The Salem City Council Monday night will be asked to give final approval to an agreement to allow Mission Salem to utilize the former Save-a-Lot building on West Main until the city is ready to move forward on renovating the building into a new police station. Mission Salem would utilize the building to hold meetings and construct handicap ramps and prepare other items to assist local residents. The City Council had approved of the concept at its last meeting.
The council will receive additional information on additional revenue generated by the water rate increase last summer as well as cost saving efforts. The council started the discussion at its last meeting, but was missing detailed information due to the illness of the city’s finance director.
City Manager Rex Barbee says the data from September to December does not adequately reflect the entire year’s usage and feels it would be premature to consider the need for any additional water rate increases until a year’s worth of data is available. The council will be asked to move forward on installation of a new water line from West Kell to South College Street that is included in this year’s budget.
The new line would create a full loop on the water line on the south end of town and provide better water pressure to customers in the area. Barbee said the city had hoped to obtain a grant for the work, but it never came about.
A companion issue on the agenda would move forward with repair and resurfacing of the east end of West Kell Street to improve the road surface leading up to the Route 37 intersection.
The meeting begins at six Monday night at Salem City Hall.
