News – Thursday, January 30th 2025

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen held their regular meeting Tuesday evening at 6:00 at 202 N. Washington in the Old City Hall Auditorium. After the Call to Order, the Board approved the agenda and the consent agenda. Rob Benowitz approached the podium, during Public Comments, and asked if the Park Exposé portion of The 100 Acre Wood Rally Race, hosted yearly by the City of Salem, could be moved from 4th Street to the area surrounding the Courthouse, due to the ongoing construction on the sidewalks. The Board agreed to add this topic to the agenda for the next regular meeting. During New and Miscellaneous Business, the Board approved the bid from Sunbelt Solomon in the amount of $17,500.00, to replace the old transformer at the Al Brown Fields that was damaged by the flood in November. This money will come out of the Parks and Recreation Fund. The Board heard the first reading of Bill #3640, which would create an ordinance to amend the 2024-2025 annual budget for the City of Salem, increasing revenues by $731,260.60 and increasing expenditures by $360,002.29. Finance Director Stacy Houston explained that the quote for the City’s General Liability insurance came in after the budget was approved and was much higher than what they had originally budgeted for; the budget adjustment will also reflect some insurance reimbursement funds received from claims submitted after hail and storm damage, and funds that were approved, by the Board, from the previous year’s fund balance. The Board also heard the first and second reading of Bill #3639 that would establish an ordinance to allow the board the option to waive fees to collect yard waste by the city after a storm. This bill was approved, however, at this time, there is no set date for when the yard waste pick up will be. After hearing the first and second readings of Bill #3641, the Board approved the contract with Midstate Pipeline Maintenance, LLC for the Salem Waste Water Treatment Facility Phase 2A improvements in the amount of $4,204,916; The Board approved Bill #3638 for a change order for the cost of the elevation storage tank for the new tank and well project with a cost increase of $12,765. Bill #3630, establishing a service availability fee for sewer services provided by the city, and a payment structure based on the size of the meter, failed due to lack of motion. During the reports of city officials, Public Works Director Steve Paine stated he has put out a request for bids to replace the fencing around the plant that was destroyed in the November flood, and he is working with Houston to collect the necessary documentation to submit the claim for FEMA reimbursement. Paine stated the recent DNR inspection went well; the City’s water loss is at 11%, which is down from 17% at the last inspection. Paine stated they continue to work on finding and repairing leaks. Stacy Houston presented the finance report, in which she stated that the 2024 audit results will be presented at the next Board of Aldermen meeting. With no other reports, the meeting went into executive session to discuss contracts and personnel before adjourning.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital board of directors held their regular meeting Tuesday evening at 7:00 in the Doctors’ Library. After roll call and approving the agenda and past minutes, Chief Executive Officer Brooke Bollman gave her report, in which she stated that due to the current presidential administration’s freeze on federal spending, most grants to the hospital will be halted, and the subsequent effects on the Hospital’s income will remain to be seen. (Since this meeting, however, a federal judge has temporarily blocked the presidential administration’s freeze on federal grants). Bollman stated they are still in active negotiations agreements with Phelps Health with no projected timeframe for completion. The Board approved the monthly financials. In the month of December, inpatient admissions, outpatient registrations, and ER visits went up slightly, and there were 213 ambulance runs. Total operating revenue for the month of December was about $2.4 million. Bollman noted a marked decrease in salary expenditures and a rather large increase in the hospital’s health insurance, and stated it may benefit the hospital to discuss implementing an employee health program. Total operating expenses were around $2.4 million for a net profit of $199,308.85. In December, the 340B program saw a net profit of $26,670, and the hospital currently has 24 days cash on hand. During the Chief Nursing Officer’s report, Amber Hogan stated there are many nursing positions open, they are providing IV push education to LPNs, and have submitted two applications for the Dent County Opioid Relief Settlement. The hospital hired one new employee but lost 11. New changes to the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) will be implemented in 2025, including: changes to several questions, the ability to fill out the survey by proxy, and the method of contacting patients. Thanks to ToRCH funding, which is not part of federal grants and should not be affected by the spending freeze, the hospital’s MO Kiosk Pilot Project has been implemented. Services include: applying for benefits, requesting new EBT and Medicaid cards, and checking case statuses. The Board approved privilege requests for three doctors within the Telepsychiatry and Teleradiology departments, and approved funding for the new PFT Machine through the Bank of Salem at 7% for 5 years with a monthly payment of $1341.67 with no early payoff penalties. The total cost for the new machine will be $67,756.95. The Board voted to create a subcommittee to review the hospital’s various policies and procedures and make recommendations for board approval. Before adjourning, the meeting entered into executive session. The next regular Board of Directors meeting will be held the evening of Tuesday February 25th at 7:00 in the Doctors’ library. The regular meetings are open to the public.