The City of Chamois collected $3,230.14 from past-due water accounts last month after sending out notices to disconnect customers’ water services. Mayor Elise Brochu reported to aldermen at their regular meeting last Wednesday night that they were only forced to turn off the water for two customers.

Brochu also wanted to clarify that in past months when she was discussing water accounts that were not shut off even though they were delinquent, she was not saying that Utilities Supervisor Danny Kirsch was not shutting off the water but that those accounts were not showing up on the shutoff list.

Brochu plans to work closely with City Clerk Meghan Birmingham to ensure these accounts are listed correctly in the future.

Moving forward, water accounts will not be turned back on until one business day after the accounts are paid in full.  Aldermen agreed that it is unfair to ask Kirsch to come back to work on his personal time to turn someone’s water back on.

In related news, Brochu was approved to look into the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program, which provides the city a one-time payment of $750 per household for current bills, reconnection fees, and past-due accounts. 

“I would guess that based on the number of low-income people we have who owe money, we would have a few households that would qualify,” Brochu said. 

Water customers who believe that they may qualify for the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program can apply through Sept. 30, 2023, or until the funds run out. 

“If we took the money on behalf of anyone that was shut off right now, we would have to turn their water back on,” Brochu said. 

Commercial accounts are not eligible for assistance.

In other business, Brochu has talked with Osage County commissioners and the Governor’s Office about finding a use for the old power plant property and possibly building a bridge across the Missouri River.

“We’ve talked about it a few times over the past month or two,” Brochu said. “Nothing is set in stone, but the governor is interested in putting American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds into ports and rails. We’ve got that property sitting there that is prime for that.”

“But that property isn’t in city limits,” Alderman Jim Wright said.

“Part of the discussion was that the city would probably have to annex that in,” Brochu said.

Eastern Commissioner John Trenshaw plans to meet with Callaway County commissioners to see if they are interested in working with Osage County and the city of Chamois on a bridge project. 

Funding may be available through state ARPA funds or federal infrastructure money. 

“There is also money out there for communities that have lost coal jobs,” Brochu explained. “Since it was a coal-fired plant, they think maybe they can get some of that money.”

“John Trenshaw said he looked the governor in the eye and asked him for $80 million for a bridge and he didn’t say no,” Brochu said.

* Aldermen agreed to give $200 to the Chamois Pirate Youth Basketball Camp that will run June 6-9 for elementary students in grades K-5. The money will be used to give each participant a t-shirt and basketball. The cost of the camp is $30 per student and any additional funds raised will be used for the boys’ high school basketball team expenses.

* Chamois will receive additional ARPA funds totaling $368.47.

*City resident Thomas Mathews made a formal complaint to aldermen about farm animals and chickens running around the neighborhood and in his yard.

Alderman Matt Shockley thought that there might be something under the nuisance ordinance that would cover the complaint.

Brochu was not sure that there was a specific ordinance that covered farm animals but would check to see what was on file.

“Regardless of what we find, we still have to be able to enforce it,’ Brochu said. 

Brochu said that she would talk to Mathews’ neighbor and see if they can work something out.

* Brochu was looking through the ordinances before the meeting and found one that had been passed by the Board of Aldermen in the 1980s that said that the city would prosecute all its ordinance violations and tickets in the Osage County Court. 

Brochu and Birmingham will continue to move forward on the paperwork required to prosecute violations.

* Birmingham contacted Republic Services to see if the city could get dumpsters for the city cleanup instead of a curbside pickup, which is currently scheduled for March 29. Republic Services noted the spring curbside pickup is provided as part of the contract already set up with the city and that if dumpsters are provided for spring cleanup, they would cost the city a minimum of $1,100.  They would also recommend that the city have someone watch the dumpsters to make sure that residents did not overfill the containers and stack trash around the dumpsters. 

The city will keep the curbside pick-up for the spring clean-up and look at other possibilities in the fall.

* Environmental studies have been released for the city’s water project. The city’s engineer says that there is a chance that there could be additional state ARPA funds that could be used to help fund the project.

“In that case, we wouldn’t even need loans to do the water project,” Brochu said. “Our engineer will be on the lookout for that application.”

Brochu has also requested a two-year extension on the administration order for the water project.

* Chamois has been deeded the property at North Main and West Tennessee Avenue and the Lions Club has asked if they can clean up the property.

Aldermen approved Brochu to use the fence on the property for her garden after it’s torn down.

Brochu asked aldermen to consider ways to use or improve the property but to keep in mind that the new property lies in the floodplain.

* City resident Misty Cantrell asked the city to consider selling the city lot next to her property. In a closed session, the aldermen voted to not sell any city properties at this time.

* Aldermen approved outstanding bills for the month totaling $10,405.75.

* Chamois has the following account balances: cemetery fund ($10,286.17), general fund ($33,720.41), water fund ($162,521.67), sewer fund ($75,020.86), grant fund ($1,250), city park ($2,531.59), ARPA funds ($38,606.84), sewer bond reserve ($26,633.88), sewer repair ($6,913.02), city cemetery ($20,242.86), meter deposits ($21,971.73), and water repair ($28,906.15).

* The next meeting is scheduled for April 20 at 7 p.m.