The City of Salem Board Of Aldermen met for its regular meeting, along with a public hearing, on Tuesday, May 28, where several public comments were heard from residents regarding the increase to sewer rates and sewer billing. It met again on Thursday, May 29 for a special board of aldermen meeting, where it heard a second reading of several city ordinances related to establishing a user charge system for new sewer rates.
In attendance included board members Rick Letchworth, Nathan Kinsey, Catherine Dent, and John Whelan. Other present city staff members included city clerk Tammy Koller, city administrator Sally Burbridge, and public works director Steve Paine. Mayor Greg Parker and City Attorney James Weber were not present for Tuesday’s meeting but were present for Thursday’s special aldermen meeting.
Several public comments were heard during the public hearing, coming from residents Lisa French, Dave Davison, and Trina Pot. According to French, a list of questions were gathered from several residents and sent directly to city officials and board members via email. French passed the questions out directly during the meeting, with Burbridge providing some clarification and Letchworth stating the questions would also be answered by email.
“There was an ordinance passed in 2015 changing the rates of the sewer billing,” answered Burbridge. “[Past administration] changed some of the terminology about billing in that code—a section of that code also spoke about if there were any other codes that were in conflict with that code as adopted, should be repealed. Since that time, all other sewer rate codes that have been passed have been in conflict with that standing code for billing. This change simply brings it into line—the code changes were part of an entire chapter of code, the 710 chapter, that needed to be reviewed by the state revolving fund, Missouri DNR staff, and have their approval before they could be passed.”
Resident Davison thanked the city officials for catching the mistake but also encouraged city officials to apologize and take accountability for the error, stating “Shame on you, if you don’t apologize to the customers of Salem.”
During an exchange between resident Pot and Whelan, there was dispute over the purposes of a public hearing. Whelan emphasized the purpose of the public hearing is to hear comments from citizens and not provide a question-and-answer session, while Pot challenged the purpose this and demanded accountability from city officials. Pot expressed frustration at the lack of answers to the emailed questions and insisted city officials should continue their investigations and reimburse overcharged citizens.
“How much do you want?” asked Whelan, “We don’t even know whose been overcharged, how much, or anything.”
“Maybe you ought to do your jobs,” said Pot.
“That’s enough,” said Whelan.
“This is how you represent your people?” retorted Pot. “Maybe you guys in the city ought to do your jobs and figure out what you did wrong, which is obviously you overcharged the citizens, and you should reimburse them for the overcharging!”
“Didn’t say I wouldn’t. But I have to have all the facts before I can make a decision,” clarified Whelan. “Do you have all the facts?”
The heated exchange fizzled out at the end of Pot’s allotted two minutes of time.
With no more public comments, the hearing was called to an end, and the regularly scheduled aldermen meeting began.
In new and miscellaneous business, city staff have gone through all utility policies and submitted recommended edits to the utility committee. The utility committee reviewed the policies, including city staff edits, and submitted further changes and additional recommendations.
Both the committee and city staff have ensured everything is up-to-date, including language, fees, and ensuring the policy is in-sync with city codes, clarified Burbridge. Several ordinances had a second reading during the meeting, with the changed utility policies in mind.
A second reading was heard and approved, with a vote of 3-1 with Dent voting no, on water rate increases:
• Monthly residential water rates within city limits would increase from $6.00 to $8.00 base rate and from $5.39 to $7.50 volume rate, per 1,000 gallons.
• Monthly residential water rates outside city limits would increase from $12.00 to $16.00 base rate and from $6.78 to $9.49 volume rate, per 1,000 gallons.
• Monthly commercial water rates within city limits would also increase from $6.00 to $8.00 base rate and from $5.39 to $7.50 volume rate, per 1,000 gallons.
• Monthly commercial water rates outside city limits would increase from $12.00 to $16.00 base rate and from $6.78 to $9.49 volume rate, per 1,000 gallons.
• Meanwhile, monthly commercial manufacturing averaging over 350,000 gallons will have a base rate of $8.00 and a volume rate for 1,000 gallons of $4.86.
A few ordinances were unanimously approved which came out of the previously mentioned city staff and utility committee review of utility policies, including an ordinance regarding the disconnection and reconnection of services; an ordinance amending a section of code on utility deposits, correcting clerical errors and typos and not the actual amounts; and an ordinance amending an after-hour water meter valve or electric meter shut-off from $200 to $60 and defining normal working hours.
A long list of ordinances regarding sewer billing (Bill No. 3662 through 3671) had their first reading on Tuesday and a second reading on Thursday. Some of the ordinances update terminology or language, while others are actual changes to the codes, such as repeals of duplicated text or recommendations from the model code as provided by DNR and include sewer utility rates as recommended by the Utility Committee. The ordinances were unanimously approved.
Meanwhile, on behalf of the Salem Fireworks Committee, member Kala Sisco requested that the City of Salem Park be home to this year’s 4th of July fireworks. The board approved the request.
Bids were heard and approved, including:
• Hot mix asphalt for paving streets, a 2-inch overlay on deteriorating streets that are at the point of “honeycomb type breakage”—if not milled and overlayed, they will deteriorate to the point of needing dug up, rebuilt, and paved. The streets chosen were East Coffman, West 1st Street, and South Oak Street. The approved bid came from Pierce Asphalt at an estimated cost of $113,664, or $148 a ton.
• The street sweeper has gone down and is showing wear at around 11 years of age. It’s currently non-operational and in need of repairs. Key Equipment in St. Louis will be coming to Salem to complete repairs and provide training as they work, enabling the street department to do the same repairs in the future, if needed, at an estimated cost of $9,433.77.
Special aldermen meeting
A request for water utilities was received from Terry and Shirley Perkins, who are subdividing their property at 301 Private Lane, located outside of city limits. There is a six-inch water line that runs up the private lane and terminates at the fire hydrant in front of 301 Private Lane.
The customer will be responsible for running any lines beyond 25 feet or five feet inside the property line (whichever is less) from the point of connection to the home, plus applicable fees and rates noted above, plus those for sewer. If a sewer line is also within 100 feet of the property line, it would be necessary for property owners to also connect to the sewer line.
Historically, explained Burbridge, motions have been made to only provide utilities to those properties that have decided to annex into the city. Whelan expressed concerns that running infrastructure outside of city limits may change the city’s classification from a municipality to a public service; however, with Weber absent on Tuesday, that question was unable to be answered by Burbridge or other city officials. The issue was tabled for a special meeting Thursday, when Weber would be present.
After consulting with Weber during a closed session, the board proposed to the Perkins the voluntary annexation of their property into the city limits, but with disputes and confusion over past administration decisions on annexing properties, the board tabled the final decision until the aldermen meeting on Tuesday, June 24.
Also, during the special board meeting, board members unanimously approved Bill No. 3662 through 3671.
Reports of City Officials
City Administrator Sally Burbridge
Per Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements, if the city sends out a text blast at 8 a.m., those who have a 573 area code will receive the text at 8 a.m. central time. Those who have an area code from other time zones, however, will not receive the text before 8 a.m. in the time zone their phone originated. This is why most text blasts from the city will be received in the afternoon.
Steve Paine, Public Works Director
WWTP
Crew members continue preparation for the upcoming construction phase. Daily testing continues, with results indicating a healthy plant.
Water department
Crew members have worked to fix several water rebreaks and rebuilt a fire hydrant. The vendor completed maintenance across 290 fire hydrants, including painting and finishing. In the next fiscal year, the vendor will be asked to return and finish the remaining 55 hydrants.
Electric department
Donnie Moore Jr. has been promoted to lead; he was previously the water superintendent who stepped down and moved to the electric department to begin his lineman apprentice program and will be graduating in December.
Approximately 32 more streetlamps have been ordered. The public is welcomed to call if there is a streetlamp out in their neighborhood. Four service upgrades have been completed across the city. Planned power outages conducted by Show-me Pole Replacement are going to begin in June. As information is received, it will be put out to the public.
Line trimming crew members continue to make gains on work orders, with Paine estimating a backlog up to two years. Crew members have been instructed to communicate with those who have put in work orders and ensure timely answers.
Construction
Crew members have prepared to do curb work on Franklin Street. They have also constructed and poured a catch ditch on South Henderson Street to help prevent a home from taking on water. Crew members have also been finishing up work on the cat holding area of the animal shelter.
Paine informed the board that public works keeps a concrete priority list to ensure citizens are taken care off in order of highest need.
Street department
Another load of coal patch has been picked up with many patches completed citywide. Crew members are completing street painting projects as weather permits. They have painted a new crosswalk at the high school, along with putting in ADA compliant ramps. Crew members have backfilled and smoothed dirt work over at the electrical trade school. Many crew members have attended vac truck training.
Mechanic John Roos has been working on city mowing equipment as the mowing season is in full force. He has also attended vac truck repair training in Illinois, including operator and mechanical training.
Cemetery crew members have been working hard to keep up with mowing. Paine thanked all departments who attended cemetery cleanup day on Wednesday, May 21.
