Board of Aldermen - Regular Meeting

6:00 I'd like to call this public hearing to order. We have a public hearing tonight scheduled for Christopher and Jocelyn Haven for the annexation of their property. Is there anyone here to speak on behalf or against? All right. At this time, I will close the public hearing and call our regular scheduled meeting to order and ask everyone to please rise for Pledge of Allegiance and prayer. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. John, will you lead us in a prayer, please? Heavenly Father, we come to you this evening, Lord, and as always, we ask you to forgive us where we fail you. Father, we also thank you for this community. Thank you for these people that have come tonight. Thank you for those that are willing to serve. We just ask that everything we do tonight will bring honor and glory to you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen. Amen. Let's start roll [clears throat] call. I'm present. Alderwoman Dent? Yes, I am. Alderman McKenzie? Present. Alderman Whalen? Present. Alderman Letchworth? Present. City Administrator Beverage? Present. City Clerk Kohler? Present. City Attorney Webber? Public Works Director Payne? Present. Chief of Police Jace? Present. Finance Director Stacy Houston? Economic Development Director Carrie Sutterfield? Present. And I don't believe we have any other city staff with us tonight. Moving right along, next up is the approval of tonight's agenda. I'll make a motion to approve tonight's

agenda. Do I have a second? I'll second. At this time, I will call for the vote. Alderman Whalen? Yes. Alderman McKenzie? Yes. Alderwoman Dent? Yes. Alderman Letchworth?

Yes. Next item up is the consent agenda. I'll make a motion to approve the consent agenda. Do I have a second? I'll second the motion. At this time, I will call for the vote. Alderman Letchworth? Yes. Alderman Whalen? Yes. Alderman McKenzie? Yes. Alderwoman Dent? Yes. Next item is public comment. We don't have anybody scheduled tonight for public comment or signed up for it. So, moving right along for new and miscellaneous business, we have electric department budget adjustment. Good evening, Mayor and Aldermen. Good evening. So, this is uh

[snorts]

I'm not going to go ahead and I'm not going to read this all off, but basically, we're looking to reallocate funds because we have a line replacement fund line that was set aside specifically for line, but since we've taken on our new electric superintendent who has been vigorously replacing poles across town, uh some of the expenses in the other categories have exceeded uh what we had set aside for those. He's basically run through a lot of it just getting a lot done. So, we're really happy with that and the progress we're making. And if uh anybody's interested in seeing it, I can show you some photos of poles that were replaced that were really, really close to being a problem. So, um keeping us up and running, but what we'd like to do, if if you wouldn't mind scrolling down a little bit, is we're asking for approval to move $80,000 from the line replacement fund to fund 49,500 in equipment maintenance, 10,000 in tools, 5,500 in special services, 2,500 for safety gear, and 12,500 for wearing apparel. Uh the safe the safety issue of making sure all those guys are in appropriate FR material, fire retardant material, was uh past due. We had them in some, but we wanted to make sure they were fully outfitted, so they're they're as safe as they can be. So, um if you have any questions about that, we're just asking for approval to do a budget adjustment, basically. Steve, you you listed an item there, special services. Special. Could you elaborate on that just a little bit for me? So, when we're out replacing some of these poles hot or uh that are really intricate, um special services helps us pay uh for a vendor or an assistant contractor to come in.

Basically, with his own truck, um digger truck, so we can hold one pole while we're holding the other pole. We We only have one digger truck, so Okay. we use that for assistance to get these projects done. So, the the really, really complicated poles. Okay. And the gentleman that comes with them uh trains the guys on the ground as well. Oh, okay. So, Brandon's up in the bucket and he can only he can only work and holler down so much, but we have young linemen uh you know, journeymen that are apprenticeship. Basically, they're learning a lot from this guy on the ground that's also helping. So, Okay. Are you

you. Are you anticipating, like, for the the coming next uh budget, the same sort of thing with the the pole replacements being like, keep going with the amount or even more? Yeah, we've we're we're putting it into the budget to bump up the numbers a bit because Brandon's, like I said, he's he's a go-getter and he's got the shop turned around, and we were you know, we're just we're playing we feel like we're playing catch-up on some stuff that uh needed taking care of. So, How many poles have we replaced since Uh since Brandon started, it's over 30. Over 30?

Yeah, I mean, he's that's including new services where poles have been stabbed in too, but if you were to go down Carty to go past US Foods, I mean, he replaces one and he walks down the block and tests the other poles and gets down there and they're, you know, they're to a nub. Right. to a nub. So, he's he's just uh He's knocking them out. Yeah. All right. Thank you. Hope hoping to continue the progress. So, Any other motion? All right. Any other discussion? Do I have a motion? I'll make it I'll make a motion to approve the budget adjustment to support the city's electrical system in the amount of $80,000 to the prospective accounts. Do I have a second? I'll second the motion. If there's no further discussion, I will call for the vote. Alderman McKenzie? Yes. Alderman Whalen? Yes. Alderwoman Dent? Yes. And Alderman Letchworth?

Yes. Thank you, Steve. Thanks. And Mayor, if I may, I just want to make note, I know you all are aware, but I just want to make note for those who might be watching later or watching from home. It's not an increase in the budget. No.

It's just a transfer within the budget. Fair enough. Thanks for saying that. All right. I'm going to start the reading of bills for only for first reading for these next three bills. We'll start with bill number 3704. Bill number 3704, an ordinance annexing certain adjacent territory into the city of Salem, Missouri. All right. Next up, bill number 3705. Bill number 3705, an ordinance annexing certain adjacent territory into the city of Salem, Missouri. And bill number 3706. Bill number 3706, an ordinance amending section 110.410 of the city code to authorize subcommittees under the committee involvement committee of the city of Salem, Missouri. Okay. And this time I'll open it up before I continue to the next bill for the first and second reading of the next bill to see if there's any discussion on the board for bill number 3704, 3705, and 3706, even though this is a first reading. What are you asking for here? Oh, I was just asking if they had any discussion they wanted to discuss any of it. No. Okay. No.

Not at this time.

Okay. It never hurts to ask. All right, moving right along. We have the first and second reading for bill number 3707. Bill number 3707, an ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute task order one with Toth and Associates Incorporated for engineering services related to the Fillmore Marathon Storm Water Culvert Replacement Project. Permission to read second reading by caption only. Yes, please. Bill number 3707, an ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute task order one with Toth and Associates Incorporated for engineering services related to the Fillmore Marathon Storm Water Culvert Replacement Project. Would you like to touch up on that, Sally? Yeah. So, I think you all are aware of this project. Um this is one that we did not have budgeted, obviously. Um and of course we have Daniel Sawyer here with us this evening. Um on this project, this task order is of course our first task order with our new engineering firm. They did come down in person. Um we walked the line. We visited um with Daniel and with Dan um that day that they were here. Um so this is for engineering services and construction oversight only. This is not construction.

Right. Okay. I have had a uh conversation with Sean Berry, who's the main engineer that we're working with. Um so just as an extra point of information, we're looking probably between in the ballpark of 5 to 600,000 for construction. Um that's not set in stone. We won't know for sure until of course the project goes out to bid. Um but this So, this is for engineering and construction oversight services only at this time so that they can get started. Um there will also be a survey of the area. And yeah, I believe Yeah, 70,000 roughly is that amount. Will we be replacing the culvert pipe or will we be putting a box in?

Well, probably a box. Probably a concrete box as well. the same capacity as the culvert pipe or I I can't answer that right now. Yeah, I don't know. I I would assume, but I don't know. I hope so. Got you. Yeah. So. Okay. My concern, we have the we have the detour that we Mhm. that we did with the gravel and stuff like that. Do we know what kind of even an estimated time would be for like we start doing the construction work and all this and how long it would be

know right now. My concern is is So, we built the gra- we we built the gravel, you know, right away there. With the weather and stuff like that, if this is going to be a very lengthy project, I would look at the board maybe taking consideration of concreting that instead of that continuously washing away because that probably be an issue depends on how long it's going to take for this project.

Got you. And like I said, right now we don't know. I do know Brent has said that he'll kind of keep an eye on it and certainly if if there if there's an issue, I would encourage Daniel to give us a call. I mean and our guys will go work on it, haul more gravel or whatever we need to do in the interim. You see what I'm getting at though. I mean, or just if this is going to be a lengthy thing and you're we're constantly replacing this gravel this temporary gravel spot. Everything we do is lengthy. [laughter] We've got we've got it We're in the design phase, right? Yes. And what then we're going to have to submit it out for bid.

Right. Now, we did talk um I did have a conversation with Shawn from Toth and Kelly Sink from MRPC about possibly submitting for a grant. Um in order to do that, it's got to be a broader project. It's got to be something that impacts the broader community, not just this one piece. Wouldn't that kind of like would I be wrong in thinking that that's probably one of the main uh storm water systems in the city? is. It is. But they'd be looking for wouldn't that affect everybody in the city that's lying in those low-lying areas?

It would. It would. I I understand exactly where you're coming from, Alderman Wiler. But from the grant perspective, they're going to be looking for a larger project. And to maximize funding on a grant, you would want a larger project. Um but that would slow down the timeline even longer if we go that route. 100%. Yeah. Cuz you'd have to wait on the You'd have to wait on the grant Oh yeah, I'm worried about the grant. I'm just thinking if we could address that whole line. And And there are other I mean, we walked and get a Right.

99% or a 90/10 or It's Oh, as far as a grant? Mhm. Well, the one we were looking at would be an 80/20.

An 80/20? Mhm. But I can't say how long that would extend time frames. Right. Now, we did walk pretty much all of that southern part. Um Yeah. certainly where there are issues. From Henderson, South Henderson on up quite a ways, almost up to um Scenic Rivers, we walked and that's that same drainage ditch. Right. Um with the with the engineers. Yeah. Yeah. So So, we know that there's some additional places. And I think in uh interest of uh our private business here, we probably ought to go the the way we are.

Got you. It will be the fastest. Disrupt services any more than we Right. Sorry. All right. Is there any further discussion? Do I have a motion for bill number 3707? I'll make a motion to approve bill number 3707. Do I have a second? I'll second that motion. There is no further discussion. I will call for the vote. Alderman Wiler? Yes. Alderman Letchworth?

Yes. Alderman McKenzie? Yes. Alderwoman Dent? Yes. Next up will be bill number 3708. Bill number 3708, an ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute task order two with Toth and Associates Incorporated for engineering services related to the Salem City Park No Rise Certificate and Permit Project. Permission to read second reading by caption only. Yes, please. Bill number 3708, an ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute task order two with Toth and Associates Incorporated for engineering services related to the Salem City Park No Rise Certificate and Permit Project. Thank you. So, this is for the new parking lot in the park. Um so we just need to get a no rise certificate indicating that it will not elevate the level of the flood flood plain. And so that's what this task order is for. Okay. Any discussion? I don't have any, Captain. No. All right, do I have a motion? I'll make a motion to approve bill 3708. Do I have a second? I'll second. There's no further discussion. I'll call for the vote. Alderman Wiler? Yes. Alderman McKenzie? Yes. Alderwoman Dent? Yes. And Alderman Letchworth?

Yes. All right. Next up, we got reports. Sally, I'll start with you first. Um no report this evening. [cough]

Excuse me. Stacy? Carrie? Shoot, I'm running out of names. Good evening, Mayor and Council. Um [clears throat] you can see on the monthly report there, right at the very top where it has the small um print. There is a chart at the end of the report that shows the general categories. And they are identified by priority numbers in the economic development strategic plan. That plan is on our website and I put the link there. So if you choose to pull it up digitally, you can just hit control and click on it and it'll take you to that uh development plan. That plan is a road map. Sally drafted it. You the board approved it at that time. And so everything that that the staff does, that you all do, to have the staff to work on, it go all goes back to that plan. So it's our road map so that everybody is pulling in the same direction and going to the same place. So um at the end of that report, you'll see the little chart and it has the categories and the numbers there. Do you want me to go to that? Um no, we'll get there in a minute. The voluntary residential demolition program, the first um project that we had, that is cleaned up and finished and so that's all that's all done. You can scroll down, Sal. That looks good. Um the Masters Industrial Park has

created more than 70 online views. So we have viewers from like Kansas, Missouri, and Minnesota, and Pennsylvania. 48 of those views were 18 of them were certified site specific. So um the uh There's some There's some marketability that's happening there, but when the sign gets out there and then we have some additional drone footage that we'll be getting later on in this in this year. I think it'll help. I think it'll help with the marketability and the and the showing of it. Um you can you can go down to the to the next thing and you guys can look over what the BRE efforts have been and the meetings and the training. Um I [clears throat] was able to join the next movement group. Um free It is like an online library of economic development all things. And so um I found it I have found it so far to be particularly useful and helpful and so I'm glad to have found that. You can continue. So the at the end [clears throat] of this report, I did a little something different and it just um it's a whole bunch of data. But it is the um economic trend snapshot of Dent County and Salem. And so all that's numerical, but down below is kind of a colorful slideshow that kind of shows where we are. Um s- This information shows why partnerships with schools and businesses and stakeholders and all of the things that you see in the meetings, it shows why they're so important because we need to be able to have

um the collaboration of everybody on board in order to continue to keep our community um moving forward. Um on [clears throat] slide, let's go down to the slideshow, Sally. We'll stop at the second one just for a little brief reminder, this second um What kind of deal is that logo shows up with that background? Mhm. That one right there. That pyramid guides us. It shows us that in order to attract businesses and have a quality of life and and maintain our livability and have our transportation and our workforce, it all comes back to the housing. So um in order for us to in order [clears throat] for us to continue with our competitive options that we have here in town, we have first the housing, which is why you all have noticed that need and you have approved for the housing initiatives that are coming. Um Sally got us on track with this whole um the first the economic strategic plan and now this pyramid, so it shows how we can boost our sustainability and our livability. So slides three and four, they just kind of um highlight our education. It actually tells us that 84% have a high school diploma, which is awesome. Um it is also showing an increase in people attaining a higher education. So that is only going to help our workforce further develop with and the right skill sets needed for the jobs that we have here. So um the [clears throat] uh

Do you want me to move on or not?

Yeah. Okay. So this slide four just kind of um builds on that and it shows where workforce training is directly related to the higher wages. And so that helps our residents stay here rather than leaving. So when we develop and invest in our kids that are in school with workforce training and then even going ahead and investing in our adult education, it helps develop that workforce. Um you all have heard me talk about the ACT um work ready communities. The ACT work ready community helps us It's a nationally and state recognized program and that helps us be able to develop those skilled workers or know when those skilled workers come into our places of business and we can invest in those because in order to if we recruit a workforce, that costs typically the community several thousand dollars, like in the tens and and 15,000 dollars to recruit a workforce. Whereas if we invest in them, the ones that are already here, it's obviously better for our community. Um go down to the next slide that talks about housing. Um you'll notice here that Salem and Dent County is over here on the right and then um Missouri uh averages are on the left there. And Salem is Salem and Dent County are we're a bargain. I mean our our home values are 167,000 compared to 230,000, but our rents are at 706 for an average. So our our housing and our ability to attain housing, we're a bargain compared to the rest of the the rest of the state.

Um Going down and looking at the um the uh snapshot that just further emphasizes how affordable housing is key to our expansion. It helps provide that base to that pyramid that that uh Sally developed. Um and then this is just a glance of the um trend snapshot and you'll see there that 11% is um manufacturing. That's still key it as far as our GDP in this area. So that's um that's something to note. It's important [clears throat] to uh understand that manufacturing continues to be our key driver. And then you can go down to the next slide, Sally. It's important to minister to the health and to have those partnerships with our health entities in this town. If we have a healthy workforce, then we obviously have a productive workforce, right? So we would be remiss to only focus on the youth. We need silver tsunami is a thing. Um that is, you know, they're reentering the workforce for whatever reason. So we need to make sure that they have the education that they need, the skill set that they need, and we also need to be able to have ways that they can support their health, whether that be telehealth or um you know, have have the partnerships with the local um hospitals and health centers and things like that in order so that they can get um so that they can get the health care that they need. 13.3% are uninsured. So that's that's big and then I mean

it just it's an opportunity where we can where we can do better and support support the health of our town. So the whole slideshow was just a little quick snippet. It put it in like a little colorful graph so that rather than just looking at data and numbers, we all come back to collaborative partnerships and working with the various entities of our community and that's what economic development is. It's a little bit of this and a little bit of that and it's a whole lot of everybody moving in the same direction in order to get things accomplished. I would like to thank you all for being so productive and proactive and ensuring that we are on the right track and following our economic strategic plan as it was developed here and adopted years ago. Um I think that it is continuing to grow Salem in a livable, sustainable fashion. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Carrie, for all the work that you put into this. You're welcome. All right, Steve. May we come on up? I wasn't going to give you a lengthy report tonight. Everything's functioning. Um, I'm getting after the crews, the crews are getting after the work, and they're getting it done. So, as a reminder, we've got the spring cleanup here 4th through [clears throat] the 15th. Not to steal your thunder, but uh nothing bigger than 4 in in diameter out by the roadside, and uh brush in manageable, tied-up bundles so our crews can get it and get it done. So, do anybody have any questions? I just have a comment.

Yep. I've got lots of compliments on the parking lot at the ball field. By professional construction people. I will pass that along to Lori. Tell the guys to do that. That three-man crew, that's a lot of concrete to lay down. That's right. So, we appreciate them. Oh, yeah. I'd like to thank them for the concrete work they did over on the corner of Jack Street and South Norfolk. Yeah. I appreciate that. Yeah, to keep from that gentleman's driveway and his gravel washing off into our storm drain. Still sitting in there, and you know, looks like a statue, but former used to be a someone's driveway, so. [laughter] They're they're taking on another project right now that uh home was taken on some of the street.

Yeah, the gentleman reached out to me to let you guys know he's very appreciative, and with the rain that they we had today, he said he thinks it's going to work, so. Good deal. Good deal. All right. Thank you, Steve. All right. Thank you. Thank you, Steve.

Thank you. Tammy, you got anything? I don't have anything to say. All right. Well, my turn to shine. Well, of course, like Steve touched up a little bit, we've got the our city-wide yard sale coming up this week, Saturday. Uh, do we still have spots at the admin office for rent, or did we not do that? I believe we do. Okay. I haven't checked personally. Okay. But I but I did hear the ladies talking with folks over the phone to reserve spots earlier today, so. So, just a little touch-up for cleanup, so we have it for this upcoming next week for May the 4th through the 8th, and the following week from May the 11th through the 15th. So, they're going to continue to do the plastic wrap around box springs and mattresses to prevent the continuing spread of bed bugs. Um, we don't take batteries, they don't take tires unless they're cut up. Um, a little something to know for people, a lot of people try to hide paint in trash bags in their trash cans. Um, we we can take liquid paint, but trash trucks are designed to hold liquid, and when it rains, some people the storm lifts the lids of the trash carts, and they fill up with water. So, if you get paint that busts inside the back of a truck, and it fills up with water, what's that going to do? It's going to leak out onto the city streets, and it's going to look very unpleasant, like we're mowing down and we're trying to paint the side roads. So, just a little tip, if people would take the lids off of their paint cans and put them somewhere, paint will literally dry itself out. Mhm. If there anybody has like large piles of construction debris, you need to run a dumpster for those, cuz it takes it's too time-consuming, and the price of diesel's and I don't see going down anytime soon, but uh that's the only thing that I had. Uh, just make sure that everybody takes advantage of this, and get rid of that

unwanted furniture, and don't wait till after this is over with. Please don't wait. I got help. We're going to try to utilize them so I can be a little less productive. No, I'm just kidding. But that's all I have for my report tonight. And I'll take it up with the board members. Alderwoman Letchworth. No report. Alderman Kinsey. Nothing to report. Alderwoman Dent. No report. And Alderman Wayland. No report. Why I feel like such an overachiever up here. All right. At this time, there's nothing else. Do I have a motion to adjourn? I move that we adjourn. And do I have a second? I'll second. And I will call for the vote. Alderwoman Dent. Yes. Alderman Kinsey. Yes.

Alderman Wayland. Yes. And Alderman Letchworth. Yes. Thank you all for attending tonight.