of the water supply. Medications can be left in the drop boxes located at the Dent County Sheriff’s Department and the Salem Police Department. A drop box is also located at Vandivort Drug on 4th Street in downtown Salem. Items not accepted include needles, blood/infectious waste, hydrogen peroxide, aerosol cans, and inhalers. Drug Take Back Day is supported by the Healthy Dent County Prevention Coalition and Prevention Consultants of Missouri.