The city of Steelville received a letter on Jan. 14 from the Crawford County Prosecutor’s Office regarding possible health hazards at the Hale building located on South Third Street across from the Crawford County Courthouse. 

According to the letter, multiple people have raised concerns regarding “terrible smells emanating from the building, possibly from rotting organic matter or accumulated mold that appears to be consistent with flood water damage that was unsuccessfully repaired or cleaned.”

Public Works Director Jason Evans said he noticed no foul odors or visible mold during his assessment of the building, which is vacant.

“I walked through every level, every room,” Evans said. “It does smell like a building that’s been shut up with no outside air getting into it. I mean, it’s got a musty smell like a basement would that doesn’t have any air moving. But as far as anything dead in there – there wasn’t anything like that.”

Evans said when complaints were first received, he sent his workers to walk through the nearby offices which share a wall with the building, and they also reported no strong odors.

“It’s been active conversation for a month or two, and we haven’t found anything that should smell the way that they’re describing,” Evans said.

Some of the building’s windows are missing coverings, but the owner has plans to fix them in order to help keep people and critters out, Evans said. No utilities, including electricity and water, are connected to the building.

The letter urges the Steelville Board of Aldermen to take any corrective actions they believe may be warranted if they find that a health risk or nuisance does exist. Mayor Terry Beckham said he plans to discuss the issue further with the prosecutor.

In other news, Evans reported that the city’s sewage treatment plant, which is designed to handle 330,000 gallons per day, is currently operating at or near its capacity. He clarified that it is still running smoothly, but will require upgrades down the road, which will be a multi-year process.

When sewage treatment plants reach 75 percent capacity, upgrades are generally recommended. With a proposal for a new 45-lot subdivision being considered by the city, Evans noted that this could add pressure to the system, but that an upgrade will be necessary regardless of the new development.

Evans said his department was quoted $2 million to upgrade the plant’s existing machinery or between $6 million to $8 million to increase its capacity. The city plans to put leftover American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding they received in 2021 toward the project as well as apply for additional grants. Construction planning has not yet begun.

The board also approved a multi-year trash hauling bid with Swinger Sanitation, which provides trash services to the city. Rates for the city will increase by under 50 cents each year, but Beckham said residents will see no change in their rates or services provided.