CHAMOIS — Chamois aldermen approved Pay Application #12 to Mid-State Pipeline for the city’s well project in the amount of $49,250 at their meeting on Monday, Nov. 24. Mayor Marie Slusser was not sure if this would be the last payment or if the well project would be completed by the end of the year.

“There is very little that needs to be completed,” Slusser said. “The driveway is done, the roof is done, and the doors and inside have been completed. We are still waiting on the fence.”

“I drove by, and it looks really nice, compared to what we had before,” said Alderman Lacey Garrett.

Slusser noted that the city may have to request an extension for the project if it is not completed by the end of December.

In other business, residents saw a mandatory increase in the utility bills as of Nov. 1. Aldermen previously approved annual rate increases that will continue until November 2028. Water rates will increase from $23.50 for a minimum of 1,000 gallons of water to $26.50. Every 1,000 gallons used after the initial amount will increase from $6 per thousand gallons of water to $6.75.

Sewer rates also increased, from $25 for a minimum of 1,000 gallons of usage to $26 for the same amount. Costs will also increase for every 1,000 gallons used over the minimum from $6 per 1,000 gallons to $7.50.

Residents will see the increased rates on the utility bills due on Dec. 5.

• Slusser reported that five residents are due for utility shut-offs and asked aldermen if they wanted to postpone them due to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

“Last year, I had to shut off water a week or so before Thanksgiving, and a lot of residents were not so happy with me,” Slusser said. “Do I wait until after Thanksgiving or shut them off tomorrow?”

Aldermen did not believe the holiday spirit extended to the city’s utility bills.

“We’ve been pretty strict on water bills, and if a bill needs to be paid, it needs to be paid,” said Alderman Shawn Mitchem. “We haven’t shown leniency before.”

Alderman Garrett agreed. “As much as I get all the feels for the holidays, we have rules, and we need to stick to those rules, regardless of how we feel and what holiday it is,” she said.

City Hall planned to be open for payments on Nov. 28, and shut-offs will proceed as scheduled.

• Aldermen gave their approval to apply for a Helping Hands grant through Three Rivers Electric’s Helping Hands Foundation. “I think we can do something with it to make the City Park bathrooms more ADA-compliant,” City Clerk Megan Birmingham explained.

The maximum grant is $10,000, with no matching requirement or application deadline.

“The grant we were trying to get, we had to place on hold because we couldn’t get the estimates for the bathrooms in time,” Slusser explained.

The mayor hopes to apply for grants the next time they become available.

“This is a much smaller amount of money, but it could help us get started,” Birmingham explained.

• In April 2026, all the aldermen and the mayor will be up for reelection. Anyone interested in filing for a position of alderman or mayor can file from Dec. 9-30 until 5 p.m.

• Aldermen will ask the Chamois Volunteer Fire Department to paint the parking lot at the City Park for the secondary emergency helicopter landing area.

“A gentleman came in and was concerned about boats parking in the park parking lot since that is supposed to be designated for the secondary helicopter landing,” Birmingham said. “He thought that the boat parking was over by the lagoons and the lift station.”

Currently, there is no area in the parking lot painted to designate it as an emergency landing area for a helicopter.

The city will supply paint, ask the Chamois Fire Department to figure out the exact measurements, and paint the area so it can easily be identified.

Aldermen will look at acquiring signs for the emergency helicopter landing area, as well as the area for boat and trailer parking.

• The city will consider reserving the campgrounds at the City Park for the non-profit group, Paddle Mo. The group is hoping to reserve enough space for 30 tents, 50 people on one night. They are not sure if they will want water and electricity, but they will need functional bathrooms and showers. The event is scheduled for Sept. 21, 2026.

Slusser was unsure whether the remodel of the City Park bathrooms would be completed by the date of the event.

“They are also asking if our town has any place to get breakfast and dinner,” Birmingham said. “They may decide to stay in Hermann. They’ve heard good things about our campgrounds, and they want to stop here.”

Slusser agreed to put the event on the calendar and look at it more closely as the date approaches.

• The city received an application for a part-time file clerk position. They will look at the application and discuss the situation at a special closed meeting to be held on Thursday, Dec. 4, at 6:30 pm.

• Budget discussion for the 2026-27 fiscal year was tabled until the December meeting.

• Aldermen also tabled choosing a company to service the city’s bonds. Board members decided to discuss the issue in depth with a financial advisor before making a decision.

“We need to talk to a financial advisor,” Alderman Cheyanna Wolfe said. “Anytime you are messing with money, we need to consult someone who knows about it.”

• Slusser noted that she will not have a final report on Chamois Day until the committee meets.

• Aldermen approved outstanding expenses of $18,135 for November.

• The city had the following ending account balances: cemetery fund ($10,401.27), general fund ($8,877.22), water fund ($254,212.13), sewer fund ($119,135.60), city Community Block Development Grant (CBDG) in and out ($10), city park ($11,700.40), American Rescue Plan Act Fund (ARPA) ($71,169.95), sewer bond reserve ($26,884.53), meter deposits, ($16,573.96), water repair ($30,192.82), street ($32,358.79), online bill pay ($45,865.78), city police ($1,116.25), and business checking ($8,071.83).

• Chamois has five certificates of deposit totaling $12,290.69.

• The city’s water loss was estimated at 33% for October. The city estimated a total of 797,800 gallons of water were pumped, and 542,300 gallons were billed or flushed. The city has 240 total water connections.

• The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec.17, at 6:30 p.m.