The City Council met on Monday evening. They approved a reduction in appropriations that the State said that they had to make and transferred some funds to clean up bookkeeping. They approved a gas tracker than I think was a 4¢ increase per hundred cubic feet.
The main event of the meeting was a presentation on fire-department billing from two ladies from Emergency Services Billing Corporation (here on the web). The Company said that State law allows fire departments to bill for their services but collecting requires persistence and knowledge of both state law and the insurance industry. ESBC adds a fee to the amount that they want to collect, so they are paid on commission; if they cannot collect, they get nothing. They are located in Indiana and presently have Crown Point, Merrillville, and Lowell as clients. At present the Fire Department does not do any billing for fire runs. The authorization from the Council would only apply to runs in the City but the Marion Township Trustee is likely to agree to use the company for runs outside city limits. The representatives left information with Council members and the matter will be discussed again at the next Council meeting. My guess is that they will agree to use the service because there seems to be nothing to lose and something to gain.
The Council approved some funds from the public relations account for a retirement party for a worker in the electric department. At the next meeting the new Council will be sworn in although it will not take effect until January. The Police Department has taken delivery of new cars. The Council approved using City streets for a 5K on March 7 that will run from the Fairgrounds to Brookside Park and back. The parts that were recently delivered for the aerial truck did not work and the truck will be out of service for at least another three to four weeks. Frosty Fest was well attended. And Census is hiring for next year's Census. (I worked the Census in 1990 and kept notes that I used to write about the experience twenty years later. See here.)
The Rensselaer Republican and the radio station have reported that Genova has laid off workers because of supply-side problems. The Republican has also reported that Commissioner Kendall Culp will be the president of Indiana Association of County Commissioners for 2020. The association presents the view of the counties to the State legislature. The Airport Association Authority is moving their monthly meeting from the evening on the first Wednesdays of the month to 4:00 on the second Thursdays. (I may be able to attend a few more next year.)
Finally, here are pictures of a few trees and decorations at Potawatomi Park.
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