Mt. Vernon could see water, sewer upgrades following studies, sgt. Benitez issues resignation as police department remains understaffed; City Admin. Harrington requests, granted new truck

The Mt. Vernon Board of Aldermen could soon undertake a citywide study of their water systems after much discussion at the Tuesday night meeting on Aug. 11. If approved, this could eventually lead to increased rates as the city improves its water systems.
 
The potential water survey was presented to the board by Jacob Dean, a project manager with Great River Engineering.
 
Dean brought the board information about their aging systems brought up in previous conversations with City Administrator Robert Harrington.
 
The possible services that could be rendered include a compilation of the knowledge of the system itself, as much of the current infrastructure relies on the knowledge of just a few people. When those people eventually retire, that knowledge will be lost, so GIS mapping of the system could be in the future.
 
User rate study
Great River also plans to begin a user rate study, which could raise the rates that users pay for services in Mt. Vernon. This step would make it so the city is making enough money to sustain the water system without any outside cash infusions. Though no rate increase is certain as of yet, it was stated by Dean that the rate could steadily increase over the coming years to keep up with the times, as they have not increased in a while. A rate study would cost the city about $39,500. That would include a study of neighboring areas’ rates and where they sit in comparison to Mt. Vernon’s.
One of the biggest problems outlined in Dean’s report is that of capacity. According to Dean and Harrington, the system works well under normal circumstances, but when heavy rain occurs, the city’s treatment system can reach a load of 70 percent of its capacity. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources demands that infrastructure be expanded once that number reaches 80 percent of capacity, so the time is not far off when the city would be forced to upgrade anyway. A wastewater study is set to cost about $75,000.
 
A water system report, which could cost about $45,000, would go over areas of improvement for the city, taking a look at water main placement, looping and fire suppression.
 
This study and a possible subsequent upgrade would allow the city to work on their “own time," as Harrington stated, and not be subject to the timeline of the DNR, which can be much more constricting.
 
Temporary flow monitoring is also on the table and would cost around $27,500.
 
The board heard Dean’s proposal and could decide whether to undertake the full study at a later date.
 
Once, or if, these studies are undertaken, they would not be needed again for more than a decade, said Dean.
 
Police Shortage
Also at the Monday night meeting, the board accepted the resignation of Sergeant Tannya Benitez, who has been with the Mt. Vernon Police Department for years.
 
This resignation marks the most recent in a slew of departures that has seen the leadership of the department nearly wiped out. Sergeant Benitez handed over her letter of resignation shortly after Chief of Police Dave Hubert and Assistant Chief of Police Ed Evatt did the same earlier this summer.
 
It was stated at the meeting that the department only has four officers currently on duty, whereas a fully staffed department would have around 11. Because of this, officers have been working 12-hour shifts to keep the city safe. Harrington obtained permission from the aldermen to advertise for the open positions.
 
In a brief interview after the meeting, Harrington said that Benitez’s resignation was due to “personal reasons.”
 
Alcohol ordinance
The board took time to vote on an ordinance that would allow the sale of beer to patrons at the city golf course.
 
The board passed the ordinance, with only two voting against the measure. Alderman David Eden was one of those “no” votes.
 
“We don’t allow alcohol in any of the parks in the city; why should we allow it there?" said Eden.
 
Daryck Wheeler, who voted yes, said that this new ordinance allows the city to profit from a practice that is already commonplace.
 
“They’re already drinking beer [at the golf course] anyway,” he said.
 
City administrator report
Harrington, during his report to the board, detailed his recent meeting with OWN Engineering. Harrington said that the firm issued the city a check to cover the remediation work undertaken by the city after it was discovered that the newly constructed sidewalks were not properly engineered. Harrington was given a check of $17,923 from OWN along with an apology.
 
Harrington requests, granted new truck
Harrington also reported a need for a new administrative vehicle after the previous one was damaged and handed over to the public works department. Harrington asked the board for a three-quarter-ton Chevrolet pickup in the amount of $59,780, to replace the damaged SUV, a Chevrolet Equinox.
 
The board eventually approved the purchase of the new truck after much discussion with the promise that the truck can be used for much more than transporting officials. Harrington saw the new vehicle as a possible utility truck, used to haul scrap and plow snow as the need arises.
 
Pay raise for city employees
The board also approved a pay raise for city officials in accordance with a compensation plan presented by Harrington.
 
This new pay raise would have paid more to a newly arriving police officer, while a current officer would not see their rate increase until January, when the increase takes effect. The board took steps to fix this after objection from Wheeler. The board raised the pay of police officers, beginning at their next paycheck, to account for any unfairness.