Utility costs under discussion in W.S.

Utility bills due to the city of Willow Springs on March 10 show the initial impact of Winter Storm Fern. The city’s cost for wholesale electricity was more than twice the usual cost, the board of aldermen heard last Monday. The city has already paid approximately $300,000 of the $515,000 electricity bill from Missouri Public Utility Alliance (MPUA), which is the normal procedure. The remaining extra balance will be billed to utility customers gradually over a period of time that could be as long as nine months, City Administrator Beverly Hicks told the board. At the meeting, Hicks did not have trued-up numbers for the exact cost or the impact on customers. 

 

“A lot of things are unknown at this point,” Hicks said, “It doesn’t have to go out nine months. We will do whatever we can to avoid the interest costs.”

 

Hicks said she prefers to spread out the additional cost instead of taking the money out of reserves.

 

“We should not deplete our reserves,” she said.

 

The board reached a consensus to proceed with this plan, but there was no vote or motion because as Hicks said, the city is, “not financially doing anything abnormal.”

 

Remaining on the topic of utility costs, Hicks resumed the discussion of reviewing utility rates for the water and wastewater departments. As previously reported by Howell County News, Hicks is concerned that those departments have not been self-sustaining in recent years. The aldermen plan to schedule a work session to design a new tierage system for water and sewer rates. 

The problem, Hicks explained, is there is no incentive for water users to conserve. High-volume water users are currently paying bulk rates that are less than the city’s cost to provide the service. Residential users are paying the highest rate because they are using the smallest amounts. 

 

“Conservation should be at the top of the agenda as city,” Hicks said. 

 

The aldermen agreed, without a vote, to schedule a work session in the spring once Hicks gathers the relevant information. 

 

In a surprising announcement, Hicks told the aldermen that Willow Springs’ low-to-moderate income (LMI) rating is 48%. That is- according to the data as gathered, the people of Willow Springs are prosperous to qualify for certain grant opportunities.

 

“The real rate of poverty is not being reported accurately,” Hicks said, mentioning that the rating in neighboring Mountain View is 78%.

 

Hicks introduced a plan to survey the population again for a more accurate LMI rating. The process will be anonymous, and will likely involve door-to-door discreet visits from the aldermen and Hicks herself.  

In other actions, the board approved:

 

-A 5K route and assistance from the police department for a 5K hosted by Children’s Behavioral Services

-2026 schedule of events for the Chamber of Commerce and a proclamation of Shop Local Month

-Two resolutions in support of grants for the Willow Springs Police Department, including one for the Blue Shield Designation program

-Two new board members for the Willow Springs Municipal Airport Board: Robert Godsy and Tom Young. Godsy and Young replace two recently resigned board members: Pat Stuart and Tom White. 

 

In a closed session, the aldermen discussed a “personnel” matter from 6:45 p.m. to 7:07 p.m., citing exception (13) for personally identifiable employee records. They took no action.