March is almost over

I found my first crocuses of 2019. They were on the south side of St. Augustine Church. I am always excited to see the first crocuses of spring—they tell me that winter is over.

There was also this flower there. I do not know what it is.

The Rensselaer City Council met for its final meeting of March on Monday evening. Before the regular agenda, a non-resident asked about the 25% surcharge that he pays for City natural gas. The surcharge was instituted in a 1993 ordinance. The person asked if the surcharge should have been discontinued after the expenses for extending the gas lines and other expenses in serving non-resident consumers had been recouped. The answer was that surcharges of this sort are common when a city-owned utility serves non-residents. It compensates for the lack of tax revenue from them. (The City provides gas west of town almost to the County border.)

After approving a transfer of $60, the Council approved a small increase in the electric tracker that will result in a small increase in electric bills for the second quarter.

Discussion turned to recording software. The Council approved a bid of $10,1161.52 to provide software, microphones, a computer to run the system, and two monitors to display presentations. No camera is included. Each microphone will record on its own track, making hearing individual speakers much easier when going back to compose the minutes of the meeting.

The Council approved an internal control policy that the State auditor said that the City needed to pass. It is designed to prevent internal fraud. One of the questions involved bidding for certain projects. It seems that what is not allowed by one area of State government is standard procedure in another. That led to the next item, approving seeking statements of qualification for the wastewater treatment plant and extending sewer service to three areas that are not presently served. It was not clear that this way of proceeding was in conflict with the internal control policy that had just been passed. By the next meeting City officials should know what the State requires and adjustments can be made.

The Fire Chief brought up the issue of cancer among firefighters. It seems that firefighters get cancer at rates higher than that of the rest of the population. He asked for input to help him prepare next year's budget. A committee including Councilmen Odle and Watson was appointed to investigate.

Two previously formed committees reported. The committee on meter deposits has decided what it wants in an ordinance but needs the ordinance to be written. Those with good credit histories will not need to submit a deposit. Those who cannot provide that history will need to submit a deposit, but they will have the deposit applied to their bills after twelve months with no billing problems. The committee considering the move of the Clerk/Treasurers office to the old police building (which adjoins City Hall) has two contractors giving bids and will report back at the next Council meeting.

Rensselaer's Urban Forest group received a state grant of $9500 and expects to plant about 100 trees this year. There was a discussion of decrepit buildings and people with trash in their yards. There was special mention of the old laundry building on the corner of Clark and Cullen. There is work on an ordinance to address the problem.

The City has taken delivery of a new dump truck that is equipped with a snow plow and a salt spreader. Clean-up week will be May 6-10 and the Council approved spending $400 to feed the clean-up crews. It also approved hiring up to five part time employees for the summer.

In other news, the last of the area art shows is on display at the Carnegie Center, this one for middle school students. Below is a Cowoose hybird.

Alliance Bank is collecting bottle caps that will be converted into benches for the Fairgrounds. See here.

The Rensselaer Republican has an informative article about the Wheatfield Town Council and the proposed solar park in Kankakee Township. See here.