Hydroblasting

Usually the monthly Commissioners meetings provide at least one interesting highlight, but looking over my notes from Monday's meeting, I cannot find one. It was a rather blah meeting. So let's begin this post with some other item.

On Friday workers on the SR 114 bridge over the Iroquois were hydroblasting the surface. This was a new concept for me, but it is a way of dislodging any weak sections of concrete. Wikipedia has more here.

  While I was there they were waiting for water to arrive. It came in a much bigger truck than I expected.

 On Monday the workers were tearing out the approaches to the bridge. Last week one could ride a bike across it but probably not this week.

Back to the meeting. The Commissioners approved some FEMA contracts that will partially reimburse four landowners who worked on a tile after heavy rains. However, FEMA may want some of the money back after further examination of the records. In discussing claims, there were questions about the cost of public defenders. Jasper County has seven and their salaries are set by the State, which reimburses 66% of the cost. Two buried cable requests were granted. One was for the Dollar General in Wheatfield that is under construction. When it opens, the Dollar General across from KV High School will close.

The Commissioners heard a report on the County's health insurance renewal. The cost will increase by 1.9%. Representatives from British Petroleum wanted to install guard rails along a county road where erosion in the adjacent ditch had exposed a pipeline. Their request was approved conditionally, with the condition being that the Commissioners would approve the design work. The Commissioners had questions about quotes received for replacing water lines at the Animal Shelter. Late in the meeting they got a clarification and approved one of the bids.

The County auction probably will be in the second week of December. There are a lot of items to sell, and if the prosecutor's office has moved by then, there will be a lot of office furnishings. People trying to start a youth center would like some of the supplies left in the youth center building on Sparling Avenue and the Commissioners are open to that.

Bids for ambulance service for the center of the County were opened. There was only one, from Phoenix. It was higher than the current price by $9,000 per month. The Commissioners took it under advisement. The County also subsidizes the three other ambulance services in the County that are run by townships.

A resident of Valley View subdivision wanted the Commissioners to approve golf cart usage on the subdivision's roads. There followed a discussion of the Wheatfield ordinance that allows such usage but the Commissioners wanted to know if the Sheriff, not yet at the meeting, had concerns. When he later showed up, he said he had no problems with them if they were used only in the subdivision. The Commissioners' attorney will work on an ordinance.

Voting locations for Rensselaer's upcoming election were approved: the fire department, the Presbyterian Church, the Knights of Columbus hall, and St. Luke Lutheran Church. The Commissioners passed a motion authorizing the Recorder to enter into an agreement with a provider of on-line records. A request by INDOT to an easement of a bit of a sidewalk corner by the Court House to install an sidewalk ramp was approved.

The Sheriff has lost a dispatcher but rather than replacing her, he requested that he be allowed to hire another corrections officer. That request was granted. There was a brief discussion of new Spillman software that will allow a variety of agencies to cooperate better. There was a long discussion of a health-care case that was only partially understandable by those who did not know the details of the case. The Assistant Coroner wants the County to form a task force for major crimes, which he said have increased.

Trane had three documents that they wanted approved. One was a bank resolution that would lock in the interest rate, another was an agreement with IMPA that would set the rate that IMPA would pay for power from the jail's proposed solar array, and the third as a construction contract. The first two were approved and the third was approved pending attorney review.

The Commissioners approved a response to the NIPSCO Task Force recommendations. They also approved the rezoning request that the Plan Commission had recommended at its September 30 meeting. After a few other odds and ends, it recessed until 8:30 on October 21 when it will have an executive session about health insurance. It will come out of the executive session to pass anything that they need to pass.

There was no Drainage Board meeting but I went to two other meetings that I will write about later.

Fall is in the air though few leaves have turned yet. Strack has a big display of pumpkins to remind us that Halloween is coming.

There are several events that should be of public interest this week. On the 9th there is a Senior Expo at the Fairgrounds from 7:30 until 11:30 am. On the evening of the 10th the Fire Department will have a Fire Prevention Open House and Safety Day from 6:00 to 8:00. It will have lots of exhibits for the whole family. And on the 11th the Utility Office in City Hall will have a Customer Service Day Lunch from 11:00 until 1:00.