City Council July 11, 2016

Despite a very short agenda and some aborted attempts to adjourn early, the City Council meeting on Monday night lasted over half and hour.

The first item, which was not on the agenda, was closing a block of Weston Street for the Chesek Circus, which was being held an hour later. On the agenda was an increase of $.05 for the July gas tracker and a transfer of funds that allows payment for bonds related to the Melville Street project. There were questions about why this transfer was needed because it should have been properly budgeted, and the answer was that for reasons not understood the budgeted amounts were incorrect but that the City's financial advisor was investigating. The final item on the agenda were a couple of Weston Cemetery deeds.

Councilman Barton raised a question that had been brought to him about the eligibility of the most recent appointment the Council made to the Rensselaer Central School Board. There was some discussion noting that the School Board has often ignored requirements in the past and did not care. Apparently there is a committee of some sort trying to figure out what the legal requirements are for the school board. Eventually the Council decided to let the School Board sort the matter out.

The City has received permission from building owners along Washington Street to take out trees that are dying. There was some discussion of the request of a resident for a refund on her sewer bill. The sewer line was damaged when the city installed a storm sewer and the resident had hired Roto Rooter twice to fix her sewer, not knowing that the city had damaged the pipe. The Council agreed to reimburse her.

In noting that Clark Street was being milled today and that segment of SR 114 was closed, it was also noted that moving SR 231 a bit east at the Mt Calvary intersection was a 2018 project.

One more picture. One of the pits on Lincoln is being prepared for some concrete.