Board of Aldermen - Regular Meeting

Heat. Heat. Do you feel down? down.

Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat.

Originally, there was a public hearing scheduled tonight uh due to the not enough timing for the posting in the Salem newspaper. Uh it will be rescheduled for December 23rd's meeting. And I will call tonight's 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, if you lead us there, please. Father, we come to you this evening once again. Father, we we thank you for everything that you have provided us with. We thank you for this community. We just ask that everything we say and do, we bring honor and glory to you tonight. Amen. Amen.

At least I All right. Next up, roll call. I am present. Alderwoman Dent present. Alderman Kinsey present. Alderman Whan present. Alderman Leedworth here. City administrators absent. City clerk Coler present. City attorney Weber is also absent. Uh public works director Payne present. Chief of police chase present. Finance director Stacy Houston's absent. Economic development director Carrie Sutterfield. All right. We don't have any other city staff here tonight. All right. Next item up is approval of the agenda for not. I make a motion to approve the agenda. And do I have a second?

I second the motion. I will call for the vote. Alderman Whan, yes. Alderwoman Dent, yes. Alderman Lechford, yes. And Alderman Kinsey, yes. Uh, next up we'll do the consent agenda. Make a motion to approve the consent agenda. And do I have a second? I'll second. [snorts] I will call for the vote. Alderman Whan, yes. Alderman McKenzie, yes. Alderwoman Dent, yes. Alderman Lechworth, yes.

All right. We did have somebody to come and uh do a presentation for small businesses, but he is not here with us tonight. So, we'll see if we can't try to reschedule that for December 23rd meeting. Maybe possible if he's available. Move right along to our bids for the asphalt bid. Do we not have any public comments tonight? We don't have no public comments. No public comments. No. Good evening, Mayor. [clears throat]

Thanks, Steve. Uh this was um our bid that was request for bids that was put out for uh sorry got the wrong bid sheet here for the asphalt project. Um we only received one bid. The cold asphalt will be used to patch various potholes, wastewater cutouts, and existing streets to make them smooth, level, and easier to transver trans traverse, improving the overall street infrastructure in the city of Salem. Willard Asphalt paving company bid was the only bid received in the amount of $17,940. Street department recommends the product Willard Asphalt Supplies. Procurement bids were advertised in the Salem newspaper and posted to the city's website. They were due November 19th. Uh there was one bid received. So like I said, in the amount of $17,940, we recommend or request your approval for the bid from Willard asphalt in the amount of $17,940 so we can take care of the streets.

Any questions? Steve, have you used this company before? Yes. Okay. Street. Okay. I just want to make sure. Thanks. No, I don't have any. I have a motion. I'll make a motion to approve the bid from Willard Ashvalt in the amount of $17,940. Do I have a second? I'll second the motion. I will call for the vote. Alderman Lechworth. Yes. Alderman Whan, yes. Alderoman Dent, yes. Alderman Kent, [clears throat] yes. New miscellaneous business. Next up, we have the annual longevity pay amendment for the employee manual.

So, on this one, for at least 30 years, we've spoken with some staff that have been here that long. This is the seniority pay has been something that they have received at least 30 plus years. Um staff is wanting to rename that to longevity annual longevity pay and add it to our employee manual. At this time it is not in our manual and it is $4160 per year that they're there. So if they start in say February, they don't get it that December, they get it the following December. So they have to be with the city an entire year before they start receiving that pay. And it tops out at 20 years, which is $832. So we request that you um approve the change of the name and to add it to our employee manual. How many do we have with longevity? How many employees do we have with 20 years or more?

20 years or more? I off the top of my head, I don't have that number. Okay. But it's only full-time. Part-time don't qualify. It's just it's full-time employees only. There is a cap. That's the cap. It caps at 20 years. And this has been something that has been done for at least 30 years, but probably longer. Just adding it to the employment. So, it's it's an established practice, but we're you want to put it in the manual and correct. Okay. All right. What happens if there's a break in employment? Does the Do we just round up all the years if they come back as an employee later on? It stops.

So, the clock resets if they leave and come back. Correct. Okay. Yeah.

So, we need a motion. Any other questions? Okay. No, I have no more questions. You ready for a motion? [clears throat] All right. Do we have a motion? Uh, I'll make a motion to approve the annual longevity pay uh amendment to the employee manual. Do I have a second? I'll second. I will call for the vote. Alderman Lechworth, yes. Alderman McKenzie, yes. Alderman Whan, yes. And Alderwoman Den, yes. Next up is our mobile device policy.

So staff have we've redone this. The last cell phone policy was what it was called. It was in 2008. things have changed and so it needs to be renamed to mobile policy due to tablets. Some of our staff have tablets. Street department has one. Okay. Cemetery is going to get one. I think the electric department all al has one. Most of our upper staff have phones. It's so this is just a just an update to the policy that we already have in place. Open it up for any questions.

No, I have none. I have none. All right. Do I have a motion? Make a motion to approve the mobile device policy presented tonight. Do I have a second? I'll second that motion. I will call for the vote. Alderman Whan, yes. Alderman Lynchber, yes. Aler McKenzie. Yes. Older woman Dent. Yes. Next up is resolution number 28-2025.

Resolution number 28-2025, a resolution authorizing the file of an application with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program for financial assistance under the Missouri Clean Water Law. All right. Any questions? No, just clarification. Maybe um this is for the uh the solid the removal the hauling off is the sludge. I think the sludge because of the POS I think it's because DNR won't allow um what application

Yeah. bland application like they used to. Yeah. 10 years of of of bioolids out there that needs to go and this would be a 100% grant application with no local match. So, um the young lady that brought it to us and and spoke about it with us uh was confident that this is something we might be able to attain and it would it'd help us out greatly. I mean, we just 78 $792,326.94 um is kind of the estimate on removal and all right. All that fun new government regulations. Yep.

For plastics. So, get a lot of paperwork, but at least we're not paying for it. All right. Do we have a motion this time? I'll make a motion to approve resolution 28-2025 and submitting the application for the emergency containment grant with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. And do I have a second? I'll second that motion. [clears throat and cough] At this time, I will call for the vote. Alderman Kinsky, yes. Alderman Lechworth, yes. Alderwoman Dan, yes. and Alderman Whan. Yes.

All right. Last but not least, first and second reading of bill number 3693. Bill number 3693. An ordinance annexing certain agent adjacent territory into the city of Salem, Missouri. Permission to read bill number 3693 by second reading by caption only. Yes, please. an ordinance annexing certain adjacent territory into the city of Salem, Missouri. Thank you. And this is for the LDS church that we've already went through the entire process with the public hearing and

All right, it's time to have a motion. I'll make a motion to approve bill 3693. Do I have a second? I second the motion. Now we'll call for the vote. Alman Whan, yes. Woman Dent, yes. Alman Lecher, yes. Alman Kenzie, yes. All right. Next up, we got reports of city official boards and committees. Serfield, come on up. Good evening. Good evening. Good evening.

Well, have your report in front of you. There's just been a few um prospects and marketing activities that we've that we've been going through. We're waiting on the funding announcement with the MHDC um when we applied for that um funding. We're still waiting to see if that comes to fruition. And uh in the last 30 days, I thought it was interesting to note that our certified site in the M's industrial park has received 233 um visits. So, it's being seen. It's being looked at. So, that's always that's always a good thing.

[clears throat]

Um, if you have no questions on that, you can you can go over that at your leisure or whatever. Shoot me an email if you have questions or ask ask. Now, the main reason that I stand before you this evening is for the um enhanced enterprise zone board. that is a joint committee of the city of Salem and Dent County and it is supports existing business expansion and new business development through local property tax abatements for eligible businesses. The goal is to create sustainable jobs and the current members are Jamie Homemire, Dustin Howard, Dean Jones, Jeff Dodson, Nathan Wills, Daniel Sier, and Willie Strader. The t the terms for Mr. Dodson and Mr. Wills expire this month. So they have both agreed at the August 21st meeting to serve another five years. So I presented that to the commissioners. The commissioners voted and approved those um members to [clears throat] continue their serving on the EEZ board and according to the bylaws of the EEZ board, they also need the approval from you all. So, my recommendation is that you [clears throat] approve the reappoint of Nathan Wills and Jeff Dodson for another term of the EEZ board. Um, in front of you, if you're not familiar with the enhanced enterprise zone, in front of you is a flyer that kind of gives you some idea of what they can do and how they can help and um and uh what kinds of what kinds of uh industries are eligible for those tax abatements? Like for fishing, mining construction manufactur.

Any questions? I don't have any questions. Captain. All right. At this time, uh, do we have a motion for the enhanced enterprise zone appointments for Nathan Wills and Jeffson? I make a motion to approve the reappoint of Nathan Wills and Jeff Dodson to another term with Ee. Do I have a second? I'll second the motion. This time I will call for the vote. Alderman McKenzie, yes. Aler will. Yes. Yes. Dent. Yes. And Alderman Lechburg. Yes. Thank you, K. Thank you.

Next up is my report. Kind of keep it short tonight. I just wanted to thank city staff for getting the banners hung the new banners hung up downtown before the Christmas parade started. Like really uh thank the electric department for working on the street lights. Uh, thanking the Salem Police for the increased patrols. Uh, that's greatly appreciated. I think that's pretty much it except for the water department. They did a really good job of fixing some leaks I noticed over on our famous East Center Street. Other than that, that's all I have for my report tonight. Steve, do you have anything you would like to report?

Yes. Thanks. uh quick report rundown of uh the different functions of public works wastewater treatment plant your plant's healthy daily testing is proving that phase 2 improvements are continuing um the water department uh our new water league Kyle Wford's settling in nicely as as you said he was he's been out on several water leak repairs there were two main breaks on center street over there that they took care of that's just a line that's going to have to be addressed it was I want to say second on our list. So second to Roosevelt that project. Um they ca they took care shined up their back truck because they wanted the public to see the back truck in the parade. If you've never seen that um as a a piece of equipment that we use daily. It's it's on every project practically. So uh a huge asset for the city. Uh the electric department. Uh we we'd like to welcome on Brandon Schmidt uh to the team. He's been with Inner County for 16 years and came over. He's going to lead our electric shop into the next,

you know, um future. What's that? In the in the near future.

Yeah. Yeah. He's going to he's going to get us pointed in the right direction with taking care of business. So, um welcome to him. Uh they're finalizing underground wire for the Doss Road cell tower. That was pretty big project. and replaced a transformer off West Franklin that the neighborhood over there had been having some problems and we figured out the transformer was starting to do its thing. Uh construction crews finalizing a concrete project over at the concession stand at the park. Uh they've repaired some of the city. If if if folks are ever coming into town and you notice that the lighting's out for the city, those signs at the city limits that say welcome to Salem. Please let us know or call it in and get it to me so we can get those taken care of.

I try to make the rounds and check that type of thing at night because the crews are home for the day. Um and we we try to keep that functioning properly. Right. Are some of them solar? What aren't some of those lights solar? I think some of them they're all solar. We're slowly working through and you have to watch about the street lights over there because if not it the lights won't come on because the street lights are blocking it or creating something like the sensor light. Yeah, they think it's daylight so

the sensor. Uh the construction crew also built a few more of our downtown temporary light poles so that we could have lighting down for the parade all the way past Curly's hair salon and that section adjacent to the courthouse. uh streets set up those temporary downtown light poles. They they love doing that for the festivities. Um they ensure the parade routes were coned off. Your street department continuing to street sweep clean dropins and um obviously leaves this time of year if they work their way out into the street and into the uh drainage system. We take care of those. We just ask that the public not push them out into the street for uh which gums up your drainage system. So, the mechanics repaired and maintained multiple pieces of equipment citywide, worked on the TCRC HVAC units multiple times to make sure that the gym's staying nice and toasty over there. Cemetery crew dug a couple of graves and assisted with setup in the past uh two weeks. So, that's all I've got for the excitement with the city. Did anybody have any questions?

No. There's no thinking there will ask. Do you spel smoke? H I to see the intent look in your eye. You don't need to see smoke signals. [laughter] No, [snorts] I don't have any. All right, we'll start with our board reports. Older Lechworth, I have nothing to report. Mackenzie, nothing to report at this time. Older woman dead. I do. [laughter] [clears throat] the uh beautifification subcommittee of the community involvement committee will be meeting about Craig Plaza on January 6th at six o'clock and I think Nancy Minster has retired from taking care of that. Is that right? That's what she told me.

Okay. and and she's done an excellent job and we were trying to figure out some different things to do there and and we'll be working with Steve on that and the um Salem Area Community Betterment Association will be involved in that. Well, that too. And then secondly, the uh Salem Community Choir will be in concert on December sec the 20th December 20th at 7 o'clock at the Salem Christian Church with a musical. Okay, good. All right, I have no report. Catherine, you're the overachiever in that.

Well, all right. Last but not least, motion for adjournment. I'll make a motion for adjournment. Do I have a second? I'll second that motion. I will call for the vote. Alderman Mackenzie, yes. Alderman Ledworth, yes. Alderwoman Dent, yes. and Alderman Whan. Yes. All right. Thank you all for attending tonight. Thank you everybody.