The Spickard Board of Aldermen accepted an ordinance regarding water and sewer rates and charges at a special meeting Wednesday. Board member Maggie George reports the ordinance rescinded a previous ordinance that set the rates.
April utility bills were discussed and customers whose bills showed usage greater than their actual meter reading were given a credit. Liz Grove from the Missouri Rural Water Association said the credits were calculated and applied incorrectly. Incorrect credits were based on water usage and also mistakenly applied to trash service. It was noted the rates in the ordinances approved in April were not applied to the April or May bills.
The board approved adding the April trash service fee to the June bill for those customers who received an incorrect credit for April trash service and zeroing out the miscalculated credits and charge users with overestimated usage a minimum bill until their actual usage catches up to their estimated usage.
Also approved was the decision that May utility bills be due June 17th, late fees be added June 18th, and hang tags be added June 21st to allow customers more time to get their bills paid because bills are going out later than usual for May. Mayor Alan Tharp encouraged residents with concerns about their utility bills to contact the Spickard City Hall.
City Hall office hours for June will be Mondays and Tuesdays from 8 o’clock to noon.
The board voted to proceed with a contract from Irvinbuilt of Chillicothe of $11,700 to be paid at a rate of $1,000 per month to replace the sewer pipe at the Coral Street Lift Station.
One of the pumps stopped working at the lift station on Second Street and overflowed because of rainwater. The board voted to proceed with the pump repair and installation from Allied Systems of Chillicothe estimated at 35 hundred dollars due in 30 days after completion.
Grundy County Public Water Supply District Number 1 has been manually filling the Spickard water tower, and board member Charles Holtzclaw has been reading the tower every day. Data is being compiled to calculate an accurate water loss.
Spickard Lagoon Operator Dave Akins gave a report on the city lagoon. He said the Department of Natural Resources has requested an inflow and infiltration report from the city that should document the past three years’ activity to identify problems and document future plans. Spickard also needs to begin submitting records electronically. The city will send in an application.
Board member Wilbur Roberts said Jerry Brundage offered to mow the berm at the lagoon, so it can be mowed with a finish mower. A newspaper advertisement has been placed for hay bids with sealed cash bids due to the Spickard City Hall by the evening of June 10th at 5 o’clock. Bids will be opened at the regularly scheduled board meeting June 10th.
Board member Maggie George reports Current City Attorney Tara Walker resigned.
The board voted to require two signatures for the city’s checks and adding board members Wilbur Roberts and Maggie George to the bank accounts.
