The Pineville Board of Alderman, at a work session before its Tuesday meeting, voted to apply for a grant for water improvements.
Mayor Gregg Sweeten explained that, five years ago, the city signed a letter of intent with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to improve water pressure on Mountain Ridge. The board voted Tuesday to apply for a 75/25 grant to improve the pressure and to also treat the radionuclide contaminated well in the area. Engineers recently recommended building a radionuclide treatment plant and building a 70-foot water tower there. Mountain Ridge is currently supplied with water from the city's good well but, in order for the city to grow, the contaminated well will have to be treated.
During the regular meeting, the board approved purchasing 24-month CDs at First Community Bank in the amount of $150,000 to be restricted for the use of building a water tower and in the amount of $75,000 to be restricted for the use of building a recreation center.
Sweeten reported the rates on the CDs were 0.70 percent at Cornerstone Bank and 0.80 percent at First Community Bank. The board chose the higher rate.
Marshal Chris Owens reported an officer was involved in a pursuit one night and, while turning around at one point, hit a black mailbox he could not see because it was dark. The mailbox caused damage to the vehicle's rear fender.
Estimates for repairs to the vehicle were $2,353 at Grissom Auto Body in Pineville and $2,015 at Burh Auto Body in Neosho.
Sweeten said it was his opinion that, instead of making a claim on the city's insurance and having rates go up next year, when the deductible is $1,000, that the city should pay for the repairs outright. He also noted that if the city chose Grissom Auto Body, the shop could repair the vehicle right away.
The board voted to have the vehicle repaired by Grissom Auto Body and to pay for it outright.
Also, the board discussed some bad debt in the water department.
Sweeten reported there are some payments the city has been trying to collect for a few years. It would cost $35.50 to take the offenders to small claims court, $13 for a court summons, $25 for a sheriff summons and $150 an hour for the city's attorney fee, he said. Most of the debts are about $50, and so the city would be losing money if it tried to collect them, he said.
Alderman Scott Dennis asked what would happen if the city wrote off the debts and then the offenders, most of whom have left town, came back later wanting city water.
City Clerk Melissa Ziemianin said she can cross-reference bad debts in the future in order to collect if that happens.
In other business, the board paid bills in the amount of $81,201.