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The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams reported that she balanced in the General Revenue fund account, and she also balanced on the other 17 savings funds the county is responsible for. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell said brush would be cut on Dent County Road 5600, maintenance would be done on truck #73 and workers would be performing general shop maintenance. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said his workers would also be performing general shop maintenance as well as checking road signs. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles told the commissioners to review the new plat book online and to note any corrections that need to be made. Skiles said the county received their copy of the “final” general management plan for the Ozark National Scenic Riverways that is 616 pages in length. Skiles did say the commission received the resignation letter of Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Susan Bell effective January 12^th. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley continues to work on the 2015 budget, plus said she and the treasurer balanced on all accounts for December. The commissioners agreed to have a preliminary budget ready for the public by Thursday, January 15^th at noon, and they also agreed to hold a public budget hearing on Monday, January 26^th at 6:00. At the special commissioners meeting held on Tuesday, December 30^th, the commissioners discussed the MAC legal council service through the Missouri Association of Counties as well as Ellis, Ellis, Hammons and Johnson, PC, for $1,400 for the year. Also, Nick Girando with the Missouri Department of Conservation called and the county will receive around $71,700 from the Department of Conservation and from the Conservation Foundation for the bridge on Dent County Road 3210. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be held Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Board of Aldermen met for their regular meeting Monday night with a light itinerary. City Administrator Ray Walden wanted to remind all business owners within the city limits that business licenses are due. He said he and Mary Happel have been working on documentation for grants that is due at year end. He said he would be attending a meeting with the electric power pool the city is involved with. He stated the rates and any rate increases for the next three years have already been stipulated in the current contract which remains in effect until 2018. Walden said he is still waiting to hear from DNR on the water line project, and the storm water drainage work will continue on Missouri and Hunt Streets. He indicated he is working on enhancing the city’s website to include financial and budgetary amounts for each department, as well as their operational and future goals. This is still a “work in progress”  and he will let the aldermen review the site before it goes public. Walden said the next Board of Aldermen meeting would be Tuesday, January 20^th due to the Martin Luther King holiday. Mayor J.J. Tune said he has been working on the budget for next year and said he would like to create a balanced budget where the only money spent is the same as the money coming in. He emphatically said that using reserves is no longer an option. He also said the Parks and Recreation Sales Tax issue would be submitted to the county clerk to be placed on the ballot between January 20th and the 27^th for the April election. He said the board cannot assume this tax will pass in the budget process, but if it did it would make the budgeting process much easier. Tune said increases in utilities should be expected and the Finance Committee will need to look hard at expenses. The board unanimously approved to appointment Nancy Major to the Salem Public Library Board to replace Meredith Craig. With no further business at hand, the meeting was adjourned. 

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors will hold their January meeting tonight at 6:00 p.m. at the Fire Station. After the call to order, the roll call and the approval of minutes the District finances will be addressed. Bills will be reviewed and paid, plus the 2015 budget will be reviewed. The calendar review and the reimbursement report will be addressed. In old business, the building use policy will be reviewed. New business will be discussed, plus the recent toy drive will be reviewed. Before the meeting adjourns, the next meeting of the Board of Directors will be set for February 3rd at 6:00 p.m. at the fire station.

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