CHAMOIS — At their meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 29, Chamois aldermen tabled approval of the Project Resolution and Financial letter for the Land and Water Conservation Fund Program grant the city intends to pursue. 

Aldermen were presented with Project Resolution #2025-02, which stated that the city was applying for a federal grant for park improvements and “that the city of Chamois currently has a written commitment for 50% for the matching share for the project elements that are identified in the application and will allocate the necessary funds to complete the project.”

The resolution also states that if the grant is awarded, the “city of Chamois will commit the necessary financial resources to operate and maintain the completed project in a safe and attractive manner for public access in perpetuity.” The resolution specifies that the city will complete that project in a timely manner and comply with all federal and state laws.

“We have to pass this resolution in order for us to apply for the grant,” said City Clerk Megan Birmingham. “Literally, it is saying that we understand this is a matching grant, and that we are going to match the funds.”

“Does this line out what improvements you are going to make to the park?” Unterrified Democrat Reporter Theresa Brandt asked.

“No, it doesn’t,” Birmingham replied. “We’re still in the process of figuring that out, but the grant is coming due, and we have to get everything done.”

Birmingham explained that the grant application was due in the first week of November.

Brandt asked if the city knew what projects they were going to include in the grant request.

“We would like to make bathroom renovations and make the bathrooms ADA-compliant,” Birmingham said. “We are hoping to add a half-court basketball court and possibly playground improvements. The bathroom is the priority. We need a new roof, making it ADA-compliant, and we need to have increased security so it can be locked.”

“Do you have any quotes for that?” Brandt asked.

“No, but we are working on it,” Birmingham said.

“We don’t have any estimates yet,” Mayor Marie Slusser added. “We’ve had two contractors come out and take a look at it, and they are going to give us estimates.”

“There are no dollar amounts attached to this resolution,” Brandt said. “You are committing to 50% of an unknown amount.”

“Yes,” Slusser responded.

Birmingham went on to explain that the 50% match does not have to be all cash, and can be in volunteer labor, which has been offered by the Chamois Lions Club. According to the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC), the hourly amount allowed per volunteer hour is $32.07.

“We need to pass the resolution, and we need a financial letter stating that we will be able to pay back the 50%,” Birmingham said.

“But you don’t have an amount?” Brandt asked.

“No, not yet,” Birmingham said. “But we don’t have to put an amount in the letter; the letter is just saying that we can pay the money back so that we can apply for the grant.”

“But you don’t have an amount,” Brandt repeated.

“I get what Theresa (Brandt) is saying,” Aldermen Cheyanna Wolfe said. “I don’t feel comfortable with this.”

“The wording of the resolution is saying that we have the matching funds available,” Alderman Lacey Garret said, reading through the resolution.

“I’m not signing that, because we don’t have any funds,” Wolfe said. “We can’t sign this the way it is worded.”

Alderman Shawn Mitchem asked how much money the Chamois Lions Club was willing to donate to help with the City Park.

“They are not giving us an amount,” Birmingham said. “They are not giving any money; they are giving us volunteers and equipment towards the match.”

“We need to be careful,” Wolfe said. “Linn was awarded this grant for the All-Inclusive Playground, and it’s great and everything, but they had a lot of issues. I know it is time-sensitive, but we need to watch our budget, and I don’t want us to get into a contract and not have the funds to cover the match.”

Birmingham said that the financial letters were just examples that she had been given, and the wording could be changed.

“You have no idea how much money you are asking for?” Brandt asked.

“Nope,” Birmingham said.

“Where would the money for the 50% match come from?” Brandt asked. “Do you think you will have enough volunteer hours that you won’t have to add any cash?”

“No, we will probably have to add in money, too,” Slusser said.

Brandt asked again where that money would come from.

Slusser said the money would need to come from the park fund.

City Treasurer Theresa Walter said that currently, the park fund had a little over $11,000 in it.

“How much of that is going to be needed to repair the storm damage that you guys discussed at the last meeting?” Brandt asked.

“I don’t know,” Slusser said.

The mayor went on to review the financial letters that also needed to be approved to accompany the project resolution to proceed with the grant application.

Slusser rejected the sample letter that asked residents for donations to make up the 50% match, noting that she thought that the city’s utility bills were high already, and she didn’t feel comfortable asking residents for more money.

Slusser and Mitchem discussed altering the financial letter to say that the city of Chamois was working with the Chamois Lions Club to procure the funds for the 50% match.

Brandt asked if the Project Resolution had to be signed in its current form to move forward with the grant application.

“Yes,” Birmingham said. “They both have to be signed to move forward.”

“You are asking the aldermen to sign something with an open-ended dollar amount?” Brandt said.

“Yes, this has to be passed to move forward,” Birmingham said again.

“So, you are committing to 50% of how much money?” Brandt asked. “$100,000? $50,000?”

“We are not going to be able to pick and choose what we do in order to be ADA-compliant,” Wolfe added. “We won’t be able to go a cheaper route. This is going to be expensive. Can we match $500,000?”

“We have to find a way to get the bathrooms remodeled,” Mitchem said. “They are bad.”

Slusser said that the bathroom was her main concern.

“I’m not planning on a lot of upgrades to the park,” Slusser said.

“I understand that, but if it takes the city down financially …” Wolfe said.

“We are trying to get the estimates,” Mitchem said. “We are trying to get everything fixed.”

“We are trying to get everything done before the deadline,” Slusser added.

“I think the grant is a great idea, but I’m nervous about how much money we are committing to,” Garret said.

“This all needs to be turned in by next week,” Slusser said.

“Deadline or not, I don’t feel comfortable with it,” Wolfe said.

Slusser said that she planned to meet the last contractor on Monday, Nov. 3, and hoped to have the estimates back soon after.

Aldermen set a special meeting for Wednesday, Nov. 5, to discuss the three estimates and review the project resolution and the financial letters at that time.

The rest of the meeting will be covered in next week’s paper.