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Fog/Mist ~ River stage: 33.68 Rising Saturday, November 21, 2009 |
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DNR puts Chaffee under boil-water order because of lack of chlorineWednesday, August 27, 2008CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Chaffee is under a boil-water order at least through Thursday, according to Missouri Department of Natural Resources officials. The order was issued at 3 p.m. Tuesday after Mike Tate, a DNR water quality specialist, discovered during an unscheduled inspection that the water system had little to no chlorine. The state requires public water systems to include chlorine in amounts between 0.5 and 4 parts per million. Tests at the main water plant showed 2.2 ppm; but the water at city hall had zero parts per million. Tate said the numbers don't indicate the water is hazardous, just that it there is a potential for problems. "We'd rather err on the side of caution to make sure everybody is OK," he said. As he spoke, city employees made phone calls to businesses to spread news of the boil-water order. Tate said the order will stand until two consecutive days of tests show the water system is properly sanitized. The problem started Thursday, when one of the city's public works employees, Shannon Hendrix, checked the water plant. As soon as he walked into the building, his eyes started burning. He turned on a fan and went to check the two devices that push chlorine into the water to sanitize it. A rupture occurred in a hose on one of the chlorine pumps. The chemical turned into what Hendrix called "green slime" and filled the air with toxic gas. Hendrix said his chest "felt like it was collapsing." He turned the machine off and called his brother, Travis Hendrix, who is a public works employee. Shannon Hendrix was rushed to Saint Francis Medical Center, where he was treated for breathing problems and released. He said doctors told him not to return to work until Sept. 2. Tom Cunningham, the city councilman assigned to oversee water issues, contacted Alliance Water Resources in Cape Girardeau for mutual aid; the company sent two people to repair the system and stabilize the water quality. After inspecting both pumps and repairing one of them, Bill Pecord, an Alliance supervisor, told city officials both pumps should be replaced soon. On Saturday, Shannon Hendrix returned to the water plant despite doctors' orders. Since the resignation of public safety director Eric Hicks earlier this month, the department, which once had eight employees and is down to three, is short-staffed. Hendrix checked on the pumps and noticed an injector hose was clogged. He turned off the machine, cleared the blockage and replace the part, which appeared to function properly. He was on the job again Tuesday -- the department's two other employees were busy repairing an unrelated water main break -- traveling with Mayor Loretta Mohorc, Tate, Pecord and another Alliance worker, Cliff Edwards, to three sites for more testing. By 4 p.m. the main pump was functioning well enough to reflect 2.2 ppm of chlorine; but two other sites were below the minimum limit. Tate said the DNR will work with the city as the problem is resolved. He and the Alliance workers made a series of suggestions for safe operations as well as training. Tate said small cities are beginning to develop mutual aid agreements for water systems similar to those for police and fire coverage. Pecord loaned Hendrix a safety mask until the city can buy one. Other recommendations include replacing both chlorine pumps and rebuilding the old ones for standby purposes. Chaffee Mayor Loretta Mohorc said the city is advertising for a water department supervisor and has already received some applications. The job pays $22,800, though Mohorc said the city council may choose a different rate of pay. 335-6611, extension 127 Does this affect you? Have a comment? Log on to semissourian.com/toda Comments  Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. If you feel that a comment is offensive, please Login or Create an account first, and then you will be able to flag a comment as objectionable. Please also note that those who post comments on semissourian.com may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.
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Think the city is bad now, even after voters voted that we had a great city trash service and shut down our council, making them leave them alone. I am told a certain same few are following the trucks around changing rules and wanting a trash service from delta to take over. WAKE UP this was voted on once and would return the same votes now. PEG? anyone? everyone!! keep em under the lights, only way this city functions honestly!!! City employees, you are becoming a endangered species. You know the saying "just when you thought it couldnt get any worse"!!
I am curious what businesses were called because ours certainly wasn't!
Wages for this job are $6000 less than the median income for Chaffee and nearly $20,000 less than the Missouri median. Other positions are similar. Any guesses as to why Chaffee may not attract the best possible candidates?
Bargain shopping is fine, but not all the cheaper models have the necessary features.
It's been said that "money talks and B.S. walks". The Chaffee leaders say they want to get the City up to date, but they're saying it in a whisper.
So, the city of Chaffee lets an employee return to work aganist his doctors advice. Isn't that negligent?
Actually, Mohorc immediately said to him, "You're not supposed to be back until next week!"
Hendrix acknowledged that but said there was no one else to take his place, as the remaining two public works employees were busy with the water main break.
As Tate said later, the city is doing everything within its power to deal with the water situation. He said many smaller cities have these kinds of problems and that the DNR works with them as much as possible.
What do you think of his suggestion that Chaffee consider an agreement with another small city (or two) to hire a water manager?
I think that is a great idea, one that would benifit a couple of these smaller towns on small budgets! It is refeshing to see that someone has something positive to add instead of all of these negative comments that get us NO where! thanks Peg! & Thanks to the City Workers that we do have that actually care about their jobs and take some pride in their work and their TOWN!!!!!!
I see nothing wrong with that as long as our city attorney is involved with the process. With that said, I still think we are putting ourselves at risk by letting Hendrix return to work without the proper release.
I can't believe our number one resource, the one thing everyone needs to survive, is and has been neglected and not made a priority for health and safety of the citizens, and particularly the children of this city. We can't keep city workers, we can't keep a police chief, the mayor and council cannot work together, and we keep electing these same fools over and over again to run our city. Now our water is not safe for human consumption. The infrastructure has obviously been neglected for years, and we build new fences around baseball fields? We need to improve our parks, but not at the expense of our water supply. This is ridiculous. Just another example of how Chaffee's elected leaders have failed this city. Talk about needing change. We need to recall this mayor and the entire city council and get some people in there that can get things done.
I am glad that Shannon felt he HAD to do a job to do, for the City!! I am concerned why did he have a key to get in to the Water Treatment Center?? I quote the MAYOR'S Sunday's Desk report that--"Tom Cunningham and Shannon Hendrix met with Alliance Water Treatments this week and they said basically we are doing what we are supposed to but they suggested a couple of little extra things. The council approved to use this company temporarily. Hendrix will also be getting his water treatment license as soon as possible" How is it that Shannon was at the water treatment center when it states that he HAS NO TRAINING ???Who all has keys to the treatment center? Did we change the lock's after the turn over of employees? Is the City responsible for his health? Was he on the clock? This started last Thursday and on Tuesday someone decided to let the public know? Is checking on the water part of Shannon's the JOB description? I hope that Shannon is O.K. and I am glad he found the problem, but HE IS NOT TRAINED "YET" TO DO THIS JOB.
1. We are short staffed...this did not happen overnight.
2. Mr. Hendrix was allowed into the water treatment center aganist all policies and regulations.
3. Mr Hendrix was allowed to return to work aganist a doctors advice.
4. Our drinking water has probably been below standard for some time.
Seriously folks we need a Mayor who does not think her main job is to write a column for the weekly newspaper.
Yes we are short staffed this everyone has heard and know!! I have yet to see an add in the paper for the current openings. The WONDERFUL MAYOR stated that she had qualified people who had put a application in, where are those people?
2- If and I mean IF Mr. Hendrix went there against the regulations he should be fired! you can not do that. Our(not just Chaffee's but the Nation's) water system is on the top 5 way,s for a terrorist attack! It is on the Home Land Security's List. We must not allow any one to do this? City worker or not.I am sorry this happened to Shannon, but when are we going to make people accountable? I want peace of mind that No ONE has the opportunity to get to the water system,and it is up to the MAYOR that we all can rest knowing that our water is safe.
you know people should really stop blaming the mayor for everything. the mayor a a select few are the only ones on the council that want to get anything done for the city. but when your council is lopsided 3 - 5 there is nothing that really can be done, the mayor wants to move ahead and get the things done that are concerning to our infrastructor while most of the others are more concerned with a lady running more than one department or time cards for city employees, or other stupid stuff that is at the bottom of the priority lists. No one person can get things done in the govt. it takes the council and the majority of our council is only on it for their own reasons and not to help the citizens of chaffee.
just wondering. . isnt there federal money out there for water systems like ours if it is so high on the terror list. It seems like I remember something about that being on the news a while back?
just wondering. . isnt there federal money out there for water systems like ours if it is so high on the terror list. It seems like I remember something about that being on the news a while back?
I would hope if there was federal money available the council and Mayor would have knowledge of this.....
I agree about the mayor she is 1 person battling many, she does have the power to fill any vacated seat at HER will, council think as they want . It's a start she needs to start
I love the mayor, think she does a great job, but I agree with you tellit that I think she needs to take a bigger stand for what she wants to have done, but at the same time I am not in that situation so I cant say what kind of pressure she is under. after all she has had one heck of a year and still manages to do her job. GO RHETTA!!!
Breaking News!!! The WONDERFUL MAYOR who could not be available for a news interview, said the water problem is not as bad as it seems! She knows more then the D.N.R.? How can she say the water problem is not that bad? They are guessing we will be under the boil water order until sometime next week. But she said it's not that bad? What do you call bad Ms Mayor? Why can't the Mayor talk without the City Attorney next to her? We should be able to here from her! This is the first time I have blasted the Mayor and I can tell her one thing I am ****** over this. This was preventable! We should not be going threw this as a community. Does the City have plans on bringing a tanker truck in with CLEAN water for all of us? I bet she did not think of that. Keep peace try to see it from the citizens eyes.If she says they (the media) misunderstood her she has only her self to blame, because she was not available to talk. Where was Tom Cunningham? He could have answered some questions. I can't wait for my water bill it should be the smallest ever. Everyone should demand a explanation on this
hey lets not blame mr hendrix for careing about his job and tring to help citizen of chaffee i wish that other people would care that much about thier job where is eric! isn't he still in charge so don't blame mr hendrix
you idiots can't you see this is more scapegoating on the councils part. Yea the mayor speaks and gets interviewed you know why because the 4 council gerks that tried to get her impeached the same ones that harrassed police officers, city workers and now starting on the trash workers are all to chicken sh*t to speak to the media. They all run and hide and act like they are innocient when they are the ones that started this whole mess. They got rid of one person and now the new people to complain about is hendricks and the Mayor. It doesn't matter who they have working they complain. I heard nordans big campain promise was to get rid of the all workers (police, city, & trash) looks like he managed to get a couple more slime bags to go along with him to get it done. You people that voted for them I hope you are all still kissing their a** if not they will turn on you next.
bigboy where have you been hicks hasn't worked for 5 weeks he got tired of the bull and quit
hey whatever it's my understanding that mr hicks is still employee of the city of chaffee until sept 1 so that mean his still in charge.
bigboy the last coucil meeting I was at he gave them that date in his resignation. I heard he went to work and was told members of the council was giving the orders to the guys and he could use up his vacation time. I wonder if the council person that broke in the water plant and complained to much cholrine was being put in the water gave any orders and that may be why we are low now
I think that the people who broke into the water plant should be removed from their seats, this was an illegal action and legal action should be taken, for all we know they could be the ones that have caused these problems. Another issue is that rhetta ( i love her and think she is doing an awesome job) needs to not listen to so much of what the city attorney says, sometimes you cant be cautious and make improvements you have to stick your neck out there sometimes.
I think that the people who broke into the water plant should be removed from their seats, this was an illegal action and legal action should be taken, for all we know they could be the ones that have caused these problems. Another issue is that rhetta ( i love her and think she is doing an awesome job) needs to not listen to so much of what the city attorney says, sometimes you cant be cautious and make improvements you have to stick your neck out there sometimes.
You people are funny. The reason that the councel members can't speak to the media is because they were obviously instructed not to by the city attorney. So we have one side of the story being spilled out for the newspaper and you idiots eat it up for all it’s worth. Instead of dealing with the towns issues in a rational manner we have our lovely mayor running to the media any time something comes up that might make her look bad. All anyone has to do is look at the last 6 months of articles about Chaffee and you have our mayor saying, “I just want to do what’s best for the people I represent”.
Really!?
Okay Retta, then why don’t you tell the paper how a committee meeting to discuss job descriptions got turned into a three ring circus when the newspapers showed up, wonder who called them? Or how the reason that two counsel members were able to get into the water plant was because someone called to report that the door to the plant was standing open! Talk about your homeland security issues. What were they supposed to do, just shut the door and hope for the best without looking to see if someone had tampered with anything? By the way, where was Eric Hicks when that happened? Isn’t he supposed to make sure that the building is locked? Retta says that they have, “changed the locks to keep people out”. Great! But it doesn’t do a lot of good if the door is left standing open now does it?
Here’s another one, while you’re showing such concern for Chaffee’s citizens: How about the countless incidents, under Eric Hicks leadership, where tax paying, law abiding citizens were let down by the laziness of the city employee’s.
But no, all we get is how the Mayor is just trying to do what’s best. Well, I’ve got a suggestion for you. Shut up, Sit down, and try to resolve these problems without trying to cover your own incompetence by running off to the paper every time someone has an issue.
Wow. The mayor answers her phone! How commendable. I guess I'll just have to take back everything then won't I. If that is your idea of someone doing a good job then chaffee gets what it deserves
I'll tell you whats funny... the waterplant door was never found unlocked before only when a fired employee (another councilpersons husband)refused to turn in his keys and it hasn't been found unlocked since they changed the locks oh and I heard that the person that supposedly called about the unlocked door called the councilman (why not call City Hall)that went in and did the snooping and the person that supposedly called is now deceased(may he rest in Peace)so you will never know if the councilman is lying or not. My money is on the councilman lying. What would be really great if we could hook a couple of these people up to lie detector tests (like the councilmen, the exemployee with the keys and the other good citizens that broke in the second time with the councilmen) I bet that would be interesting to find out just how they got in..
my bet is on the councilpeople that took it upon themselves to just drive on by and find that door open, well lookie there! why didnt they call the police! i bet they are the ones that sabatoged the water just to make things look even worse, stir that pot, thats what they love! maybe a good ol lie polygraph would be the best thing to have at the next council meeting! i bet record numbers would show up then! HA HA HA ! and I bet Ms Peg would get more council people to pick up the phone and comment on stories if she would just call the Elks clubroom!
Ha,ha good one "amazed",yep those Elks love to chat it up that's for sure!
hey run 4 the hills, maybe you should do more than run for the hills and try getting some of your own family to either start doing something positive on the council or *******!
IF THEY ARE SEVERAL APPLICANTS ,THEN WHY AREN'T THERE SOMEONE EMPLOYED FOR THE CITY THAT KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT CITY PUBLIC WORKS