CHAMOIS — Chamois aldermen approved the annual renewal fee of $1,242 for QuickBooks and a three-month subscription to QuickBooks Online Live Priority for an additional $19 per month at their meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 29. Aldermen hope the extra services can help with problems the city treasurer and city clerk are having with the software program.

“We have run into some problems with QuickBooks, and we’re not really sure how to fix it,” City Treasurer Theresa Walter said. “We reached out to them, but the plan that was approved does not include any technical support.”

Walter spent two days on the phone with a representative trying to fix the problems, and the technician recommended that the city enroll in the additional program.

“We’re not really sure what went wrong,” Walter said. “It’s not printing things right, or doing the profit and loss statements right, and we use it for everything.”

Walter is hoping that she and City Clerk Meghan Birmingham will be able to utilize the new program for training on QuickBooks after they are able to solve current problems. They will also look into other accounting software options.

In other business, aldermen approved advertising for a part-time individual to help organize and file the paperwork that is stored upstairs above City Hall. The position will be for 20 hours per week at the state’s minimum wage. The position will be advertised in the Unterrified Democrat.

“Almost all the files we have had for 10 to 12 years, maybe 20 years, and are all in boxes upstairs,” said Mayor Marie Slusser. “Nothing is organized or put together. For years and years, everything has just been thrown into boxes up there.”

Slusser said the city is looking into purchasing some locking file cabinets so that the information can be properly stored.

“It’s a mess up there,” Slusser continued. “Some of the boxes don’t have lids. Everything is just thrown up there. We have to find a way to clean this up. It’s too much for the girls to take on with everything that is going on.”

Slusser said that applicants need to realize they must be able to climb up and down the stairs without a railing. Alderman Shawn Mitchem asked if there was enough money in the budget to cover the position. Slusser explained that since no one applied for the maintenance position, there was money in the budget, and that the city can use the American Rescue Plan Act Funds (ARPA) for salaries.

“Everything is just thrown in boxes up there, it’s a disaster,” Slusser said. “It should have been taken care of a long time ago. It never should have gotten this bad.”

Walter explained that her biggest problem is that when residents ask questions about anything beyond the last couple of years, she and Birmingham are not able to find the information and answer questions.

“None of us know anything that happened 10 and 15 years ago,” Walter said.

She hopes that the paperwork can be sorted out and that after the aldermen go through the files, some of the information can be shredded.

• Aldermen approved a $1.50 raise for Birmingham, effective immediately, making her salary $16.50 per hour.

• The board approved a Christmas bonus of $250 for all three city employees. Last year, aldermen approved a Christmas bonus of $100 per employee.

“The girls work very hard,” Slusser said. “There is a lot of stuff that goes on in the office that people don’t see. They deserve a bonus.”

Walter said that all three employees are under budget for the year.

Slusser originally suggested that a Christmas bonus of $150 be approved for each employee.

“I think everyone deserves $250 for as much as they have been through this year,” said Trustee Cheyanna Wolfe. “We haven’t had a maintenance person, and some people have had to take on more work. They have had a lot of hassles to deal with.”

• The well project is projected to be completed in November.

• Aldermen approved the city’s insurance premiums from the Missouri Public Entity Risk Management Fund (MOPERM) for $15,111, an increase from last year’s cost of $12,804.

•  Aldermen approved Walter to reimburse the city for payroll from 2024 out of ARPA funds.

“We need to make sure we use all of the funds by December 2026,” Walter said. “We want to make sure we don’t lose any of it.”

• The city has not received any applications for a utility worker.

• Aldermen will present a report on the finances from Chamois Day following the next committee meeting.

• The board agreed to put an ad in the Unterrified Democrat requesting bids for plowing snow this winter.

• Slusser thanked Aldermen Mitchem and Resident Brett Buscher for helping cut grass, trimming trees, and general clean-up and care of the City Park.

• Aldermen approved outstanding expenses totaling $11,663.62.

• The city had the following ending balances in their accounts: cemetery fund ($10,401.27), general fund ($13,763.80), water fund ($252,995.30), sewer fund ($118,830.55), city Community Block Development Grant (CBDG) in and out ($49,260), city park ($11,205.40), American Rescue Plan Act Fund (ARPA) ($86,169.95), sewer bond reserve ($26,884.53), meter deposits, ($16,071.24), water repair ($30,192.82), street ($32,358.79), online bill pay ($43,494.06), city police ($1,116.25), sewer repairs ($6,965.03), city cemetery ($20,985.21), and business checking ($4,674.20).

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

• No water report was available.

• The next meeting will be held on Monday, Nov. 24, at 6:30 p.m.