CHAMOIS — Chamois aldermen narrowly approved a decision that resident Sandra Slusser would be responsible for paying $79.68 in late water and sewer fees to the city at their meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 24. Sandra Slusser had attended the August meeting to argue that she wanted the remaining balance to be forgiven because it was based on trash service. The Slusser residence had been charged for trash, but was not eligible for the service because the property was outside of city limits. Sandra Slusser was not in attendance at the September meeting.

“What I was thinking is that to get this whole thing squared up, we just forgive the balance and be done with it,” said Alderman Shawn Mitchem. “That money is what they owe for the whole trash thing.”

“No, it’s what they owe for water,” Alderman Cheyanna Wolfe said. “It’s late fees.”

“What she told me was that she wants to take over for her dad and take over all of the bills and stuff,” Mitchem said. “There is a balance of $79.68.”

“Are they late fees for the trash, or for the water and sewer bills?” Wolfe asked.

Mayor Marie Slusser said that Sandra Slusser had been added to her father’s account and now owns the property. The late fees accrued before her name were added to the bill.

“She’s been added to the bill, so it kinda omits the deposit,” Mayor Slusser said.

City Treasurer Theresa Walter stated that there is currently no deposit on the account.

“What I would like to do for this young kid, who is trying to help her dad out, is give her a fresh start as she is trying to get her dad’s finances in order,” Mitchem said. “We’ll just eat the $79.68 and give her a clean slate.”

City Clerk Megan Birmingham cut in, noting that Sandra Slusser had sent a letter to City Hall and told aldermen they may need to read it before they make a decision.

Birmingham handed the handwritten letter to Mayor Slusser.

“I’m just going by what was discussed at the last meeting,” Mitchem said. “I haven’t seen the letter.

“She now owns the property; her dad is living there, but there is still an outstanding bill,” Mitchem added. “I’m just trying to take that off of her and give her a fresh start.”

“But it’s no different than anyone else coming in and trying to help their family; we can’t do that for everyone,” Wolfe said. “We credited the account for all the trash services. The late fees are from the water and sewer.”

Walter had printed out a list of the payments and credits that had been made on the account since the beginning of the year.

“There is no water deposit on the account if she were to default,” Mayor Slusser said. “We don’t have a deposit to fall back on.”

Mayor Slusser said that since Sandra Slusser was a relative, she was going to sit back and let aldermen decide what they wanted to do with the matter.

Alderman Lacey Garret had recused herself on the issue, noting at the August meeting that she is in a relationship with Sandra Slusser’s ex-husband.

“Since she was added to the bill before she took ownership of the property, she doesn’t have to put down a deposit,” Birmingham said.

“So, they found the loophole to where she can buy the property, have services, and not pay a deposit,” Mitchem said.

“She put her name on the bill knowing there was an outstanding balance,” Wolfe said.

Mitchem said that he understood what Wolfe was saying and that he believed that the outstanding balance should be the responsibility of her father, Chuck Slusser.

“She came in with her father and jumped on that account knowing there was an outstanding balance,” Wolfe said. “Not everyone’s parents are saints. They are all adults, and they made choices.”

Wolfe said that she would be in favor of setting up a payment plan for the Slusser account if they weren’t able to pay the entire amount up front, but it would require Sandra Slusser to appear before the board and make the arrangement in a meeting.

“Personally, I’m for nullifying the past-due balance and giving the kid a fresh start,” Mitchem said.

“We’ve had a hardline approach with water bills, and we were supposed to have a zero-tolerance for past-due balances,” Alderman Cole Schaben said. “I think somebody has to pay the $79.68.”

Resident Judy Maxey asked why the account was not required to have a deposit on it.

“This Board of Aldermen voted to amend the water ordinance that after a resident has service for three years, (they) would be credited back their deposit,” Birmingham said.

“That was the previous Board of Aldermen,” Mayor Slusser said.

“No, that was this Board of Aldermen,” Birmingham insisted.

“No,” Mayor Slusser said again.

Birmingham explained that the water ordinance was changed after they discovered several other cities credited deposits after a certain period. The amended ordinance added that if services were shut off due to non-payment, a larger deposit of $300 was required.

Mayor Slusser agreed that the changes were made and approved by the current board.

Schaben commented that he hadn’t been at the August meeting when Sandra Slusser was discussing the issue, and that he hadn’t seen the letter she sent to City Hall.

Wolfe said that she would like to see the letter.

“The letter doesn’t pertain to the past-due account,” Mayor Slusser said, handing the letter back to Birmingham.

“I think the past-due amount has to be paid one way or another,” Schaben said.

Schaben and Wolfe voted for Slusser’s past-due balance to be paid. Mitchem voted against the motion.

The city will reach out to Sandra Slusser with the decision and see how she wants to proceed.

In other business, the city will ask for bids on repairs for the bleachers at the City Park.

“The Chamois Lions Club has brought to our attention that the grandstand damaged by a storm in 2023 needs to be repaired,” Mayor Slusser said. “The insurance money was deposited, but we don’t know exactly where that money went. It was just deposited into the general fund, and nothing was fixed.”

The city has an estimate from May 31, 2023, for $5,443 from Light Property Management to make the repairs.

This was reported in May 2023 in the Unterrified Democrat. At the time, former Mayor Mike Edwards reported that the city had received $4,296.56 from the insurance company to replace the bleachers.

Aldermen had thought this original bid was high and were going to reach out to other contractors for additional bids, but they did not receive any back in 2023.

“We know that the cost for the repairs will be more now,” Mayor Slusser said.

“Do you think the cost has gone up?” Mitchem asked.

“Yes, drastically,” Garret said.

Mayor Slusser hopes to get an estimate for the work that needs to be done and see if the park fund can cover the repairs.

“We can’t find the money from the insurance company?” Schaben asked.

“It was deposited in the general account, and most likely the money was spent,” Birmingham said.

“The insurance should have been used to repair what had been damaged,” Mayor Slusser said. “This was before all of us. The money was deposited in the general account and not used for the intended purpose.”

It was also reported in the Unterrified Democrat in 2023 that, at the June board meeting, the bid had been accepted from Light Property Management and work was to proceed. Mayor Slusser was an alderman on the board at the time and voted to approve the repairs.

Walter reported that there was $11,000 in the park fund and that aldermen had budgeted $700 in repairs for the City Park.

“This should have been fixed in 2023,” Mitchem said.

The city will put an ad in the Unterrified Democrat requesting bids for the repairs.

• The city of Chamois is hoping to apply for a grant to improve the City Park.

“There is a grant through a state agency; it is a huge grant, but there is a 50/50 matching funds,” said Birmingham, who couldn’t remember which agency is offering the grant. “The match can be with funds, labor, equipment, volunteers, or materials.”

Birmingham has met with a representative from the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC), who is helping the city put together the application.

“It is a lengthy process and there is a lot to this,” Birmingham said. “The Chamois Lions Club is going to help us with other grants they have access to for the matching funds.”

Birmingham said that the city has to decide what improvements to make to the park, and then get prices for those repairs.

“We’ve talked about repairing the playground equipment, adding a basketball court, repairing the bathrooms, and making the park more ADA-compliant,” Birmingham explained. “We all know the park needs lots of repairs.”

Birmingham explained that as part of the process, the city has put an announcement on its Facebook page for residents to make suggestions regarding what they would like to see repaired and improved at the park.

Unterrified Democrat Reported Theresa Brandt asked the estimated cost of the improvements.

“We can ask for whatever we want,” Birmingham said. “My understanding is there are no limits.”

Brandt asked where the matching funds will come from, if the city plans on bigger improvements.

“We have to price things out,” Birmingham said. “There have been a lot of ideas thrown out.”

“We can’t match a 50/50 grant,” Schaben said.

“We’re going to need the Lions Club’s help with that,” Mitchem said.

“We are in the early stages,” Birmingham said. “We have a lot of things to price out and look at.”

Birmingham said that initially it will be necessary to have the park mapped out by Archer-Elgin Engineering and that the board would need to sign a special resolution that guarantees the city’s commitment to matching funds on the grant.

“A bunch of cities have used this grant,” Birmingham said, noting that both Meta and Linn have used this grant to update their parks.

“The Lions Club is going to play a large part in providing the matching funds,” Birmingham said.

Mayor Slusser and Birmingham are set to meet with the Chamois Lions Club at its October meeting.

The deadline for submitting the grant is in November 2025.

• Aldermen approved $4,995 for the annual fee for Sensus Meter Software, which is the city’s meter reading software. The amount includes support and an upgrade to a new, more user-friendly program.

Birmingham advocated for support to remain current, as she uses the services frequently. The fees are due in February of 2026.

• Aldermen approved prime membership with MRPC, which costs $598.50 and includes a total of 27 service hours.

“We normally go with the basic membership, which costs $408 per year and includes 15 service hours, but we’ve gone way over our hours because they have been helping us with grants,” Birmingham explained.

The city has been paying MRPC for services per hour.

Birmingham plans on using MRPC to help with the park grant and believes that the hours will be necessary.

“It’s just a better deal,” Birmingham said.

• Mayor Slusser hopes to put several of the city’s properties up for sale, as she explained at the last meeting.

She asked Birmingham for the list of the city’s properties.

“I thought you had the list,” Birmingham said.

“I don’t have a breakdown of all the properties,” Mayor Slusser said.

Birmingham said that she did not have the information.

Mayor Slusser apologized for not having the list of properties with her at the meeting.

“We have quite a few properties and I think the city would be better off putting them out for bid since we don’t have a maintenance person or anyone to even cut the grass,” Mayor Slusser said. “I think it would benefit the city to sell the properties.”

Mitchem agreed, noting that someone could buy one of the properties, put a trailer on it, and then become a customer for water and sewer services.

Mayor Slusser promised to bring all the paperwork to the next meeting with information to include the street address and legal description of the property.

Mayor Slusser said that there are 13 properties that the city may consider selling.

Once Birmingham receives the list of properties, she will make sure that the city has deeds for all of them.

• Mayor Slusser said that the city is still waiting to see if Archer-Elgin Engineering will take over the Lead Line Survey Project. She had no update at the meeting.

• Resident Judy Maxey, who was at the meeting on behalf of the Chamois Historical Society, received permission to cut down trees and brush in the alley behind the Townley House.

“If you are back behind the house, it’s really thick with trees and brush,” Maxey explained. “We’ve had several limbs come off, and we need to trim on the other side of the fence.”

Maxey said that although they had originally thought the property behind the Townley House was a part of the bed and breakfast, it is a city-owned alleyway.

“We’re not going to clear-cut anything,” Maxey explained. “But there are leaves on the barn roof and limbs over the chicken house and other buildings. If the winds were blowing in the wrong direction, it could harm one of the structures.”

Maxey received a waiver since the individual hired to cut the trees and brush is not insured.

She is hoping to have the work done this fall.

• Aldermen also approved for an organization associated with the Cole County Historical Society to restore the final resting place of Osage County’s last living Civil War veteran.

“They found the gravesite in the African American part of the cemetery,” Birmingham said. “It’s not great up there, and it’s not been great up there for a long time. They have already found it in the brush and started restoration.”

Aldermen were excited about the prospect of the gravestone being restored.

Birmingham said that she will update the board as she finds out more information.

• There will be a drinking water training for municipal employees and board members on Nov. 1 in New Haven. Alderman Garret and Mayor Slusser hope to attend.

• Birmingham informed the board that Diamond Maps, the digital mapping program that the city had purchased, is up and running.

“We have unlimited access, and it has already been helpful,” Birmingham said.

• Brandt asked if the city had amended the budget to see where the city is on finances for the year.

“No, we are just getting back to normal after Chamois Day,” Mayor Slusser said.

“The budget was tight when you passed it, and you’ve been spending quite a bit of money that was not budgeted in the last couple of meetings,” Brandt said.

Mayor Slusser promised an update on the budget at the October or November meeting.

• Aldermen approved outstanding expenses of $25,098.47.

• Chamois had the following ending balances in their accounts: cemetery fund ($10,401.27), general fund ($18,671.90), water fund ($254,583.12), sewer fund ($115,840.49), city Community Block Development Grant (CBDG) in and out ($98,963.94), city park ($11,081.40), American Rescue Plan Act Fund (ARPA) ($71,169.95), sewer bond reserve ($26,867.60), meter deposits, ($15,568.70), water repair ($30,173.81), street ($30,338.04), online bill pay ($39,159.97), city police ($1,116.25), and business checking ($8,578.90).

The city has five certificates of deposit totaling $12,290.69.

• There was no water report available.

• The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 6:30 p.m.