Two meetings

There were two short City meetings on Monday night. On the way to them, I stopped to take a picture of two little machines ripping up the concrete by eMbers. The concrete will be replaced with bricks.

On Monday The Station Brewhouse at Embers posted a picture of the interior on Facebook.

 In the first meeting the Board of Public Works approved payments to Bowen Construction and Commonwealth Engineering for work on the wet weather treatment plant. The plant is essentially complete but cannot go on-line until the automatic water sampler is running properly. Work remaining includes landscaping, fencing, a walkway, and some blacktopping. The Board approved a change order for First Group for the Grace Street reconstruction; it added some sidewalks that will be replaced. Finally, the Board approved a display of fireworks by Fireworks American on May 6 at dusk; it will demonstrate various items for buyers. This apparently is a yearly demonstration but I had never known it existed.

At the City Council meeting the superintendent of Weston Cemetery used the public comment period to mention that a gentleman from Los Angeles was in town researching his family history. His grandfather ran Warner Hardware in the building that is currently eMbers. He was interested in learning whatever he could. The Mayor said that he bought his first bike there and that the owner, Harris Warner, was a nice guy. If you know more, contact Kevin Cochran at Weston Cemetery.

There were only a few items on the agenda. The Council approved a gas tracker decrease of 12 cents per hundred cubic feet for April and approved purchase of a 69KV breaker for the Watt substation (to be built east on Bunkum Road). The City Clerk Treasurer wanted a committee to update policies and procedures, something that has not been done for about five years. The discussion sidetracked into a discussion of an ordinance being prepared on credit card use. At present many City employees must charge items to their personal cards and then be reimbursed. This is not the way most businesses handle such expenditures. Eventually a committee composed of Councilmen Odle and Hollerman and attorney Riley plus the City superintendents or their designates was approved to revise policies and procedures.

The City's insurance agent will get quotes on comprehensive property and liability insurance from the five companies that offer these policies. Mainstreet Rensselaer's project for the year is a path through Milroy Park. After these and a couple other announcements, the meeting adjourned.