Salem council approves repairs to water plant

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

SALEM ? Repairs are needed quickly at Salem?s aging water treatment plant, council members were told Tuesday night during the council?s regular monthly meeting.

Jim Tomson, of Hillsboro, who operates the plant, said the water softener in the plant is worn out. Consequently, water from the plant has to be tested quarterly and each test costs the city $100.

Repairs, Tomson estimated, will cost between $6,000-$6,500, which the council approved.

?How much of a band-aid is this (repairs)?? asked council member Mary Hoyer, who was attending her first council meeting after being elected to the group in November.

?It?s the best band-aid or patch for this system,? Tomson replied. ?In the future, you will have to replace everything. With a system that is 50 years old, there are no guarantees, but this is the cheapest way (to repair the system).?

Councilman Chuck Kramer said there is money in the water account to foot the bill. ?We have no choice but to do it,? Kramer added.

The council also discussed a new accounting software program with Randy McGee of the Summit Company. The program would cost $6,200 and $900 per year for maintenance and updates.

McGee said that currently 378 Iowa cities have the program. ?This is an accounting tool that satisfies all state regulations,? McGee said. ?It is professional accounting software which will automatically populate your state budget forms. You have to have the right tools to be successful and this is the right tool.?

The company, McGee said, will provide three days of training for the city clerk and implementation of the system. ?You?re getting a bang for your buck with on-site training. When your city clerk needs help, she can pick up the phone and will be provided help.?

McGee said the accounting system Salem is currently using is not a good tool and does not satisfy State of Iowa requirements.

Kramer questioned why the city has not heard of the system before and noted the city has spent a lot of money on training in the past.

Mayor Dan Patterson said he is a believer in the system. ?I think we need it,? he said.

Purchase of the software was tabled until the February meeting.

In another possible purchase, the city is looking to replace its 1992 city truck. ?It?s about on its last leg,? Kramer assessed. He said a possible replacement is a 2002 Ford F-550 truck from Cordes, Motors in New London. However, no one from the city has seen the truck, and the council did not want to make a decision until they had seen and tested the truck.

?Once we get a chance to look at it, I think Cordes will hold it for us if it is in our price range,? Kramer said.

In final action, the council set a budget workshop for Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 5:30 p.m., at the Community Building. The meeting will be open to the public.

The next regular council meeting will be Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 5:30 p.m., in the Community Building.