A meeting, a trophy, and a ribbon cutting.

Monday's City Council meeting lasted about an hour, which is longer than usual. Two items contributed to the length. First, citizens living in the very north part of Rensselaer, along Owen Street and Deere Road, were concerned about what is being planned for the sewer extension to that area. They had heard conflicting reports and at least one council member told them to attend a Council Meeting to get answers. They were told that at present there are no complete answers available. The engineering firm that the City hired to plan the project has only recently finished its survey and has not yet presented plans to the City. The citizens were assured that they would be able to see the plans and have input on which options were chosen. The entire project, which includes replacing the City's lift station near Weston Cemetery, is estimated to cost $5 million. The City has a grant for $2 million and will be able to get low-interest loans for the other $3 million. The project is mandated by IDEM.

One of the speakers mentioned that the City's well north of Deere Road affected the water level of the people in the area and some wells went dry. The City's response was to extend the City water lines to them. Also, when the sewer lines are installed, the septic tanks will have to be cleaned and filled.

The other item was a presentation of a traveling trophy. Lawrenceburg Indiana sponsors a lineman rodeo that attracts entrants not only from Indiana but also from other states and Canada. Many of these linemen work for large, investor-owned utilities. Three apprentice linemen from Rensselaer's City Electric Utility participated this year and did very well. In each of the five events, at least one of the Rensselaer apprentices was in the top ten of 33 and in several was the best of the Indiana apprentices. (Results are here.) A Rensselaer apprentice was the overall winner of the Indiana apprentices and was presented with a large traveling trophy.

In other business, the Council passed a salary ordinance that will give City employees a 3% raise. There was a transfer of funds to buy a house adjacent to Brookside Park. Later in the meeting it was announced that the closing would be on October 17 and the property was being purchased for $78,000. The gas tracker for October will be slightly more than a penny per hundred cubic feet.

Trick and treating hours will be from 5:00 to 8:00 on October 27. Estimated attendance at last week's open house at the fire station was 400 to 500. The aerial truck continues to have issues and will not be used until a repairman can examine it. The field of candidates for the open position in the police department has been reduced to five. Blacktopping of City streets is about 80% finished and it will take about three more weeks to finish the section of Scott Street that is being rebuilt.

After I left the meeting, I noticed flashing lights at the SR 114 and US 231 intersection. I rode down to see what was happening and saw two police cars blocking SR 114 at Washington Street and two more blocking it at Kellner. I decided my presence was not welcomed and left. On Tuesday I noticed NITCO trucks in the alley and went to see what they were doing. A City lineman told me that on Monday evening a combine had hit the power line and taken down a couple of utility poles. They had been replaced and power was back on. NITCO was finishing repairing the damage their lines suffered. On benefit is that the power lines are no longer in front of the mural on the back of the Horton building.

Grace Point, a religious counseling service, had a ribbon cutting on Tuesday.

It is located next to First Merchants Bank. Behind the lobby where the ribbon cutting took place is a large conference room. It will be used for classes.

Behind it and along the long hallway are three offices.

I do not know of any other organization in Rensselaer like Grace Point. It will have an open house on Saturday. Its web page is here and the Rensselaer Republican report on the ribbon cutting is here.

The shelter house under construction in the Jasper-Newton Foundation Park got a concrete floor on Tuesday.

Finally, SJC has published an update of their efforts to make something happen on the campus.