Council Recap: Sewer Rates Lowered by More Than 8%

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The Excelsior Springs City Council Meeting for December 5, 2022, covered a lot of crap, literally! After approving a couple of 353 development projects the Council dove headfirst into several sewage-related issues. The council reduced sewer charges by more than 8% before moving on to grant permission for the repair and replacement of several key pieces of equipment at the Water Treatment Plant. Other items on the agenda included an update to the substance abuse policy for transportation and transit employees as well as a new mutual aid agreement with Smithville. Read on to get the full scoop!

353 Development Agreement for 501 St. Louis Ave.

The property at 501 St. Louis Ave., formerly Nance’s Auto, was approved for a 353 development agreement that will allow the owners to apply for tax abatements for improvements made to the property. The garage is being renovated by Dustin Tara Fizer and will become Fizer’s Garage. The ordinance was approved 5-0.

353 Development Agreement for 434 Benton Ave.

The property at 434 Benton Ave., was approved for a 353 development agreement that will allow the owners, Kim and Gary Sanson, to apply for tax abatements for improvements made to the property. The property is slated to be used as a rental property. The ordinance was approved 5-0.

City Fee Schedule Update for Sewer Charges

Public Works Director Chad Birdsong said that the annual budgeting process revealed that the water and sewer fees are more than adequate to maintain the distribution and collection system and maintain healthy reserves. It has been determined that a rate reduction is warranted for the sewer fund. Birdsong proposed adjustments to the Sewer base and consumption fees amounting to an approximately 8.25% decrease in base rates and a 1.05% decrease in consumption fees. These changes will go into effect on January 1st, 2023 as the Council voted 5-0 to approve the fee changes.

Current Rate	New Rate	Decrease %
Inside City Limit users:
Base rate: $25.07	$23.00	8.25%
Consumption rate: $11.40/1,000 gal.	$11.28/1000 gals.	1.05%
Outside City Limit users:
Base rate: $37.61	$34.50	8.27%
Consumption rate: $17.10/1,000 gal.	$16.92/1,000 gal.	1.05%

Waste Water Treatment Plant Auger & Compactor Replacement, Plant Grit Snail Repair, and Lime Slaker Motor & Pump Replacement

Birdsong stayed at the podium requesting funds for equipment repair and replacement costs. The first request was to replace the Water Treatment Plant’s auger and compactor. In his statement, he said “the wastewater treatment plant headworks building, the plant has an auger and compactor that takes debris from the bar screen, presses the water out of it, and then pushes the debris into a dumpster for removal. Due to wear over the 10 years of operation since plant startup, this item is in need of replacement. Staff contacted Letts, Van Kirk & Associates, who is the sole source
vendor for this machine, and they have prepared a quote for the needed parts totaling $27,510.06.”

The second request was for the repair of the Water Treatment Plant’s grit snail. Birdsong said, “In the wastewater treatment plant headworks building, the plant has a Grit snail that has excessive wear over the 10 years of operation since plant startup and is in need of replacement parts. While in operation, it slings the grit out of the water in a vortex. Staff contacted Hydro International, which is the sole source vendor for this machine. They have prepared a quote for the needed parts totaling $31,092.89 to fix the machine and get it back in full operation.”

The final request was to replace the Water Treatment Plant’s Lime Slaker Motor & Pump. Birdsong explained, “The slurry pump and motor in the RDP lime slaker is in need of replacement due to excessive wear over the 24 years of being in service from 1998. We assessed either repairing or replacement of this pump and motor. Major determining factors for this decision were not only cost but also time since the machine is currently down, leaving only one lime slaker in operation. While the repairs were cheaper, the parts for the repair took longer (about 4 weeks longer) than a new pump and motor would take and that is if all of the needed parts are included in the first order. The bid tab sheet is attached with Letts Van Kirk and Associates having the low bid of a new pump and motor installed for $29,950.00.”

Birdsong explained that normally these types of repairs are done over time but the shortages of stainless steel have impacted the production of many of the parts used in water treatment. As global production ramped back up the parts and materials which had been scheduled for these repairs all became available at once. The council approved all three expenditures 5-0

Consideration of Public Transportation 5311- Updated Substance Abuse Policy for Transportation/Transit Employees

Birdsong also made a request to update the substance abuse policy for transportation/transit employees in the wake of recreational marijuana being legalized by voters in the state of Missouri. Birdsong presented an updated Substance Abuse Policy for the Transportation Department pursuant to MoDOT’s requirements for Audit compliance. The ordinance passed 5-0.

Consideration of Mutual Aid Agreement with Smithville

Excelsior Springs Police Chief Gregory Dull proposed an agreement of mutual aid with the city of Smithville which will allow the two communities to cooperate and coordinate services. The ordinance passed 5-0.

Consideration of Excelsior Springs Hospital Re-Amortization Schedule

Cameron Meyer, Chief Financial Officer of Excelsior Springs Hospital approached the Council requesting the consideration of Excelsior Springs Hospital Re-Amortization Schedule, Resolution No. 1399. Mr. Meyer reviewed the timeline and necessity of the issuance of several bonds to the hospital. Meyer stated that in response to the economic impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the USDA granted relief measures to Excelsior Springs Hospital under a series of approved Workout Agreements beginning in September 2020. These approved Workout Agreements with the USDA included the deferral of principal and interest payments for a period of 12 months ending September 2021, followed by a gradual increase in monthly good-faith payments through November 2022. Meyer said the USDA requires a resolution from the City of Excelsior Springs in approval of the proposed Re-Amortization Schedules. The resolution was approved 5-0.

Stay Informed

Excelsior Springs City Council Meetings are normally held on the first and third Monday of each month at 6:00 PM at the Hall of Waters in downtown Excelsior Springs. Meetings are streamed courtesy of the Simmons Sales Team and Excelsior Springs Hospital, to the Excelsior Citizen Facebook Group, Facebook Page, and YouTube Channel.

Find City Council agendas and information here: https://cityofesmo.com/index.php/council