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The City of Salem Board of Alderman met for a special meeting called by Mayor Gary Brown Wednesday afternoon to address liquor license applications, approve the annual budget for the year beginning July 1^st, and address the Show-Me Power rate increase of 4% that went into effect on January 1^st, 2010. The board approved the liquor license applications and fees for DMG Petroleum, the 5^th Street Pub and all three Casey locations. The board also approved the payment of bills before discussing Bill #3200 that authorizes the mayor to execute an agreement on behalf of the city to contract to engage Kiowa Line Builders. Inc. to reconduct 5,433 feet of 3-phase line and change out one 50-foot pole. The board approved that bill, and then talked about bill #3201 which adopted an annual budget for the City of Salem for the year beginning July 1^st, 2010 with expected revenues of $10,573,130 and expected expenditures of $10,398,654. Mayor Gary Brown said that in this budget there are a number of Capital improvements totaling about $1,240,000. Of that, $772,859 will come from the Capital Improvements Sales Tax Fund. Street paving from the special Street Fund will be about $172,000, the electric department will spend  $20,000 for transformers and a shed, $150,000 will be spent for airport lighting, $43,000 for the water department will be spent for a tow truck, hydrants, and the #7 well restoration and well house; and the sewer department will spend $65,000 on a new sewer camera machine and $15,000 on a ¾ ton truck. The budget also included a 15 cent per hour raise across the board for the employees and an increase in cost for health insurance. The budget did included a 2% rate increase in the electric rates to help cover the cost of the Show-Me Power increase which has been $13,499 per month since January 1^st. The board approved the bill unanimously to adopt the budget. The board then discussed Bill #3202 that would establish new electric rates for electric services provided by the City of Salem. The new residential rate would be a charge of $0.0926 per kwh with a minimum charge of $18.52 for 200 kwh or less, and commercial rates would be $0.0926 per kwh with a minimum charge of $37.04 for 400 kwh or less and a demand rate of $0.0853 per kwh and $3.00 per kwd. The Salem Housing Authority rate would be $0.0804 per kwh. Alderman Gerald Randell made the motion to approve the rate and Alderman Brad Nash seconded the motion, but Alderman Kenneth Nash voted against the rate increase, killing the passage of the bill as with only three aldermen they must all agree to approve an ordinance. Both Alderman Randell and Brad Nash questioned Alderman Kenneth Nash saying he had agreed to passing on part of the rate increase in the finance committee meetings, but Nash denied ever saying that as he wants to have a rate study done for the city and that would cost at least another $20,000. Mayor Brown indicated that even if the rate analysis is done, a recommendation may still made by the company that a rate increase is needed. Brown went on to say that the failure of the bill passing would mean that an amended budget will have to be presented at the next alderman meeting on Tuesday. The budget must show a surplus or be balanced. Without the increase, the expected city revenues will be decreased by about $161,000 and that throws the electrical fund budget way off. It may also create additional budget cuts such as how to fund the pay increase for the employees that was built into the new budget, and if the rate analysis was done, money would have to be found to pay for that causing the possibility of further cuts. The meeting was adjourned.

Missouri’s Annual Older Worker of the Year contest seeks to honor a Missouri resident who is 65 or older, employed at least 20 hours a week, and displays dependability and new skills on the job. The winner and regional finalists will be recognized at a two-day awards ceremony in September in Jefferson City. Nominations forms for 2010’s Older Worker of the Year are available on the Department of Health and Senior Services’ website at www.dhss.mo.gov. Completed nomination forms must be postmarked or faxed by August 13^th. Send forms to: Missouri Outstanding Older Worker Contest, Division of Senior and Disability Services, Bureau of Senior Programs, P.O. Box 570 Jefferson City, MO 65102-0570 or complete forms can be faxed to (573) 522-3024. Nomination forms must include a narrative explaining why the nominee deserves to be selected as the Older Worker of the Year. For more information you can call the department at (573) 526-4542.

The winner of the 4th of July giveaway sponsored by the Bank of Salem, Sears of Salem, and KSMO Radio was Pam Larson. Pam won a Craftsman 19.2 volt 3-tool combo kit, Coleman radio cooler, Stearns neocompetitor vest (flotation device), Sevylor nylon covered infinity float, Guy Fieri cookbook, Wilson authentic NFL football, Salem Sesquicentennial items, and 4 Joe Nichols tickets for Friday nights concert in Mountain Grove. Congratulations Pam Larson.

A fun-filled schedule of games has been organized for kids attending the Salem Heritage Festival this Saturday in downtown Salem. Beginning at 10:00 in the morning on the Dent County Courthouse Square, activities will include a frog-jumping contest and turtle races, watermelon eating contest, sack races, egg tossing contest, three legged races and more. Prizes will be awarded for each of the games, and all ages of kids can participate in these activities. Other contest and game materials will be provided, but contestants in the frog jumping contest and turtle races must bring their own frogs and turtles. Other Salem Heritage Festival events this Saturday include a breakfast at the farmer’s Market, a 5K run from the fire station, a car show, a civil war demonstration, the parade, fireworks at the Salem City Park at dark and more. Food and craft vendors will be selling funnel cakes, snow cones, sodas, burgers, brats and barbeque, and crafters will have a variety of baskets, pottery, soaps and other art available for sale throughout the day on the Courthouse Square. A full schedule of events can be found at www.salem150.com or you can call 729-0029 for more information. 

The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce Parade will be held at 6:00 Saturday night starting from the corner of Franklin and McArthur to the courthouse square downtown. There are 49 entries in the parade with this year’s theme “Our History of Independence” including churches, clowns, business, organizations and politicians. Everyone is welcome to come out and enjoy the parade. Don’t forget to attend this year’s fireworks display as it will be held at the Salem City Park at dark. For more information, call the chamber at 729-6900.

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