CHAMOIS — Chamois will hold a public hearing on Oct. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall about raising the water and sewer rates.

At the August meeting, aldermen approved Ordinance #667, which amended the city’s water rates, and Ordinance #668, which amended the city’s sewer rates, both of which were set to go into effect on Sept. 1.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) told aldermen they were required to hold a public hearing to raise utility rates. The city is also required to give residents 30 days’ notice of the public hearing.

“We did not know about any of that before,” said City Clerk Megan Birmingham. “The new water and sewer rates did not go into effect on Sept. 1.”

Following the public hearing, both ordinances will need to be voted on again. If approved, they will guarantee additional rate increases every year for the next four years.

— On Sept. 1, 2025, the monthly cost for the 1,000-gallon minimum will increase to $26.50, and water over the minimum will increase to $6.75 per 1,000 gallons.

— On Sept. 1, 2026, the cost will go up to $30 per month for the minimum charge, and everything over the minimum will be $7.50 per month.

— The final approved cost increase will be on Sept. 1, 2027. The minimum charge will be $32 per month, and anything more than the minimum of 1,000 gallons will be $9 per 1,000 gallons.

The goal is to increase the water revenue to $128,796 by 2027.

Aldermen also approved Ordinance #668 to amend the city’s sewer rates beginning on Sept. 1, from $20.50 per month to $25. For customers using more than the minimum of 1,000 gallons of water, the volume rate will also increase from $5.50 to $6 per 1,000 gallons of water. The city estimates that customers will typically average between $30.60 and $49 per month for their sewer bill. The city estimates that the first year’s price increase will net the city $96,190.08, compared to the current income of $81,823.24.

The approved ordinance also sets price increases for the next three years. However, aldermen will discuss the following figures at the Oct. 11 public hearing.

— The price will increase to $26 per month for a minimum of 1,000 gallons on Sept. 1, 2025, and the cost over the minimum will increase to $7.50 per 1,000 gallons.

— On Sept. 1, 2026, the minimum charge would increase to $27 per month, and everything over the minimum will be $9 per 1,000 gallons.

— The final approved cost increase would be on Sept. 1, 2027. The minimum charge for 1,000 gallons will increase to $28 per month, and any gallons sold over the minimum will be $10 per 1,000 gallons.

The goal is to increase the water revenue to $123,592 by 2027.

The ordinance allows the city to increase sewer rates even more if the income is not sufficient to sustain the system, make principal and interest payments when they are due, and if the city is not able to increase the net revenues on hand.

Aldermen also approved Ordinance #671, which replaced Ordinance #665, which was also passed at the August meeting. Ordinance #671 regulates unpaid utility bills, including a stipulation that landlords would not be held responsible for their tenants’ bills unless “the water bill is in their name or if the rental agreement states that the landlord is responsible for utilities.” In those cases, the landlord must supply the city with a copy of the signed rental agreement.

• Aldermen approved the State Revolving Fund (SRF) Planning and Design Loan Due Diligence request form so the city can start the loan application process to continue the water project.

“This is so we can get the loan process going in order to finish this well project and get the second one going,” said Mayor Marie Slusser. “This is the rest of the funding.”

The original principal amount was not to exceed $455,000.

Slusser did not know the loan’s interest rate or the details of the repayment plan.

“Archer Elgin Surveying and Engineer Service needs to be paid for the work they have already done and the work they will continue to do,” Slusser said. “This is our only way to pay them. They haven’t been paid yet. We don’t have a choice on this. We have to continue to move forward.”

Slusser is still hoping the current well can be repaired, which would save the city quite a bit of money. The new well will be online next week, and hopefully, the testing can be done on the old well shortly after that.

In other business, aldermen approved leaving the city’s tax rate at $.5774 per $100 of assessed value for the upcoming year. Current state and local assessed valuation totaled $3,469,487, down slightly from last year’s valuation of $3,579,566.

“We’re already trying to raise the water and sewer rates; maybe we don’t want to hit the residents with an additional tax increase,” said City Treasurer Theresa Walter.

• Aldermen approved a $4,000 payment to Byrne & Jones Construction for administrative costs related to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Lead Line Survey. Byrne & Jones Construction is still working on the survey and does not have an idea of when it will be finished. The firm had trouble locating the water turn-offs but now has two sets of maps.

They plan to be back in Chamois sometime in September.

Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) is helping the city apply for a grant to map its water and sewer lines. Birmingham will update the aldermen when she learns more about the grant.

• Aldermen approved Heritage Community Bank’s release of $250,000 in funds held to cover the city’s funding. Heritage Bank has always covered the city up to $1,000,000 and wants to drop a quarter of it since the city does not need the full amount.

“We don’t use that much,” Walter said. “We only have $500,000, and they will cover us up to $750,000.”

• The city has secured special event insurance for Chamois Day for $313. The original quote was $487, and Walter asked the Chamois Lions Club to help with the expense.

“I think we are going to have to cover it ourselves,” Walter said.

At the August meeting, Walter reported that the Chamois Lion Club was not an official sponsor of Chamois Day and, therefore, did not have to pay for event insurance.

“I’m not trying to stir anything up, but are we going to have to plan Chamois Day next year?” Alderman Cole Schaben asked.

“We really don’t know what the outcome is going to be,” Slusser said. “We are going to just enjoy the day.”

Walter has everything set up for the city, including two inflatables for kids’ activities with prizes. Several donations have been made, with prizes for the inflatables for the smaller kids and sodas donated for the older kids. A $200 donation was also made to help the city offset the cost of renting the inflatables.

All kids who buy a ticket will get a prize, and all of those tickets will be put into a drawing at the end of the day for a new girls’ bike donated by City Marshal Riley Lewis and a boys’ bike donated by Slusser.

Riverside Park pavilion and concession stand repairs will be completed by Chamois Day.

Alderman Cheyanna Wolf mentioned there were two holes into the storm drains that need to be addressed before Chamois Day as they may pose a safety hazard. There is also a grate missing from a storm drain. Slusser will make sure that there are temporary covers on all three problem areas before Chamois Day.

• Lewis requested the city add some wording to the next water bill asking residents to cut their grass and weed-eat.

“We did that,” Slusser said. “It was on the bills in August of 2024.”

Slusser noted that she is seeing more problems with trash around town than grass and weeds.

“I want to set a date, like Oct.15; if you don’t have it done by then, we’ll write you a ticket,” Lewis said.

“They should already be getting a ticket,” Slusser said.

Lewis said he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be giving warnings or if aldermen were ready for him to start issuing tickets for ordinance violations.

“We’ve already given everyone a warning,” Slusser said. ‘You can write the tickets.”

The city will print the next utility bills and add bold and possibly larger fonts stating that residents need to clean up their properties. The city will also post on the Facebook page that Riley will start issuing tickets for ordinance violations.

• Resident Bill Maxey is out of the hospital and has paid his current bill and the payment on his plan. Aldermen voted to make his account active again and make the latest payment cover the September bill. Maxey currently owes $706.21 and has signed an agreement with the city to pay back $67.27 per month plus his monthly bill.

— Resident Stephanie Eoff was approved a 12-month payment plan for her balance of $229.05. Her monthly payment plan will be $19.09 per month plus her monthly bill. Eoff thanked the aldermen for working with her and said that she would make a payment every time she gets paid until the bill is retired.

— Resident Linda Gorman was approved for a 24-month payment plan for her overdue account totaling $564.94. Her monthly payment will be $23.54 plus her current monthly bill.

“I try to pay my water bill every month, but I got behind,” Gorman explained. She is having health issues and extenuating health issues of a family member.

— Resident Donna Weissman had her water shut off and called to find out the balance to have the water turned back on. Walter gave her the wrong amount, forgetting to put in the amount to reconnect and deposit. Aldermen noted it was a mistake but that Weissman ultimately still owed the money. The city has no record of the deposit since all the old records are being held by the software company the city no longer uses.

“We have to get all of our old records back,” Slusser said.

“They will not do that,” Walter said, noting that since the city is no longer under contract with the software company, they have no obligation to share information.

The problem is the same for other systems that have been upgraded or changed over the years because none of the old files have been saved or brought forward from the old systems.

“I’d like you to try to get our records back,” Slusser told Walter. “I don’t care how much time we have to spend on it or how much money it costs.”

Walter said that she would try and that, moving forward, they would keep a record of the deposit in a different format.

• Aldermen approved $8,676.40 in outstanding bills.

• Chamois had the following ending balances in their accounts: cemetery fund ($10,537.77), general fund ($41,820.18), water fund ($217,732.33), sewer fund ($102,218.73), city Community Block Development Grant (CBDG) in and out ($1,250), city park ($10,257.72), American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) ($108,169.56), sewer repair, ($6,947.64), sewer bond reserve ($26,800.63), city cemetery ($20,858.25), meter deposits ($12,040.96), street ($13,222.25), online bill pay ($17,506.04), city police ($167.50), city cemetery ($20, 736.50), and water repair ($25,086.19).

• The city holds five certificates of deposit totaling $12,238.88.

• Chamois had a water loss of 50% for August. The city pumped 1,093,355 gallons and sold 547,900 gallons. Chamois has 240 water connections and 223 active accounts.

•The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 25, at 6:30 p.m.