Point of View

A man goes into a pet shop to buy a parrot. The shop owner points to 3 identical looking parrots on a perch & says, "The parrot on the left cost $500, he knows how to do legal research." The customer then asks about the next parrot & is told that this one costs $1,000 because it knows how to write a brief that will win any case. Naturally, the customer asks about the 3rd parrot, to be told that it costs $4,000. Needless to say, this begs the question. "What can it do?" To which the owner replies, "To be honest, I've never seen him do a dam thing, but the other two call him Sr. Partner."

Monday Noon - Hospital Board Meeting; 4:30PM - Special Council Meeting

Tuesday, 9AM - Community Foundation; 6PM - Parks & Recreation

Wednesday, 1:30PM - Fishing River Watershed Planning Meeting; Channel 41 Interview for Fire Department's leadership with Season of Hope

Friday, 7:30AM - Council Worksession

Special Council Meeting - Change Order for street improvements was accidentally omitted from the last council meeting & is time sensitive

Agenda items under development for the next council meeting include public hearings for 353 tax abatement applications received for 434 Benton & 502 St. Louis, public hearing to adjust sewer rates (reduce base rate from $25.07 to $23.00 and reduce rate per 1,000 gallons from $11.40 to $11.28), text amendment to Chapters 400 Zoning Regulations, 401 Floodway & Floodway Fringe Overlay District, & 403 Sign Regulations recommended by Planning & Zoning Commission; change order for shoring the Hall of Waters front yard to protect from collapse ($251,000); mutal aid agreements with Smithville Police Department.

Celebrating Work Anniversaries this week -

• Brad Smith, Assistant Fire Chief - 35 years
• Joe Maddick, Fire Chief - 28 years
• Nate Williams, Director of Parks, Recreation, Community Center - 7 years
• Avery Bartlett, Lifeguard - 4 years
• Drake Pollard, Assistant Director of Parks, Recreation, Community Center - 1 year
• Thomas Johnson, Sewer Maintenance Worker - 1 year
• John Miller, Street Maintenance Worker - 1 year

Holiday Gift Ideas (donations directed by donor to program of choice at esgives.org)

• Fire Department is partnering with Channel 41 Season of Hope Toy Drive until 12/16
• Police Department Shop with a Cop & other community programs
• Community Center Scholarships for memberships, swim lessons, field trips
• Senior Center Meals, Activities & Trips & Pictures with Santa at Golf Course

Waterworth completed a subjective measurement of the cost burden to residential customers for water service. Customer affordability comparisons used the minimum wage of $12/hour, the average income of the lowest 20% of the population of $14,689 & EPA measurement of 2% median household income ($60,375) as affordable. The volume of reasonable water use for essential purposes per person per day is 50 gallons.

• The cost of water service for families making minimum wage was a low cost buden for families using less than 8,000 gallons/month and mild burden for families using more than 8,000 gallons/month. 80% of our families make more than minimum wage.
• The cost of water service for someone making $14,689/year was a mild cost burden for families using less than 5,000 gallons/month and high burden for families using more than 5,000 gallons/month. 10.4% of our families make less than $15,000
• The cost of water service as a percentage of Median Household Income is a low cost burden for families using less than 5,000 gallons/month and mild cost burden for families using more than 5,000 gallons/month.

Approximately 4% of our residential customers have delinquent water bills every month, 2% pay their water bills after their service is disconnected. Services are disconnected after missing two consecutive monthly bills. The City reserves .5% of revenue to assist customers that find the water bill is unaffordable, the Good Samaritan Center determines eligiblity & amount of assistance, or payment plans can be provided based on need.

I'm thankful for Quik Trip!!!! Excelsior Roasting for being there at 6am, for Molly Roberts' studio for my gift giving hotspot, church family and for our little town, for being able to live here and Love it!!! Read it on Facebook

Email: mmcgovern@excelsiorsprings.gov
Website: cityofesmo.com
Location: Hall of Waters, 201 E. Broadway, 64024
Phone: (816) 630-0752