Local News – Thursday, June 15, 2023

A correction has been made to the accident reported Wednesday in the paper copy of Your World Today that occurred about six miles south of Vienna at 3:05 Tuesday morning. According to the highway patrol report, a southbound 2019 Ford Econoline driven by 71-year-old Truman Reinecke of Afton, Oklahoma, struck a southbound 1997 Ford F-350 driven by 87-year-old Lyle Hutchens of Salem, from behind. As a result of the crash, the Econoline overturned and sustained moderate damage, while the F-350 had minor damage. Reinecke suffered minor injuries and was transported by EMS to Phelps Health. The Econoline was removed from the scene by D&D Towing and the F-350 was driven from the scene. Everyone involved in the accident were wearing their seat restraints. We apologize for the error.

The Dent County Public Water Supply District #1 has issued a 48-hour boil order for their customers on Highway 19. If you are in that part of the district, make sure that you boil any water or use bottled water for consuming or for brushing your teeth! Make sure you boil the water or use bottled water for your pets as well. You may boil water in a microwave as well as on your stove. It is safe to take a bath or shower, but be careful not to swallow any water.

The City of Salem Finance Committee will be meeting tonight at 5:30 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory at 1200 West Rolla Road in the Rotary Room. The committee will be reviewing the recommended capital improvements and as well as each funds budget in preparation the final draft of the fiscal year 2024 budget. Questions and discussion after the review of the proposed budget will be held to determine the version of the budget that will be submitted to the Salem Board of Aldermen for their approval on June 27th. The meeting is open to the public.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education will hold a special meeting and budget workshop at 12:30 today. Dr. Howard Neeley and Superintendent Dr. Lynne Reed will be discussing the budget with the board members. The board will also consider a contract for the Construction trades Building and the rescheduling of their regular meeting for Tuesday, June 20th at 6:00 at the district administrative offices. The meeting will be today will be available by Zoom. Contact the Salem R-80 offices to get the Zoom link.

The City of Salem Utility Committee met Wednesday night at the Salem Community Center@The Armory. City Treasurer Stacey Houston went over the 11 month figures for the electric, water and sewer funds showing income and expenses, comparing them with the estimated budget numbers, and then going over the expected budget for the fiscal year 2024. Highlights from her presentation show that $900,000 of the money original scheduled to be transferred to the General Revenue Fund will be reduced to $750,000 with the other $150,000 going into reserves. She also showed the combined reserve funds for the electric department which started the year at around $95,000 will end the year near $827,118 with the transfers from sales, the addition of the service availability fees and the required annual 5% contribution. She also said the well work scheduled for this fiscal year for the water department will not happen until next year, and that will be able to paid for out of the water reserve fund instead of from operations. The sewer department saw revenues increase to over a million dollars with the rate increase last August and some $67,000 will be added to the sewer reserves. It was explained by City Administrator Sally Burbridge the sewer bonds for the wastewater project will not be closed on until 2024 but engineering work and other parts of the ARPA grant will be put into operation. Burbridge also said the supplemental funding the city promised to look into when discussing the bond issue was applied for from the State Revolving Fund and the city qualifies for two million dollars of the 4.6 million dollar project. The committee then discussed electric utility issues that needed to be addressed. First after some discussion, the committee elected to recommend to the Board of Alderman to continue with the electric Service Availability Fee to customers to help fund the reserve fund, but reduce it to an $8.00 fee from the current $10 fee. It will automatically sunset next June unless the committee elects to continue it. They next discussed the city ordinance that automatically will increase or decrease the electric rate based upon the wholesale purchase of power by the percentage of increase or decrease over a 12-month period. That rate was a 7.7% increase. The committee weighed the full 7.7% increase that would cover the cost of electricity and possibly help with the reserves versus the number of increases the public has received over the last year for utilites. They voted 3-3 with Chairman Kyle Williams casting the deciding vote to recommend to the alderman to only raise the rate 3.5%. This would take the electric rate form $.1314 kWh to $.1360 per kWh. They also approved recommending to the alderman to accurately calculate the trued-up figures to determine the proper increase or decrease in the purchase of electricity, the 12-month period used in the ordinance be from May to April of the current year. They also approved to recommend to the aldermen to treat the electric rates for those who are not in the city limits who have city utilities to follow the water and sewer rate policies of being charged 26% higher rates than city dwellers plus double the base or Service Availability Fee. The committee went on to agree to recommend to the aldermen a change in the budget billing program to go from a “fixed” amount to a “running” Average Monthly Payment (AMP) which is like budget billing with small fluctuations in the amount due. Further they agreed to recommend to the alderman that customers must be in “good standing” to qualify for AMP which means no more than two late payments and no disconnects in the last 12 months and no contracts. All contracts would have to be paid in full before they would be eligible for AMP. Finally the committee agreed to recommend to the alderman to allow the city to contract to e-mail utility bills through Incode at a cost of about $4,600 with an annual fee near $700; and for those who still want to have paper bills, to contract with Ozark Mailing Services where they print, fold, insert the bill and return envelope, seal the outside envelope, meter and mail the bills at 79 cents per piece. That cost to the city is about the same in direct overhead and supply costs which does not including payroll and time lost to other duties. A question and answer session was held before the meeting adjourned.