Odds and ends, late January 2021

The big winter storm last night mostly missed use. We got some freezing rain and are still getting light snow, but not inches of snow. However it was enough to put area schools on e-learning.

 The Rensselaer City Council met Monday night with a short agenda. Before the agenda items, Brienne Hooker from the Jasper Foundation thanked the Council for money and several City Departments for work in putting up new and old Christmas decorations. She said that many people had enjoyed them. There is an effort underway with some fundraising to buy more lights for next year. Some are on sale through March. The goal is to extend the decorations south on College Avenue.

In its previous meeting the Council had approved the purchase of a pontoon for the sewage treatment plant and a new service truck. Mr Lockridge, the City Project Manager, said that the company supplying the pontoon wanted to be paid on delivery. The Council agreed to that request. The new service truck that Mr Lockridge thought was available was not, but a similar one at the same price was located. The Council granted permission to purchase it.

There was discussion of some items that will be appearing at future meetings. There are several items about citizen-owned solar panels and the IMPA contract that may appear at the next meeting. Mr Cover expressed concern about people stacking firewood in their yards. No action was taken.

The Gas Department received the first shipment of steel pipe that will be used for a new line to tap into the trunk line east of town. The Park Department requested permission to purchase pallet forks for their tractor. Whatever forks they are now using keep bending. The request was approved.

Finally, Mr Lockridge said that a clarified baffle wall or curtain at the sewage plant needs to be repaired. A proposal will be presented at future meeting. The wall was inspected by divers. I do not know if Mike Rowe ever joined sewage-plant divers when he had his Dirty Jobs show, but that would have been what I consider to be the ultimate dirty job.

The meeting adjourned at 4:30, half an hour after it started.

I noticed last week lines, sometimes long, at the car washes. I did not immediately connect them to all the salting of roads that the City has been doing. 

The Iroquois River froze over in places of low current last week. I had not seen it freeze over previously this winter, which has been fairly mild.

In its previous meeting the City Council had approved the start of a process to remove and replace a warehouse used by the Electric Department. Below is a picture of the building.

I mentioned the Jasper County Airport's master plan in the previous post. Here is more information about what it is.

I have not seen anything written by Cheri Shelhart in recent issues of the Rensselaer Republican. I checked the website of the Kankakee Valley Post News and her name is missing. I wonder if the newspaper chain did staff reductions when it cut the Rensselaer Republican back to a weekly. I admired Ms Shelhart's ability to clearly explain what happened at public meetings.