Local News – Tuesday, August 8th, 2023

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning for their regular meeting. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams presented the sales tax revenue monies received in August from the state. She reported the General Revenue Fund and Law Enforcement Sales Tax Fund each received $88,687.64 which is $11,860 less than for August of 2022. Year-to-date, the General Revenue Fund and the LEST funds are down $18,027.56. The Road and Bridge Fund received $43,367.63 in August which is down $4,626.34 from August of 2022. Year-to-date, that fund is down $6,207.08. The Jail Operating and Trust funds each received $87,157.20 and that is down $8,797.35 from August 2022 receipts. Year-to-date, that fund is down $8,970.46. These figures are all net of the monthly withholding by the Department of Revenue. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said grading would be done on Dent County 6210 Monday and the road would then get re-rocked Tuesday. He went on to say materials would be added to county road 6320, as well as to county road 5080 where they will also be installing culverts in preparation for that road being prepared for chip and seal next year. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk said materials would be added and grading done on county roads 2240 and 2270. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson said he attended the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management Advisory Committee meeting. He said at the meeting the board wanted to get more input from the advisors, and it was disclosed that Dent County had the most illegal dump sites in the district. Larson said he learned at the meeting that it may be possible for the county to get a glass recycling container for residents. The county will look into that further. Larson also wanted to remind citizens about the electronics and tire collection that will be held in Salem on September 9th from 9:00 until noon at the 3rd and Grand Streets at the City Water and Construction Building. Engineer Corky Stack was in attendance to let the commission know that most of the new dormers and the windows have arrived. The dormers will now have to be painted at Hi-Tech Collision in Rolla before being installed. The peak dormers have not yet arrived. He also said the final payment for the balance of the dormers and windows as well as work on the courthouse was due in the amount of $291,401.30. There was a discussion on the new electric pole for the electric service coming into the building. Stack wanted to put up a new pole while Commission Larson questioned why the concrete pole on the county square couldn’t be used. Stack said he would talk with the city about that and get an answer back to the commission. He also presented some preliminary information about the new Christmas lights for the courthouse. Stack mentioned the commission could use a single light LED system or a three light LED system from Trim Light out of Ste. Genevieve. Stack guesstimated a cost of $35,000 to near $47,000, depending on the system. The LED triple bulb strips would constitute a change order from the contract, but the state auditor said if the contractor took down the lights, they needed to put them back up allowing Stack to get more prices. Courtney Wegman from A.J. Hart discussed a preliminary analysis on the construction funds leftover in the UMB Bank account. She said the funds could be left in the account for any future work on the jail allowed from the ballot language; declare the project completed and transfer those funds to the certificate fund to pay principal and interest; or prepay a portion of the bonds to save interest expense. The Commission made no decision. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Thursday at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors will hold their tax rate hearing and regular meeting this evening at 6:00 at the fire station located at #2 South Main Street. The Board is then expected to review and approve the minutes of the July meeting before hearing the financial report, approve the bills, as well as reviewing the budget and calendar. After the monthly reimbursement report, any old business will be addressed. In new business, the board will hold their tax rate hearing. The current tax rate is 0.2377. Due to the Consumer Price index, reassessment and the Hancock Amendment, the rate will have to remain the same. No increase is available for the district. Fire Chief Brad Nash will make his report to the Board and the date will then be set for the September meeting before adjournment. The meeting and hearing is open to the public.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will meet at 6:00 this evening in the City Hall Council Chambers. After the consent agenda, the board will discuss the sanitation bid for the City of Salem from WCA, discuss the purchase of Lora modules for the west side of town, discuss a preventative maintenance agreement for city lift stations, hear and discuss Resolution #25-2023 authorizing the mayor to execute a one-year memorandum of understanding between the City of Salem and the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce for the continued operation of the Visitor Center at 1136 South Main, and hear and discuss Resolution #26-2023 authorizing the mayor to sign supplemental agreement #1 between the City of Salem and H.W. Lochner to perform professional engineering and project oversight of six T-hangers at the Salem Memorial Airport. The board will hear two recommendations from the Salem Planing and Zoning Commission for conditional use permit requests from Chris Hendrix at 1000 Scenic Rivers Blvd to add crematory services, and from Michael Florence to do motorcycle work at 1507 South Gertrude. After the planning and zoning recommendations, the mayor will make a recommendation to fill the term of the late Gary Brown on the Salem Housing Authority Board of Commissioners. Five bills will be read for the first time including the setting of a procedure to disclose potential conflicts of interest for certain municipal officials, the authority to allow the mayor to execute a contract for waste services with WCA for three years, creating an ordinance to allow the subdivision of 1506 South MacArthur, the creating of an ordinance to allow the subdivision of 501 North Washington and a bill to rezone the property at 903 West Scenic Rivers Blvd from Residential R-1 to Commercial C-1. The board will hear the second reading of bill #3554 to amend the annual budget for the City of Salem beginning July 1, 2022. After the reports of city officials, the board will go into closed session. The meeting of the Salem Board of Aldermen is open to the public.