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FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2021
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NCMC Tuition Rates See Slight Boost It will cost
semester, $2,100 for the second semester and $2,100 for PN summer students. NCMC President Dr. Lenny Klaver said he believes the college will still be in the lower third of tuition costs in Missouri. College next The board approved the room and board year as col- rates for the fall semester, which shows the lege trustees college moving to an “all-access option” for approved an students residing in Ellsworth and Selby increase in tuition and fees at Tuesday halls, providing them with open access to night’s board meeting. the dining hall throughout the day. Students Trustees approved a $5 per credit hour living in the new apartment-style housing across the board increase for all students that is under construction will have an eightwith the exception of dual credit students meal plan. Room rates for Ellsworth and who will see an $8 per credit hour increase, Selby halls are $2,980 for a double-occubut will now receive their books at no cost. pancy room and $3,972 for single occuThe new per-credit-hour rate for an in- pancy. The apartment rate is $4,965. Board district student will be $92, with other Mis- rates are $3,120 for the all-access plan and souri residents paying $153 and other U.S. $1,680 for the eight-meal plan. residents and international students paying Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. $190. Online, outreach and course by Kristen Alley said the college is sensitive to arrangement students will pay $175. Stu- the struggles many families are having due dents in the on-ground PN and ADN pro- to COVID-19 and as a result, the rates regrams will pay $157, with online ADN flect a decrease in both double and single students paying $183. rooms as well as a decrease in what was forFees will also go up $1 per credit hour merly a 17-meal plan. She said NCMC reand include a student development fee, a fa- mains competitive with other Missouri cility fee and a technology fee. In addition, community colleges as well as the surroundstudents enrolled in the BT 160 Microcom- ing market. She noted that the college will puter applications course will pay a new $20 incur contractural increases to board rates fee to cover the cost of a required certifica- for the year for services provided by Great tion course. Nursing program fees will re- Western Dining as well as the move to the main the same, $2,500 for the initial [See NCMC, Page 7]
Gamet Named New slightly more attend Athletic Director At to North Central Missouri North Central
New Budgets Feature Salary Jumps For City Employees
If there were any concerns about the 2021-22 City of Trenton or Trenton Municipal Utilities budgets they must have been addressed in a finance committee meeting because there was no discussion about either budget prior to the city council giving unanimous approval to both budgets at a meeting Monday evening. Deficit budgets are nothing new as the council usually tries to estimate high on the expenditure side and low on the income side. City Administrator Ron Urton said this budget does not contain the latest round of COVID-19 funding, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which may put another $1 million in the city accounts over the next 18 months. The new budgets for both the city side and Trenton Municipal Utilities will go
Assessment Lists Are Late
Klaver Addresses SB 390 NCMC President Dr. Lenny Klaver addressed Missouri Senate Bill 390 at Tuesday’s meeting. Under this act, school districts lying in whole or in part in Buchanan County would become part of the community college district of which the majority of school districts in Grundy County are part, which is obviously NCMC. Dr. Klaver said the bill passed out of the Education Committee on Tuesday with a 5-4 vote. Dr. Klaver said he has talked to the sponsor of the bill, 34th District State Sen. Tony Luetkemyer, as well as 12th District State Sen. Dan Hegeman and said NCMC does “not want to be in the crossfire of a controversy we did not create.” He said NCMC is not in a battle with Metropolitan Community College, in whose service area Buchanan County currently exists and said NCMC is not going to get in a fight about it. Dr. Klaver told trustees he believes the issue has come about because some of the business leaders in the St. Joseph area would like to see the type of customized training, etc., that NCMC can offer. At a hearing on the issue held March 9, Peter Gray of Gray Manufacturing Company in St. Joseph was listed as a witness in favor of the bill. Those listed as witnesses against the bill were Kimberly Beatty, representing Metropolitan Community College, Brian Millner of the Missouri Community College Association and Arnie C. Dienoff, a state public advocate. Dr. Klaver went on to say that plans are moving forward for NCMC’s location in Andrew County’s Savannah, just north of St. Joseph, which is already part of the college’s service area. If SB 390 passes, he said, then obviously NCMC would have to rethink it’s plans for the St. Joseph area.
City Budgets Receive Unanimous Approval into effect May 1. As always, salaries are of great interest when taxpayers look at the budget of a public entity. This year, the council has gone to great lengths to try to make the city and utility wages competitive. Finance Committee Chairman John Dolan said the exact increases were determined by looking at a range of salaries from similar-size area communities and putting the city employees within those ranges based on a number of factors. “Basically, we looked at other area communities and even electric co-ops to find out basically what the ‘going rate’ is for some of these positions,” he explained. “We’re down two linemen and those guys can double their salary by going somewhere else. An apprentice lineman has to go through a four-year process to become a journeyman. We’re losing our guys and if that keeps happening we’re going to have to shut down a quarter of the city when we need to work on a line. An apprentice isn’t qualified to work on a live line, so if we don’t have the guys to work, we’re shutting the
BRIEFS
power off when we have to work on a line.” Dolan said there is a difference in salary increases among the various city departments and while that might seem unfair, he said different positions call for different levels of training and expertise. “I don’t get paid as much as a doctor,” he commented. “And you know, someone in another department could try to transfer to the electric department if they want to go through the training process.” Dolan said the finance committee is hoping that by approving the increase in salaries the city will be competitive enough to attract and retain employees, even if Trenton does not pay more than everyone else. “We’re never going to be the highest-paying, but we want people to want to stay here instead of leaving for more money.” City of Trenton General Fund revenues are listed at $3,511,736, with expenditures estimated at $4,113,135, for a deficit of $601,399. With $235,000 in operating transfers in from the road tax, the
deficit would be brought down to an estimated $366,399. The city is starting with a fund balance of approxi-
“We’re never going to be the highest-paying, but we want people to want to stay here instead of leaving for more money.” — JOHN DOLAN, 4th Ward Councilman mately $2.2 million, quite a bit higher than the $1,741,672 that had been projected, and expects to have a fund balance of $1,853,666 on April 30, 2022. Major sources of revenue include $500,000 in ad valorem (property) tax, with another $780,000 budgeted from sales tax revenue. Utility fran[See BUDGET, Page 5]
Grundy County Assessor Kathy Veatch is reminding county residents that the 2021 assessments lists were due on March 1. Mrs. Veatch said second notice cards are scheduled to be mailed on April 1. Anyone who has not turned a list in to the assessor’s office is asked to do so immediately. The assessor’s office is located on the first floor of the Grundy County Courthouse.
R-5 Announces Action
The Grundy R-5 Board of Education held a special meeting Tuesday, taking action on several personnel matters. According to Superintendent Phil Fox, board members accepted the resignation of Rusty Burns as the K-12 special education instructor and offered contracts to the following teachers: Samantha DeRyke, kindergarten; Lindsay Wyatt, third grade; Marsha McLain, fourth grade; and Jerry Kiger, high school/middle school special education. Fox said all of the contracts have been verbally accepted. The district is still looking for a parttime special education instructor at the elementary building, a K-12 music instructor (a contract was offered but not accepted) and a middle school/high school math instructor. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 14.
No New COVID Cases
The Grundy County Health Department is reporting no new cases of the COVID-19 virus in Grundy County since the last report on Monday. There is one active case in the county, with 820 confirmed cases and 241 probable cases for a total of 1,061. The GCHD held clinics both Thursday and Friday of this week. On March 29, those in Phase 2 of the state’s vaccine plan become eligible for vaccination. This group includes those in higher education, construction, financial services, manufacturing, restaurant and hotel workers, real estate and retail employees. The health department has vaccine available and is taking appointments for individuals from this group. Appointments can be made at 359-4196.
Exotic Animal Ordinance Revised Bank Project Is Moving Forward City Council Accepts Multiple Bids, Approves Spending
The Trenton City Council took action on items other than the budget during its meeting. The council approved a revision to the exotic animal ordinance that, among other changes, allows non-venomous snakes in excess of eight feet in commercial areas and establishes a $190 registration permit for each snake. The change was made in re-
sponse to a request from resident Adam Clear, who is hoping to open a “reptilarium” in the downtown area. The council accepted a bid from JD Bishop Construction for removal and replacement of the front steps at the water plant. The bid, which was the only one received, was for $15,145, quite a bit higher than the amount budgeted, which was $4,500 not including $2,500 for a railing. City Administrator Ron Urton said money saved on other projects will help make up the difference. It was noted that local contractors had been contacted, but the 60-day time frame was going to prove to be
a challenge for them. A bid from Challenger Fence was accepted for the fencing around the north substation. That bid, which was for $47,260, was the lowest of five received. The council also approved spending up to $3,000 to fix some of the hangars in the building that will remain at the airport. The issue is a dropoff on the threshold that is making it difficult to get some of the planes in and out. At least three of the hangars will need the repairs. The next regular city council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, April 12.
No County Funds Will Be Expended For The Project
The discussion of whether or not Grundy County should or would sponsor a project to stabilize the west bank of the Thompson River near Highway 6 continued on Tuesday morning, with the county commission ultimately voting 2-1 to move forward with the project and enter into an agreement with the Grundy County Industrial Development Corpo-
ration so engineering work can begin. But the agreement came with stipulations. First District Commissioner Don Sager, who had earlier made a motion to opt out of the Natural Resource Conservation Service program that would provide funding for the project, then made a motion to enter into an agreement with the NRCS with the stipulation that the Grundy County Industrial Development Corporation come up with the $45,000 in up-front money needed for engineering fees and that the IDC would enter into a memorandum of understanding with the county that it is responsible for
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
TENNIS TIME...
There is a chance of rain Friday night giving way to partly sunny-to-sunny skies and temperatures in the 60’s over the weekend. The high in Trenton on Monday was 66 with Tuesday hitting 62 with .45 of an inch of rain falling. Wednesday saw a high of 52 with a low of 43. The high on Wednesday at the Government Weather Station near Spickard was 47 with a low of 39 and .04 of an inch of rain falling.
The Trenton High School tennis team is entering 2021 with a whole new cast of players who are looking to keep the Bulldogs at the top of the district SPORTS, PAGE 2
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any overages. In addition, no county funds will be expended for the project. Sager then voted yes on his motion, with Second District Commissioner Brad Chumbley voting no and Presiding Commissioner Phillip Ray breaking the tie with a “yes” vote. The last figures provided on the total project cost were $508,420, which was provided to the commission and the IDC on March 16 by Jon Dwiggins of Howe Company, an engineering firm utlilized often by the county. That amount included original cost estimates of $349,000, plus $69,420 that was put in because the work [See COUNTY, Page 4]
WHAT’S INSIDE
SPORTS ....................PAGE 2 & 3 OP/ED ............................PAGE 4 CALENDAR .....................PAGE 5 AGRICULTURE ...............PAGE 6 COMICS ..........................PAGE 8 CROSSWORDS ................PAGE 9 CLASSIFIEDS ................PAGE 10 BALLOT .........................PAGE 11 AREA .............................PAGE 12