A ribbon cutting and a long meeting

 Monday was a busy day. In the early afternoon the Sage Bridal Studio had a ribbon cutting.

The studio is open by appointment, which can be made on the shop's website. At the opening the shop had about 80 bridal gowns in stock.

In the late afternoon the Rensselaer Board of Public Works met twice. The first meeting was a closed executive session to interview three candidates for two open police officer positions. The second meeting was the normal monthly meeting. It approved paying two invoices from Commonwealth Engineering, one for bidding assistance for the main lift station and unsewered areas and the second for design work for water main work and a water storage tower. They also received a bid recommendation from Commonwealth for the lift station and providing a sewer connection to several areas of town. The recommendation was to accept the low bid of $7,281,000 contingent on concurrence of the USDA which will fund some of the project and also on the availability of funds. The Board also approved hiring the two candidates recommended as a result of the interviews at the executive session.

The City Council meeting was unusually long, lasting nearly an hour and a half. Council meetings have time for citizen's comments at the beginning of each meeting and first up was a request from St. Augustine Parish for some road closures for their bazaar on Thursday. They will help move traffic of those who want to buy meals via drive through. The second were comments from two people who wanted the City to stop planning development of Filson Park. Their argument is that this land would be better used for commercial uses and once it is developed as a park, it will remain a park forever. The gift of the land from the Filsons has the requirement that the land be used as a park for 15 years. In the discussion that followed it was noted that the City had accepted the land with the stipulation that it be used as a park and it cannot unilaterally change its use. The item will probably be on the agenda at the next meeting.

After discussion, the Council passed a first reading of a new trash ordinance. It will now need a public hearing (probably at the November 22 meeting) and then another vote. The ordinance as it was proposed will charge $18.40 per month for use of a 96 gallon trash container. Those over 65 will have the option of a 36 gallon container and be charged $9.20. (These rates will increase to $19.00 and $9.50 in 2023.) The discussion noted that some younger people generate small amounts of garbage and they would also benefit from the smaller containers. The response to that is that without the age limit, the program would be impossible to administer. The garbage service has been established as a utility and will not be getting City subsidies so the rates have to be high enough to cover costs. Other cities with monthly charges have a standard charge for all residents. An option that is not off the table is to have the City get out of the garbage collection business and leave it to private companies that charge more than the City is planning to charge. I predict that no matter what the City does, there will be people unhappy. There will be a public hearing on the ordinance at the next meeting.

The City also passed a first reading of a gas rate ordinance. This ordinance restructures rates so that most people pay more in the summer and less in the winter. It will also have a public hearing next month. As a separate agenda item, the Council approved  gas-tracker increase of 31¢ per hundred cubic feet. This reflects the increased cost that the City pays for natural gas. 

The Council approved using the County's Hazard Mitigation Plan. This is a 90 page document that allows the City to file for FEMA assistance when needed. The City finds it easier to use the County's plan than to write its own.

The Council approved submitting a CDBG Planning Grant that KIRPSE is writing. I do not know what CDBG is. (Update from a reader: "CDBG is a Community Development Block Grant.  This is likely federal grant money, most probably from the Housing and Urban Development Department, that is being funneled through a state or local government entity.") 

The Council opened supply bids for gasoline, diesel, and tire repair. There was only one bidder for the first two and two bidders for the second. They were taken under advisement and a recommendation will be made at the next meeting. The bidder for gas and diesel noted that the prices of gas and diesel are about twice as high as they were on the bids for 2021. 

The Council was informed that the City had received two quotes for garbage totes or containers. They accepted the low bid from Republic Service of DeMotte for $130,473.40. They will arrive in four to six weeks.

The Mayor then read a proclamation congratulating Steve Touhy and Chrissy Martin for winning for the Best Broadcast Personality or Team for their morning Touhyville show on WLQI.

The Council approved $200 from the public relations fund for a City float in the Christmas parade on December 4. It also approved the Police Department putting their name on a list for a new squad car. The car market is in chaos and right now the Department cannot just go out and order a new car. The company that the Rensselaer Fire Department is using for fire billing is closing and will switch to a different company, the one that the Marion Township Fire Department has been using for some time. The Council approved having the Mayor sign the contract.