Local News – Tuesday, June 25th, 2024

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning at the courthouse where Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams gave the report on the CART funds collection for June. She said the county received $81,102.85 this month which is $5,370.44 more than June of 2023, and year-to-date, the CART funds are up $18,389.74, a rise of over 4%. The year-to-date amount collected stand at $461,348.74. Dick Kitchen was in attendance to ask about where the county is on Senate Bill 190 and Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson said they are still working on it. The commission plans to survey the community to get their opinion, and they are waiting on the estimate of the cost to the county for new software that would be needed by the collector. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray stated a truck wouldn’t start Monday morning and two tires were flat on another vehicle so shop maintenance was going to be done until those issues can be corrected. He also said brush would be cut on county roads 5015 and 5070. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk said a new driveway pipe would be installed and rock would be added to Dent County Road 2070. He said pipes would be cleaned out on county road 2313, and brush would be cut on county roads 3233 and 3235. Polk said a man would be going to Springfield to get oil for chip and seal repair. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said the first day to vote absentee with an excused absence for the August Primary is today at the courthouse, and the last day to register for the Primary will be July 10th. Curley also said there were ten county liquor licenses that are still outstanding and they must be submitted by this Friday, June 28th. At the last meeting, Dent County Collector Shannon Vankirk said the total collections for May were $93,476.61. The next meeting of the commission will be Thursday at 9:00 at the courthouse and it is open to the public.

The City of Salem Finance Committee met Thursday evening to review and discuss the proposed fiscal year budget for 2025. The report indicated the budget is balanced with grant funded projects making up $6.5 million dollars which is most of the increase in last year’s and the proposed budget. The city is also adopting a reserve fund balance policy for all city funds. The city will strive to maintain the utility fund balances of at least 25% of the prior fiscal year expenditures, and the budget also includes at least a 5% transfer to the reserve fund balances of the prior year’s expenses to maintain the reserve fund balance. This will be done in the 4th quarter based on the financial condition of the city. Two of the capital improvement projects for the Park and Recreation Department and Airport will use previous years balances if needed. Funds may also be used from the capital Improvement fund for the Downtown TAP Project to cover additional costs if needed. It was noted all employees received a cost of living increase of 3% and up to a 2% merit raise. It was also noted the budget had an increase in general liability insurance of 28%. It was noted two additional positions were added to the pay schedule: a parks technician and a plant operator for the Wastewater Treatment plant. The city did budget to add 5 ½ full time employees back, but they are structured differently than than the six employee who were let go in fiscal years 2021 and 2022. Those full time positions funded in the budget are two wastewater treatment specialists, a new Economic Development Director and an Administrative Assistant. Part time positions proposed were a cemetery seasonal worker, an animal shelter technician and a maintenance manager. Although the city reached it’s goal of reducing the dependency on transfers from the electric department to pay for numerous services, they have instituted a 5% “royalty fee” that will be transferred from the electric fund to general revenue in the amount of 5% of the previous years Electric Department operating expenses. This transfer will occur every year. The total budget revenues for all funds for the city are expected to be $23,163,056 while total expenditures are expected to be $21,048,249 leaving an excess of revenues over expenses of just under $2,115,000. The funds balances at the end of the next fiscal year are expected to be $10,953,156. This budget will be presented to alderman for the approval before July 1st.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will meet this evening at 6:00 in the City Hall Auditorium at 202 N. Washington. After the meeting is called to order, the Board will go into closed session to discuss employee issues. The Board will return to open session where they will approve the consent agenda and hear public comments including a request for a road closure by David Lytle. The Board will then approve trailer court licenses and discuss the Leak Protection Program Policy. There will be the first and second readings of Bills No. 3610 and 3611 dealing with property subdivisions, and Bill No. 3616 adopting the 2024-25 fiscal year budget as discussed at the Finance Committee meeting last Thursday. The first reading of Bill No. 3612, an ordinance repealing a duplicate of the Section of the City Codes dealing with outdated sewer rates will be heard, as well as Bills No. 3613, 3614 and 3615 that all pertain to the removal of the service availability fee for electric services provided by the City of Salem. Various city officials will give their reports before the meeting is adjourned. The Salem Board of Aldermen meeting tonight is open to the public.

An accident happened Friday afternoon at 3:29 in Phelps County on Interstate 44 at the 189 mile marker. According to the highway patrol report, a 2001 Ford F-150 driven eastbound by 91-year-old Lucille Martin of Steelville, traveled off the left side of the roadway and overturned. Martin suffered moderate injuries and was taken by the Phelps Health Ambulance to Phelps Health. The Ford F-150 was totaled and taken from the scene by Miles Towing. It was not known if Martin was wearing a seat restraint.

The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Salem will be holding this years’ Independence Day Parade at 6:00 on July 4th and the theme this year is “Let Freedom Ring.” Entry forms are now available at the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce Office located in the Crossroads Shopping Center and they must be turned in by June 28th. The parade route will be the normal route that will start from the SBU Campus at South Grand and Franklin, then go east on Franklin to MacArthur, then north on MacArthur to 4th Street before finishing at the Courthouse Square. For more information or a complete set of the parade rules, please call the chamber office at 729-6900 or stop by 1136 South Main Street.