News – Thursday, August 29th 2024

The Board of Aldermen held their regular meeting on Tuesday the 27th of August in the Auditorium. After approving the agenda and consent agenda, there were no public comments. The board approved road closure for the Football Parade that will be held on Friday September 6th at 5:30pm and will go from the courthouse to the high school football field. The board then approved a bid for a used 2016 John Deere 310 backhoe, located in Cuba, MO. The construction crew has paid over $7,000 into repairing their oldest backhoe, and it still does not meet requirements for safety and quality standards. The proposed bid is the only one that fits within the $80,000 budget that also provides a 1 year or 1,000 hour warranty. While bids for other machines had lower pricing, none provided a warranty. The $80,000 budgeted for this purchase will be split equally between the Capital Improvements and General Fund. During New and Miscellaneous business, Resolution No. 19-2024 was presented by Police Chief Joe Chase. The resolution will allow the City of Salem to execute a 9-1-1 services and software license agreement between Indigital Inc. and the Salem Police Department, bringing the ability to text 9-1-1 services to 13 counties in southern Missouri with Dent county being the Head County. Dent County has two Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) and qualifies for a $250,000 five year, no cost grant for each location. After the 5 year grant expires, it is estimated that the cost for maintenance could be anywhere between $6,000 and $19,000 which would be split evenly between the City of Salem and Dent County. Resolution 19-2024 was passed by the board. The resolution No. 21-2024 modifying Resolution No. 4-2022 to incorporate changes in the Affordable Housing Program was passed with Alderwoman Sisco abstaining from the vote. The meeting moved on to the reports of City officials. City of Salem Administrator, Sally Burbridge gave an update on the storm siren. They have submitted a Letter of Intent to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for a grant to replace the siren. She explained that once SEMA acquires funds from FEMA, they will review all notices submitted and send out invitations to apply for grants. Sally Spoke with a representative from the MRPC who stated there is a good chance that the City of Salem’s Letter of Intent will be accepted and funded because it is a matter of need, and not just a software upgrade. The letter of Intent is good for two years, giving the City two chances to be approved. Mayor Greg Parker stated the city offices will be closed on Monday September 2nd for Labor Day, but trash services will run their normal schedule. He also noted there are a lot of roof and construction projects going on, and wanted to remind everyone to be sure all nails are cleared from the area. Parks and Recs Director, Melissa Dubois, provided an update on the city pool. The liner has been installed. They are working with West Core for the final touches and to get the pool winterized. She stated there is no time for them to open the pool this year, but they will be ready next year. Melissa did state a leak was found under the building and has already been addressed. Stacy Houston gave an update on financials. None of the Aldermen and Women had anything further to report. The meeting then adjourned to close session.

The Salem Memorial Hospital held their Public Tax Meeting on Tuesday, August 28th in the hospital library. The current and proposed tax rate is $0.24 per $100, the motion to approve the tax rate was unanimously approved before the Public Tax Meeting was adjourned. 

The Salem Memorial Hospital (SMH) Board of Directors held their regular meeting on Tuesday at 7:00pm in the hospital library. The board approved the meeting minutes. During the CEO Report Brooke Bollman gave an update on her 30 day strategic plan for the month of July. The hospital’s accomplishments included: Implementing a spending freeze, reallocating expenses, realigning roles and responsibilities, passing Mammography and Physicist inspections for Radiology, and reevaluating service contracts. Brooke stated her main priority at the moment is focusing on cash flow and debt repayment. Ms. Bollman also provided the Summary of Operations report for the month of July. Inpatient, outpatient admissions and emergency room visits are down from this time last year. With the priority being placed on cash flow, the hospital has managed to lower their debt from $2 million to $1.4 million. The hospital’s total operating revenue for July was around $2.2 million dollars, And total operating expenses were around $2 million dollars providing a profit of $150,700. The July 340B program revenue totaled $48,676. As for the hospital’s “Cash on Hand”, the report currently shows the hospital having cash on hand for 28 days. Ms. Bollman explained that the amount was not accurately figured, so the number of days will drop significantly once it is properly adjusted. She explained that the reason for the discrepancy is due to Foundation monies being included in that amount, and that is not money the hospital is allowed to spend, and that should not be figured into that report. Ms. Bollman also explained that there are a lot of misallocations and double posting within the budget that she is working to correct. The Board then moved on to the Chief Nursing Officer and Human Resources Report provided by Kayla Chamberlain. There have been 7 new hires in the month of July as well, 6 employees have left for various reasons. The hospital has received many LPN applications and they hope to begin interviews soon. Long Term Care is fully staffed, and they have five ambulances in operation. Kayla stated she plans to go to the Texas County School of Nursing to introduce herself and let students know, SMH is available as an option for rotations. During new business, Dr. Leigh Ann Price stated Board Member Wanda Tatom submitted her letter of resignation this week. The board approved the resignation, then opened nominations for election of officers. Dr. Leigh Ann Price was voted as Board Chairman, and Zach Moser was nominated and elected for the Vice Chair position. The board then adjourned and entered closed session. The next SMH Board meeting will be held on September 24th at 7pm.