Sweet Springs council paves the way for mayor salary hike

Sweet Springs Mayor Ray Kinney got no argument from the Board of Aldermen Tuesday, Oct. 13, when he suggested the mayor get a 50 percent salary increase.

The raise is not necessary for him. If approved, it won't go into effect until the next term begins, and he said he has not decided whether he will run for re-election.

The $100 increase Kinney proposed would raise the mayor's salary to $300 per month.

Kinney said the mayor's salary apparently hasn't been increased since about 1998.

Board member Jim Lindemann made a motion directing City Clerk Ronda Nienhueser to draw up an ordinance that would make the raise official and the board approved the motion unanimously.

The board will have a chance to consider that measure at a future meeting. Expenditures approved Tuesday included a fee for preparation of grant materials and fire department equipment.

The board approved spending $3,000 to have Steven Mitchell of Jefferson City complete the paperwork for a CDBG demolition grant.

The board learned at its Sept. 15 meeting that its application had not been accepted because it didn't comply with regulations. Mitchell will have until February to prepare the application.

The board also approved equipment purchases for the fire department worth about $1,500. Fire Chief Todd Anderson told the board the department needed a new generator for one truck and helmets, reflective vests and hand-held lights for three firefighters.

The board also approved an application form for groups seeking tourism grants, hoping to make the application process more orderly and have requests for funding come further in advance of events.

Nienhueser said she used Marshall's tourism grant application form as a model but pared it down to size more appropriate for Sweet Springs' needs, from eight pages down to two.

An amendment was added before the form was adopted that allows for emergency grant requests, but otherwise requests will have to be made annually.

Contact Eric Crump at marshalleditor@socket.net