Skidmore adds additional $3 to water, sewer monthly bills

At the September 14 Skidmore City Council meeting, $3 was added to residents monthly water and sewer invoices to be put into a fund for repair and maintenance fees.

Added to the expenses to be paid were two loads of gravel from Monroe Township for $343.14.

Rosemary Bowman approached the council about opening a new and used store in Skidmore. She had been told the council wouldn’t approve it. Alderman Tim Slagle said any type of business can be set up in Skidmore if it follows the city ordinances, and state and county guidelines.

Bowman plans to open by March but no site has been selected. She plans to contact City Clerk Sadie McHugh for help with the ordinances.

The highway patrol set up a speed control, south of the city limits for two weeks. After one week, six tickets and warnings have been issued.

A proposed cemetery tax will be on the ballot in April.

The city has received the August audit findings for the USDA loan on the water tower. Accountant Kenney Hales found nothing out of order.

The date to flush the water hydrants was set for 8 am to 2 pm, Monday, October 9. Resident Kenny Shewey will undertake the operation. He will need the help of two people to complete, besides one at city hall to monitor the water level at the tower. One hydrant will be flushed at a time.

Slagle has been issuing nuisance violations and citations. He has been knocking on doors and feels more is getting done. Vehicles are being moved out of the roadways and properties have been getting cleaned up. He plans to go back and check on a few the week of September 18.

Slagle said it is hard to make contact with some properties because he doesn’t know who owns the property or if the owner lives out of state. It is a slow process but one he will see through to the end.

GIS mapping is set to take place September 26 through 28. The 85¢ on the September water bill is the sewer primacy fee that the city charges annually for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The Nodaway County EEZ addendum was read and approved.

SMI-CO contract has been signed but the city is still waiting on a start date for them to fix the creek crossing.

On September 13, McClure Engineering placed two flow monitors strategically within the city manholes and they also placed a rain gauge at the sewer plant. This is to determine how much rain water is getting into the sewer system.

Alderman Steve Day said ditches and tubes are being cleaned out and gravel is being put on the roads’ potholes so water will run off the roads. Some roads have holes roughly about a foot deep and Linden Street is bad.

Nodaway Valley Thunder will have a Homecoming bonfire on Wednesday, September 27 at the ballpark.

The food pantry drop date and time has changed to 4 to 5:30 pm, Friday, September 29.

There will be Dancing in the Park at 1 pm, Saturday, October 21. Music is being donated by Curtis Wayne Stroud, hot dogs and chips will be furnished. It is recommended that attendees bring their own drinks and lawn chairs. A freewill donation will go to Stroud.

This year’s Halloween Trunk or Treat will take place Sunday, October 29 at the park. No time is set.