Local News – Wednesday, November 18th, 2020

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen met at the Salem Community Center @ The Armory Monday night. Stan Podorski from the Salem Christmas Committee requested that 4th Street be closed on Saturday, December 5th from noon until 3:00 from Highway 19 to Jackson Street, and from Highway 19 to McArthur from 3:00 until 5:00 for the Healthy Dent County “Santa Dash” at 3:00 as well as to prepare for the Chamber of Commerce Parade of Lights. After the consent agenda was approved, Planning and Zoning Chairman Gary Brown addressed the board about the properties at 712 North Hickory and 713 North Oak. The owner, Noah Wills, wanted to separate the properties but they did not meet the required lot size or setbacks set by the city. Brown said the Planning and Zoning Commission voted to approve the request, if the Board of Adjustment waived the required setbacks which they did at their meeting on November 3rd. City Administrator Ray Walden reported there were some material delays on the new counters and cabinets and they are being installed this week. The new glass will then be installed along with the electric and ethernet cables, and once that is completed, the offices will then be ready to reopen. Until then, the City Administration offices will continue to run from the City Hall Council Chambers. Walden said a new updated video on city projects is on the city’s Facebook page. Park and Recreation Director Melissa Dubois reported that she has 20 participants who will have displays for the “Light up the Park” drive-through light display with possibly five or six more still possible. She also said work would continue at the old city hall as 186 seats have been ordered for the theatre section, plus the city is advertising for bids for new ceiling tiles and lights. Public Works Director Mark Nash said electric bills went out Thursday for the period of July 31st through August 29th. Walden said the city offices would be closed for Thanksgiving on November 26th and 27th. Kevin James brought up some continuing issues with the utility bills that still haven’t been solved from previous months and wants these problems addressed quickly. The board approved Bill #3466 that splits the properties at 712 N. Hickory and 713 N. Oak before discussing bills #3467 and 3468 that dealt with funding engineering services for an ADA accessibility study to city facilities. Robert Conaway from C.M. Archer Engineers explained that MoDOT is trying to make s Robert Conaway from C.M. Archer Engineers ure that cities start to comply with the 1990’s law and if they don’t comply soon, those cities may not qualify for other available grants through MoDOT like TAP. Archer will get a list from the city and check out the projects that need addressing. This will be the first step in creating a city-wide plan. The board then approved Bill #3467 that allows the mayor to execute the Traffic Engineering Assistance Program with MoDOT that will reimburse up to $8,000 in the engineering costs; and Bill #3468 that allows the mayor to execute an agreement with C.M. Archer Engineering to provide services to assess the transportation related ADA accessibility compliance of the city for $10,000. The board approved Bill #3469 that amended the qualifications for alderman as required by state statute. They also approved Bill #3470 that allowed for city to purchase property from Hershel Moser, Julia Moser and Kenneth Tyler Sherrell to build a new well for water storage for the growth of the city. In Resolution, 20-2020 the board postponed renewing the Memorandum of Understanding that allows William Lynch Elementary and the ECSE Developmental Pre-School to use the old city hall during emergency situations until the next meeting so that can add a clause that would require approval of the mayor or city administrator if for more than 24 hours. The board went on to approve Resolution 21-2020 that sets the date for the 2021 Municipal Election, filing dates, and qualifications of being an alderman. After a long discussion with City Attorney James Weber, the board elected to deny a permit for Samara Dozier at 1506 South Main to keep mini-pigs at her home. The board then went into closed session.

This fall, The Doe Run Company has pledged nearly $9,000 to support STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) curriculum at local school districts. The support is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to strengthen educational opportunities in Southeast Missouri and prepare area students for successful careers. Doe Run’s donation to Bunker R-III School District helped fund technology tools that enhance existing math curriculum. Students can use interactive tools and online videos to learn how to solve math problems, both when they are in school and at home. The donation to Viburnum Middle School will fund the purchase of CUE robots to teach coding skills, K’Nex bridge building kits, microscopes and other building materials that encourage active learning through creative problem-solving. Doe Run also helped Viburnum High School purchase two V5 competition starter kits from the VEX Robotics Company. Students in the Robotics Club will construct the robots this year to participate in the upcoming VEX Robotics competitions. At North Wood R-IV in Salem, Doe Run’s donation will fund STEM kits that enable middle school students to build prototypes, perform experiments, and analyze and interpret data. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, STEM occupations are projected to grow by nearly 800,000 by 2029. Over the past year, Doe Run has donated $49,000 to support STEM programs and scholarships for elementary through college-level students to strengthen educational opportunities and prepare the future workforce.