The Oronogo Board of Aldermen on Monday sent City Clerk Cyndi Jennings on a finding mission regarding the pending sale of the city’s natural gas system to Spire.

She’s to find the legal description for every annexation the city’s made since 1929, the last time there was a legal description of the city.

Mayor Charles Wilkins announced that Spire has requested a legal description of the city in order to proceed with the sale as the Missouri Public Service Commission reviews the sale.

“Spire thinks the PSC wants it (legal description),” Wilkins said.

City Attorney Derek Snyder said the only alternative to Jennings looking up the annex legal descriptions is to hire someone to spend six months preparing a new legal description at a likely cost of $50,000.

The PSC announced Monday that Sept. 7 is the deadline for anyone to intervene in Spire’s request to acquire Oronogo’s municipal gas system.

The PSC press release further states, 

According to the application, Spire proposes to apply rates for the expanded certificated area that are the same as the currently effective rates for Spire customers in the adjoining certificated areas until such time as the rates may be changed by approved tariff or an order of the Commission.

Applications to intervene and participate in this case must be filed no later than Sept. 7, 2022, with the Secretary of the Missouri Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 360, Jefferson City, MO 65102, or by using the commission’s Electronic Filing and Information System (EFIS) at www.psc.mo.gov .

Individual citizens wishing to comment should contact either the Office of the Public Counsel (Governor Office Building, 200 Madison Street, Suite 650, P.O. Box 2230, Jefferson City, MO 65102-2230, (866) 922-2959, opcservice@opc.mo.gov) or the Public Service Commission Staff (P.O. Box 360, Jefferson City, Missouri 65102, (800) 392-4211, pscinfo@psc.mo.gov). The office of the public counsel is a separate state agency that represents the general public in matters before the commission.

The board voted to pay Gilmore & Bell $17,200 for work the firm did to sell $2 million in Series E bonds to finance the major sewer system project that is getting underway.

The vote was 626-375 in November 2016 to issue the bonds.

Initial payment of $23,684 to the contractor, G&G Construction, and $185,726 to the engineering firm, Allgeier Martin and Associates, was approved.

The board also came out of closed session to approve $40,701 as partial payment to Best Construction for a related project that is nearing completion. Additionally, Best Construction will receive $4,625 for two change orders. The company replaced a sewer line that was installed prior to the housing boom on the east side of the city.

In other action:

• The board approved additional payment for unforseen problems that were discovered while the City Hall roof was being replaced. For one thing, roof lining material from a previous fix had gotten into electrical boxes.
• Wilkins gave kudos to the public works crew for working into the night Friday to stop an emergency sewage leak. The leak occurred on a portion of the system that will be replaced.
• Ray Haydaripoor, the owner of a house on the verge of being demolished at 356 S. Fourth St., was given until Sept. 25 to make significant progress in making the extensive repairs that are needed. The house may be in the process of being sold. It was denied that there are snakes and rats on the property.
• Building permit fees were waived for a Habitat for Humanity house being built on Nevada Street. Inspections will also be done for free. The city previously donated the property.