CHAFFEE WON'T JOIN SUIT

CHAFFEE - The Chaffee City Council Monday refrained from joining a lawsuit challenging the payment of water testing by Missouri municipalities.

The lawsuit was filed by the Missouri Municipal League against the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Mayor Ron Moyers said.

Starting Jan. 1, he said, all Missouri municipalities will have to pay for their own water testing, previously handled by the department. Also, the city will have to test at five locations, instead of two testing sites as before.

The department is requiring cities to make the payments because of budget cutbacks, said Moyers. Moyers said the monthly cost for Chaffee will run about $60 to $75.

Moyers said the league is asking for $300 contributions from any municipality that wants to join the suit. Council members expressed doubt over a victory by the league.

The City Council Monday also approved the payment of two bills to the Cape Girardeau office of S.H. Smith & Co., a consulting civil engineering firm. One bill for $6,195 was for specifications for improvements to the city's waste water treatment plant. The second bill of $299 was for a water extension project along Highway 77, Moyers said.