Chief Curtis Earns International Recognition as Hillsboro Continues Water Investigation
The Hillsboro Board of Alderpersons recognized an international honor for Police Chief Darrick Curtis Monday while city officials continued working to track down unexplained water loss and residents raised concerns about increases in their monthly utility bills.
The Sept. 14 meeting also included several changes to city ordinances involving utility rates, traffic, employee policies, and compensation for certified water and sewer employees.
Curtis Named Among IACP's 40 Under 40
Chief Darrick Curtis announced during his monthly report that he had been selected for a national and international law enforcement recognition, telling the board that the honor came as a surprise.
Curtis was selected as one of the International Association of Chiefs of Police' 2026 40 Under 40 recipients. The annual award recognizes 40 law enforcement professionals under age 40 from around the world for leadership and commitment to the profession.
"I thought there's no way that little Darrick Curtis from little Hillsboro is going to make any waves here," Curtis told the board while discussing the recognition.
The IACP's profile of Curtis points to his role in rebuilding and modernizing the Hillsboro Police Department, where he became assistant chief in 2020 and chief in 2024. It also notes the department's 2025 Missouri Blue Shield City recognition and Curtis's work as a Missouri POST Commission subject matter expert for ethics and professionalism.
Curtis also reported that Hillsboro officers handled 251 calls during August, resulting in 39 police reports. The department is currently advertising for a part-time code enforcement employee.
City Continues Search for Unaccounted Water
Questions surrounding Hillsboro's water system continued Monday after becoming a significant topic at the board's August meeting.
Public Works reported that the city has been working with the Missouri Rural Water Association to locate possible water loss within the system. Water observed in a creek has given officials another possible lead, although finding the source of underground water loss was described during the meeting as similar to finding "a needle in a haystack."
Officials also revisited concerns about whether the city's well measurements could be contributing to the discrepancy. Public Works said the city's well contractor is now confident, based on previous inspections, that calibration is likely not the problem, allowing the investigation to focus more heavily on locating possible physical water loss.
That represents another step in an investigation discussed publicly last month.
During the Aug. 3 meeting, city officials reviewed a preliminary report showing an approximately 43 percent difference between water produced by the city and water being accounted for through its system. At the time, officials said the figure did not necessarily mean 43 percent of the city's water was physically leaking underground. Possible explanations included leaks, inaccurate production measurements, billing information, unbilled water, or a combination of factors.
The city had already begun comparing production figures from its wells with billing records and working with its well contractor on calibration. Public Works also reported in August that one leak had been repaired on Bloom Trail and another had been located on St. Charles.
Public Comments Raise Similar Concerns
The issue took on a more personal dimension during Monday's public comment period.
A Hillsboro resident told alderpersons her utility bill increased from approximately $85 in August to $165 in September. She attributed the increase to several issues, including what she described as a city billing error, higher trash charges, changes in water rates, and a water meter she said was later replaced.
She then urged alderpersons to closely examine utility increases and financing plans for the city's water and sewer systems.
During an earlier portion of the meeting, officials were also asked what residents should do when they believe their meter is reporting unusually high usage.
Public Works recommended contacting City Hall. The city can create a work order and perform a data log on the meter to determine whether there appears to be a malfunction or whether water consumption could be coming from another source, such as a plumbing leak inside the property.
The questions involving individual household bills and the city's broader water-loss investigation are separate issues, and city officials have not established that the unexplained systemwide water discrepancy is responsible for higher readings on individual residential accounts.
Public comments also included questions about the purchase and later sale of property adjoining the Fletcher House.
The concerned citizen stressed that he was expressing his own opinion and was not accusing anyone of wrongdoing, but questioned whether the circumstances could raise concerns involving conflicts of interest or the use of information obtained through public office.
The board did not respond to the allegation during the public comment period. City officials had explained beforehand that public comments are an opportunity for residents to voice concerns and are not conducted as a question-and-answer session.
Alderpersons Approve Utility and Ordinance Changes
The board also approved several changes to Hillsboro's municipal code Monday.
Among them was an ordinance increasing sewer rates and amending the utilities section of the city code, with the change taking effect Sept. 15.
Alderpersons also approved changes to the city's personnel ordinance involving sick leave, emergency leave, the Family and Medical Leave Act, workers' compensation, and military leave to bring city policy in line with changes in Missouri law. Another ordinance established additional pay for eligible water and sewer employees who obtain certain professional certifications.
Traffic-related changes included additional stop signs as well as authorization for the mayor to enter into a cost-sharing agreement with the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission for a traffic signal at Highway B and Peachtree Plaza Drive and sidewalk improvements connecting Highway B, Route 21, and Hillsboro City Park.
The board later authorized engagement agreements for underwriting and legal services connected with proposed combined waterworks and sewerage system revenue bonds.
For residents watching their monthly utility bills, Monday's meeting showed that questions surrounding Hillsboro's water system remain an active issue. The city has narrowed at least one possible explanation by reviewing well calibration, but Public Works continues working with outside assistance to determine where the unaccounted water is going and residents continue asking questions about what they are seeing on their own bills.