City Council meeting 08-12-2015

There was not a lot on the agenda of the City Council meeting on Monday night. The first thing of significance was an ordinance on net metering. It was explained by the new manager of operations and engineering for the electrical utility, Trace Bowles. The groundwork for the ordinance had been prepared at the last council meeting by a representative from IMPA, the Indiana Municipal Power Association. The ordinance establishes the rules and regulations for anyone who wants to add an at-home generator--solar panels or wind turbine--and sell the surplus electricity back to the grid. No one does this yet in Rensselaer, but should someone want to, the rules and fees and regulations are now in an ordinance.

The budget for next year was adopted, a gas tracker of a two cent decrease per hundred cubic feet was approved, and insurance quotes were opened and then referred to a committee of Cover, Watson, and Bretzinger for a decision.

Health Savings Accounts were discussed. This is a benefit that the city gives employees and there is concern that they may make the city's health coverage a "Cadillac Plan" and subject to penalty under the rules of Obamacare. However, no one was quite sure when the rules were supposed to take effect, how big the penalties would be, or if the whole thing may be changed. The issue was referred to the committee established earlier to find out dates and amounts.

The Park and the Cemetery were given permission to seek quotes for new trucks. Councilman Barton asked if the city's stump grinder could be used on stumps in the cemetery and the parks. The electrical department said they would get on it.
One of the superintendents reported that equipment had been moved in to work on the water main project to I-65 and that work would begin on Tuesday (today).

Leaving the meeting, I took a picture of one of the bigger Halloween displays I have seen.

 This morning I noticed a second storage building is being constructed on the corner of Vine and Cullen. It appears that it will have the same floor plan as the first unit.