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The Salem Board of Aldermen held their regular meeting Monday night at the City Hall Council Chambers. The Board accepted the low bid from their current carrier, Cintas, for employee uniforms for the next year; accepted the high bid from Steve Parker of $500 for salvage metal located at the old City Landfill, accepted the high bid from Schwartz Salvage for $1,867.45 for a 1995 Chevy 3/4 ton pickup, accepted the high bid from Bill Huffman of $1,234.56 for a 1998 Ford F-150 4x4, and declined selling the 1993 CAT 70 foot bucket truck at the request of City Administrator Clayton Lucas who said that the city electric crews could still use it this year. The public hearing of the Planning & Zoning Board scheduled for March 19^th was not held, as they did not have a quorum. The meeting will be rescheduled. Lucas reported that Freddie Whitaker, Jr. wanted to donate a new sound system for the city hall auditorium that would cost him about $4,000 and he would install it. Lucas said that the agreement for the donation would be put in writing and he was allowed to follow through with the request. Lucas also discussed the current bag and limb pickup policy in the city, and the board is going to discuss it further at the next meeting. Alderman Jerry Randell wanted the police to check the speeding traffic on Mildred and Roosevelt, and also wanted the safety officer to check for stop signs at Mildred and Roosevelt. Alderman Kenneth Nash asked about an assistant city clerk and city treasurer but was told by City Attorney Camm Seay that the two positions could not be combined and that hiring a city treasurer is not in the current budget. The city though will begin the search for an assistant city clerk. Alderman Philip Giacomelli asked that a sign be put up behind the Christian Church on Fifth Street where children play as police cars are often traveling down that street. Mayor Gary Brown said that the city would have representatives at the Salem Business Expo this Saturday from 9:00 until noon, and that the Rolla Recycling Center will be accepted tires for free from residents on Saturday from 8:00 AM until 1:00 PM. He also said that the Salem Fitness Center had 1,876 visitors in February and the TCRC had another 1,154 people use their facility. The board approved Bill 3251 that amended an ordinance that would allow the city to recoup costs of using a taser through a fee that would be added to a persons fine, and the board approved Bill 3252 that created an ordinance allowing for the automatic increase or decrease in local electric rates as the rates of their wholesale supplier would increase or decrease. City Clerk Mary Happel was given authorization by the board to move forward in developing tougher standards for peddlers in the city like background checks, photo Ids, and an enforcement provision. The board will discuss the possibility of developing an ordinance to ban over the counter sales of ephedrine or pseudophederine at the next meeting. The board then went into closed session to discuss real estate, litigation and personnel. In closed session the Board of Alderman voted to extend the contract of City Administrator Clayton Lucas for three years.

Cindy Rumpf, Superintendent of the Salem R-80 School District was recently honored by the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA). In recognition of her service to education and participation in her professional organization. MASA presented Rumpf with an Honorary Life Membership in the association. This special recognition of her dedication to public education was made during the awards banquet at the MASA Spring Conference on Wednesday, March 21^st at the Lodge of Four Season at Lake Ozark.

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